The Prop Builder's Mask-Making Handbook (Paperback)

From School Library Journal
YA-- Well illustrated and clearly written, this handbook offers invaluable information for those getting started in this venerated art form. James gives a brief contextual history of masks, and then organizes the informational sections by type. The last and longest section describes masks made in the tradition of the commedia dell'arte. Ample black-and-white photographs accompany step-by-step directions, written in a nontechnical and informal style. The appendix contains a list of sources for supplies.
- Sheri Maeda, Jefferson Sci-Tech, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Sound but slightly dated, July 13, 2005
Reviewer: L. Rubin "Historical Costumer" (Santa Cruz, CA) - See all my reviews

I purchased this book as a text for a maskmaking class for my theater degree. I'll repeat the instructor's gist, if not her words: This is a great book on the basic technical aspects of maskmaking. However, there are a lot of other materials that are now available if you have the budget that aren't covered in this book. The photos are good but not always clear, and I agree with some other reviewers that there is a definite lack of practical information such as where to buy maskmaking supplies.
Worth a read, particularly if you're into Commedia masks or working in community theater on a small budget.

Review: a good idea
I am confused...I look at the star ratings and read the reviews...but they don't even come close to my thoughts. This book was an interesting read. They do show a huge variety of techniques that are used for the stage... but they only give you a small taste of the process...Vacuum forming for example, a wonderful process, but zippo info on whereto/howto/whoto contact to buy or to make one. Read this book to get an overview of some ideas...but know that the technology shown is old and past its prime. I know stagework is seen at a distance..but you will not be impressed with the craftsmanship of the projects. Heads up on some safety issues..they skip right over that. oh my.

Review: Comprehensive and user friendly!
This is a great book about making masks. It covers the making of molds, including using alginate for a life-casting. He talks about making masks of different materials -- from hex-a-cel to paper mache to neoprene to leather! There's a really *nice* section on leather masks, and he also talks a little bit about the history of the leather masks and how they were used in Renaissance Italy by the Commedia. This book is filled with plenty of black and white photos illustrating the various steps in each mask-making or mold-making process, and the instructions are very clear. Highly recommended for those with an interest in making their own masks.

Special Effects Make-Up

Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
A severed hand reaches across the red cover of this paperback, and the images in Vinther's book get progressively more gruesome from there. A European special effects expert, Vinther clearly specializes in the fare of horror and science fiction films-his how-to book is devoted to explaining the tricks behind making life-like imitations of body parts, monsters and bloody wounds. For those readers who wonder how to portray a mangled face or a chopped-off finger, Vinther's is a work without peer-but they must be ready to stomach the book's more than 300 gory color images. The author certainly knows his business, running his private company SPFX, which handles these unique demands for film producers. Each sub-genre ("gouged eye," "blown-off limbs," etc.) requires a certain recipe of materials, which Vinther enthusiastically share. The latter third of the book branches off from generic wounds, and touches on the makeup required for classic monsters, including Dracula, Freddie Kruger and the Terminator. The illustrations are rather gruesome, but for the Halloween amateur or the Hollywood professional, this book is a veritable King James Bible of the macabre.

Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
From bullet holes to severed fingers, from slashed throats to wounds and burns, Special Effects is a complete easy-to-use guide to creating horrifying make-up. As storylines become more sensational and technology more sophisticated, special effects have become an increasingly important element of both film and theater production. Janus Vinther provides fully illustrated, step-by-step instruction for creating grotesque and horrifying effects. There is also a chapter on specialized character make-up, covering familiar figures such as Dracula and the Terminator. Illustrated throughout in gory full color, Special Effects for Film and Theatre describes both techniques and materials. It will be an essential tool for those involved in film and theater make-up or design, and for anyone out to make Halloween a very special evening.

About the Author
Janus Vinther teaches special effect design. He lives in Denmark.

Special Make-Up Effects

Book Description
Special Make-Up Effects concentrates on the genre of horror characters and other special creations (fantasy, sci-fi, etc), giving tips about the materials, techniques, and 'tricks of the trade' necessary to create unique make-up effects.

This focused volume is a scaled-down version of Vincent Kehoe's encyclopedic reference for professional make-up artists. It contains new segments and photographs. This book shows how many of cinema's most famous characters and effects were developed. It gives students and make-up artists the techniques they need to perform their own magic.

A volume dedicated solely to special make-up effects.
Contains new material from several Academy Award winning make-up artists.
Written by a make-up artist who has worked on more than 300 films.

From the Publisher
Concentrates on the genre of horror characters and other special creations (fantasy, sci-fi, etc), giving tips about materials, techniques, and 'tricks of the trade' for Special Make-Up Effects. This focused volume is a scaled-down version of Vincent Kehoe's encyclopedic reference for professional make-up artists. It contains new segments and photographs. This book shows how many of cinema's most famous characters and effects were developed. It gives students and make-up artists the techniques they need to perform their own magic.

The Halloween Handbook : 447 Costumes (Paperback)

Book Description
It's dress-up for grown-ups, and the liveliest, most imaginative collection of Halloween costume ideas--447 costume ideas to be exact--from two hip, inveterate lovers of all things Halloween . . . plus dozens of other ideas for enjoying the holiday.

Bridie Clark and Ashley Dodd are the dynamic duo, in or out of capes. For every level of interest, time--and irony--they offer suggestions. There's the ultra-quick: Pin several pair of underwear to a shirt, and voilà, A Chest of Drawers. With a bit more time, wrap yourself in aluminum foil and don a beret--mmm, French Kiss. There are Angels and Devils, all with variations (add roller skates to your Satan costume, and go as Hell on Wheels). Come Hither costumes--Lady Godiva, Chippendales Dancer, Stripper Emerging from a Cake. Celeb sightings, from the Dalai Lama to Madonna (six Madonnas, actually, from all of her phases). Costumes for couples--Sweethearts Caught on Lover's Lane, Fred and Wilma Flintstone--and costumes for whole groups of friends, including how to appear as the Sopranos or the hapless castaways on Gilligan's Island. And for the children, check out Nursery Rhymes, Fairy Tales, and Other Costumes for the Young and Young at Heart.

Finally, for the friend who just can't bear the thought of dressing up but still wants to join the fun, suggest the Time Traveler from the Day Before Halloween.

About the Author
Bridie Clark lives in New York and works in publishing. Halloween is far and away her favorite holiday--originally for the candy, and now for the once-a-year opportunity to play dress-up. Ashley Dodd lives in New York and works in public relations. Halloween is far and away her favorite holiday--originally for the candy, and now for the once-a-year opportunity to play dress-up.

Review: Showcases 447 do-it-yourself costume concepts
The collaborative effort of Halloween costume experts and enthusiasts Bridie Clark and Ashley Dodd, The Halloween Handbook: Dress-Up For Grown-Ups showcases 447 imaginative, easy-to-make, do-it-yourself costume concepts. From traditional favorites such as Wonder Woman or Peter Pan, to more eyebrow-raising unique costumes like the One-Night Stand (the costumegoer appears as an actual stand with lampshade over the head, bra and pantyhouse dangling on the tablecloth) or the Green Card (wearing a large green sandwich board humorously displaying a parody what a real green card looks like). Black-and-white photographs illustrate fun, zany, sometimes edgy ideas with practical suggestions to efficiently and frugally make a Halloween guise to remember. Especially recommended not only for Halloween, but as a source of ideas for costume parties year round or even school and community theater apparel.

Monsters (Paperback)


Review: Intriguing

The book's author takes a kind of "scientific" approach to the subject matter. This book is intended for the novice and does include some creatures not necessarily thought of monsters, like angels and mermaids. Nine different types of "monsters" are described here, starting with vampires, ghosts and werewolves, and finishing off with demons. Things that go bum pin the night, indeed.

Greer takes great pains to debunk a number of "facts" about each of these creatures. For example, vampires who in most lore are thought of to be almost "glamorous," are portrayed here as something completely different. He also talks briefly about "psychic vampires," which in some cases can be just as nasty as a "real" vampire.

