Treasury of Folklore, Woodlands and Forests: Wild Gods, World Trees and Werewolves

Treasury of Folklore

by Dee Dee Chainey, Willow Winsham

An entertaining and enthralling collection of myths, tales and traditions surrounding our trees, woodlands and forests from around the world.

From the dark, gnarled woodlands of the north, to the humid jungles of the southern lands, trees have captured humanity’s imagination for millennia. Filled with primal gods and goddesses, dryads and the fairy tales of old, the forests still beckon to us, offering sanctuary, mystery and more than a little mischievous trickery. From insatiable cannibalistic children hewn from logs, to lumberjack lore, and the spine-chilling legend of Bloody Mary, there is much to be found between the branches. Come into the trees; witches, seductive spirits and big, bad wolves await you.

With this book, Folklore Thursday aim to encourage a sense of belonging across all cultures by showing how much we all have in common.

Genres: Nonfiction, Folklore, Mythology, Fairy Tales, Short Stories, Nature, History

192 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2021

About the author

Dee Dee Chainey is author of 'A Treasury of British Folklore: Maypoles, Mandrakes and Mistletoe' from National Trust Books, and co-founder of the digital folklore project, #FolkloreThursday.com.

Reviews

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover of this book is very beautiful and will look lovely on display.

The book covers myths, legends and fairytales which are tied to woods and trees. It was very readable but was pretty much written in snippets without going into too much detail in any of them. Sometimes you would get an old tale in full and then the book would go into detail about influences and alternative versions. I really liked these sections but they were few and far between. The book would have been more consistent if there had been one of these per section.

I liked that they used the actual names of the peoples that originally told the stories but an explanation of where they were from would have helped. Again this was inconsistent as sometimes they would say exactly where in the world it was from.

It was also mentioned in the authors note that they explained about cultural appropriation of stories and why it was bad but they absolutely did not do that.

Probably a 2.5 star but bumped up to 3 for the inclusion of Tio de Nadal which I particularly enjoyed. It was also a reasonable starting point for further research.

[Edan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4

[N · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

The creativity and insight that the introduction provides is a soft whisper in the otherwise monotonous chorus of uninspiring summary.
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Well, this certainly was an indictment on my choice to buy a book because of pretty gold foil instead of, well, substance.

No, in all honesty, the introduction is rousing and extremely well written; reminiscent of a hidden, yet universal truth being spoken. The rest of the book being so well below-average felt like a crushing disappointment. I expected anthology but this was so unoriginal it'd be best described as summary.
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Just bought this today on impulse at the bookstore because the cover is so pretty-- there's gold shimmer! And the introduction is such a lovely and touching love letter to trees (yes, trees).

Will definitely read soon.

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[Just Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never grow tired of folklore. Of myths.
And I love how many versions there are of the same tale.
It’s fascinating.
It’s magical.
I also love the added fairy tales here and there in the book.
I loved the how it tried to represent the entire world from tales from Scandinavia, to the US, to Slavic folklore.

Read: 15/09/2022
1st rating: 3.5 stars
Genre/tropes: Folklore/myths/legends/mythology
Cover: 4 stars
Will I recommend: Yes

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book, physically and in its contents.

[Curtis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Good:
It's a gorgeous book that grabs your attention with its vivid cover art and has some beautiful prints inside.

The Bad:
The writing.

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Okay that feels mean, really this book isn't a collection of stories but like a primer/Wikipedia article of various 'mythological/folkloric' stuff from around the world. It's broad but very shallow, going into little detail about most content. That's a shame because the stuff it does go into detail about can be good, the quality is just wildly inconsistent veering mostly towards bad. I'd imagine it as a good book for a bright child to get them interested in this kind of subject? It does cover a lot of cultures and topics, just not with enough substance to satisfy.

[Catherine S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely book with a selection of intriguing woodland folktales from around the world, many of which I didn't know about. The illustrations and the front cover were beautiful too. However, I wouldn't recommend to this book to anyone wanting in-depth exploration of the tales as this contained only a brief overview of each creature or story.

[Helləna Zdz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this book but it turned out to be a dissapointment. I think the stories itself were quite interesting but the way they were told could make me fall asleep. So I guess a good book if you have troubles with sleeping.

[Joe Westall · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty fun easy read, touches on folklore from around the world. Loved the illustrations!

[Matt Neilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good bedtime stories trees and dem mans

[Adventure Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with other books in the series - more a reference than a story collection but interesting and pretty nonetheless! Also felt this one flowed a little better than the previous edition (water based folklore). Lovely!

[Aditi Ramaswamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic overview of some really interesting aspects of forest mythology. I like that the author highlighted myths from lesser-discussed cultures, and made sure to acknowledge the issue of cultural appropriation.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a sort of cursory overview of forest-related folklore, and this functioned really well for that purpose. If you’re looking for a collection of stories or a deep-dive into folklore, you’re not going to get it, but this is a great introduction. It has super accessible language and is neatly organized, both visually and content-wise (as opposed to other folklore texts I’ve read/am reading, which tend to be dense blocks that flow from one version of a myth to another, from country to country, from BC to AD.. it’s a headache).

I only wish there was slightly more worldly content? Occasionally, this book would mention some mythology from different places in Africa, Australia, South America, and Asia, but most of the stories were pulled from Eastern and Western Europe and North America. The author’s note mentions that the folklore in the book is pulled from all over the globe, but I just really wish the representation of the aforementioned continents was more visible. There’s no way that Amazon-related folklore doesn’t exist, right? I complain about this because I’ve found other books to also be lacking in this way, despite not claiming to have a particular focus on Europe. It’s such a shame because I was happy that this book was so readable! I wonder if the author’s written anything else that might include more of what I mentioned.

