"A splendid collection from one of the nation's richest and most diverse traditional cultures....["Florida Folktales"] will appeal not only to scholars and lovers of folklore, but to anyone interested in the wellsprings of American storytelling and literature".--Charles Wolfe, Editor, "Tennessee Folklore Society Bulletin".

Florida boasts mysterious tales that stretch back more than twelve thousand years. Dive into the lives of the proud Wakulla Pocahontas and the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge. Meet local lawbreakers like John Ashley, as well as transplants like Ma Barker and Al Capone. Stalk stumpy gators or Hogzilla as they prowl Florida's swamps and suburbs. Discover the quintessential Cracker cowboy and the Barefoot Mailman, plus the origin of names like Boca Raton and Orlando. Storyteller Caren Neile, PhD, shares myths, legends and folktales that reflect the diversity of characters and cultures that make Florida such a fascinating place.

Wide eyes, sweaty palms and a racing heart. Are these the tell-tale marks of a love story or a haunted tale? If the story is set in Florida, there's a good chance it's both. From the infamous Bellamy Bridge to a haunted lighthouse in Key West, love is in the air--but it isn't always a good thing. Author and folklorist Christopher Balzano follows lingering campus whispers and trails that vanish into the swamp to track down the urban legends and ghostly lore of Sunshine State love affairs that live on even after death.

In many places around the world, flutes and the sounds of flutes are powerful magical forces for seduction and love, protection, vegetal and human fertility, birth and death, and other aspects of human and nonhuman behavior. This book explores the cultural significance of flutes, flute playing, and flute players from around the world as interpreted from folktales, myths, and other stories--in a word, ""flutelore."" A scholarly yet readable study, World Flutelore: Folktales, Myths, and Other Stories of Magical Flute Power draws upon a range of sources in folklore, anthropology, ethnomusicology, and literary analysis. Describing and interpreting many examples of flutes as they are found in mythology, poetry, lyrics, and other narrative and literary sources from around the world, veteran ethnomusicologist Dale Olsen seeks to determine what is singularly distinct or unique about flutes, flute playing, and flute players in a global context. He shows how and why flutes are important for personal, communal, religious, spiritual, and secular expression and even, perhaps, existence. This is a book for students, scholars, and any reader interested in the cultural power of flutes.

From ancient graveyards and monuments to modern restaurants and hotels, this book offers a delightful collection of uncanny legends and eerie folklore about Florida's beautiful west coast. Walk through the picturesque city of Pensacola in Florida's Panhandle, where the spirits of the dead are beckoned by an eerie lighthouse shining through the night, or stroll through Pensacola's Seville Quarter, where you may spot the specter of a long-dead bartender. Visit the Island Hotel and Restaurant in Cedar Key, where thirteen spirits are said to roam the building. Venture again into the unknown with Greg Jenkins, who will guide you through some of Florida's most frightening haunted locations. Prepare yourself for the spine-chilling and uncanny tales of specters and ghosts that inhabit Haunted Florida. See all of the books in this series

An overview of the traditional, changing folklife from a vibrant southern state