| African Myths of Origin Contributor(s): Belcher, Stephen (Editor), Belcher, Stephen (Introduction by) |
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ISBN: 0140449450 ISBN-13: 9780140449457 Publisher: Penguin Group OUR PRICE: $17.10 Product Type: Paperback Published: June 2006 Annotation: A rich, unique anthology of retold fables from Africa Gathering a wide range of traditional African myths, this compelling new collection offers tales of heroes battling mighty serpents and monstrous birds, brutal family conflict and vengeance, and desperate migrations across vast and alien lands. From accounts of the inventive wiles of animal- creators and a community forced to flee a giant crocodile to the heroic story of the cripple Sunjata who rose to found an empire, all the narratives here concern origins. They offer a kaleidoscopic picture representative of the rich cultures and societies of the African continent: the ways of life, the peoples -- from small hunting bands to great empires -- and the states that have taken shape over many generations and environments. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Fiction | Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology - Fiction | Classics |
| Dewey: 299.67 |
| Series: Penguin Classics |
| Physical Information: 1.02" H x 5.18" W x 7.8" (0.82 lbs) 544 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Gathering a wide range of traditional African myths, this compelling new collection offers tales of heroes battling mighty serpents and monstrous birds, brutal family conflict and vengeance, and desperate migrations across vast and alien lands. From impassioned descriptions of animal-creators to dramatic stories of communities forced to flee monstrous crocodiles, all the narratives found here concern origins--whether of the universe, peoples or families. Together, they create a kaleidoscopic picture of the rich and varied oral traditions that have shaped the culture and society of successive generations of Africans for thousands of years, throughout the long struggle to survive and explore this massive and environmentally diverse continent. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. |