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The Talents of Jacopo da Varagine: A Genoese Mind in Medieval Europe
by Steven A. EpsteinJacopo da Varagine (c. 1228–1298) is remembered today primarily for his immensely popular work, The Golden Legend, a massive collection of stories about the saints. Compiled over the years 1260–67, The Golden Legend quickly eclipsed earlier collections of saints' lives. One indication of its popularity is the fact that so many manuscript copies of the work have survived—more than one thousand according to some estimates. Despite the enduring influence of The Golden Legend, Jacopo remains an elusive figure because he left behind so little information about himself. In The Talents of Jacopo da Varagine, Steven A. Epstein sets out to remedy this situation through a careful study of all Jacopo's works, including many hundreds of sermons and his innovative chronicle of Genoese history. In Epstein's sure hands, Jacopo emerges as one of the most active and talented minds of his day. Indeed, Epstein argues that one needs to read all of Jacopo’s books, in a Genoese context, in order to understand the original scope of his thinking, which greatly influenced the ways generations of people across Europe experienced their Christianity. The rich sources for Jacopo’s sermons, saints’ lives, and history illuminate the traditions that inspired him and shaped his imaginative and artistic powers. Jacopo was also one of the inventors of social history, and his writings reveal complex and new perspectives on family life as well as the histories of gay people, slaves, Jews, and the medieval economy. Filled with impressive insights into the intellectual life of the thirteenth century, The Talents of Jacopo da Varagine will be of interest to a wide range of medieval scholars and students of religious history, church history, and hagiography as well as intellectual history and Italian history.
Tales and Legends of the Devil: The Many Guises of the Primal Shapeshifter
by Claude Lecouteux Corinne LecouteuxExplores the many forms and abilities of the devil in stories from around the world• Draws on folk traditions from all over Europe, including Transylvanian Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Switzerland, Italy, France, Scandinavia, and the Baltic countries• Traces the devil&’s shapeshifting powers back to their Vedic origins in ancient India and looks at his connections with witches and storm magic• Reveals how many of the qualities and magical powers attributed to the devil were once those belonging to pagan godsThe devil has many more guises than the cliché red boogeyman named Lucifer or Satan who haunts Christianity. In some traditions the devil is sinister and cunning, while others portray him as an oaf who can easily be conned and evaded by anyone with an ounce of cleverness. In other tales and legends, he is the primal shapeshifter, and the Roma, also known as the gypsies, claimed his talents of metamorphosis were so strong he could even assume the appearance of a priest. Drawing on folk traditions from all over Europe, including Transylvanian Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Switzerland, Italy, France, Scandinavia, Moravia, Bohemia, Lapland, and the Baltic countries, Claude and Corinne Lecouteux explore the many forms and abilities of the devil in stories, tales, and legends throughout the ages. They trace the devil&’s shapeshifting powers back to their Vedic origins in ancient India and look at his connections with witches, storm magic, and other magical events. They examine the symbolic implications of the appearance of the devil in these tales, such as how he is often either limping or disfigured with the legs or feet of a goat or other animals traditionally linked to the lower powers or passions. They explain how the devil&’s limp or his goat-like feet reflect the prevalence in world mythology of the sacred nature of crippling injuries. Peeling back the Christian veneer embedded in many tales and legends about the so-called Evil One, the authors ultimately reveal how many of the qualities and magical powers attributed to the devil were once those belonging to pagan gods, like the Lithuanian thunder god Perkūnas or the Titan Chronos, as well as to playful woodland spirits and the sometimes helpful, sometimes fearful fauns and satyrs of Greco-Roman mythology.
