With enormous enthusiasm for the language of ordinary northerners, this scenic portrait of coastal peoples combines history, etymology, and recollections to record a folk culture that strives to survive against current worldwide trends of uniformity. The examination delves deep into the boat and fishing traditions that shape this small angler community, including smuggling, the scenery, and the surrounding wildlife. The increasing threat that globalization poses to these sea populations makes this an important preservation - as well as an excellent source of factual information and reference material about those who live on the North Sea.

The significant merit and historical importance of vintage folk art fishing lures and tackle have remained largely "undiscovered" by the folk art community. This book will change that. Over 700 striking color photos and fascinating text presents vintage folk art fishing lures, predominantly from the first half of the 20th century, as small, exquisite, handcrafted treasures. Originally made only for catching fish, these lures were assembled from available materials and household supplies. Through their makers' vision and talent, miniature "sculptures" were created. Each lure is unique and personal. Detailed background, historical, and introductory sections complement photos conveying the limitless range of lure designs from primitives to elaborate folk art classics. Early folk artists including Bud Stewart, William Giles, and Burt Errett as well as contemporary artists Bob Baird, Aage Bjerring, Bill Grossman, C.B. Lewis, and C.E. Wilson are featured. First-ever detailed benchmarks to assess an individual folk art lure's quality, condition, authenticity, and value. This book is a treasure for fishermen and folk art collectors, displaying lures from both known and anonymous makers.

With over 500 color photographs, this thorough text introduces the reader to the wide variety of decoys currently available, decoys made earlier in the century by "old time" artists as well as examples of contemporary design. The construction and special attributes of fishing decoys are discussed in detail, information vital to recognising the most collectible decoys. Detailed histories of early twentieth century and contemporary decoy makers of Minnesota and their decoys has been compiled through personal interviews with the makers or their families. Information is also provided on spear makers and the varying designs of their spears, jigging sticks, and decoy boxes. This is a truly valuable reference work.

A captivating, magical and haunting debut novel of breathtaking imagination, from the winner of the 2014 Costa Short Story Award LONGLISTED FOR THE 2019 INTERNATIONAL DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 'That rare thing: genuinely unique' OBSERVER 'Will win you over ... Magical' THE TIMES 'Absolutely stunning. I loved it' MADELINE MILLER, AUTHOR OF CIRCE On the remote island of Neverness, the villagers' lives are entwined with nature: its enchantments, seductions and dangers. There is May, the young fiddler who seeks her musical spirit; Madden Lightfoot, who flies with red kites; and Verlyn Webbe, born with a wing for an arm. Over the course of a generation, their desires, gossip and heartbreak interweave to create a staggeringly original world, crackling with echoes of ancient folklore.

"Although similar in their economy and their resistance to outside control, two communities have evolved different patters of social organization. In onethe church has come to play a dominant role. It serves as the only local government, even providing street lights and nursing services. It supports an ethic of hard work and the pursuit of a higher standard of living. In the other community, kin loyalties exercise paramount control. The People exhibit a marked individualism , and family members assist and fill in for one another. Living more on a day-to-day basis, they supplement their seasonal fishing income with wage labor."--cover flap

Rich in cultural significance, each title in this bestselling series includes a collection of 20 to 30 tales together with an introduction and a historical overview that give the reader compelling insights into the culture, the folk literature, and the lives of the people in the region.Mermen? Yes. Long before mermaids emerged to people our inner seas, long before they established their restless, inviting niche in human fantasy, there was the merman. Born of the human need to dominate the great fruitful oceans, to control the vast destructive seas, to regulate the healing rains, to understand the tides, the merman emerged.

The Arctic region of North America is a land of long days, icy cold, hardy people and peculiar creatures. The Inuit people there have made traditional use of remarkable folk tales to find truth and explain the mysteries of an astonishing world. In Fish-Boy: An Inuit Folk Tale, Vanita Oelschlager retells a tale passed down by a wise old Inuit. It's an origin story involving a little magic and a very odd boy with a large heart for friendship. On a journey with his new father, he must confront misfortune and the malice of cold hearted villagers. But he has a way...and a lesson for all in the virtues of kindness and hospitality. Here then, is high praise for the tale-tellers: for the richness, diversity and creativity they send from the top of the world- and so, also Fish Boy, An Inuit Folk Tale, retold here and lavishly illustrated for a new generation. After all, that is how ancient folk tales and truth live on in the telling.