Henry Glassie Knihy

Reprint of a classic work in folklore and literature by a famous scholar.

Robust and funny, sorrowful and heroic, this collection of 125 lively tales tells the story of Ireland. Spanning the centuries from the first wars of the ancient Irish kings through the Celtic Renaissance of Yeats to our own time, they are set in cities, villages, fields and forestsfrom the wild Gaelic western coast to the modern streets of Dublin and Belfast.

Robust and funny, sorrowful and heroic, this collection of 125 lively tales tells the story of Ireland. Spanning the centuries from the first wars of the ancient Irish kings through the Celtic Renaissance of Yeats to our own time, they are set in cities, villages, fields and forestsfrom the wild Gaelic western coast to the modern streets of Dublin and Belfast.

Henry Glassie, a distinguished College Professor Emeritus at Indiana University, has garnered numerous accolades for his scholarly contributions. His expertise is reflected in his eighteen published works, three of which—Passing the Time in Ballymenone, The Spirit of Folk Art, and Turkish Traditional Art Today—have been recognized as notable books of the year by the New York Times, showcasing his significant impact on the study of folk art and cultural traditions.

Exploring the vibrant folk art of Brazil's Northeast, this book highlights the collaborative spirit among artists and folklorists who engage deeply with their craft. It emphasizes the themes of continuity and creativity, illustrating how these elements foster social coherence and personal fulfillment. The authors draw connections between local practices and global ethnographic evidence, advocating for a shared understanding of folk art as a testament to human unity. This work complements their previous exploration of sacred art in modern Brazil.

Daniel Johnston, raised on a farm in Randolph County, returned from Thailand with a new approach to creating monumental pots. Back in North Carolina, he built a log shop and an impressive kiln for wood-firing, aiming to produce beautiful pots that are grand in scale, graceful in form, and vibrant in a blend of ash and salt. After mastering his craft and mentoring apprentices, Johnston focused on massive installations. He first created a hundred large jars, lining them along the rough road by his shop and kiln. He then arranged clusters of big pots inside pine frames, resembling corn cribs, to showcase them in four fine galleries. In the culmination of his career's second phase, he constructed an open-air installation at the North Carolina Museum of Art, featuring 178 handmade, wood-fired columns that stretch 350 feet across a slope, maintaining a level horizon despite the terrain's undulations. In 2000, while still an apprentice to Mark Hewitt, Johnston met Henry Glassie, who has researched ceramic traditions globally. Through a series of intimate interviews, Glassie gained insights that allowed him to craft this portrait of Johnston, a young artist creating remarkable pots in the eastern Piedmont of North Carolina.