Edward Maxwell

Folktales in the Indo-European Tradition Edward Maxwell

In 2015, researchers shocked the world by showing that many folktales are not just centuries old, but older than Homer and the Bible. Some tales even trace their origin as far back as the Proto-Indo-Europeans-an astonishing survival of some 6,000 years.

Folktales in the Indo-European Tradition is a massive collection of 150 folktales arranged by how far back they can be traced in the Indo-European migrations. This volume includes dozens of colour illustrations by the artist Graman and many tales newly translated into English. In the foreword, we learn how folklore can be one of the most faithful preservatives of Indo-European culture, religion, and even ritual, and how powerful of a tool comparative folkloristics can be in reconstructing the Proto-Indo-European worldview.

This volume is an original contribution to the study of folklore and a beautiful treasure to be handed down through the generations, containing some of our people's most ancient stories.