The Handbook of Folklore
Society Edition (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Handbook of Folklore: Society Edition<br><br>This book is not written for the use of members of Anthropological Expeditions, whose work demands far more thorough acquaintance with the subject than could possibly be conveyed in a single volume. It is addressed to officers of the public services, to missionaries, travellers, settlers, and others whose lot is cast among uncivilized or half-civilized populations abroad; to residents in country places at home; to medical men, philanthropic workers, and all educated persons whose lives and duties bring them into touch with the uneducated. Such persons have it in their power to contribute very greatly to the advance of an important study, the value of which is as yet hardly fully appreciated; and it is believed that they will be willing to do so, if only the way is pointed out to them. To do this is the aim of the Handbook of Folklore.<br><br>The genesis of the book is somewhat complicated. The scheme of classification devised by Sir Laurence Gomme for the original edition of 1890 has been retained, with only such modifications of detail as experience and extended knowledge have shown to be desirable. That its retention should have been found possible, in spite of the great development of the study during the last quarter of a century, is no small testimony to the prescience of its author. Beyond this, a few passages here and there, and the list of Types of Indo-European Folk-tales, represent all that has been preserved from the first edition. The earlier chapters are founded on a manuscript which Mr. E. Sidney Hartland began some years ago with a view to a new edition, but which for various reasons was never completed.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.