Tales for Transforming Adversity: A Buddhist Lama's Advice for Life's Ups and Downs
by Khenpo SodargyeOne of the world's most popular Tibetan lamas shares accessible advice for working with adversity and living a spiritual life.Enjoy a variety of meditations on topics from flattery and jealousy to karma and compassion. In each brief chapter Khenpo Sodargye weaves in stories from ancient classics and modern headlines. Drawing on adages from the Buddha, Confucius, and even Mark Twain, he delivers simple and timeless insights about facing adversity and developing a good heart. With this English-language edition, you can now join the tens of millions who have already benefitted from this ageless advice on money, relationships, mortality, and more.
Tales From a Zen Kitchen
by Florencia CliffordI have learned to notice the splendour of life even in the slimiest of creatures. I have found beauty in what I used to perceive as ugly. Slowly I have learned to love that which is difficult to love, both in myself and in others. Florencia Clifford is a zen cook. In this evocative and powerful book, we move seamlessly from Buddhist retreats in an isolated farmhouse in mid-Wales, to the hills of Florencia's childhood in Argentina, and back again. She describes her experiences in sensual detail: the subtle and magical shifts in herself, the seasons, and the people around her. Along the way, she shares her insights and many delicious vegetarian recipes. This is a journey of cooking and healing, taking us into a deep and luminous understanding of the food she prepares, and of the world around us. It tells of the growth of love, as the author learns to care for all beings, including the slugs in the title. This book features twenty original illustrations by artist Michaela Meadow.
The Tales from More than Two Cities: Monsey Kiryat Sefer and Beyond
by Zev Roth Yaakov Lavon[Back Cover] "Some people collect stamps or fine art. Zev Roth collects stories--true stories, unusual stories, inspiring stories. In his first popular book, The Monsey-Kiryat Sefer Express, he shared tales from two very special cities. Now, with Monsey, Kiryat Sefer and Beyond, we travel round the globe--to Brazil, Denmark, Poland and, of course, America and Israel. We'll meet a "Shabbos goy" turned superstar and see how a terrifying carjacking had a very happy ending. The stories we will enjoy in Monsey, Kiryat Sefer and Beyond take place in different places throughout the world. But they have two things in common. They're all fascinating accounts of interesting events. And--like The Monsey-Kiryat Sefer Express--they're all true." However, even though the stories are true, the author wrote them like fictional ones. Because the stories are real, readers gain entrance into Orthodox-Jewish life in a fun way without having to wade through dry, pedantic material and without having to be Orthodox Jews themselves.
Tales from Rumi
by E. H. WhinfieldThe famed and celebrated Rumi is one of the most widely read Poets in the world today; his sublime poetry has reached heights of legendary popularity in Europe and America. These profound tales are stories of insightful and entertaining Sufi wisdom.
Tales from the Dyke Side
by Jorjet HarperFrom the Table of Contents: Breakfast Cereal Monogamy Sex in monogamous relationships has a finite shelf life. If the Shoe Fits Was Cinderella a broom-closet Lesbian? Northern Exposure Is Santa Claus a very special fairy? Animal Crackers Coming out to mom-a long process. Going by the Book Halloween costumes and gays in the Bible. When reading this book, be prepared to laugh--out loud--and to think; to ponder and to enjoy.
Tales from the Land of the Sufis
by Mohammad Ali Mojdeh BayatTake a magic carpet ride into the delightful world of Sufi storytelling with these best-loved tales from Persian literature and lore, in which images of madness, passionate love, and self-sacrifice convey the inner experiences of the soul that has surrendered to the Divine Beloved. The tales are retold from the celebrated works of Sufi poets and spiritual masters such as Rumi, Attar, Nizami, and Jami, as well as anecdotes about these famous masters.
Tales from the Tao: The Wisdom of the Taoist Masters
by Solala TowlerFor thousands of years, students of the Tao have gleaned inspiration and illumination from its parables, and these thought-provoking examples discuss topics ranging from dignity in the face of challenge, to judging character, to how to deal with loss. Whether solidifying a spiritual truth, unravelling a puzzle for contemplation, or providing a moment of humour, these tales are a mainstay of Eastern philosophy. This unique collection brings together the most inspiring, illuminating and downright funny stories from the classical works of Taoist masters, alongside new writing inspired by traditional tales. Set against a backdrop of the mountains, waterfalls and gorges of China, these tales introduce important Taoist ideas about many of the most basic human experiences – including birth, death, loss, pleasure, and how to surrender to the most fundamental experience of the Tao itself. Interwoven with classic Taoist quotations and illustrated with beautiful photography throughout, these engrossing narratives are as relevant today as they were in the great dynasties of ancient China.
