All the World’s Reward presents ninety-eight tales from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Swedish-speaking Finland, and Iceland. Each area is represented by the complete recorded repertoire of a single storyteller. Such a focus helps place the stories in the context of the communities in which they were performed and also reveals how individual folk artists used the medium of oral literature to make statements about their lives and their world. Some preferred jocular stories and others wonder tales; some performed mostly for adults, others for children; some used storytelling to criticize society, and others spun wish fulfillment tales to find relief from a harsh reality. For the most part collected a century ago, the stories were gleaned from archives and printed sources; the Icelandic repertoire was collected on audiotape in the 1960s. Each repertoire was selected by a noted folklorist. Introductions to the storytellers and collectors and commentaries and references for the tales are provided. A general introduction, a comprehensive bibliography, and an index of the tales according to Aarne-Thompson’s typology are also included. Period illustrations add charm to the stories.

All the World's Reward: Folktales Told by Five Scandinavian Storytellers (Nif Publications)

Literature & Fiction

Kvideland, Reimund

Sehmsdorf, Henning K.

World Literature

University of Washington Press

All the World's Reward presents ninety-eight tales from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Swedish-speaking Finland, and Iceland. Each area is represented by the complete recorded repertoire of a single storyteller. Such a focus helps place the stories in the context of the communities in which they were performed and also reveals how individual folk artists used the medium of oral literature to make statements about their lives and their world. Some preferred jocular stories and others wonder tales; some performed mostly for adults, others for children; some used storytelling to criticize society, and others spun wish fulfillment tales to find relief from a harsh reality. For the most part collected a century ago, the stories were gleaned from archives and printed sources; the Icelandic repertoire was collected on audiotape in the 1960s. Each repertoire was selected by a noted folklorist. Introductions to the storytellers and collectors and commentaries and references for the tales are provided. A general introduction, a comprehensive bibliography, and an index of the tales according to Aarne-Thompson's typology are also included. Period illustrations add charm to the stories.

History & Criticism

As the world faces the conundrum of simultaneous hunger and food waste, pandemics, climate change, depletion of natural resources, species extinction, water, soil, and air pollution, and chronic illnesses, we see that individuals can make an enormous difference by the way they live, eat, and treat the world around them. Eating local and seasonally-produced food is probably the most important step because it is a step all of us can take.\nLaunched at Transition Lopez Island's recent virtual conference, "Continuing the Journey," the book is available in print at the Lopez Bookshop, Sunnyfield Farmstand, the Lopez Library, and Blossom Grocery. In Eastsound, it can be found at Darvill's Bookstore and the Orcas Food Co-op, in Friday Harbor at Griffin Bay Books, and in Bellingham at Village Books in Fairhaven. It can also be ordered online at transi8onlopezisland.org. Out of their commitment to a sustainable future, the authors are offering free downloadable copies (also found on the website).\nAccompanying instructional videos based on recipes from the book are available on YouTube. Visit transitionlopezisland.org for a list of local retailers or to order the book directly online. Out of their commitment to a sustainable future, the authors are also offering free downloadable copies on the same website. Accompanying instructional videos based on recipes from the book are available on YouTube.

Eating Locally & Seasonally: A Community Food Book for Lopez Island (and All Those Who Want to Eat Well)

Simpson, Elizabeth

Cookbooks, Food & Wine

S&s Homestead Press

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Books by Sehmsdorf, Henning K.