Russian myths

In this new addition to "The Legendary Past" series, Warner (Russian, emerita, Univ. of Durham), an authority on Russian folklore and ethnography, gives an overiew of the customs and themes underlying Russian beliefs. While the advent of Christianity at the end of the tenth century profoundly affected the development of the culture, pagan beliefs have continued to coexist with the new religion to the present day, resulting in a "dual faith." Drawing upon a variety of sources (e.g., epic songs, funeral laments, religious legends), Warner expertly discusses the most significant themes of this faith the cult of the dead, animism in nature, and magic to shed light on the development of major themes in Russian mythology. There is no formal bibliography, though a "Suggestions for Further Reading" section is included, as is an index and a selection of works in Russian used in preparation. A glossary would have been beneficial, as the author uses a variety of Russian folkloric terms, each defined once and briefly within the text. Nonetheless, this basic introduction to the subject provides information invaluable to understanding the primary sources; recommended for folklore collections in all libraries. [Other titles in the series include Aztec and Maya Myths, Celtic Myths, Chinese Myths, Egyptian Myths, and many more. Ed.] Katherine Kaigler-Koenig, The Ellis Sch., Pittsburgh (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.