Tales from the Tibetan Operas (Library of Tibetan Classics #31)
by Gavin KiltyEight Tibetan opera narratives express Buddhist concepts in myths and stories for the enjoyment and edification of readers of all ages.Timeless Buddhist ideas come to life in the myths and stories in Tales from the Tibetan Operas. Poetically vibrant, these eight classic lhamo stories have continued to delight and edify Tibetan audiences of all backgrounds, from village children to learned scholar-monks and Dalai Lamas. Western readers can now also get a glimpse into ancient Indian and Tibetan history and mythology through these cultural touchstones. The operas revolve around the drives of the human condition: the desire for power, the irresistible seduction of attraction, thoughts of revenge, attachment to family, the fear of separation and pain, the wish to be free from oppression. On visual display are the human and nonhuman characters of history and folklore — kings, queens, conniving ministers, ordinary folk, yogis, monks, and powerful beings from other realms such as gods and nagas — engaged in plotting, kidnapping, fighting and death, journeys to faraway lands, separation, and reconciliation, often with a quest for seemingly impossible treasure. The suspenseful tales have many dramatic plot twists, but they all end in happiness, where the good achieve their goals and the bad receive their just desserts. The operas thus bring to the people the fundamental ethical laws of behavior and teachings of natural justice based on Buddhist doctrine. The book features more than fifty gorgeous photos of the operas being performed in Tibet and India.
Tales in Context: Sefer ha-ma'asim in Medieval Northern France (Raphael Patai Series in Jewish Folklore and Anthropology)
by Elisheva Baumgarten Rella KushelevskyIn the thirteenth century, an anonymous scribe compiled sixty-nine tales that became Sefer ha-ma’asim, the earliest compilation of Hebrew tales known to us in Western Europe. The author writes that the stories encompass “descriptions of herbs that cure leprosy, a fairy princess with golden tresses using magic charms to heal her lover’s wounds and restore him to life; a fire-breathing dragon . . . a two-headed creature and a giant’s daughter for whom the rind of a watermelon containing twelve spies is no more than a speck of dust.” In Tales in Context: Sefer ha-ma’asim in Medieval Northern France, Rella Kushelevsky enlightens the stories’ meanings and reflects the circumstances and environment for Jewish lives in medieval France. Although a selection of tales was previously published, this is the first publication of a Hebrew-English annotated edition in its entirety, revealing fresh insight. The first part of Kushelevsky’s work, “Cultural, Literary and Comparative Perspectives,” presents the thesis that Sefer ha-ma’asim is a product of its time and place, and should therefore be studied within its literary and cultural surroundings, Jewish and vernacular, in northern France. An investigation of the scribe's techniques in reworking his Jewish and non-Jewish sources into a medieval discourse supports this claim. The second part of the manuscript consists of the tales themselves, in Hebrew and English translation, including brief comparative comments or citations. The third part, “An Analytical and Comparative Overview,” offers an analysis of each tale as an individual unit, contextualized within its medieval framework and against the background of its parallels. Elisheva Baumgarten's epilogue adds social and historical background to Sefer ha-ma’asim and discusses new ways in which it and other story compilations may be used by historians for an inquiry into the everyday life of medieval Jews. The tales in Sefer ha-ma’asim will be of special value to scholars of folklore and medieval European history and literature, as well as those looking to enrich their studies and shelves.
