The Halloween Encyclopedia

The Halloween Encyclopedia PDF Author: Lisa Morton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Book Description
The concept of Halloween as a holiday and cultural phenomenon worthy of serious study is only a few decades old, and only since the mid-1980s have scholars started to accept that Halloween's place in modern society (especially in American society) merits attention beyond horror fiction and children's books. The first book devoted solely to Halloween was published just over a century ago, and now, Halloween has its own encyclopedia. Major entries include Samhain, the Celtic ancestor of Halloween; witches, a major Christian addition to the mythology of Halloween and one that still generates interest and controversy; skeletons, a universally recognized symbol of death; the Day of the Dead, the Mexican holiday that is often compared to Halloween; the jack-o'-lantern, which has its roots in folktales starring the rascally Jack who always manages somehow to beat the Devil; and trick-or-treating, the most loved and misunderstood American Halloween ritual. Hundreds of small entries cover Halloween history and mythology, fortune-telling lore, harvest legends, and 20th century additions to the holiday's rituals.

The Halloween Encyclopedia

The Halloween Encyclopedia PDF Author: Lisa Morton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 248

Get Book

Book Description
The concept of Halloween as a holiday and cultural phenomenon worthy of serious study is only a few decades old, and only since the mid-1980s have scholars started to accept that Halloween's place in modern society (especially in American society) merits attention beyond horror fiction and children's books. The first book devoted solely to Halloween was published just over a century ago, and now, Halloween has its own encyclopedia. Major entries include Samhain, the Celtic ancestor of Halloween; witches, a major Christian addition to the mythology of Halloween and one that still generates interest and controversy; skeletons, a universally recognized symbol of death; the Day of the Dead, the Mexican holiday that is often compared to Halloween; the jack-o'-lantern, which has its roots in folktales starring the rascally Jack who always manages somehow to beat the Devil; and trick-or-treating, the most loved and misunderstood American Halloween ritual. Hundreds of small entries cover Halloween history and mythology, fortune-telling lore, harvest legends, and 20th century additions to the holiday's rituals.

The Polo Encyclopedia, 2d ed.

The Polo Encyclopedia, 2d ed. PDF Author: Horace A. Laffaye
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786495774
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 423

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Book Description
In its greatly expanded second edition, this definitive reference work on the sport of Polo includes more than 18,000 alphabetical and cross-referenced entries covering players, teams, national and international tournaments, rules of the game, books on polo and their authors, as well as painters and sculptors of polo subjects. No other book includes as much information about the game in a single volume.

The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television, 2d ed.

The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television, 2d ed. PDF Author: John Kenneth Muir
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786437553
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 705

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Book Description
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a complete guide to over 50 years of superheroes on screen! This expanded and updated edition of the 2004 award-winning encyclopedia covers important developments in the popular genre; adds new shows such as Heroes and Zoom; includes the latest films featuring icons like Superman, Spiderman and Batman; and covers even more types of superheroes. Each entry includes a detailed history, cast and credits, episode and film descriptions, critical commentaries, and data on arch-villains, gadgets, comic-book origins and super powers, while placing each production into its historical context. Appendices list common superhero conventions and cliches; incarnations; memorable ad lines; and the best, worst, and most influential productions from 1951 to 2008.

The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, 2d ed.

The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, 2d ed. PDF Author: Jonathan Fraser Light
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476617449
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 1112

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Book Description
More than any other sport, baseball has developed its own niche in America's culture and psyche. Some researchers spend years on detailed statistical analyses of minute parts of the game, while others wax poetic about its players and plays. Many trace the beginnings of the civil rights movement in part to the Major Leagues' decision to integrate, and the words and phrases of the game (for example, pinch-hitter and out in left field) have become common in our everyday language. From AARON, HENRY onward, this book covers all of what might be called the cultural aspects of baseball (as opposed to the number-rich statistical information so widely available elsewhere). Biographical sketches of all Hall of Fame players, owners, executives and umpires, as well as many of the sportswriters and broadcasters who have won the Spink and Frick awards, join entries for teams, owners, commissioners and league presidents. Advertising, agents, drafts, illegal substances, minor leagues, oldest players, perfect games, retired uniform numbers, superstitions, tripleheaders, and youngest players are among the thousands of entries herein. Most entries open with a topical quote and conclude with a brief bibliography of sources for further research. The whole work is exhaustively indexed and includes 119 photographs.

Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2d ed.

Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2d ed. PDF Author: Vincent Terrace
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786486414
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 1331

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Book Description
This fully updated and expanded edition covers over 10,200 programs, making it the most comprehensive documentation of television programs ever published. In addition to covering the standard network and cable entertainment genres, the book also covers programs generally not covered elsewhere in print (or even online), including Internet series, aired and unaired pilot films, erotic series, gay and lesbian series, risque cartoons and experimental programs from 1925 through 1945.

Trick or Treat

Trick or Treat PDF Author: Lisa Morton
Publisher: Reaktion Books
ISBN: 9781780230474
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Every year, children and adults alike take to the streets dressed as witches, demons, animals, celebrities, and more. They carve pumpkins and play pranks, and the braver ones watch scary movies and go on ghost tours. There are parades, fireworks displays, cornfield mazes, and haunted houses—and, most important, copious amounts of bite-sized candy. The popularity of Halloween has spread around the globe to places as diverse as Russia, China, and Japan, but its association with death and the supernatural and its inevitable commercialization has made it one of our most misunderstood holidays. How did it become what it is today? In Trick or Treat, Halloween aficionado Lisa Morton provides a thorough history of this spooky day. She begins by looking at how holidays like the Celtic Samhain, a Gaelic harvest festival, have blended with the British Guy Fawkes Day and the Catholic All Souls’ Day to produce the modern Halloween, and she explains how the holiday was reborn in America, where costumes and trick-or-treat rituals have become new customs. Morton takes into account the influence of related but independent holidays, especially the Mexican Day of the Dead, as well as the explosion in popularity of haunted attractions and the impact of such events as 9/11 and the economic recession on the celebration today. Trick or Treat also examines the effect Halloween has had on popular culture through the literary works of Washington Irving and Ray Bradbury, films like Halloween and The Nightmare Before Christmas, and television shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Simpsons. Considering the holiday in the context of its worldwide popularity for the first time, this book will be a treat for any Halloween lover.

Witch Hunts

Witch Hunts PDF Author: Rocky Wood
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786491515
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
For three centuries, as the Black Death rampaged through Europe and the Reformation tore the Church apart, tens of thousands were arrested as witches and subjected to torture and execution, including being burned alive. This graphic novel examines the background; the witch hunters' methods; who profited; the brave few who protested; and how the Enlightenment gradually replaced fear and superstition with reason and science. Famed witch hunters Heinrich Kramer, architect of the infamous Malleus Maleficarum, and Matthew Hopkins, England's notorious "Witchfinder General," are covered as are the Salem Witch Trials and the last executions in Europe.

Historical Dictionary of Horror Literature

Historical Dictionary of Horror Literature PDF Author: Mark A. Fabrizi
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1538166054
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 371

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Book Description
Stories of vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches, goblins, mummies, and other supernatural creatures have existed for time immemorial, and scary stories are among the earliest types of fiction ever recorded. Historical Dictionary of Horror Literature is an invaluable aid in studying horror literature, including influential authors, texts, terms, subgenres, and literary movements. This book contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 400 cross-referenced entries covering authors, subgenres, tropes, awards, organizations, and important terms related to horror. Historical Dictionary of Horror Literature is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about horror literature.

Halloween, 2nd Edition

Halloween, 2nd Edition PDF Author: Joyce K. Kessel
Publisher: Millbrook Press
ISBN: 0822589362
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 52

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Book Description
Filled with tricks and treats, fun and food, Halloween is a day that children look forward to. At one time two separate festivals, the traditions of each gradually blended into the holiday we now celebrate on October 31.

The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets

The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets PDF Author: Darra Goldstein
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199313393
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 947

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Book Description
Not a cookbook, but a encyclopedia collection of entries on all things sweet. The articles explore the ways in which our taste for sweetness have shaped-- and been shaped by-- history. In addition, you'll discover the origins of mud pie; who the Sara Lee company was named after; why Walker Smith, Jr. is better known as "Sugar Ray Robinson"; and how lyricists have immortalized sweets from "Blueberry Hill" to "Tutti Fruiti".