He also devotes chapters to "monster investigations," what to look for, what to watch out for, the "tools of the trade," and cautions the reader to never go alone when "looking" for one of these creatures, and the book's final chapters are devoted to defending yourself by the use of magic.

While this is not the definite guide to "monsters," it is a good overall book on the subject and there's a long bibliography of related books listed at the book's end for those who wish to learn more.

Review: Not intended for those already knowledgeable on the subject.
This book is clearly a primer, intended for beginners and disbelievers. As such, it does what it sets out to quite well; if it is a disappointment to those who expect advanced tracts from Mr. Greer, as some of the other reviews suggest, the problem is with their expectations, not with the material at hand. One wouldn't rate a first-year calculus book poorly simply because it fails to increase one's understanding of differential equations.

For those inclined to learn a bit about the lore of occult creatures, whether or not they actually believe in the reality of said creatures, this is a very good book. Even if one doesn't believe, and is somewhat put off by Greer's unapologetic stance that magic and occult monsters are real, nonetheless, one must concede that he is very practical in his approach; he repeatedly reminds the reader to consider all other explanations before assuming true occult activity, including hoaxes and simple misunderstanding of "normal" happenings. He states repeatedly that true paranormal activity is much rarer than such other happenings, and is clearly attempting to discourage people attempting to live out their Fantasy Role Playing Games in the real world, a phenomenon that he is obviously all too familiar with.

For those who ARE inclined to believe in the possibility of the occult, this is a very good beginning text on the subject.

Review: Interesting, but empty in the end
I guess this book would be better appreciated by those who actually believe in magic, protection spells and things like that. The book does offer it's fair share of information to those who are just interested in monsters generally, but there are far more better books for that kind of research.

The book has chapters for ghosts, demons, angels, werewolves, vampires and other things that go bump in the night. Greer has included sightings and legends from the history, but I always found myself wanting more details. Most portions of the book are about monsters generally and they also offer magical means to defend oneself from monsters. If you are not interested in magic and spells, the book offers only a brief glance into the monster lore.

I was somewhat disappointed in the book, it had only a few interesting bits and pieces of information. Most of the times I found myself reading about Greer's own theories, which I am sorry to say, didn't seem too convincing. If you are offering an example from the history or news, you should include more information about it, otherwise the example has no real use.

If you are interested magic and it's involvement with monsters, this might be the book for you. If you want to really read about monsters, I recommend you find other books for your reading pleasure.

Review: An Ok Book and truly Interesting.
I found this book very interesting, but, some where missleading to the reader(s) (i.e.:"ghosts","spirits") which are pretty much the same thing no matter how you look at it.However, some of the points he makes about certain creaturs are interesting and make sense. This is a really good book, but, its not that great. I say if you want to learn about certain folklore then this book is for you if you truly want something thats interesting.

Review: This book shatters some common perceptions of Monsters,
I found this book to be interesting, thought-provoking and overall one of the best I have read on paranormal and fatastical creatures. He hit upon ideas I have held for years, but had never ran into in a book. He shatters Hollywood created stereotypes for ancient creatures such as werewolves and vampires and provides theories that make perfect sense and finally shed light on all the "missing" evidence in relation to fairies and alien abductions. Also included are easy-to-use ways of removing negative and/or unwanted energies from houses ..ie ghosts. The only negative thing I can say about this book is that he labels the Unicorn as a true Mythical creature! ::my inner child weeps:: If you have even a small intrest in magick creatures...get this book. It is an easy to read, down to earth, explanatory guide to things considered "unknown"!

Review: Interesting but irrelevant.
As someone who has spent most of my short life trying to understand the paranormal and occult I believe this book poses some very interesting ideas. Interesting as they are they mean nothing to anyone who is at all serious about the paranormal. There is an interesting talk about the abduction phenomena and Faery that I have seen parralleled in other works. The rest is just dribble. I showed the book to some of my Wiccan and other "magically inclined" friends (of which I am still puzzling over the validity of magik) and they were all very angry at some parts of the book. However it is a fun read if you want to read something that is ultimately much more fiction than fact.

Review: More bull from Llewellyn
There seems to be a new fad in the magic section these days. If being a witch with fluffy bunny superpowers doesn't make you feel special enough, you can spend $20 and call yourself a monster hunter! You can now do battle with the horrible dangers we all face in life: vampires, werewolves and disgruntled fairies!

Vampire and werewolf wannabees beware! Mr. Greer's readers are packing heat! I consider this one of the more dangerous books out there because it not only confuses the reader with fabricated idiocy but it also inspires violence between the lines. For instance, after stating that physically shifting werewolves are indeed a present threat the author advises loading a gun with silver bullets or purchasing a silver tipped staff and taking up martial arts. He even recommends discretion when committing a slaying as it would be difficult to justify the act to the authorities by stating the victim was a werewolf. Due to the supernatural nature of the "werewolf" he also states the corpse might appear in an inconvenient location in human form. Perhaps the author would be more apt at writing books on committing crimes!

Review: In-depth Research Guide to "Imaginary" Beings & "Monsters",
I accidentally dismissed this book, because of the cover, until my wife brought me a copy to peruse. The cover doesn't really do the book justice--although, I am sure it sells many copies, normally. If this book had an entirely different cover, I believe it would be taken Very Seriously by many students of The Mysteries, Anthropology (especially), and could possibly be used in a College Course on Mythology.

Greer's explanation of Occult, Ghost, UFO, Fay, etc., Phenomena makes more sense than most of what I have read on the subject, throughout my life. I have read Secret School materials that do not make as much sense as this amazing treatise on the Paranormal. I am especially Impressed with the UFO-Fairy connection. This theory not only makes tremendous sense, but resolves Numerous issues I have experienced and debated, over the years. For those who research the Paranormal and have experienced UFO, Ghost and such "Otherworld" activities, this book makes tremendous sense, and often makes the reader realize things in a very ( "So, that's it !" ) revelatory manner.
I could have really used this book, when I was younger and silly-enough to go looking for trouble. Throughout my life, I have experienced various Hauntings and Paranormal Events, and often went looking for them, as Inspiration for writing books. Personal experience leads me to conclude that Greer is an Expert and should be taken very Seriously by Anthropologists, Psychologists, et al.
I doubt that most people who are not psychically inclined or Initiated will "get it," but this guide is Certainly well-worth owning just to discourage people from "Dabbling" in Occult Matters. Amazingly, this is the first "Occult" book I have ever read that would be perfect material for Christians to encourage their teenagers to read. The usual Christian theory of "Don't Dabble" (in the Occult) is repeated throughout the book. However, the book is written from an Initiated, Mystical perspective, coinciding with Common Sense.
To make a long review short.... This is a perfect guide to "Monsters" (the Paranormal, Mystical, Hauntings, Vampires, Werewolves, etc.) that should be on the shelf of every "Occultist," Christian, Psychic, Psychologist and Anthropologist.

Please, do not "judge the book by it's cover." This is not a sensationalist, copy-cat, or un-researched book written to capitalize on Vampire Trends and such. I sincerely expect this book to make it's way into college courses. Greer has obviously researched this material in-depth and first-hand. This is the only Serious work on the subject that I have encountered. If you are expecting sensationalized UFO encounters, this book isn't for you. However, this book does explain, Rationally, the UFO phenomena. This book does not "debunk" monsters, ghosts and fairies--but, it does Explain them, logically
Greer obviously has the Credentials to back-up his theories. "Monsters" is being used as a "Reference book" at Libraries (a book you cannot check-out: "for Research purposes, only").
For those who may be interested, several chapters included in this book involve Natural Magick and Ritual Magick, with detailed instructions and diagrams.