Tales of a Country Parish: From the vicar of Savernake Forest
by Colin Heber-Percy'A delightful book from a gentle, generous spirit.' - SIMON RUSSELL BEALE'Philosophical speculation, country lore, rock music, spiritual exploration, erudite and beautifully written, this collection of reflections and meditations is a surprise and a delight. The kind of shot in the arm the Church of England badly needs - and is so rarely to be found.' - SALLEY VICKERSDuring the unprecedented circumstances of Spring 2020, Colin Heber Percy began writing a daily newsletter of reflections and uplifting stories to stay in touch with his parishioners. Word spread, and soon his bulletins were being eagerly consumed by readers around the country and beyond.In this thought-provoking and invigorating book, Heber-Percy draws upon a kaleidoscopic knowledge of nature, philosophy, poetry and music, as well as religious writings, and interlaces them with amusing and touching vignettes from his Wiltshire parish.As he follows the changing seasons, Heber-Percy moves from the seemingly small and mundane to ponder big life questions - can you find heaven in a Londis shop, why is the Bible not like the Highway Code, what on earth we are all doing here - while gently offering up wisdom and sustenance for all, regardless of faith and creed.
Tales of a Country Parish: From the vicar of Savernake Forest
by Colin Heber-Percy'A delightful book from a gentle, generous spirit.' - SIMON RUSSELL BEALE'Philosophical speculation, country lore, rock music, spiritual exploration, erudite and beautifully written, this collection of reflections and meditations is a surprise and a delight. The kind of shot in the arm the Church of England badly needs - and is so rarely to be found.' - SALLEY VICKERSDuring the unprecedented circumstances of Spring 2020, Colin Heber Percy began writing a daily newsletter of reflections and uplifting stories to stay in touch with his parishioners. Word spread, and soon his bulletins were being eagerly consumed by readers around the country and beyond.In this thought-provoking and invigorating book, Heber-Percy draws upon a kaleidoscopic knowledge of nature, philosophy, poetry and music, as well as religious writings, and interlaces them with amusing and touching vignettes from his Wiltshire parish.As he follows the changing seasons, Heber-Percy moves from the seemingly small and mundane to ponder big life questions - can you find heaven in a Londis shop, why is the Bible not like the Highway Code, what on earth we are all doing here - while gently offering up wisdom and sustenance for all, regardless of faith and creed.
Tales of a Mad Yogi: The Life and Wild Wisdom of Drukpa Kunley
by Elizabeth MonsonA fascinating biography of Drukpa Kunley, a Tibetan Buddhist master and crazy yogi.The fifteenth-century Himalayan saint Drukpa Kunley is a beloved figure throughout Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal, known both for his profound mastery of Buddhist practice as well as his highly unconventional and often humorous behavior. Ever the proverbial trickster and &“crazy wisdom&” yogi, his outward appearance and conduct of carousing, philandering, and breaking social norms is understood to be a means to rouse ordinary people out of habitual ways of thinking and lead them toward spiritual awakening.Elizabeth L. Monson has spent decades traveling throughout the Himalayas, retracing Drukpa Kunley&’s steps and translating his works. In this creative telling, direct translations of his teachings are woven into a life story based on historical accounts, autobiographical sketches, folktales, and first-hand ethnographic research. The result, with flourishes of magical encounters and references to his superhuman capacities, is a poignant narrative of Kunley&’s life, revealing to the reader the quintessential example of the capacity of Buddhism to skillfully bring people to liberation.
