The book focuses on the interpretation of linguistic strategies of interaction between the sacred (the metaphysical world) and the profane (the physical world) in Polish folklore. An analysis of linguistic and ritual behaviour in the context of the origin myth reveals the use of symbolism common to many cultures of the world.

Edited by Joanne Asala, the stories are vividly and dramatically interpreted and portrayed in the paper-cuts (wycinaki) by Alice Wadowski-Bak, noted paper-cut and folkore artist.¶The work of Alice Wadowski-Bak, native of Niagara Falls, New York, is found in private collections and galleries worldwide. The art of wycinanki appeared in Poland in the middle of the 1800s, especially in rural areas where sheep shears were readily available. The method of folding, layering, coloring, and overlay is related to the ancient Chinese art of the block print. Artist Wadowski-Bak explores both wycinanki and oriental stencil cutting. Her origianl designs for this book attest to her exquisite artistry.¶This is a treasure of folk art and lore. A very special gift for personal collections.This book of engaging folk stories includes such tales as "The Violin," "The Headache Cure," "Midsummer's Eve," "The Flower Queen's Daughter," "The Legend of the North Wind," "The Flaming Castle," "The Village Dance," and "The Unfinished Tune."The stories were collected by Joanne Asala, with wycinanki (paper-cutting) illustrations by Polish-American artist Alice Wadowski-Bak.

This volume on Polish and Slavic scholarship on folk segmentation and the symbolism of time applies cross-disciplinary methodologies - from religious studies, anthropology, psychology, philosophy and cultural studies - to several oral and written folktales. The detailed analysis of Polish and Slavic folklore concentrates primarily on magico-religious behaviours as they are practiced and analyzed in everyday life.

Ghosts and other supernatural phenomena are widely represented throughout modern culture. They can be found in any number of entertainment, commercial, and other contexts, but popular media or commodified representations of ghosts can be quite different from the beliefs people hold about them, based on tradition or direct experience. Personal belief and cultural tradition on the one hand, and popular and commercial representation on the other, nevertheless continually feed each other. They frequently share space in how people think about the supernatural. In Haunting Experiences, three well-known folklorists seek to broaden the discussion of ghost lore by examining it from a variety of angles in various modern contexts. Diane E. Goldstein, Sylvia Ann Grider, and Jeannie Banks Thomas take ghosts seriously, as they draw on contemporary scholarship that emphasizes both the basis of belief in experience (rather than mere fantasy) and the usefulness of ghost stories. They look closely at the narrative role of such lore in matters such as socialization and gender. And they unravel the complex mix of mass media, commodification, and popular culture that today puts old spirits into new contexts.