Review: On Things That Go Bump In The Dark
This is one of the most fantastic books I've read in ages. Note that this has very little to do with cryptozoology; most of the creatures discussed are not always material.
In this surprisingly readable book, we have a discussion of various common preternatural and supernatural monsters. Not all of these would ordinarily be considered monsters (such as mermaids and angels), but are classified as such for ease of use.

Mr. Greer covers a lot of very useful ground, such as investigative techniques for the amateur monster hunter, a detailed explanation of the different levels of reality that is the most internally consistent I've ever seen, and one of the best bibliographies in print today. He freely admits that many so-called monster sightings are, in fact, possibly something much more mundane.

The meat of this, though, is the section on actual monster descriptions. Here, we learn the nature of real vampires, what Nessie *really* is, and what demons might have to do with mental illness (and no, it's not necessarily a cause-effect relationship, either...). Information is given on the history of said monsters, various sightings, and what to do if one encounters said monster...realistically, most are treated as any other rare creature (i.e. be quiet, look, take notes and pictures if you can). Finally, he also discusses vulnerabilities and has a section on quick ritual magic if one does, in fact, have to go all Buffy on that vampire.

In summation, this is one of the best New Age/magical book I've read in years. He writes very well, and very entertainingly, and keeps a very level head. If you're at all interested in supernatural creatures, this is one of the best books for you.

Review: Fascinating, practical, down-to-earth and very readable.
Greer defines monsters as "beings that cannot exist, according to currently accepted scientific theories about the way the universe works, but which are routinely encountered by credible witnesses and described in traditional folklore". The major portion of the book extracts the common threads from world-wide folklore and modern day sightings of vampires, ghosts, werewolves, creatures of faery, mermaids, dragons, spirits, angels and demons, while dispelling modern TV myths. Although cultures vary in their interpretation of what monsters are, there is surprising agreement about what they do. This suggests that there are common phenomena that have been subject to different interpretations.

I was particularly attracted to the book because of this well-structured and systematic distillation of the evidence, old and new. It is written in a sensible style that gives one a great deal of confidence in the author. However, there is much more that is of interest, and different audiences will take different things from the rest of the book. For the complete newcomer to the field, there is an introduction containing a cogently argued defence of the idea that evidence shouldn't be discarded just because it doesn't fit our current theoretical models. However, the main thrust of the book is as a guide for psychical researchers, ghost hunters and other investigators of spontaneous anomalies. It contains some extremely practical information about e.g. equipment to take, questions to ask and how to ask them, how to detect hoaxes and how to do research. This should be required reading for any person involved in field work of this kind.

The monster catalogue itself contains two parallel threads. Besides describing reported monster behaviour and the development of associated folklore, the author also provides an interpretation, based on Western magical philosophy, of what the monsters are and how to deal with them. Fortunately, he keeps these threads fairly separate, so that one can extract a lot of useful information about monster sightings, even if one chooses to ignore the magical perspective. That said, the framework that he presents is internally consistent and seems to be an interesting way of analysing monster lore. The notions that he draws on could also be interpreted in terms of other cultural philosophies, and students of e.g. eastern mysticism or holistic medicine will find parallels in their own philosophy to the concepts used here.

While reading this book, I was consistently impressed by the author's clear mind, down-to-earth approach and considerate nature. While each element of it may be covered in more detail in other books, this is an extremely useful synthesis of many ideas. I found a lot to think about in it, and I recommend it highly.

A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits (Paperback)

Amazon.com
The Macks divert our gaze from our contemporary red-faced, cloven-hoofed misrepresentation of demons to remind us of the ancient roles demons were originally assigned to play. From the Tommyknockers of North American mountain mines to the South African Mbulu that waits in the river for lone travelers, A Field Guide to Demons classifies these creatures by their domains--water, mountain, forest--rather than in alphabetical or cultural order, dishing out antique and contemporary lore on these most misunderstood of spirits. A Field Guide to Demons melds folklore and mythology; maintains a surprisingly evenhanded view of demons; and reveals their role as the necessary challenger to established order, the antagonist--without which there could be no hero--and the darkness through which goodness shines brightest. --Brian Patterson--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Reviews

"A round of applause for this demonic cast of characters . . . They let us glimpse other people's demons, and many of our very own." --Anna Deavere Smith, author of Fires in the Mirror

"An array of the most dreaded demons mythology has to offer." --Robert L. Carniero, Curator of South American Ethnology, American Museum of Natural History

Robert L. Carniero, Curator of South American Ethnology, American Museum of Natural History
"An array of the most dreaded demons mythology has to offer."

Review
"A round of applause for this demonic cast of characters . . . They let us glimpse other people's demons, and many of our very own." --Anna Deavere Smith, author of Fires in the Mirror

"An array of the most dreaded demons mythology has to offer." --Robert L. Carniero, Curator of South American Ethnology, American Museum of Natural History

Book Description
Watch your back! . . . How to spot and identify demons and other subversive spirits . . . And what to do next.

Demons, fairies, and fallen angels are everywhere. They lurk at crossroads, crouch behind doors, hide in trees, slip into beds, wait in caves, hover at weddings and childbirths, disguise themselves as friends, relatives-even disguise themselves as you. They are powerful; they are protean; they are enchanting. And, to the uninformed, they are often invisible. This illustrated guide-the first of its kind-reveals the remarkable permutations of the demon and fairy species worldwide. Packed with lore about each demon, detailing its origins, the culture surrounding it, and its reputed antics and exploits, A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits is a fascinating exploration of global mythologies. Perfect for the armchair traveler and the intrepid, seasoned demon-spotter alike, this complete guide to subversive spirits offers a behind-the-scenes look at the devilish mishaps, impish irritations, and demonic devastations that punctuate our lives.

About the Author

Carol Mack is an award-winning playwright with a master's degree in religious studies. Her daughter, Dinah Mack, a writer, earned her master's degree in cultural anthropology.

Review: Forewarned is Forearmed
This is a great reference work: useful, accessible and well organised. The demons, fairies and other mythical beings featured in this book were taken from the legends and folklore of several cultures and they are grouped according to their place of residence: water, mountain, forest, desert, domicile and psyche. Each chapter includes a short description of the creature's appearance, habits and preferences; one of two stories of encounters with it; and a section on disarming and dispelling techniques.
This guide includes some fascinating creatures, such as the Japanese Kappa and its surprising eating habits, the helpful and friendly Norwegian Nisse, the extremely fragile Australian Mimi, and the Chinese Madame White, who gives a whole new meaning to the expression femme fatale. Some better known beings like mermaids and werewolves are also featured. The Macks' writing style is clear and engaging, sometimes tongue-in-cheek but never disrespectful to other cultures. The detailed information on how to deal with these creatures is particularly useful; if you ever encounter any of them you'll know what to do to be able to tell the tale.

Review: Great Reference Book
You could spend lots of money on all kinds of folklore & mythology books, and still not have as much information on the "darker entities" as this book.

Each entry is very detailed with description, habitations, sightings, etc.

I think this book would make a great gift for anyone interested in the supernatural, or even RPG GM's looking for new ways to torture their players... ;)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review: Casual entertainment
Though the serious researcher or folklorist won't find much new content here, it's a fun and easy read with a unique format and a wide variety of entries. Most of the entries have associated stories, and some wonderfully unexpected things turn up (yes, Jung's Shadow is identified herein). And for that serious researcher? The bibliography is priceless, and I will probably go bankrupt amassing it. Do not, however, confuse this with an occult volume. This is simply legend and folklore.

Review: Not a serious demon book
This is not a serious demon book, and I doubt that the "protection rituals" will do anyone any good. If you have a real demon or haunting problem, buy a different book! Having got that out of the way... this is a great entertaining book... many mythical creatures are included that you would not expect to be there from this book's title... if you are looking for lots of really cool mythical creatures... each with just enough about it to be interesting, but not going on and on... then this is super-ultra-cool!!!







Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth (Paperback)

From Library Journal
There are three criteria for inclusion in this near-comprehensive reference work on a relatively narrow aspect of folklore: the creature cannot be divine, it must be a supernatural being from mythology, legend, folklore, or classic literature, and it may be a cryptozoological or symbolic being, such as a heraldic beast. Although various other sources treat giants, monsters, and mystery animals, none seems to cover them all at once, and this work's inclusion of the symbolic element appears to be unique. Entries give basic descriptions of each creature as well as its activities, region, culture, and historical period, and each entry is both cross-referenced and referenced to a selected bibliography. Appendixes categorize beings under country or region as well as such headings as "Beings Associated with Catastrophe." While works as modern as J.R.R. Tolkien's are cited, the Harry Potter series is not, though several monsters described here are present in J.K. Rowling's books. Perhaps Rose (Spirits, Fairies, Gnomes, and Goblins) does not consider Potter classic literature, but for a current reference work, this may soon prove a serious oversight. Recommended for public and school libraries where similar references are used.DKatherine K. Kaigler-Koenig, Ellis Sch., Pittsburgh, PA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Choice
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! have nothing on Rose, at home in a thicket of menacing creatures.

Choice
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! have nothing on Rose, at home in a thicket of menacing creatures.

Book Description
We have always conjured up creatures never seen in nature, from flying horses and two-headed birds to fire-breathing dragons and enormous killer skunks, as well as fantastic distortions of our own image, from giants to nubile maidens. In these pages you will meet extraordinary beings from Hindu and Navajo religions, Scandinavian tales, Russian folklore, Lithuanian stories, Irish oral history, American tall tales, and Aztec myth. Just some of the monstrous entourage:

• Baku, a benevolent Japanese monster with the body of a horse, the head of a lion, and the legs of a tiger, who helps people by devouring their nightmares.

• Kurma, the giant tortoise of Hindu myth, whose upper shell forms the heavens and lower part the earth.

• Missipissy, the feared fish serpent of North America's Great Lakes region.

This illustrated encyclopedia not only identifies and describes individual beasts in their cultural context but also groups them together across cultures and discusses common mythological strands and conceits. 60 b/w illustrations.

About the Author
Carol Rose is a research member at the University of Kent and a senior lecturer at Canterbury College, England.

Review: Fantabulous!
Reviewer: John J Clements (FPO, AP USA) - See all my reviews
Carol Rose has done it again! The companion to her much-acclaimed Spirits, Faeries, Gnomes, and Goblins: an Encyclopedia of the Little People, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons provides the same thorough lexicon of the fantastic. More of less everything her previous book left out (ie. the large mythical creatures) that I complained about in my review of the said book, this book covers. Got a question on Qanekelak? Wondering about Wendigo? Tired of asking about Asipatra? Just plain curious about the Cockatrice? Well this well-documented book provides all the answers to the questions you might ask (and even answers to wuestions you might NOT have asked).

Not only does it include the traditional monsters, Griffins, Dragons, Ettins, etc. but it also includes folklore monsters from the American Old West (Fearsome Critters). Also, some of the more popularized monsters like Werewolves and vampires are carefully restrained within the pages of this book.

Anyone who's had bad experiences with so-called encyclopedias of beasts-that-aren't, need not fear this book. It is not, repeat, NOT a re-telling of old folktales. This book states the physical description of each creature, in a clear, concise manner, and goes about with helpful information about it. If your trying to find their countries of origin, simply turn to the back for a thorogh cross-index of all the creatures.

So why does it recieve four-stars from me? The artwork is sub-par. Rather than original pictures, which, I admit, can rapidly become tacky, she has chosen to reprint old drawings and wood-prints from ancient texts and her private collection. Not that I'm against old-school pictures, but I prefer a more modern-touch. Maybe I'm just being picky. Before this book, I had just purchased a Monster Manual, mistakenly believing that it was a serious encyclopedia of monsters. Carol Rose's book certainly throws the Dungeons and Dragons book on their tails in the way of sheer informative value, but falls rather short in the visual department.

Review: Really fun text
Books of this type are nothing new. There are probably dozens of encyclopedia-style texts out there dealing with magical creatures and mythical beings, but this one is easily one of the more enjoyable volumes I've had the pleasure of reading. As has been pointed out in another review, this is not a book for those who are longing for visuals over text. This is not one of Froud's Fairy books or one of the Gnome texts. As fun as those books are, there is a heavy if not predominate focus on their original illustrations. Carol Rose's book is focused instead on textual descriptions and summaries. There are plenty of great illustrations in the book, mostly woodcuts from Rose's own private collection, but these are not the key focus of the book. But I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a good, searchable reference guide to creatures of myth and magic.

Review: Happy happy joy joy!
I am madly in love with this book. I have been looking for a book like this since I was old enough to read. I've read several dozen monster encyclopedias. This book is very similar to "The Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were," except that everything that Never Were did wrong, THIS book did right! You can actually find what you're looking for in this book!

This book does NOT make things up as it goes along. It does not mix the author's opinions with ancient opinions; its voice is neutral, but not dry. It does not contain illustrations which are irrelevant to the text. It is not messy in its layout- everything is perfectly organized. The bibliography is truly perfect, and is referred to constantly.

This book does indeed cover giants, monsters, and dragons; and it also covers a lot of gods, spirits, undead, goblins, fictional famous people, and so on. It covers ALL the mythologies of the world, concentrating on them equally. Most books like this will, say, tell you all about European mythics at great length, but only touch briefly on Thunderbird or Rainbow Snake, often the sole representatives of the entire continent they come from, and all their fascinating brothers are neglected completely. This book doesn't mix in movie monsters with the ancient ones (as some books do) although there are some fairly recent entities listed, such as Paul Bunyan. Rather than using modern illustrations drawn by an illustrator who is clueless about how the monster is supposed to look aside from the text description, and so produces something totally useless for reference, this book uses old illustrations, woodcuts and steel engravings- my only complaint may be that those illustrations are few and far between, and all grayscale, but it has a perfect bibliography, so you always know where to look for more- this book is designed to start you off, tell you where to go for more if you want to. Every single entry tells you which books it came from. It's full of some really seriously obscure creatures, too, so that's good.

As I was reading an entry about a creature which was born in the mythologies of an area near where I live, I thought to myself: "The only way this book could be any better was that if there was an index in the back that listed all the mythics by location! But of course there won't be, nothing is that perfect."

And lo and behold, I looked in the back, and it was THERE. As a counterpoint to the fully indexed alphabetical listing of all the monsters, the appendixes in the back list all the monsters by category, so you may look them up that way. There are category listings such as Thailand, or United States Native. And then there are category listings for type of monster, such as "beings that are horses or part horse," or "dragons- occidental." And so on. You can seriously find whatever you're looking for in this book, and there's plenty of it.

Review: Mistical..

This book has all merfolk, Paul Baunyan, and dragons. It even has jabberwocky.

Review: A good reference, but unforgivably overpriced
I'm not sure if this is Carol Rose's fault or her publisher's, but this book cost me eighteen dollars brand new with the older cover. This was only a few months ago. While this is an excellent reference book, one of the best I have seen, the price is a bit steep for casual readers.

Monster
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about monsters as a kind of legendary creature. For other uses, see Monster (disambiguation).
Monster is a term for any number of legendary creatures that frequently appear in mythology, legend, and horror fiction.

Saint George versus the Dragon, by Gustave Moreau (1880)Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
2 Monsters in history
2.1 Social concept
2.2 Religion and mythology
3 Monsters in literature
4 Monsters in cinema
4.1 Pre-World War II
4.2 Post World War II
5 Miscellaneous
6 See also


Etymology
The word originates from the medieval vulgar Latin verb monstrare (plural monstrum), which translates either "to exhibit" or "to point out".

