The Dancing Goddesses Folklore, Archaeology, and the Origins of European Dance

From Southern Greece to northern Russia, people living in agrarian communities have long believed in "dancing goddesses," mystical female spirits who spend their nights and days dancing in the fields and forests. In The Dancing Goddesses, archaeologist, linguist, and lifelong folkdancer Elizabeth Wayland Barber follows the trail of these spirit maidens-long associated with fertility, marriage customs, and domestic pursuits-from their early appearance in traditional folktales and harvest rituals to their more recent incarnations in fairytales and present-day dance. Illustrated with photographs, maps, and line drawings, the result is a brilliantly original work that stands at the intersection of archaeology and folk traditions-at once a rich portrait of our rich agrarian ancestry and an enchanting reminder of the human need to dance.

ISBN:	9780393348507
Publisher:	W. W. Norton & Company
Imprint:	W.W. Norton and Company
Published date:	17 Mar 2014
DEWEY:	398.209496
DEWEY edition:	23
Language:	English
Number of pages:	448
Weight:	692g
Height:	227mm
Width:	168mm
Spine width:	29mm

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