Originally published in 1969, this book consists of a revised version of Dr Chadwick's section on the oral literature of the Turkic peoples in The Growth of Literature with supplementary material on the results of research in the Soviet Union by Professor Victor Zhirmunsky. This literature is of the greatest interest and variety, and not excessively 'strange' to readers of European oral literature. It was produced by nomadic peoples with well-developed traditions of narrative heroic poetry. Dr Chadwick paraphrases and analyses the more important epics; and Professor Zhirmunsky adds a study on epic songs and their singers on the processes of oral transmission. This is a fascinating study that will be of particular interest to scholars of comparative literature and of the origins of literature generally; but it should also be read by anthropologists and scholars of folklore.
Nora Kershaw Chadwick (1891–1972) was a prominent historian and literary scholar. Originally published in 1946, this book presents an examination by Chadwick of early Russian written sources. The text discusses Russia's rich historical traditions and chronicles, and assesses the extent of oral elements. These areas are related to Greek, Oriental and Scandinavian writings. The various traditions within the Russian chronicles are isolated and studied in detail. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Russian history and Russian historical sources.
This classic study of the druids, one of the three intellectual classes of the early Celtic peoples, was first published by the University of Wales Press in 1966. The druids were the most enlightened
