German Folklore

James R. Dow is Professor Emeritus of German at Iowa State University. He has published several books, and his articles have appeared in such journals as Journal of American Folklore, Journal of the Folklore Institute, and International Folklore Review.

• PrefaceIntroductionDefinitions and ClassificationsExamples and TextsScholarship and ApproachesContextsGlossaryBibliographyWeb Resources

[T]his handbook provides not a scholarly, detailed study of German folklore but rather a sampling to guide the reader through its concept. That said, the book gives evidence of Dow's long experience and erudition, and one must acknowledge a lurking depth, for example, in the discussion of folklore and National Socialism. Central to the book is an extensive chapter that illustrates the Germanic hoard: legend and Germanic myth, prose Edda, and the Niebelung epic. Familiar names reside here: Faust, Eulenspiegel, Munchhausen (Munchhausen), the Brothers Grimm. Dow (Iowa State Univ.) also brings to the discussion familiar ballads and songs such as Der Erlkonig. (Erlkonig) But one finds too the beloved German folk song Muss i denn truncated and limned with a reference to Elvis Presley and his English version. From there the author moves to calendar customs and a strong potion of fairy tales. The bibliography is commendable, and library Web sites are provided for those seeking to learn more….Recommended. Lower-/upper-division undergraduates; general readers.