Tales of a Modern Sufi: The Invisible Fence of Reality and Other Stories
by Coleman Barks Nevit O. ErginA collection of modern Sufi tales by renowned Rumi translator and Sufi initiate Nevit Ergin • Contains 24 deceptively simple stories that invoke questioning and awareness • By the renowned English translator of Rumi’s complete Divan-i Kebir Sufi stories have traditionally been a means of opening a portal that allows us to advance from our basic perceptions into states of extraordinary awareness. This collection of deceptively simple stories by renowned Rumi translator and Sufi Nevit Ergin has the ability to remove readers’ complacent sense of self and identity and to expand their ordinary awareness of reality from every possible direction. In his stories the primrose path we travel suddenly turns into a trickster’s hall of mirrors where we learn that we are not children of Adam and Eve so much as children of our perceptions. The protagonists and antagonists of these stories are constantly morphing and exchanging places. They exist in a world where individuals are stalked by a cricket that is an “invisible monster with the face of a demon,” confront the ambiguous burden of ridding oneself of one’s own corpse, and discover the “invisible fence of reality” existing in the layers of a discarded piece of art. The symbols in these stories are booby traps designed to release the mind from the sense of its own importance and awaken the realization that “if you refuse to be born, you cannot die.” Blind faith, the author says, has proved itself incapable of producing wisdom, tolerance, or world peace. This is because the answers to humanity’s problems lie beyond our ordinary perception and require love and ecstasy to be made visible. Our thirst for wisdom and understanding must go to the fountain of universal truth. These stories provide water from that fountain.
The Tales of A Wandering Prophet: How God Can Use Anyone for His Purpose and Glory
by Hubie SynnKnown for his prophetic gift, Hubie Synn has seen the miraculous take place in the lives of those he's ministered to, including Jonathan Cahn, the New York Times best-selling author of The Harbinger and The Mystery of the Shemitah. Sharing his own personal experiences in The Tales of a Wandering Prophet, Synn shows you how to hear from God, demonstrating that God can use anyone for His glory. During his travels Synn is asked over and over again, &“How can I be so sure that God wants me to do something or speak to someone?&” He has wondered the same thing himself. Though he has been scared and had second thoughts, he would rather step out and deal with the consequences instead of passing up the opportunity. Once you realize it is better to take a deep breath and just step out, it will change all aspects of your life.
Tales of Adam
by Daniel Quinn Michael MccurdyEver since the publication of Ishmael in 1992, readers have yearned for a glimpse into a dimension of spiritual revelation the author only hinted at in that and later books. Now at long last they have it in seven profound but delightfully simple tales that illuminate the world in which humans became humans. This is a world seen through animist eyes: as friendly to human life as it was to the life of gazelles, lions, lizards, mosquitos, jellyfish, and seals -- not a world in which humans lived like trespassers who must conquer and subdue an alien territory. It's a world in which humans have a place in the community of life -- not as rulers but as equals -- with the paths of all held together in the hand of god.This is not an ancient world or a lost world. It exists as surely today as it ever did -- for those who have eyes to see it. Tales of Adam, delightfully illustrated by Michael McCurdy, is a book that will come to be shelved alongside The Prophet, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and The Alchemist.From the Hardcover edition.
Tales of Christmas from Near and Far
by Herbert H. Wernecke[From the front dust jacket flap:] "If anyone doubts the universality of the Christmas festival, let him become acquainted with this book, fifth in a delightful series collecting songs, customs, and stories of Christmas from all over the world (see back of jacket). The present volume is especially noteworthy, for it provides considerably more material of American background than have any of the previous volumes. Almost half of the total thirty-three selections are representative of a wide variety of nationality groups and regions in the United States. From Boston to the far West, from Alaska to the Deep South, come such stories as "An Indian's Christmas Gift," "A Bohemian Christmas in Chicago," "An Amish Christmas," "For the Children from Possum Run," "A Swedish Christmas on the Delaware," and many more of equal charm. Other stories with European and Asiatic settings wear such intriguing titles as "The Holy Lake," "God's Christmas Gift to Rare Coral," "The Little Clock- maker," "Christmas in the Philippines," "Jenny Lind's Yuletide"--fourteen different countries represented in all. The author list is a distinguished one, including Ludwig Bemelmans, Marguerite de Angeli, Alice Geer Kelsey, Elizabeth Allstrom, Ruth Sawyer, Grace Noll Crowell, and of another generation- Edward Everett Hale." Another fascinating, entertaining, uplifting book by this author is in the Bookshare collection. Look for, Christmas Customs around the World, with more by this author/editor to come.