Monsters in history

Social concept
At one time, the monster was an important social concept. Monsters were often associated with unknown lands and unknown things. For instance, historically, unexplored areas on maps would be marked indicating that monsters such as dragons lived there. This connection between monsters and the unknown meant that the monster was an important concept in the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, as Western society began to use science and other academic disciplines to try to understand the unknown. Monsters were seen as scientific puzzles; things science needed to understand. In the Enlightenment, the cabinet of curiosities would often include monsters in amongst the scientific instruments and toys. Similarly, the monstrous was an important concept on aesthetics during the enlightenment, often closely associated with the wondrous and the sublime.

Religion and mythology
Many Eastern religions such as Hinduism, as well as ancient religions such as Greek mythology and Norse mythology, depict monsters as the enemies of the gods. Ragnarok in Norse mythology was the final battle between the gods of Asgard and the many monsters of the world.

Ancient peoples considered the birth of "freaks" representations of the wrath of the gods, a demonstration, as it were. The first so-named monstra were the showpieces in traveling carnival freakshows, people afflicted with body deformities or diseases like elephantiasis.

Occasionally, there are monsters who act out of legitimate motives and their monstrous appearance leads to serious misunderstandings. Some well known examples are King Kong or the Horta in the Star Trek episode, "The Devil in the Dark".

Monsters in literature
The relationship between science and monstrosity became an important theme in many Victorian-era horror novels, where science was often depicted not merely as studying monsters, but as producing them. Notable examples include Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein. This change corresponded with a decline in the popularity of science among the general public.

Some traces of this classic relation to monsters can be found in the popularity of tabloid newspapers such as the Weekly World News. Contemporary philosophers such as Lorraine Daston have written at length about the relationship between how society depicts monsters and the role of science in that society. Monsters also occur in a variety of philosophical works (Aristotle, Augustine, Montaigne, Locke, Leibniz, Diderot ...); see 'Monsters and Philosophy', ed. by Charles Wolfe (forthcoming; and www.monstersandphilosophy.com).

Monsters in cinema

Pre-World War II
During the age of silent movies, representations of monsters were the size of a person played by an actor in a costume: Frankenstein's monster, the Golem, and vampires are the most well-known ones. The film Siegfried featured a dragon that was a giant puppet on tracks. A few dinosaurs were presented by stop-motion animated models, something that was carried over into RKO's King Kong, the first giant monster of the sound era.

During the sound era, the film studio Universal specialized in monsters, offering Bela Lugosi's portrayal onscreen of his role in the stage play, Dracula, and Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's monster. They also made many lesser films, such as Lon Chaney, Jr.'s portrayal of an electrified zombie in Man-Made Monster.

The entire notion of the werewolf was introduced by the movies in this era, and a similar type of person afflicted with traits said to come from an animal was presented in Cat People. Mummies also became a fearsome type of monster, and a variant of Dr. Frankenstein was played by Peter Lorre. His mad surgeon, Dr. Gogol, transplanted hands that embodied a malevolent temperament, which would then re-animate in Mad Love, which became another genre. As for giant monsters, the serial Flash Gordon had a man in a monster suit, who played a huge dragon by attacking a doll dressed like the title character. The "monster" cycle eventually played itself out becoming comedic in Abbott & Costello meet Frankenstein of 1948.

Post World War II
After World War II, however, giant monsters returned to the screen in a pattern that has been causally linked to the invention of nuclear weapons. The first was American: The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms was a dinosaur that attacked a seaport. But later there were Japanese, British, and even a Scandinavian giant monster attacking cities. The tantalizing proximity of other planets brought the notion of alien monsters from outer space to the screen; some were huge, but cheaper movies had those of a more human scale. In this age as well, the monster type of the fish-man was developed in the series Creature from the Black Lagoon.

The British studio of Hammer brought color to the human-sized monster in the late 1950s. At this time, the earlier Universal films were shown on US television by independent stations (rather than being scheduled by a network) by mocking announcers, and these together gained a large number of young fans. Since that era, although the type of monster has changed, it has not disappeared as it did in the late 1940s.

Occasionally, monsters are depicted as friendly or misunderstood creatures. The monsters of Monsters Inc. scare to create the energy to run their secret world, and the furry monsters of Sesame Street live as complete equals to their fellow humans and animals.

Miscellaneous
They are also a mainstay of role-playing and video games in general. "Monster" often, but not always, implies that these creatures are larger than or equal to human size. It also almost always implies that the creatures are powerful and hostile to the hero (and consequently evil), and must be defeated to progress. The monster par excellence is the dragon.



 

Clever Costume Creating for Halloween (Paperback)

Review" Prrrfect booook for the costume inclined!
From Boys to adults, everyone loves being someone (or someTHING!) else for Halloween. Singleton's book provides a wealth of ideas and resources, and the interior illustrations, photographs, and black-and-orange two-color printing make for a very attractive product.

Review: Fun! Fun! Fun!
This is such a fun book for Halloween! I have enjoyed looking at the photographs and illustrations. I can't wait to try some of the creative costumes out on my children. The book makes it so easy to put together and understand! In this day of rush, rush, rush, its so wonderful to have a book that makes life simple. Thank you for such a great tool!

Review: Clever Costume Creating for Halloween
I found this book to be very enlightning for ideas on creating Halloween costumes. It is full of so many good tips, many requiring a minimal amount of effort in putting together a costume. I would recommend this book to many, both young and old and particularly to parents who every year need to come up with a new and unique costume for their children to dress for Halloween.

Review: Clever Costume Creating for Halloween
Suzanne Singleton has certainly outdone herself on this release. Clever Costume Creating for Halloween is jam-packed with unique ideas for easy to make, NO SEW costumes. The illustrations help you visualize the overall effect and the instructions are packed with appropriate props and accessories.

Although I am an artist and consider myself to be pretty creative, when it comes to Halloween costumes I go blank. The creative part of me wants to do something original, unique. I definitely could never bring myself to buy those mass produced, plastic-masked versions available in the stores. When I flipped through Suzanne Singleton's book, my mind began to race with all the possiblities. I found myself thinking, "Why didn't I think of that? This is sooooooo clever!" Now my only problem is choosing which idea to try first!

Review: FUN & EASY NO SEW COSTUME Ideas w/visuals!
This title had just been published a view days when I purchased it. If you are like me and love Halloween but panic at the thought of what to be? what to wear? This is for you! Singleton has written a book with A to Z costume ideas that are fun and refreshing and all NO SEW!

What you also receive with this book purchase are pages filled with fun to view black and white visuals of the costume ideas. The pages are bordered with corn candy and various halloween graphics which only adds to the fun and festive halloween spirit.

Year after year, my husband and I along with our children are invited to dress up Halloween costume parties.These parties are usually fun and yet I am always feeling pressure for myself and my family. What to do? Like many women of today, I do not sew which only adds to my frustration. Well now here is the perfect remedy, this title is not only packed with fun and easy costume ideas but each page is sure to bring a smile with each costume visual!

It is cute, fun, festive and fills a need! Never again will you lose sight of the Halloween fun that costume panic brings!






Halloween Ideas and Tips

So you'd like to... Have Great Halloween Festivities

Out of all the holidays in existance, none can surpass my love of Halloween. Typically a holiday set aside where children dress up in costumes and go house to house in search of candy, there is so much more to this holiday which I hope to highlight. Halloween cheer encompasses parties, decoration, goodies, scary movies and friendly comradery.

First let's start off with the basics. You can't start off Halloween with an undecorated house. Atmosphere lends to establishing a great holiday mind-set. With that, there are a few books I recommend to help in transforming your home to a frightfully fun place to visit. 'Ghostly Frights for Halloween Nights' is a book the whole family can participate in using. The book covers basic projects from cutting and tying to more complex papier-mâché and stitching. The book 'Haunt Your House For Halloween: Decorating Tricks & Party Treats' is also a great tool to use in decorating your home for a more country Halloween style than spooky. And let's not forget the book 'Halloween Crafts: Eerily Elegant Decor' for some very decorative ideas for cleaver doorways and memorable parties. You might recognize the author Kasey Rogers as the actress who played Louise Tate on tv's 'A Bewitched Halloween'. Better Homes and Gardens covers all the main basics in 'Halloween Fun : 101 Ideas to get in the spirit'. Martha Stewart even gets into the act with her highly popular 'Halloween : The Best of Martha Stewart Living'. For even more tips on decorating you can also read through '101 Spooktacular Party Ideas' and 'The Halloween Book'. The books 'Tricks and Treats' and 'Halloween Pumpkins & Parties : 101 Spooktacular Ideas' are also fulled with great tips and ideas. If you have entertained the idea to turn your entire house into a walk through haunted house, the books 'The Do It Yourself Haunted House Guide' and 'Haunted House Halloween Handbook' are very helpful in supplying ideas. There are also some good scare tips found in 'Give Them a Real Scare This Halloween'.

