a less whimsical illustration that encapsulates the fun of searching an archive of over 15

The Archive...

Have a wander through the Fireside folktale archive below, and see what you stumble into. Use the filters to narrow the world down, or fling the doors wide and browse by country, region, theme, collector, or whatever takes your fancy, then let the table do the rest. A few clicks can carry you from storm-tossed coasts to mountain villages, from clever tricksters to quiet miracles, and you will often find that the story you meant to read is not the one that chooses you.

Archive under construction...

Structured Filters

Use these drop down lists to choose one or more filters to select groups of tales to investigate in more detail

Other than my own versions of tales (as indicated), the stories in this archive are in the public domain

Stories in this view:

3988

Title	Book	Author / Collector	Country	Subject	Year
The Song Of The Bustard	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Song Of The Bustard: bird voice, song, identity, nature, observation, praise	1911
The Story Of The Leopard Tortoise[1]	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Story Of The Leopard Tortoise[1]: animal character, endurance, cunning, slowness, survival, identity	1911
The Songs Of The Blue Crane	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Songs Of The Blue Crane: beauty, bird symbolism, grace, song, longing, nature	1911
The #Nerru, As A Bird	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The #Nerru, As A Bird: transformation, bird form, identity, metamorphosis, myth, otherness	1911
The Song Of !Nu!Numma-!Kwiten	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Song Of !Nu!Numma-!Kwiten: remembrance, grief, praise, song, personal loss, memory	1911
The Resurrection Of The Ostrich	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Resurrection Of The Ostrich: death, rebirth, renewal, miracle, bird myth, restoration	1911
The Wind	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Wind: elemental force, movement, presence, invisibility, power, mystery	1911
The Song Of The Caama Fox	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Song Of The Caama Fox: trickster spirit, animal voice, cunning, survival, song, wit	1911
The Mason Wasp[1] And His Wife	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Mason Wasp[1] And His Wife: marriage, labour, domestic life, animal society, partnership, tension	1911
The Mantis Assumes The Form Of A Hartebeest	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Mantis Assumes The Form Of A Hartebeest: disguise, transformation, trickster, deception, animal form, myth	1911
A Song Sung By The Star !Gaunu, And Especially By Bushman Women	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	A Song Sung By The Star !Gaunu, And Especially By Bushman Women: women, stars, ritual song, protection, fertility, reverence	1911
The Hyena's Revenge	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Hyena’s Revenge: vengeance, trickery, animal conflict, retribution, cunning, hostility	1911
\|\|Kabbo's Song On The Loss Of His Tobacco Pouch[1]	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	\|\|Kabbo’s Song On The Loss Of His Tobacco Pouch[1]: personal loss, memory, longing, everyday grief, attachment, song	1911
The Old Woman's Song	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Old Woman’s Song: age, memory, sorrow, endurance, wisdom, voice	1911
The Origin Of Death; Preceded By A Prayer Addressed To The Young Moon	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Origin Of Death; Preceded By A Prayer Addressed To The Young Moon: origin of death, moon, prayer, mortality, cosmology, sacred speech	1911
The Man Who Ordered His Wife To Cut Off His Ears	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Man Who Ordered His Wife To Cut Off His Ears: cruelty, obedience, marriage, authority, violence, absurdity	1911
The Girl Of The Early Race, Who Made Stars[1]	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Girl Of The Early Race, Who Made Stars[1]: creation, girlhood, stars, ancestral beings, cosmic making, myth	1911
The Leopard And The Jackal	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Leopard And The Jackal: cunning, rivalry, predator and trickster, survival, wit, animal conflict	1911
Sirius And Canopus	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	Sirius And Canopus: stars, celestial order, naming, navigation, cosmology, night sky	1911
Ddi-Xerreten, The Lioness, And The Children	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	Ddi-Xerreten, The Lioness, And The Children: danger, lioness, children, wilderness, fear, survival	1911
The Young Man Of The Ancient Race, Who Was Carried Off By A Lion; When Asleep In The The Man Who Ordered His Wife To Cut Off His Ears	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Young Man Of The Ancient Race, Who Was Carried Off By A Lion; When Asleep In The The Man Who Ordered His Wife To Cut Off His Ears: abduction, lion, vulnerability, ancient race, danger, mythic peril	1911
The Great Star, !Gaunu, Which, Singing, Named The Stars	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Great Star, !Gaunu, Which, Singing, Named The Stars: naming, stars, song, cosmic order, creation, celestial power	1911
