What are some good books that are compendiums of european myths and folklore?
Bonus points if they are italian

Especially things about mythical creatures

>>24579154 (OP)
rolling for 6

>check thread after several hours
>0 relevant replies
its fucking over

now im seething

umberto eco?
my first book of eco is arriving tomorrow (baudolino) i hope it will be a good read.

>>24579154 (OP)
I think calvino collected Italian folk tales. Fiabe italiane

>>24579154 (OP)
I wish my penis had a bishop helmet.

>>24580594
Just extend your foreskin (if you have it) and apply liquid nitrogen, then shop for crafting materials at Hobby Lobby to keep it that when it unfreezes.

>>24579154 (OP)
Not a book recommendation but you might be interested in the ATU (Aarne-Thompson-Uther) Index. It's a systematic catalogue of folk tales based on recurring plots and tropes.

>>24579154 (OP)
The Dutch needing more more for their noses makes a lot of sense

>>24579154 (OP)
https://archive.4plebs.org/x/thread/40579980/#40579980

It's not myth or folklore but read the sagas of icelanders
There's also the legendary sagas which are more mythic but I find them boring, you might find them worth checking out

>>24579154 (OP)
Italian Myths and Folklore

1. Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino

Absolutely essential. Calvino, a master of modern Italian literature, collected and retold 200 Italian folktales from across the peninsula.

Based on oral traditions, he gives each story a literary polish while keeping its folk roots.

Includes notes on regional origins and variations.

A landmark work for Italian folklore lovers.


> "These are not invented tales; they are the voice of the people." – Calvino

2. The Fairies of Sicily by Giuseppe Pitrè

Pitrè was the Italian Grimm-equivalent, a 19th-century folklorist who collected Sicilian and southern Italian traditions.

This volume contains stories about fairies, witches, and spirits specific to Sicilian myth.

Academic but very readable.

Also available in larger volumes or anthologies of his work.
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3. Sicilian Folk Tales by Giuseppe Pitrè (trans. Jack Zipes)

Curated by folklorist and translator Jack Zipes (famous for his Grimm work).

A brilliant English-language gateway into the larger Pitrè corpus.
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Pan-European or Regional Folklore Compendiums

4. The Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland

A beautifully written and faithful retelling of Norse mythology.

Focuses on the Eddas and skaldic tradition.

Includes notes and background without being too academic.

5. The Penguin Book of Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Slightly different from the above: organized thematically and includes more structure and explanatory framing.
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6. The Penguin Book of Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E.M. Berens

A classic introduction to Greco-Roman mythology, heavily influential on European storytelling.

Dated in tone but comprehensive.

>>24582268

7. The Oxford Companion to World Mythology by David Leeming

Covers a broader world scope, but European mythology is well-represented.

Useful as a reference to compare Italian, Celtic, Norse, and Greco-Roman traditions.
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8. The Complete Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm (trans. Jack Zipes)

A must-have for Germanic/central European folklore.

Zipes' translation is scholarly and raw—not Disneyfied.
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9. Celtic Myths and Legends by T.W. Rolleston

An older but enduringly popular overview of Irish, Welsh, and Scottish myths.

Includes gods, heroes, and the Otherworld.
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10. The Mabinogion (trans. Jeffrey Gantz or Sioned Davies)

Medieval Welsh myths and tales. Dense, mystical, and filled with odd imagery.

Core reading for understanding Celtic mythic structure.
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Bonus: For Deeper European Context

11. The Mythology of All Races (multi-volume series)

Dated but academic, with volumes devoted to Italian, Slavic, and Teutonic mythology.

Can be found online in the public domain (e.g., HathiTrust, Archive.org).


12. European Myths & Legends by Richard Cavendish

A visual, accessible overview of major myth cycles across Europe.

Includes sections on Slavic, Basque, Italian, and more obscure traditions.
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Would you like:

something illustrated and beautiful for your shelf?

or something deep and academic with lots of footnotes?

>>24582270
>>24582268
Thank you very much for the lists. I'm not really interested for either of the reasons you described. Mostly I just want to enjoy the legends as I would enjoy any fiction, and to relate them to real life. For example to be hiking and see will-o'-the-wisp and be able to recall stories associated with it, just for fun. Makes the world a bit more magical, ya know

>>24582549
Are you fucking retarded? That's a fucking ChatGPT post.

>>24582577
Yes I am, though I did consider it was chatgpt I was willing to give anon the benefit of the doubt

>>24582588
It's ok but those may actually be decent recommendations. ShitGPT isn't all bad. Does 'The Discarded Image' break into European myth? I feel like it does, or at least themes - by which you could find some literature out of.

>>24582777
Don't try to console me after being unnecessarily rude. You are my enemy for life now

>>24579154 (OP)
For me, it's Western European

italo norman is definitely a spellblade

>>24579154 (OP)
why does every figure have an adjective except for fig. 8?

>>24583015
Sweden in the 13th century was a helmet.