So, you have your house looking fabulously spooky, how about some music to add that final important touch? Some of my favorite Halloween music for atmosphere are: 'Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Halloween', 'Halloween: Monster Mix', 'Halloween Sound Effects', 'Halloween Big Screen Thrillers', and for little kids: 'Spooky Favorites'.

Now that you have the atmosphere created, you can tackel the next step in providing a memorable Halloween: the food! For this I HIGHLY recommend some of the recepies published in the book 'Halloween Treats: Recipes and Crafts for the Whole Family (Holiday Celebrations)'. Not only do you get the wonderful cookies and treat ideas, but there are a couple imaginative ideas for enchanting brews for your friends to drink. The book 'Halloween: Customs, Recipes & Spells' also has some great recipe ideas, covering Halloween doughnuts, pumpkin bread, candied apples and even something called "Sugar Snakes In Graveyard Dust". Yum! For food a little more on the 'weird' side, try 'Creepy Cuisine'.

So you've got a spooky house and yummy treats, what else could you decorate? Why YOU of coarse! 'Halloween Costumes (Singer Sewing Reference Library)' brings to light some very cleaver and festive costume ideas. Dressing up the kiddies is pretty easy also with 'Illegally Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids' and 'Easy Halloween Costumes for Children'. You can even get really great face painting tips in the book 'Fun with Face Painting'. The book 'A Halloween How-To: Costumes, Parties, Decorations, and Destinations' does cover some aspects of costumes, but very generally.

Halloween wouldn't be Halloween without a few good scary movies. When getting friends together, you want to decide on the type of movie you want to see. If your children are having a little get together with friends I would highly suggest 'Garfield Holiday Celebrations'. This DVD set collects the three Garfield holiday specials made in the 80s. But don't let the date fool you. "Garfield's Halloween Adventure" is one of the best Halloween cartoons made to date! In this movie Garfield and his best friend Odie go out trick or treating and find an exciting adventure along the way involving ghost pirates! 'Lumpkin the Pumpkin', 'The Halloween Tree', 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown', 'The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (Disney Gold Classic Collection)', 'The Scooby-Doo Show: The Headless Horseman of Halloween' and 'The Simpsons - Treehouse of Horror' are also great Halloween cartoons. If live action is what the kids want, 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Widescreen Special Edition) (Harry Potter 1)', 'The Little Vampire' and 'Hocus Pocus' are wonderfully entertaining and fun to watch.

But if you're more for an adult party several movies can be viewed for scary good fun. A staple of any good Halloween party is the movie 'Halloween'. It's been bringing a good scream to Halloween parties since 1978. Other great Halloween movies are 'Silver Bullet', 'Bram Stoker's Dracula (Superbit Collection)', 'Sleepy Hollow', 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' and 'Fright Night'. And if you're in for a total scare,who could forget the classic 'The Exorcist (The Version You've Never Seen)'. But if you're in the mood for some hysterical Halloween laughs 'Elvira, Mistress of the Dark', 'Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein', 'Scary Movie' and 'Ghostbusters' are just the ticket.

A guide by Peter Saenz, Spooky Holiday Lover for Amazon

A Halloween How-To: Costumes, Parties, Decorations, and Destinations
by Lesley Pratt Bannatyne

Review:

Last fall, I checked this book out of the library looking for ideas for our annual Halloween bash and to decorate our yard. The book not only has a great wealth of ideas and tips, but also historical and sociological information on the holiday. This is one of the few books that I have found more geared towards adults wishing to celebrate the holiday. Most of what is out there leans towards the juvenile side of Halloween festivites.

I agree with past reviewers' main gripes about lack of graphics. The book doesn't need to have glossy coffee table book-type spreads, but it is seriously lacking in useful illustrations

This is a great book with many decorating ideas and references. This is the best book I found on the market. I applied a few of the ideas to my decorations last year and had a few children afraid to approach the door (though that was not my intent, nothing truly gory last year). Highly recommended!

If you are looking for a Halloween how to book for grownups, this is it. It is full of magnificent ideas for everything from parties to yard haunting. I love Halloween and I have many Halloween books. This one is the one I use the most. I especially loved the life-sized Grim Reaper. I made it for my yard haunt last year and received more compliments on it than anything else. I highly recommend this book.

Since so many other reviewers give a good overview of the book, let me tell you what I found unique and helpful about this book. The best section of this book tells you how to hold a themed adult Halloween party. It covers everything from the invitations (really cool invitations, with relevant literary quotes), to the decorations, music, and costumes. There are many themes listed. I have never seen this in any of the Halloween books I have bought. This chapter alone makes it worth the price.Full-disclosure: My tombstone-making instructions are featured in the book. But I don't get a cut of the profits, just the recognition (Thanks for the mention Lesley!)

The Halloween Book (Hardcover) - by Jane Bull

Review:

The Halloween Book is a veritable gold mine of creepy crafts to make Halloween the most spine-tingling night of the year. Unearthly decorations ("Silhouette Windows," "Flickering Faces," "Jeering Jars"), exquisitely eerie dress-up ideas ("Fearsome Features," "Creepy Costumes,"), and delectably ghastly goodies ("Buckets of Treats," "Beastly Buffet," "Hanging Horrors," "Cauldron Cocktails," "Spooky Potions") will provide days of creative fun leading up to the haunted holiday. The perfect resource for a Halloween party, with DK's superb photos and clever activities, games, and recipes, this volume is a steep step above the standard craft book. So pour yourself a mug o' vampire broth or hot chocolate bones, dig into some sausage fingers, and get started on your screaming streamers and menacing masks. (Ages 6 to 11) --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5-This is the "Martha Stewart" book of craft, costume, food, and party ideas for the ultimate Halloween experience. It shows how to carve a pumpkin, make hanging glass-jar lights, spooky window cutouts, and decorated flashlights. There are descriptions and photos of additions to fairy, pirate, witch, vampire, and ghost costumes, with elaborate face painting and perfectly cut-out, acrylic-painted, paper-plate masks. There are directions for a paper-m ch pumpkin and a cr pe-paper-decorated sand bucket for holding treats. Refreshments include sausage fingers, "bread roll monsters," gorgeous-looking creepy cupcakes, and "cauldron cocktails." Finally, there are instructions for a shadow theatre and other traditional party games. The photographs are stunning, but all of the projects look like they were made by adults or particularly handy, older children. One hopes that youngsters will not be disappointed when their creations don't look quite so perfect.
Cathie Reed, The Montessori School, Lutherville, MD

This is a fun book aimed at the younger set filled with a nice sprinkling of Halloween costumes, recipes, crafts, and party ideas. The ideas are by no means original, but as a mom and Halloween-freak , I found this book to be a good inspiration to cooking up your own ideas. (The monster sandwiches are priceless! )The photos are lovely, the printed varnished pages crisp and bright -- I can practically smell the pumpkin pie when I crack it open.