\|Xue As Water And As Other Things In His Own Form, He Rubs Fire And Dies	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	\|Xue As Water And As Other Things In His Own Form, He Rubs Fire And Dies: shapeshifting, fire, death, transformation, elemental being, myth	1911
Certain Hunting Observances, Called !Nanna-Sse	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	Certain Hunting Observances, Called !Nanna-Sse: hunting ritual, taboo, discipline, practice, sacred observance, survival	1911
The Vultures, Their Elder Sister, And Her Husband	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Vultures, Their Elder Sister, And Her Husband: kinship, sibling bonds, marriage, carrion birds, family tension, myth	1911
The Baboons And \|\|Xabbiten\|\|Xabbiten	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Baboons And \|\|Xabbiten\|\|Xabbiten: animal community, conflict, trickery, social order, baboons, mythic encounter	1911
!Gaunu-Tsaxau (The Son Of The Mantis), The Baboons, And The Mantis	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	!Gaunu-Tsaxau (The Son Of The Mantis), The Baboons, And The Mantis: lineage, trickster heritage, baboons, conflict, animal beings, myth	1911
A Woman Of The Early Race And The Rain Bull	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	A Woman Of The Early Race And The Rain Bull: ancestral woman, rain, fertility, power, storm being, myth	1911
The Man Who Found A Lion In A Cave	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Man Who Found A Lion In A Cave: danger, encounter, fear, courage, wilderness, discovery	1911
The Doings Of \|Xue Are Many	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Doings Of \|Xue Are Many: trickster deeds, shapeshifting, unpredictability, power, mythic exploits, transformation	1911
The Saxicola Castor And The Wild Cat	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Saxicola Castor And The Wild Cat: small against fierce, animal encounter, vulnerability, wit, survival, contrast	1911
The Cat's Song	Specimens of Bushman Folklore	W. H. I. Bleek	Generic	The Cat’s Song: animal voice, desire, identity, song, domestic wildness, observation	1911
The Shetland Ballad Of Hildina	Stories And Ballads Of The Far Past	Nora Kershaw	Shetland Isles	The Shetland Ballad Of Hildina: abduction, vengeance, tragic love, feud, heroic ballad	1921
The Th·Ttr Of Nornagest	Stories and Ballads of the Far Past	Nora K. Chadwick	Iceland	The Th·Ttr Of Nornagest: fate, prophecy, longevity, heroism, mortality, old age	1921
The Faroese Ballad Of Nornagest	Stories and Ballads of the Far Past	Nora K. Chadwick	Iceland	The Faroese Ballad Of Nornagest: prophecy, heroic memory, fate, mortality, legend	1921
The Saga Of Hromund Greipsson	Stories and Ballads of the Far Past	Nora K. Chadwick	Iceland	The Saga Of Hromund Greipsson: heroism, draugr combat, treasure, vengeance, saga adventure	1921
The Danish Ballad Of Angelfyr And Helmer	Stories and Ballads of the Far Past	Nora K. Chadwick	Iceland	The Danish Ballad Of Angelfyr And Helmer: chivalry, conflict, loyalty, courtly heroism, ballad feud	1921
GRÕPLUR I	Stories and Ballads of the Far Past	Nora K. Chadwick	Iceland	GRÕPLUR I: heroic verse, combat, honour, saga memory, poetic tradition	1921
The Th·Ttr Of SˆRli	Stories and Ballads of the Far Past	Nora K. Chadwick	Iceland	The Th·Ttr Of SˆRli: battle, vengeance, cursed conflict, heroism, fatal destiny	1921
The Faroese Riddle Ballad (G·Tu Rìma)	Stories and Ballads of the Far Past	Nora K. Chadwick	Iceland	The Faroese Riddle Ballad (G·Tu Rìma): riddling, wit, courtship, performance, verbal skill	1921
The Faroese Ballad Of Arngrim's Sons	Stories and Ballads of the Far Past	Nora K. Chadwick	Iceland	The Faroese Ballad Of Arngrim’s Sons: warrior kin, vengeance, honour, heroic conflict, lineage	1921
The Saga Of HervˆR And Heithrek	Stories and Ballads of the Far Past	Nora K. Chadwick	Iceland	The Saga Of HervˆR And Heithrek: fate, cursed sword, kinship, riddles, warrior identity	1921
The Combat At Sams And Hjalmar's Death Song	Stories and Ballads of the Far Past	Nora K. Chadwick	Iceland	The Combat At Sams And Hjalmar’s Death Song: heroic combat, doomed valour, friendship, death song	1921
The Faroese Ballad Of Hjalmar And Angantyr	Stories and Ballads of the Far Past	Nora K. Chadwick	Iceland	The Faroese Ballad Of Hjalmar And Angantyr: duel, heroism, fatal destiny, honour, ballad tragedy	1921
The Nightingale (2)	Stories from Hans Andersen	Hans Christian Andersen	Denmark	The Nightingale (2): true art, authenticity, mortality, power, nature, healing	1911
The Garden Of Paradise (2)	Stories from Hans Andersen	Hans Christian Andersen	Denmark	The Garden Of Paradise (2): temptation, innocence, forbidden knowledge, desire, exile	1911
The Emperor's New Clothes (2)	Stories from Hans Andersen	Hans Christian Andersen	Denmark	The Emperor’s New Clothes (2): vanity, deception, conformity, power, truth, innocence	1911
The Real Princess (2)	Stories from Hans Andersen	Hans Christian Andersen	Denmark	The Real Princess (2): sensitivity, authenticity, refinement, identity, testing, perception	1911
The Wind's Tale	Stories from Hans Andersen	Hans Christian Andersen	Denmark	The Wind’s Tale: wandering, storytelling, nature, power, memory, movement	1911
The Snow Queen (3) - Parts 1 to 3	Stories from Hans Andersen	Hans Christian Andersen	Denmark	The Snow Queen (3) - Parts 1 to 3: fractured innocence, search, enchantment, perseverance, friendship	1911

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