Book - Grund Ed 1966 - illustrated cloth / hardback binding - Lot 885

Book - Grund Ed 1966 - illustrated cloth / hardback binding with dust jacket - 28.5 x 21 cm - 208 pages. By Vladimir HULPACH, illustrations by Miloslav TROUP. "LEGENDS AND TALES OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS". "Hundreds of years ago, all the great American Indian chiefs gathered around a fire to share the legends and traditions of each of their tribes. A magic pipe, otherwise known as a Peace Pipe, was passed from mouth to mouth as the stories were told, carefully recorded in memory, down to the last word. These legends are faithfully recounted in this book, in a style that will delight anyone who appreciates good storytelling and wants to know more about the life of the American Indians. Like all peoples of the world, the Indians have invented numerous legends to explain the mysteries of the universe. For example, the ZUNI tale "Who brought the sun?" explains the beginning of time through the myth of animals taking the sun from evil spirits. The NAVAHO legend sheds light on the question of the appearance of life through the first rain resulting from a fight between two clouds. Indian legends are full of animal stories. This testifies not only to the love Indians feel for all the beasts of creation, but also to their conviction that they have supernatural power. The favorite animal is the coyote, always an evil spirit, etc.... It was fitting that these stories should be told through a magic pipe, a sacred pipe enabling contact with the spirits..... Forty-four legends from more than thirty different tribes are gathered here!