Halloween Treats: Recipes and Crafts for the Whole Family

Cocoa Cobweb Cupcakes, Black Cat Cookies, and Stained-Glass Spooks are just a few of the spirited tastes you'll encounter in Donata Maggipinto's delightful Halloween Treats. But it's not just recipes--you and your favorite little goblin will love creating spooky craft projects such as Candy Cauldrons, Leaf Lanterns, and Paper Bag Pumpkins together in anticipation of All Hallows' Eve. Maggipinto includes craft ideas for "Pixies" (children 4-8 years old) as well as older children, and nearly every recipe includes a safe task for younger helpers. (For example, while mom or dad should heat the milk for hot cocoa, kids can roll and stamp out marshmallow ghosts as accompaniment.) A few of the craft ideas will require a trip to the art supply store (such as lampshade paper for the very nifty flashlight lanterns), but Maggipinto leaves plenty of room for the magical combination of imagination and found objects. Her great "fanciful masks" are dime-store masks decorated with autumn leaves, candy wrappers, feathers, or anything else you might have at hand.
Maggipinto believes that Halloween festivities should last for at least a week; you'll find enough project instructions and recipes here for a month of Halloween fun. Grownups will love her Halloween dinner party menu (with Pumpkin Crackle Custard for dessert!) and kids can help by making corn kernel napkin rings and three-tiered pumpkin centerpieces. If you're looking for costume ideas, you won't find them here--the book is focused firmly on kitchen and decoration fun--but the beautifully illustrated Halloween Treats is a wonderful treasure trove of tricks and treats that every family will enjoy working on together. --Rebecca A. Staffel

Denver Post
Ghost Witches Join Party Menu "Don't reserve your Halloween cookie cutters just for cookies. Consider these boo-tiful ideas from 'Halloween Treats', by Donata Maggipinto:

Flatten large marshmallows with a rolling pin, then use mini cutters to make a ghoulish garnish for hot cocoa.

Make 'ghost-wiches' by cutting sandwich bread or lunch meats (or both) with the cookie cutters; a pastry tip to poke eyes and mouth into the bread.

And here's a tip from Good Eating: If you're determined to think sweet, you can also use those cookie cutters for devilish brownies and cakes. Either cut the cakes into scary shapes, or use the cookie cutters as stencils to make designs - with frosting or colored sugar on top of the icing."

Halloween: Customs, Recipes & Spells

Silver Ravenwolf has finally taken on a subject she is aware of-Halloween. There was a lot of material to cover here. She has put forth her strongest effort. Halloween has become a truely American holiday. Silver combines her knowledge, research and experience into a coherent volume. Gasp!

That brings us to her self proclaimed "most popular Witch in America". Come on now, maybe the Billy Graham of witchcraft. I feel everyone who practices is the most powerful witch. I dont like preachers of any philosophy, let alone witchcraft! So much for free will..

All in all, many of the Llewellyn authors are full of themselves. I wished they knew how to be humble. Maybe this is why so many witches got burned in the middle ages.


I have read many of silver's books, and they are all basicly fluff and crap. One of my biggest issue with this book, is that Silver was always quoting other neo-pagan authors (who tend to mess up their history anyway...) than actual historical facts. Besides that, some of the history in the book isn't right anway. What's up with that? In her teen-witch books, so much of her writing was historicaly false and just not-true, that i almost threw it in the river. But enough of that.. Moving on to the rituals and spells. What is up with all the pumpkin!? Pumpkin has NOTHING to do with Samhain or Halloween historically. Pumpkin is native to North America, none of the Celts, or ancient "pagans" used pumpkin in anything. And all the "spells" in this book were fluffly, and completly un-magical. I wouldn't reccomend this book to my goldfish, and this time, i think non-neo-pagans would recignise the bad writing style (momma silver!? o.O) and history and false facts. This book just goes to show that just because your Wiccan dosen't mean that you know about the Sabbats and "pagan" festivals.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. In here the history of the holiday Halloween is explored as well as the second half is interesting recipes for Halloween goodies. Halloween is actually a neopagan holiday but a lot don't celebrate it because it scares them. Well it doesn't scare me. Finally a book that is a non-condemning tome about the subject.

Halloween is my favorite time of the year, so this book was a welcome addition to my library. It works best as a simple introduction to the history of this maligned cultural event (which has nothing whatsoever to do with dark and evil forces) and as an idea maker for recipes (two of which I plan to test at an upcoming party) and spells (if you are into that magic scene, I am not). I also hope to try out the Passion Pumpkin Dinner (minus the mumbo jumbo) at some point in the future, because it sounds so deliciously romantic. My only wish is that I could have tried it with my late wife - I think she would have loved it. I thought the book got a tad dull when it started its litany of spells, which I've already said is not my thing, so it did not interest me, and I just scanned over it. The speaking to the dead segment also offered some comfort, all my 'thinking out loud' and speaking to my deceased wife's pictures is normal and healthy, and maybe she hears it, I don't know. I do know that if you like Halloween, you will find much to enjoy in this book.

Halloween Pumpkins & Parties : 101 Spooktacular Ideas (Paperback)

Half of this book features Halloween celebrations and entertaining, while the rest highlights creativity with pumpkins.

All-new ideas for both crafters and noncrafters.
One-of-a-kind Halloween how-to with detailed instructions, patterns, and recipes.
Third in a series of highly successful Halloween books


Review: HALLOWEEN FUN

I FOUND THIS BOOK TO BE VERY USEFUL & EASY TO CONJURE UP SOME HALLOWEEN FUN. IT SHOWS STEP TO STEP INSTRUCTIONS WITH PICTURES YOU CAN FOLLOW. I ESPECIALLY ENJOYED THE PINATA, VERY EASY TO MAKE. IT RANGES FROM DECORATIONS TO FOOD & BEVERAGES. I LOVED IT, SUPER EASY.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All about Halloween from Wikipedia
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Halloween"


Halloween is an observance celebrated on the night of October 31, most notably by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets or money. It is celebrated in much of the Western world, though most common in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. Irish, Scots and other immigrants brought older versions of the tradition to North America in the 19th century. Most other Western countries have embraced Halloween as a part of American pop culture in the late 20th century.

The term Halloween, and its older spelling Hallowe'en, is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the evening before "All Hallows Day". In Ireland, the name was All Hallows Eve and this name is still used by some older people. Halloween was also sometimes called All Saints' Eve. The holiday was a day of religious festivities in various northern European pagan traditions, until it was appropriated by Christian missionaries and given a Christian interpretation. In Mexico November 1st and 2nd are celebrated as the Day of the Dead.

Halloween is also called Pooky Night in some parts of Ireland, presumably named after the púca, a mischievous spirit.

On Great Britain and Ireland in particular, the pagan Celts celebrated the Day of the Dead on All Hallows Day (1st November). The spirits supposedly rose from the dead and, in order to attract them, food was left on the doors. To scare off the evil spirits, the Celts wore masks. When the Romans invaded Great Britain, they embellished the tradition with their own, which is both a celebration of the harvest and of honoring the dead. Very much later, these traditions were transported to the United States, Canada and Australia.

Halloween is sometimes associated with the occult. Many European cultural traditions hold that Halloween is one of the liminal times of the year when the spiritual world can make contact with the physical world and when magic is most potent (e.g. Catalan mythology about witches).

Halloween in the UK
In some parts of the United Kingdom, Halloween was formerly known as Mischief Night. People would take the doors off their hinges on this night. The doors were also often thrown into ponds, or taken a long way away.

In England it is said that elves rode on the backs of the villagers' cats. The cats had fun but the villagers did not and would lock their cats up so that the elves could not catch them.

Children were told not to sit in the circles of yellow and white flowers where fairies have danced as they may be stolen by the fairies. It was also bad to sit under the hawthorn tree since fairies loved to dance on these and if they saw children their tempers would be prickled.

In England, the black cat was considered to be good luck, whereas a white cat was considered to be bad luck.

In England children make "pumpkin men" from large pumpkins. They cut out designs into the pumpkin. Then they place them on display in their windows to go along with the scary theme of Halloween.

Halloween in North America
Anoka, Minnesota, USA, the self-proclaimed "Halloween Capital of the World," celebrates with a large civic parade.

