October 2023 MBR The Folktale/Fairytale Shelf

The Folktale/Fairytale Shelf

Hausgeister!
Florian Schafer, author
Janin Pisarek, author
Hannah Gritsch, author
Eye of Newt Books
https://www.eyeofnewtpress.com
9781777791810, $34.95, HC, 197pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hausgeister-comprehensive-household-spirits-folklore/dp/1777791812

Synopsis: With the publication of "Hausgeister!: Household Spirits of German Folklore: Household Spirits of German Folklore", interested readers will enter the world of ancient Germany where household spirits once held sway and linger within the tales that we know and love today.

The household spirits of German folklore inhabit the pages of this fascinating volume just as they settled the homesteads of ancient Germany. Belief in these creatures was ubiquitous and shaped daily life for the German people for centuries. The legends of these creatures, first shared orally and later written down and compiled, most famously by the Brothers Grimm, has shifted and changed through the tides of time.

Now, in the 21st century, a team of three German creators have set themselves the mission of bringing these creatures back from oblivious references and foggy recollections to the international public. Domestic dragons and wild women, Kobolds and Wichtel are portrayed through the lens of narrative and mythological research showing their regional peculiarities within German folktales. Each creature is brought to life as a detailed sculpture in original size, based on historical descriptions and beautifully photographed in Germany, in the landscape that these creatures might once have walked.

"Hausgeister!: Household Spirits of German Folklore: Household Spirits of German Folklore" offers a new, spectacular approach that combines both art and cultural studies in an innovative way.

Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "Hausgeister!: Household Spirits of German Folklore: Household Spirits of German Folklore" is an inherently fascinating, impressively informative, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' compendium of German folklore and of special appeal to anyone with an interest in mythical creatures and Germanic fantasy. Extraordinary and very special, "Hausgeister!: Household Spirits of German Folklore: Household Spirits of German Folklore" is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and academic library Germanic Myth/Folklore collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Florian Schafer (https://www.eyeofnewtpress.com/pages/florian-schafer) is the driving force behind Forgotten Creatures. The biologist has been fascinated by the sagas and fairy tales of his homeland since childhood. In his artistic work he combines his knowledge of anatomy and ecology, as well as his in-depth knowledge of cultural science. In this way Florian creates unique creatures and spirits that give us insight into our own cultural past.

Editorial Note #2: Janin Pisarek (https://www.eyeofnewtpress.com/pages/janin-pisarek) is a folklorist and responsible for the technical quality control at Forgotten Creatures. She studied folklore, cultural history, and educational science at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena. Her thesis on wolves and werewolves in oral stories and German folk belief, including the current return of the wolf, received the Special Promotion Prize from the Marchenstiftung Walter Kahn.

Editorial Note #3: Hannah Gritsch (https://www.eyeofnewtpress.com/pages/hannah-gritsch) is a communication designer with a focus on photography and graphic design. With her unique style, Hannah manages to breathe life into Florian's sculptures in a fascinating way. She is the designated contact person for all graphical and aesthetical issues and supports the project with her experience in the advertising industry.

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