Overview

How have fairy tales from around the world changed over the centuries? What do they tell us about different cultures and societies? Spanning chronologically from the third millennium BCE through to the seventh century CE and beyond, and geographically from the Mediterranean to the Near East and Asia, this book explores the earliest known evidence of familiar folk tales and fairy tales in the ancient world. Drawing on sources including the Rig Veda, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Old Testament, the Westcar Papyrus, and the Odyssey, this volume ranges from epic poetry to drama, to fables and proverbs, and from ancient histories to novels. Scholars in Classics, Anthropology, Folklore, and Asian Studies examine the dissemination, adaptation, and cross-cultural interactions of early forms of folk tales, providing new insights into how they functioned and circulated across different societies. An essential resource for scholars and students of ancient literature, history, and cultural studies, this book explores topics including: forms of the marvelous, gender and sexuality, monsters and the monstrous, the significance of spaces, socialization and moral messaging, and the uses and abuses of power. A Cultural History of Fairy Tales (6-volume set) A Cultural History of Fairy Tales in Antiquity is also available as a part of a 6-volume set, A Cultural History of Fairy Tales, tracing fairy tales from antiquity to the present day, available in print, or within a fully-searchable digital library accessible through institutions by annual subscription or on perpetual access (see www.bloomsburyculturalhistory.com). Individual volumes for academics and researchers interested in specific historical periods are also available digitally via www.bloomsburycollections.com.

Full Product Details

Author:   Professor Debbie Felton
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Bloomsbury Academic
Weight:   1.000kg
ISBN:  

9781350093799

ISBN 10:   1350093793
Pages:   256
Publication Date:   02 November 2023
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
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Table of Contents

List of Illustrations List of Tables Series Preface List of Abbreviations Introduction: Ancient Analogues for Modern Tales Debbie Felton 1. Forms of the Marvelous: Prodigies and Wonders in Antiquity Graham Anderson 2. Adaptations: Transmission, Translation, and Diffusion of Ancient Tales Emanuele Lelli 3. Gender and Sexuality: Reading Females, Males, and Other in Asian Folktales Serinity Young 4. Human and Non-Human: The Animal in Greek and Roman Fable Kenneth Kitchell 5. Monsters and the Monstrous: Ancient Expressions of Cultural Anxiety Debbie Felton 6. Spaces: Borders, Fringes, and Thresholds in the Ancient Folktale Julia Doroszewska and Janek Kucharski 7. Socialization: Fairy Tales as Vehicles of Moral Messages Dominic Ingemark and Camilla Asplund Ingemark 8. Power: Uses and Abuses of Authority in Ancient Tales Debbie Felton Notes Bibliography Notes on Contributors Index

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Debbie Felton is Professor of Classics at the University of Massachussetts, Amherst, USA

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