Pacific Folklore And
p. 72 · Read in the full issue
Mythology
FOLKLORE and mythology of the Paci fic area are well presented in “The Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend,” published by Funk and Wagnalls Company in 1949.
Twelve years of research have gone into the selection of material for this opus, edited by Maria Leach. Thirty folklore authorities have contributed to the pub lication which is world-inclusive in its scope. Volume I carries the study up to and through the Letter I of the alpha bet. Volume 11, now in preparation, will complete the Dictionary.
Material on the Pacific has been pre pared by Dr. Katharine Luomala of Bernice P. Bishop Museum and the Uni versity of Hawaii. In Volume I Dr. Luo mala has dealt with Australian Aboriginal and Indonesian Mythology. She will out line Micronesian, Polynesian and Melane sian Mythology in Volume 11. In addition to major discussions of mythology and folklore of peoples, there are paragraphs covering numerous specific references.
Selections cover some 4,000 references to heroes, fairies, gods, devils, ogres, spirits, incidents, folklorists, religious concepts, traditions extending from the remote legendary past to the Twentieth Century.
This cross-section study presents material of two kinds: — (1) Brief informational paragraphs bearing particulars heretofore scattered in rare and out-of-print books, in learned and obscure journals and memoirs, on re cords transcribed in the field by anthro pologists and collectors, in unpublished manuscripts, or passed by word of mouth. (2) Original articles on specific cultures and aspects of folklore prepared especially for the Dictionary by 30 of the world’s foremost folklorists.
Volume I sells for $7.50.