Far North Tales: Stories from the Peoples of the Arctic Circle

This collection of tales represents and preserves the oral heritage of Arctic and Subarctic ethnic groups, so that their stories are no longer in danger of becoming lost to future generations.

Far North Tales: Stories from the Peoples of the Arctic Circle captures and preserves the wonderful tales of Siberia, Scandinavia, Greenland, Alaska, and Canada, and offers readers glimpses into the cultures and customs of the people who created them.

Gathering more than 30 tales from the Arctic and Subarctic regions-many of them unavailable in contemporary publications and, thus, virtually unknown to readers today-the book provides a sampling of stories grouped by type or theme. There are tales of daily life; creation stories; tales of tricksters and fools; spirits, shamans, and shapeshifters; animals; and heroes and heroines. The ethnic source and country of origin is provided for each tale, as are notes on the tale itself. Background on the geography, history, and cultures of the native peoples round out a book that is a perfect resource for educators and storytellers alike.

More than 30 tales from the Arctic and Subarctic regions of Siberia, Scandinavia, Greenland, Alaska, and Canada

Brief cultural histories of the ethnic groups Inuit, Saami, Yupik, Siberian and northern European Russian, Dene, Innu, and Alaskan Inupiat

Photographs contributed by Canadian photographer Paul Northcott, teacher Joyce Hill, St. Petersburg’s Zina Sergeevna Nikitina, and the Department of Russian Folklore at Moscow State University

A glossary of terms used in the stories from various Arctic languages

An index of stories, cultures, and cultural objects, historical events, folktale characters, festivals and celebrations, beliefs and traditions, and more