In this book, cultural anthropologist Moya A. Malamusi gives readers a rare inside vision of the personalities and healing practices of traditional asing'anga (healers) in Malawi, south-east Africa. H
From Arthur Conan Doyle to Charles Dickens, Colin Dexter to Kenneth Grahame, writers and artists have often taken inspiration from the River Thames. Gathering poetry, artwork, and short excerpts from
Epitaphs are words to be eternally remembered by, short poems or phrases literally written in stone. They can be practical, carrying some variation of the familiar “Here Lies,” but they can also be br
Which statesman was, by the end, “bored with it all?” Which world-renowned economist considered on his deathbed whether he ought to have been less abstemious, saying “I should have drunk more champagn
This is an engaging autobiographical account of a young American woman's life in her Samoan husband's native home. Fay Calkins, a descendant of Puritan settlers, met Vai Ala'ilima, a descendant of Sam
What are gods and why do people believe in them? Where did they come from and what do they do? This book answers all those questions and more!David G. McAfee, who studies religions and writes books, h
Many of the popular, often prophetic, phrases that people use on a day-to-day basis have their roots in traditional folklore. For example: "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb," "Ladyb
This book tells the fascinating story of cremation. The practice of cremation is ancient and over the decades some very interesting things have happened. This book covers the following: Significant
The discipline of religious studies has, historically, tended to focus on discrete ritual mistakes that occur in the context of individual performances outlined in ethnographic or sociological studies
The discipline of religious studies has, historically, tended to focus on discrete ritual mistakes that occur in the context of individual performances outlined in ethnographic or sociological studies
A combination of folklore and traditional advice, Old Wives' Lore illuminates the history behind female wisdom from yesteryear and includes a brief history of old wives’ lore, remedies for health and
There is significant religious and linguistic evidence that Yoruba society was not gendered in its original form. In this follow-up toThe Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender
Of all the things we do and say, most will never be repeated or reproduced. Once in a while, however, an idea or a practice generates a chain of transmission that covers more distance through space an
Of all the things we do and say, most will never be repeated or reproduced. Once in a while, however, an idea or a practice generates a chain of transmission that covers more distance through space an
Incense has a long history in Japan. At the ancient court, men and women alike scented their kimono, their rooms, and even their writing paper with signature blends of incense that admirers were sure
The demise of state Socialisms caused radical social, cultural and economic changes in Eastern Europe. Since then, young people have been confronted with fundamental disruptions and transformations to
