The Dictionnaire de l'ethnologie was first published in 1973 and appeared in German translation in 1975. An enlarged second German edition followed in 1983. The present edition is a revision of the second German edition rather than a translation of the third French edition, Dictionnaire des sciences humaines: sociologie, psychologie sociale, anthropologie (Paris, 1990) and completely reconfigured on a more interdisciplinary level in response to the specific situation of ethnology in France.

The authors and the editor are well-known French ethnologists. In the editor's opinion, the present work is intended to hold a half-way place between a textbook and a lexicon; this makes the use of the term "pocket dictionary" in the title rather misleading, as that term normally connotes a very brief presentation.

The dictionary contains 1,000 entries on 240 pages, a 21-page bibliography, and English-German and French-German glossaries. Also included are two maps presenting the ethnic groups treated in the text, as well as biographical notes on the authors and the editor.

The entries (most of them averaging 10 lines in length) cover persons as well as subjects and include brief bibliographical notes; the citations of articles devoted to subjects give English and French equivalents for titles. No particular bias in terms of a specifically French perspective was noted.

Relying on a dense system of cross-references in place of a subject index, this work makes it possible to grasp whole networks of subjects by paging through the entries. The textbook function claimed by the editor is hardly fulfilled by this form of organization, however. This is a useful reference work, whose bibliographical citations have been updated compared with the earlier editions. [jpl/crc]

 

There is really nothing negative to say about this dictionary. Appearing 14 years after the first edition, the second gives a thorough and differentiated overview of the field of ethnology. A good subject index provides access to the contents of 80 articles averaging 3-4 pages in length; there is also a biographical section, a glossary, and a bibliography. The history of the discipline of ethnology and of its concepts is covered well, and relationships to other disciplines are thoroughly described. This work, together with the Wörterbuch der Völkerkunde (Berlin, 1999), can be recommended for an accurate and up-to-date picture of the field. [jpl/vh]

 

This dictionary (which appeared in a second, unrevised edition in 2001) is a companion piece to the author's Feiern--Feste--Jahreszeiten [Celebrations--Festivals--Seasons] (Freiburg, 1998). Over two-thirds of the entries are cross-references, leaving about 800 articles ranging in length from two lines to several pages. The customs and festivals are selected and presented from a religious perspective--the intended audience being those interested in the observances of the religious year. Within that restricted area, it is nevertheless an excellent compendium that functions as a kind of popular chapbook of Catholic customs with some excursions into Protestant and non-religious areas. Particularly welcome is the treatment of folkloric elements, and the overall attempt to draw connections, while never losing the focus of (Catholic) Christian observance. There is little illustration, but there is an ample bibliography of German-language resources, many of which are older titles and journal articles. The cross-references are a weak point--often the reader is led to little useful information or to another reference. Apart from that criticism, this is a highly useful and professional dictionary, a valuable addition to collections for researchers and students of practical-theological questions and religious themes. [sh/mjc]

 

Originally published in 1998, this entertaining and substantial dictionary focuses on superstitions in the German-language culture, with only occasional glimpses at other parts of the world. The authors have established themselves with various publications and translations ranging from religious studies to the works of Haruki Murakami. The intended audience is the broadest possible one: all those who have found themselves at times unwittingly engaged in superstitious practices, and unwilling to dismiss them as ridiculous.

The dictionary contains 284 entries (an average of one page per entry). Some well-chosen illustrations and a few botanical sketches by one of the authors add interest to the volume. A bibliography of 126 German-language titles contains only older literature, some of which is quite obscure and difficult to obtain by modern readers. In fact, it is evident that the bibliography as well as the selection of entries is almost exclusively based on the monumental Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens (HdA) which was published in 1927. Even the text of the entries often stays very close to this source. This is not to say that the authors are merely paraphrasing. They have done considerable work selecting appropriate entries, summarizing and emphasizing particular aspects.

However, the fact remains that the contents of the dictionary are based on the state of folklore research in the 1920s. More recent investigations and modern phenomena such as urban folklore have been completely ignored. The dictionary is well written and offers a concise and accurate view of superstitious beliefs and practices as depicted in the HdA. One wishes that its limitations had been more explicitly stated. One also hopes that the capable authors might find a publisher willing to publish a successor volume that would fill in the gaps of the past 70 years. [wh/rs]

 

This paperback edition of a dictionary published in 1998 contains some 212 entries, an index, and a four-page bibliography. The author is a journalist who does not claim to be a folklore expert. Yet with the glut of current publications on the occult one might consider this one of the more serious efforts, as indicated by a bibliography that contains research from the past twenty years as well as references to 19th century works. One of the problems reflected in the dictionary is the vagueness of the concept of superstition, which in the postmodern world can mean just about anything. As a consequence, the entries cover an extremely wide range, from conventional ones, such as spells, witches, and the number 13, to folk literature (Flying Dutchman), the occult (channeling), underground culture (Elvis cult), etc. The actual entries often fall short of being useful or enlightening. The very first entry on the eel (German: Aal) mentions that in antiquity this fish was the object of superstition and myths, but fails to tell the reader what the actual myths were. It then digresses into observations about the spawning behavior of eels. Especially when it comes to more recent phenomena in the area of superstition the dictionary often disappointingly misses the mark. The entry on "computer" contains a meager six lines and quotes a 1971 general encyclopedia. One would have hoped for insight into superstitions about computer viruses, for comments about the role of the Internet as a medium for the distribution of myths and superstitions, and information about chat rooms on Satanism and the occult.

The dictionary adds little that is not easily available in other sources. Academic libraries will be able to do without it. [wh/rs]

 

As its subtitle indicates, Antike Mythologie focuses on the reception of the important myths of antiquity in the graphic arts and literature. As a reference handbook, this title fails for largely formal reasons. The division into different sections for the written versus the graphic reception of the myths, the lack of illustrative material in the text section, and the omission of an introductory survey article detract from the title's usefulness as a reference handbook or an introductory text. It serves instead as a tool for those seeking detailed information on selective aspects of this field of study. [ak/jb]