Need help finding a book. I think it was a short stories collection. One of the stories was about a king that left his new bride alone when he had to go somewhere on business. He gave her a keychain with keys to all the rooms and an egg he told her to carry around... [more inside]
posted on Sep 28, 2008 - 8 answers

American Studies scholars, please help me compare 2 programs in New England and American Studies and get some general advice. [more inside]
posted on Jun 23, 2008 - 10 answers

Bulgarian speakers: What song is this? [more inside]
posted on Jun 15, 2008 - 6 answers

Is the Wendigo purely a Northeast American (and Canadian) myth? If so is there a Northwest equivalent?
posted on Apr 29, 2008 - 15 answers

Got any great books about luck? [more inside]
posted on Dec 26, 2007 - 18 answers

There's a bit in Terry Pratchett's Lords and Ladies that's puzzled me ever since I read it. Spoiler, quote, and specific (possibly very silly, since it's not even mentioned in the annotations) question inside. [more inside]
posted on May 12, 2007 - 4 answers

Which book would you consider a "universal" book? [more inside]
posted on Mar 14, 2007 - 57 answers

Novels, short stories, movies--all are welcome. I find shadow stories spooky and interesting. My fave was a kid book called "The Shades" which explains how the shadows of people live their own lives. Know of any others?
posted on Dec 15, 2006 - 7 answers

Half-remembered fairy tale: a kid could only draw one eye on an animal, or else it would come to life. His secret is revealed when he's forced to draw both eyes on an animal, which then.. leaps off the page. What was this story? Where did it come from?
posted on Dec 10, 2006 - 4 answers

Are there any cultures that don't anthropomorphize animals and other things (living or otherwise) in their myths, legends, folktales, etc.? Is this a universal thing? And if it is universal, are there any layman accessible books or articles on why?
posted on Sep 25, 2006 - 20 answers

The terrain of the subconscious. The stories we tell ourselves. Book recommendations to better pick out and respond to the undercurrents of situations. Maybe books on archetypes, folklore, symbols, fantasy. Maybe just books with strong character development. [more inside]
posted on Aug 21, 2006 - 18 answers

Can anyone help me find Indian / Hindi folklore? [more inside]
posted on Aug 15, 2006 - 20 answers

Is anyone familiar with the comedy routine of Little Red Riding Hood told backwards? A teacher I had in jr. high just died and that was one of his trademark stories. I always thought it was an original, but then I heard it years later and now can't remember who did it. It basically involved telling the story straight but mixing up the sentence structure. At least that's what I recall some 22 years later.
posted on Jan 25, 2006 - 14 answers

A few years ago my mother picked up this traditional(?) instrument in Hungary. What's it called and how do you use it?
posted on Mar 20, 2005 - 9 answers

In your house, what food does, or does not, need to be refrigerated?
posted on Aug 6, 2004 - 41 answers

This is an admittedly silly question, but I'm curious nonetheless. I'm battling insomnia and the new-generation Transformers cartoon comes on the television. The presumed villain is a schizophrenic character, whose head appears to have three faces side by side, and he switches faces, and the different personalities battle amongst each other.

I've also seen this in some really bad B Skiing movie from the 80's. No clue of the name. But I've seen it other places, too. My question is, does anyone have a clue where this concept originates? Is it some obscure R.D.Laing essay that I've overlooked? Some folklore I am not familiar with?
posted on Jul 23, 2004 - 15 answers