Tales of Elhaanai (Tales of Elhaanai #1)
by Nicole Patrice Thomas2022 Young Adult Winner of the New York State Indie Author Project <P><P> The king is dead...Long live the Queen... <P><P> Betrayal always has a cost and blood doesn't make a family. <P><P> Had destiny not intervened Alric could've lived the entirety of his life isolated, not knowing who he really is. But when he discovers his true identity, so does his aunt. Afraid of his potential power she sends assassins to deal with the rising threat. <P><P> Now, the toughest choice lies in front of Alric – will he rise to claim what is his or hide for the rest of his life?
Tales of Haunted Places (Ghost Chronicles)
by John HarperThe ultimate 'haunted house' collection of ghost stories. This book is full of terrifying tales of ghostly happenings in various castles, cemeteries and battlefields. Spine-tingling tales including the Strange Visitor of Covent Garden.
Tales of Kentucky Ghosts
by William Lynwood Montell“Vividly re-creates the context of storytelling in Kentucky in times past.” —Margaret Read MacDonald, author of Ten Traditional TellersA good ghost story can make your hair stand on end, your palms sweat, and your heart race. The bone-chilling collection Tales of Kentucky Ghosts presents more than 250 stories that do just that. William Lynwood Montell has assembled an entertaining and diverse array of tales from across the commonwealth that will keep you checking under the bed every night. The first-person accounts in this collection showcase folklore that Montell has drawn from archives, family stories, and oral traditions throughout Kentucky. The stories include that of the ghost bride of Laurel County, who appears each year on the anniversary of her wedding day; the tale of the murdered worker who haunts the Simpson County home of his killer and former employer; the account of the lost mandolin that plays itself in a house in Graves County, and many more. Tales of Kentucky Ghosts brings together a variety of terrifying narratives that not only entertain and frighten but also serve as a unique record of Kentucky’s rich heritage of storytelling.“Lynwood Montell is truly an icon in the field of Kentucky folklore.” —James McCormick and Macy A. Wyatt, authors of Ghosts of the Bluegrass“Lynwood Montell successfully reports on family stories, bizarre creatures, urban legends, classic country ghost tales, strange glowing lights, talking cats and so much more.” —Thomas Freese, author of Ghosts, Spirits, and Angels: True Tales from Kentucky and Beyond“Sure to both entertain and chill its readers while also allowing them to consider their own supernatural heritage.” —Manchester Enterprise
Tales of Martyr Times
by Deborah AlcockWhat would you suffer for? Die for? In Tales of Martyr Times, four short stories of historical fiction, Deborah Alcock paints the lives of men and women giving up their lives for a cause. Not just any cause, but for the Word of God and the truth of the gospel. Feel the terror and burden of decision when a life is at stake and the honor and triumph of a life given for Christ.
Tales of Martyr Times
by Deborah AlcockWhat would you suffer for? Die for? In Tales of Martyr Times, four short stories of historical fiction, Deborah Alcock paints the lives of men and women giving up their lives for a cause. Not just any cause, but for the Word of God and the truth of the gospel. Feel the terror and burden of decision when a life is at stake and the honor and triumph of a life given for Christ.
Tales of Persia: Missionary Stories from Islamic Iran
by William Mcelwee MillerTales of Persia is a timely book of missionary tales that will teach readers about Islam and encourage a new generation of Christians. Tales of Persia is especially useful for family devotions and Sunday school classes.
Tales of Power
by Carlos CastanedaCarlos Castaneda takes the reader into the very heart of sorcery, challenging both imagination and reason, shaking the very foundations of our belief in what is "natural" and "logical."Don Juan concludes the instruction of Castaneda with his most powerful and mysterious lesson in the sorcerer's art—a dazzling series of visions that are at once an initiation and a deeply moving farewell.