TLDR; good read! Heavily skewed towards European folklore, but the language is accessible and it’s a great entry point into the subject. I’ll probably check out the reference material next.

[Samantha van Buuren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating collection and analysis of the folklore of the forest. This book delves into myths and legends from all countries, first given accounts of where and when they came from before either giving the details or allowing for the whole tale on framed pages.

I was really happy to find that this book had the original story of Baba Yaga in it!! I've been searching for it for a while so I'm really glad I could finally read it. It's just as convoluted as fairy tales should be. And Baba Yaga is genuinely terrifying!!!

It talks of the creatures, monsters and gods that inhabit the woodlands as well as stories that just take place in the woods. The Handless Maiden is a bit of a stretch, it's only the first paragraph that takes place in a wood, but it's a great tale, one of my favourites from the Brothers Grimm.

I'd definitely recommend this book to fairy tale and folklore lovers, or curious newbies to the genre.

[Dee Crute · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is second book of Dee Dee Chainey I have read and I can't say anything different than about the first one.

This book will enchant you from the very first moment with its beautiful cover and fine illustrations within. Truly a feast for one's eye.

But the pleasure does not ends here. @deedeechainey tells you about the folklore with truly beautiful language making you want to devour every page but at the same time indulge on each and every word.

There are many books about the folklore, usually just reprinting the never dying stories, yet Dee Dee Chainey will retell those and explain their meaning.
I couldn't recommend it more.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was an interesting delve into folklore of the forests across the world. I loved the diversity of tales that were represented, and I did not know a lot of the folklore that was covered in this book. I also loved the narrative voice, frequently I found myself laughing at the little analogies and witticisms and sharing these with others. I would suggest that you check which chapter you will be reading if you read before bed (like me) as some of them were more horror-filled than others. I would definitely recommend if you like folklore from across the world.

[Vinnie Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much more than just a collection of stories, this book also shows the historic evidence which could have inspired such tales! Additionally the stories are from a diverse range of different people and cultures, showing how across the globe trees have always had magic in their own ways. I love how this book tackles the topics of cultural appropriation and the ingrained misogyny in much folktales, it did a great job at showing how we can learn but also do better from these stories.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a little different than I expected. Rather than just a collection of stories, the authors reference or briefly retell folklore and tales, with an emphasis on the way stories from around the world differ or are similar. There is an extensive bibliography in the back. There were a few random times where there's "editorializing" by the authors that felt out of place. It is a beautiful book with the woodcut stylized illustrations.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 // this could have been such a wealth of knowledge but alas, it is not. I’m all for a more analytical approach to literature but this just didn’t have that academic punch. It would function well as a coffee table book, sections are short enough that a few could be read aloud for discussion. Everything is very surface level, I so wanted there to be more substance in each section. I enjoyed the reading experience, it was fine and I breezed through it. It’s an interesting book but nothing to turn to as a source material.

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Folklore accessible for anyone

Great read! There was a great diversity in the tales told, and unappreciated the research and nuance presented in the writing. I had wanted it to be longer with a bit more academic analysis than what was presented, but it was very digestible first into an interesting topic.

[Emila Yusof · Rating 4 out of 5]

From this book, I learned about trees I have not known before and googled photos of the trees and amazed at the beauty of each tree. I especially love the stories about Dragon’s Blood, Baobab and Banyan I wish more trees could be included.

The stories are beautiful too and most of them I have not heard/read before.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walking in the woods is our closest form of magic. This book itself was a fascinating walk through the trees of myth and folklore from all across the world, and I would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in the oral tradition of myth, folklore and fairytale. Also this edition is beautiful!

[Aderyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Care has been taking in the choosing of stories and the way they are portrayed, and the accompanying art is wonderful. However, I believe this book could have done with a stricter editor, there is a /lot/ of repetition, both of information and in phrases used throughout. I also found the writing style not particularly engaging. 2.75 stars rounded up.

[Ian Mapp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful book and one of a series.

Not quite the book I was after - I was looking for British Folklore and this covers the whole world.

A bit of a "toilet" book that you can dip in and out of, rather than reading in one go. Its organised into sections and each topic (trees, creatures, folk) has a couple of pages, with art work accompaniment.

Easy read.

[Toni Langley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compiles legends and folklore with variations depending on where you're from, giving different perspectives on really interesting tales and is written in a way that is informative but upholds the air of story telling. This is the second Dee Dee Chainey folklore book I've read and I think they're my favourite of all the folklore stuff I've read recently

[Tyler Veretto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read guide of all forest lore from around the world. From tree spirits, to werewolves, to bears and hags it was very intriguing. I find it cool all the stories around the world of possible sightings and encounters. As well as fairy tales, myths and legends of things we’ve said or done as kids growing up and where they came from. Awesome book

[Ivan Monckton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful looking book, but contents don’t live up to the cover. Fair few of entries have only the most nebulous connection with trees or woods; ‘Bloody Mary’ for instance. I also found the writing a little wooden (appropriately enough!)

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous little book with woodcut illustrations. The stories are myths and folklore about forests and woods. There were tales about werewolves, tree spirits, old hags living in the woods, etc. I really enjoyed this book as I love these kind of stories.

[Sian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went in expecting folk tales and there some throughout the book but it’s more a history of different tales. At least that’s what it felt like. Still good and has a lot of interesting info just not what I was looking for.

[Isla Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

my friends bought this for me for my birthday and it’s now one of my most prized books not just cause they know me so well to know i would love it but because it’s very detailed which i like!! very interesting and factual,also the cover is beautiful and it also has great illustrations!!