Canada - Folklore/Mythology from Capricorn Books

Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1973. 157 pp, 11 7/8" H, green cloth with gilt lettering on spine. Profusely illustrated in b&w and colour. Inscribed on front free endpaper: "To Linda & Royston / with kind regards / & best wishes, / David Blackwood". "Farley Mowat describes the Newfoundland men of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who set out… Read more

Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2000. 527 pp, 9" H. B&w illustrations. "Native American oral literature has often been presented, wrongly, as a sea of anonymous folktales. Here instead are the works of unforgettable individuals: the blind poet Ghandl, the crippled master myth-spinner Skaay, the cagey old historian Kilxhawgins, and other Haida authors who speak with crystal clarity… Read more

Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1905. 132 pp, 9 3/4" H. Red cloth with gilt lettering & white decorations on spine and front board. Beautifully decorated/illustrated throughout with pictorial endpapers, decorated title page, 22 plates, including frontispiece (mainly in tones of black/white/red, some full colour), additional small drawings, pale red decorative background to all text pages, incorporating images of hourglasses, bibles, spider… Read more

Toronto: Key Porter, 1995. 247 pp, 8" H. B&w illustrations. "A definitive collection of the legends and spiritual teachings of the Ojibway people, taken from the oral tradition and recorded here by the world's leading native expert, 'The Manitous' is a journey to the core of the Ojibway heritage, told through the stories of warriors, lovers, thieves, and… Read more

Toronto: Second Story Graphics, 1979. 96 pp, 7 3/8" H. B&w drawings. A group of short stories on the themes of elves, stars, eagles, insects, princesses, etc. The author was born on Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Contents: Against the Grain; Thane and the Sheepdogs; A Dream of the Insect; The Boy and the Eagle; The Old… Read more

Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1966. 120 pp, 8" H. Colour illustrations. Contents: Foreword; The Feast of St. John the Baptist; The White Owl; The Weeping Rock; Felix the Obstinate; Old Desanges; The Lighthouse of Ste. Julie; Josephine's Promise; The Man Who Shot the Cross; The Little Bear; The Trip to Paris; Notes. Small McClelland and Stewart stamp… Read more

Toronto: Key Porter, 2007. 160 pp, 12 1/8" H. Profusely illustrated with colour reproductions of Morrisseau's striking artwork. "In three essays, and the quotations that accompany the paintings, we learn about Morrisseau's approach to his work and the important historical and cultural influences that shaped his art. He tells us, in his own words, about his travels to the… Read more

Montreal: Wm. Drysdale, 1892. 238 pp, 9 1/4" H. Brown cloth, bevelled boards, gilt lettering/decoration on spine and front board, top edge gilt. Inscribed on verso of frontispiece by the publisher: "To John Irwin Esq / of St. Andrews / Que / Feb. 1st / William F. Drysdale." Over 50 b&w illustrations - all present. Contents:… Read more

Montreal: McGill - Queen's University Press, 1970. 81 pp, 8 3/8" H. B&w illustrations. "The hero of this story, young Kamik, achieves manhood during the hunt for a wounded polar bear and his long journey home alone, after his companions have been killed. The first piece of (Inuit) fiction to be published in English describes life in… Read more

Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum, 1994. 96 pp, large 8vo (9 1/4" H). B&w and color illustrations. "Sorcerers incanting over boiling cauldrons, a witch disguised as a goose, vicious poltergeists, a woman-warrior, a dangerous enchantress - these are a few of the beings that inhabit Canada's rich folklore tradition. (This) is Edith Fowke's selection of Canadian historical legends,… Read more

Toronto: Dundurn 58 pp, 86 pp - 2 volumes 9" H. Spirit Quest (ISBN 9781550028317 - second printing, 2009 - b&w illustrations by Joe Silvey) - "Told in the tradition of rich Coast Salish legend, Diane Silvey recounts the adventures of teenaged twins Kaya and Tala as they journey into the British Columbian wilderness confronting fish and fowl, beast… Read more

Toronto: Coles, 1971. 199 pp, 8 1/2" H. Facsimile reprint of the George H. Richmond edition of 1897 - one of the Coles Canadiana Collection. Maroon boards with black title block, gold lettering/banding on spine, gold lettering/banding on front board. B&w illustrations, music notation. An affectionate look at Quebec and vicinity at the end of the… Read more

Toronto: William Briggs, 1901. 276 pp, 7 11/16" H. Dark blue cloth with gold lettering/decoration on spine and front board. Tissue-covered b&w photographic frontispiece of author with facsimile signature, title page decorations by J.E. Laughlin, b&w portraits of Tecumseh and Brock. Contents: Part I. Tecumseh: A Drama; The Legend of Chileeli; A Ballad for Brave Women; The Last… Read more

Wreck Cove, Cape Breton Island: Breton Books, 1993. 249 pp, 9" H. B&w photographs. "These are the folk tales from Dr. Helen Creighton's life journey through the Maritime Provinces, collecting songs and ghost stories and old cures - and folk tales. Helen serves as our guide, introducing us to storytellers, setting the scene of the telling -… Read more

Etobicoke: Prospero, 1999. 128 pp, 10 1/4" H. Colour and b&w photographs, drawings. "In Ojibway tradition, mothers and grandmothers netted tiny circular cobweb-like charms from willow and sinew. These delicate charms were not meant to last but were intended to protect newborn children from 'everything evil, just as a spider's web catches and holds everything that comes… Read more

Oakville, Ontario: Self-published, 2004. 57 pp, 8 1/2" H. B&w drawings. Inscribed facing the title page: "For your entertainment only - Joyce Burnell. Jan. 2005". A collection of stories about hauntings in Oakville, Ontario and the surrounding area. Includes: The Captain and the Mystery Light; Spirit Seen at St. Paul's; Sixteen Mile Creek; Burnhamthorpe Road;… Read more

Burnstown, Ontario: General Store Publishing, 1995. 145 pp, 9" H. "(E)xplores the origin of more than 400 fascinating place names around Eastern Ontario. You'll find folklore - like the tale of the 'Bastard' township - and documented history, such as the true story of the Breakaway of Hilton Creek. You'll find the stories behind our forgotten, and nearly forgotten place… Read more

N.P.: BridgeWater, 1996. 96 pp, small 4to (10 1/8" H). Wonderful colour illustrations and decoration throughout. "Just as we have four grandparents, and our lives come from their lives, so we might describe fire, earth, water, and air as our 'Four Ancestors'. From the giant who pulled the sun across the sky to the mighty elk who created the… Read more

Toronto: Altona / Natural Heritage, 1992. 48 pp, 11" H. "An epic retelling in poetic form of the creation myth of the Mississaugas. The author of the poem, W. Gordon Mills, was a businessman with the T. Eaton Company in Toronto in 1923 when he wrote the poem. He was later to serve as Deputy Minister of National Defence… Read more

Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1996. 144 pp, 8vo (9" H). B&w maps. "(S)eeks to provide illustrations of Arctic mysteries and fictions which often occur as a result of misconceptions of Arctic geography. The chapters are extremely varied in subject matter, and conclusions are in the domain of speculation. The book begins with very early examples of northern travels starting with… Read more