Showing titles in Customs & Traditions

Aussehen wie Adonis, auf dem Boden der Tatsachen landen wie Ikarus oder herumirren wie Odysseus - die Antike und ihre Mythologie beeinflussen unser Leben bis heute. Schon die klassische Dramaturgie des Hollywoodfilms geht auf den alten Griechen Aristoteles zurück. Johannes Nichelmann und Janis Gebhardt gehen in diesem Original Podcast der Mythologie in unserem Alltag auf den Grund. Wie kann Wissen der Menschheit von damals die Fragen unseres modernen Lebens beantworten?

Policing in Japan: 10 Facts About the Kōban System by Barnaby Sorrens offers a revealing, in-depth look into one of the most unique and quietly effective law enforcement models in the world. At the heart of Japan’s remarkably low crime rates lies an institution both humble in appearance and profound in purpose: the Kōban, or police box. Far from the outdated booths one might imagine, these neighbourhood fixtures are fully functioning police posts embedded directly into daily community life.

Discover the rich tapestry of folklore woven into Jewish traditions. From magical creatures like Golems and Succubi to talismans, charms and even the esoteric origins of the celebratory cry of "mazel tov", this comprehensive review by Joshua Trachtenberg, a Reform rabbi and PhD holder from Columbia University, offers a detailed and captivating history of Jewish magical belief and practice from the 10th to 15th century.

Go out into the fields and woods, the parks and riverside at dawn, before humans properly stir and you will witness not the wonder of ‘the rising sun’, but also much more. You will see the fox trotting home, the hare in the corn washing her face; and the birds at song. The hour of dawn is a...

In this audiobook, many of the creatures and deities from Greek myths will be laid out, including their roles, powers, responsibilities, relationships, and background. You will have a perfect image of the basics of Greek mythology, and you will understand the interaction between the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus.

Step into the Alpine Regions of Austria for a complete introduction to the local traditions, beliefs, and folklore surrounding the dark half of the year. Within these pages you will come face-to-face with the ghostly procession of otherworldly beings called the Wild Hunt, the goddess Percht who...

The holly-jolly holidays aren’t for everyone, least of all when you look back on that one Christmas when there were two definitely haunted dolls waiting for you and your sister under the tree. You have to assume that’s where it all started. And so it was for Jenny Lawson. Now, she lives in the land of eternal Halloween, as evidenced by her interior decor and general state of darkness. (Although, if you ask her, her taxidermy zoo is less dark, more delightful. But not everyone has taste, so what are you going to do?)

More than 80 classic myths retold and explained, from early creation beliefs to classical hero narratives and the recurring theme of the afterlife, narrated by Emma Fenney. The Mythology Book explores the compelling worlds and characters depicted in myths and legends. Delve into each myth and...

When Ben Coates injures his leg and needs to rebuild his strength by walking, he finds himself presented with an exciting opportunity: to rediscover the city he has been working in for over a decade, at a slower pace. He devises ten walks, each demonstrating a different chapter of Amsterdam's history, from its humble beginnings in the early 1200s as a small fishing community through two Golden Ages, fueled by the growth of the Dutch colonial empire, two world wars, and countless reinventions.

This insider's look at inherited wealth in the United States explores the complex meanings of money and success in American society with a new introduction that examines whether America's privileged class will be willing or able to play a leadership role in the twenty-first century.

The summer before his senior year in college, Greg Melville worked at the cemetery in his hometown, and thanks to hour upon hour of pushing a mower over the grassy acres, he came to realize what a rich story the place told of his town and its history. Thus was born Melville’s lifelong curiosity with how, where, and why we bury and commemorate our dead. Melville’s Over My Dead Body is a lively (pun intended) and wide-ranging history of cemeteries, places that have mirrored the passing eras in history but have also shaped it.

Freemasonry is one of the oldest and most widespread voluntary organizations in the world. Over the course of three centuries, men (and women) have organized themselves socially and voluntarily under its name. This Very Short Introduction introduces the inner activities of freemasonry, and the rituals, symbols, and practices. Looking at the development of the organizational structure of masonry from the local to the global level, Andreas Önnerfors considers perceptions of freemasonry from the outside world and navigates through the prevalent fictions and conspiracy theories. 

Julius Evola's masterful overview of the political and social manifestations of our time, the "age of decline" known to the Hindus as the Kali Yuga. Reveals the occult war that underlies the crises that have become a prevailing feature of modern life. Includes H. T. Hansen's definitive...

Here are six stories from Joseph Marshall’s award-winning book, The Lakota Way, read by the author and enriched with musical performances by noted American Indian musicians Keith Bear, Joseph Fire Crow, and Andrew Vasquez. Rich with history and folklore, these traditional Lakota stories about...

Wise women, apothecaries, witches, herbalists: whatever you like to call them, those who cultivate plants for their apparent mystical properties have existed for thousands of years. The Witch's Garden tells the story of our folkloric fascination with these magical specimens, documenting the beliefs and rituals surrounding the natural world. This book beautifully evokes the bewitching nature of mysterious plants.

Daniel Loxton and Donald R. Prothero have written an entertaining, educational, and definitive text on cryptids, presenting the arguments both for and against their existence and systematically challenging the pseudoscience that perpetuates their myths. After examining the nature of science and pseudoscience and their relation to cryptozoology, Loxton and Prothero take on Bigfoot; the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman, and its cross-cultural incarnations; the Loch Ness monster and its highly publicized sightings; the evolution of the Great Sea Serpent; and more.

In this fascinating book, you’ll become familiar with all the aspects, characters, and most important, events the Greek and Romans made up. Since Roman mythology coincides a lot with the ancient Greek one, the similarities and differences will be explained. 

In a series of personal letters to his sons, Omar Saif Ghobash offers a short and highly readable manifesto that tackles our current global crisis with the training of an experienced diplomat and the personal responsibility of a father. Today's young Muslims will be tomorrow's leaders, and yet...

Korean culture is exploding worldwide—from K-pop and K-dramas to Squid Game and KPop Demon Hunters. And now with The Book of Korean Mythology, the folklore of the gods, monsters, and heroes that shape culture are brought together in this beautifully illustrated collection. From the beautiful...

In Creation Stories of the Americas, you will join expert art historian Khristin Montes to encounter—and often reconstruct—creation myths across the Western hemisphere, zeroing in on cultures like the Pueblo, Mexica, Mixtec, Maya, Dine, and more. You will examine popular motifs within creation stories, from murky waters to journeys into the underworld. And you will contextualize these stories in the societies and environments from which they came, whether that’s the Caribbean, where cultures collided, or in the arctic, a place where scarcity enveloped everyday life.