Folklore of the British Isles; Methuen's Anthropological series
London: Methuen & Co., 1928. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo, xii + 318pp (+ viiipp. publisher's catalogue). Original green cloth with gilt lettering and rules to spine, blind borders to front panel. Index. The first edition of this collection of essays on the folklore of the British Isles from an anthropological perspective. "Miss Hull looks upon folklore, not as a museum of antiquities, but as the history of the beliefs, aspirations and fears of the people. Anthropology studies the history of race from without, folklore from within. The lore of the folk is essentially religious and is concerned with the search for divinity in gods and super-human beings, in stones and pillars, wells and rivers, trees and plants; and with the perils of the soul in the great moments of birth, marriage and death. Our seasonal festivals, dances and games rest ultimately on religious or ritual origins; though changed in form, they are living witnesses of the past." The author, Eleanor Henrietta Hull (1860 - 1935), was a journalist and writer who spent a lifetime devoted to the study of folklore and literature. She was educated at Alexandra College, Dublin, and was a scholar of Old Irish who in 1899 co-founded of the Irish Texts Society remaining its honorary secretary for nearly thirty years. She was president of the Irish Literary Society of London, and a member of the Council of the Folklore Society. Her published works include "The Cuchulain Saga in Irish Literature"; "Pagan Ireland"; "Early Christian Ireland"; "A Textbook of Irish Literature" "The Northmen in Britain," etc. Chapter headings of this volume: Introduction; The Ancient Deities; Worship of the Sun and Moon; Worship of the Earth; The Worship of Stones; The Worship of Wells; The Worship of Trees; Animal Cults; Primitive Sacrifice; Charms and Incantations; The Perils of the Way I: Folklore Relating to Mother and Child; The Perils of the Way II: Folklore of the Hearth and Home; The Perils of the Way III: Folklore About Death; Festivals I: Hallow-een (Samhain), The Festival of Winter; Festivals - II, May Day (Bealtaine), the Festival of Summer; Occupational Folklore; The Kingship; The Druids; Appendix and Index. Very light shelf wear and dust, corners and spine ends lightly bruised, page edges darkened, endpapers unevenly browned, unmarked. Overall a tight, clean VG+ copy in Good dust jacket. (Dust jacket unevenly darkened and discoloured - more so at spine, all edges chafed and chipped with some tidy old tape repairs to reverse side at spine ends, folds chafed, not clipped. Now in mylar cover). Very scarce especially in dust jacket. Item #67333
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