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Language Myths, Mysteries and Magic
Can a bump on the head cause someone to speak with a different accent? Can animals, aliens, and objects talk? Can we communicate with gods, demons, and the dead? From ancient curses carved on tablets to modern-day affirmations, supernatural language is used in an attempt to predict the future, diagnose and cure disease, attract good luck, repel bad luck, and to charm and curse. Language Myths, Mysteries and Magic explores a wide range of weird language-related phenomena, including blasphemy, Bigfoot language, hypnosis, handwriting analysis, chain letters, spells, spirit writing, and hidden satanic messages.
We take a look at some bizarre real-life cases, including the story of a modern English woman who suddenly began speaking in an ancient Egyptian dialect. We hear about a song that is so depressing it is said to drive people to commit suicide, and the belief that if you fall asleep on a book you can absorb its contents without having to read it. This book is a curio shop full of colourful superstitions, folklore, and legends about language.
We take a look at some bizarre real-life cases, including the story of a modern English woman who suddenly began speaking in an ancient Egyptian dialect. We hear about a song that is so depressing it is said to drive people to commit suicide, and the belief that if you fall asleep on a book you can absorb its contents without having to read it. This book is a curio shop full of colourful superstitions, folklore, and legends about language.
- GenresOccult
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
2 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Karen Stollznow
28 books107 followersDr. Karen Stollznow is a linguist, author, and broadcaster whose work bridges scholarship and public engagement. Her books include Beyond Words: How We Learn, Use, and Lose Language; Bitch: The Journey of a Word; On the Offensive: Prejudice in Language Past and Present; Missed Conceptions: How We Make Sense of Infertility; God Bless America; Language Myths, Mysteries and Magic; and Haunting America. She is also the author of the short fiction collection Fisher’s Ghost and Other Stories.
She co-hosts the award-winning science podcast Monster Talk, contributes regularly to Psychology Today, Cambridge Core, and The Conversation, and has spent many years investigating anomalous claims through the lens of skepticism and science.
Karen holds a PhD in Linguistics and has taught at universities in both the United States and Australia. She previously worked as a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, and is currently a Visiting Scholar at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Born in Sydney, Australia, Karen now lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and their son.
She co-hosts the award-winning science podcast Monster Talk, contributes regularly to Psychology Today, Cambridge Core, and The Conversation, and has spent many years investigating anomalous claims through the lens of skepticism and science.
Karen holds a PhD in Linguistics and has taught at universities in both the United States and Australia. She previously worked as a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, and is currently a Visiting Scholar at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Born in Sydney, Australia, Karen now lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and their son.
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June 1, 2015
This was not a book that I would normally read but it caught my interest quickly and held it. I've always believed in the power of words and, at it's heart, the book is all about that. The power is in the belief of how much a person accepts what is being said (curse or even a con letter) but the author goes beyond that to give histories and realities in how language is used, changed, and even misinterpreted. It was a lot of fun to read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review