At the Font of the Marvelous

Exploring Oral Narrative and Mythic Imagery of the Iroquois and Their Neighbors

• Author(s): Anthony Wonderley,
• Publisher: Syracuse University Press
• Pages: 224
• ISBN_10: 081563207X
  ISBN_13: 9780815632078
  
• Language: en
• Categories: Social Science / Ethnic Studies / American / Native American Studies , Social Science / Folklore & Mythology , Literary Collections / Indigenous Peoples in the Americas , Social Science / Indigenous Studies , Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural & Social , History / Indigenous Peoples in the Americas , Literary Criticism / Comparative Literature ,

Description:... The folktales and myths of the Iroquois and their Algonquian neighbors rank among the most imaginatively rich and narratively co-herent traditions in North America. Inspired by these wondrous tales, Anthony Wonderley explores their significance to Iroquois and Algonquian religions and worldviews. Mostly recorded around 1900, these oral narratives preserve the voice and something of the outlook of autochthonous Americans from a bygone age, when storytelling was an important facet of daily life. Grouping the stories around shared themes and motifs, Wonderley analyzes topics ranging from cannibal giants to cultural heroes, and from legends of local places to myths of human origin. Approached comparatively and historically, these stories can enrich our understanding of archaeological remains, ethnic boundaries, and past cultural interchanges among Iroquois and Algonquian peoples.