Salem, Massachusetts, USA, also has laid claim to the title "Halloween Capital of the World," though Salem has tried to separate itself from its history in the subject of witchcraft. Despite that, the city does see a great deal of tourism surrounding the Salem witch trials, especially around Halloween.

New York City, New York, USA, hosts the United States' largest Halloween celebration, The Village Halloween Parade. Started by a Greenwich Village mask maker in 1973, the parade now attracts over 2 million spectators/participants as well as roughly 4 million television viewers each year. It is the largest participatory parade in the country if not the world, encouraging spectators to march in the parade as well. It is also the largest annual parade held at night.

In North America people believed that it was unlucky for a black cat to cross one's path, to come into homes, or to travel on ships.

In the United States trick-or-treaters are welcomed by placing lighted pumpkins known as jack-o'-lanterns in their windows.

The North American tradition of trick-or-treat comes from the original idea that you must be kind to dead ancestors or they will play a trick on you.

The War of the Worlds, a radio adaptation by Orson Welles based upon H. G. Wells' classic novel of the same name, was performed by Mercury Theatre on the Air as a Halloween special on October 30, 1938 and the live broadcast reportedly frightened many listeners into believing that an actual Martian invasion was in progress.

Halloween in Australia
Halloween is not celebrated as much as it is in the U.S., despite this, most children still believe in "trick or treating". And most houses are decorated with a Halloween themed style, by carving pumpkins and placing a candle in the middle of the hollowed pumpkin, and are usually placed in their windows or in their living room. It is also a tradition in Australia for children to leave the candy on people's door mats.

In Adelaide, South Australia, a large festival takes place at the Norwood Oval (an oval close to the city) and people celebrate in a huge parade. Stalls include activities such as; Bobbing for Apples, Discos, carving Pumpkins, Rides, Candy and many more Dark Attractions.

Symbols
Jack-o'-lanterns may be carved with funny faces.Halloween's theme is spooky or scary things particularly involving death, magic, or mythical monsters. Commonly-associated Halloween characters include ghosts, ghouls, witches, bats, black cats, spiders, goblins, zombies, skeletons and demons, as well as certain fictional figures like Dracula and Frankenstein's monster. Homes are often decorated with these symbols around Halloween.

Black and orange are the traditional colors of Halloween. In modern Halloween images and products, purple, green, and red are also prominent.

Elements of the autumn season, such as pumpkins and scarecrows, are also reflected in symbols of Halloween.

The carved jack-o'-lantern, lit by a candle inside, is one of Halloween's most prominent symbols. In the British Isles, a turnip was and sometimes still is used, but immigrants to America quickly adopted the pumpkin because it was more readily available; additionally, it is much larger and easier to carve. Many families that celebrate Halloween carve a pumpkin into a frightening or comical face and place it on their home's doorstep after dark. The practice was originally intended to frighten away evil spirits or monsters.

Neopagans of North America honor their ancestors on October 31. It was once believed that on this night any souls who had not yet passed into the paradise of the summer lands might return to wander the streets and visit their old homes once more.

Trick-or-treating and guising
The main event of modern US-style Halloween is trick-or-treating, in which children dress up in costume disguises and go door-to-door in their neighborhood, ringing each doorbell and yelling "trick or treat!" This is a watered-down version of the older tradition of guising in Ireland and Scotland. The occupants of the house (who might themselves dress in a scary costume) will then hand out small candies, miniature chocolate bars or other treats. Some American homes will use sound effects and fog machines to help set a spooky mood. Other house decoration themes (that are less scary) are used to entertain younger visitors. Children can often accumulate many treats on Halloween night, filling up entire pillow cases or shopping bags.

In Ireland, great bonfires were lit throughout the breadth of the land. Young children in their guises were gladly received by the neighbors with some "fruit, apples and nuts" for the "Halloween Party", whilst older male siblings played innocent pranks on bewildered victims.

In Scotland, children or guisers are more likely to recite "The sky is blue, the grass is green, may we have our Halloween" instead of "trick or treat!". They visit neighbours in groups and must impress the members of the houses they visit with a song, poem, trick, joke or dance in order to earn their treats. Traditionally, nuts, oranges, apples and dried fruit were offered, though sometimes children would also earn a small amount of cash, usually a sixpence. Very small children often take part, for whom the experience of performing can be more terrifying than the ghosts outside.

Tricks play less of a role in modern Halloween, though Halloween night is often marked by vandalism such as soaping windows, egging houses or stringing toilet paper through trees. Before indoor plumbing was so widespread, tipping over or displacing outhouses was a popular form of intimidation. Casting flour into the faces of feared neighbors was also done once upon a time.

Typical Halloween costumes have traditionally been monsters such as vampires, ghosts, witches, and devils. In 19th-century Scotland and Ireland the reason for wearing such fearsome (and non-fearsome) costumes was the belief that since the spirits that were abroad that night were essentially intent on doing harm, the best way to avoid this was to fool the spirits into believing that you were one of them. In recent years, it has become common for costumes to be based on themes other than traditional horror, such as dressing up as a character from a TV show or movie, or choosing a recognizable face from the public sphere, such as a politician (in 2004, for example, George W. Bush and John F. Kerry were both popular costumes in America). In 2001, after the September 11 attacks, for example, costumes of Islamic terrorists, firefighters, police officers, and United States military personnel became popular among children and adults. In 2004, an estimated 2.15 million children in the United States were expected to dress up as Spider-Man, the year's most popular costume. [1]

"'Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF" has become a common sight during Halloween in North America. Started by UNICEF in 1950, the program involves the distribution of small boxes by schools to trick-or-treaters, in which they can solicit small change donations from the houses they visit. It is estimated that children have collected more than $119 million for UNICEF since its inception.

BIGresearch conducted a survey for the National Retail Federation in the US and found that 53.3% of consumers planned to buy a costume for Halloween 2005, spending $38.11 on average (up 10 dollars from last year). An estimate of $3.3 billion was made for the holiday spending.

A child usually "grows out of" trick-or-treating by his or her teenage years. Trick-or-treating by teenagers is accepted, but generally discouraged with genial ribbing by those handing out candy. Teenagers and adults instead often celebrate Halloween with costume parties, staying home to give out candy, listening to Halloween music, or scaring people.

Visiting a Haunted house or a Dark Attraction are other Halloween traditions. Notwithstanding the name, such events are not necessarily held in houses, nor are the edifices themselves necessarily regarded to possess actual ghosts. A variant of this is the haunted trail, where the public encounters supernatural-themed characters or presentations of scenes from horror films while following a trail through a heavily wooded area or field.

Games and other activities
There are several games traditionally associated with Halloween parties. The most common is dooking or bobbing for apples, in which apples float in a tub or a large basin of water; the participants must use their teeth to remove an apple from the basin. A variant involves kneeling on a chair, holding a fork between the teeth and trying to drop the fork into an apple. Another common game involves hanging up treacle or syrup-coated scones by strings; these must be eaten without using hands while they remain attached to the string, an activity which inevitably leads to a very sticky face.

Some games traditionally played at Halloween are forms of divination. In Puicíní (pronounced "pooch-eeny"), a game played in Ireland, a blindfolded person is seated in front of a table on which several saucers are placed. The saucers are shuffled and the seated person then chooses one by touch. The contents of the saucer determine the person's life for the following year. A saucer containing earth means someone known to the player will die during the next year, a saucer containing water foretells travel, a coin means new wealth, a bean means poverty, etc. In 19th-century Ireland, young women placed slugs in saucers sprinkled with flour. The wriggling of the slugs and the patterns subsequently left behind on the saucers were believed to portray the faces of the women's future spouses.

In North America, unmarried women were frequently told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror. However, if they were destined to die before they married, a skull would appear. The custom was widespread enough to be commemorated on greeting cards from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The telling of ghost stories and viewing of horror films are common fixtures of Halloween parties. Television specials with a Halloween theme, usually aimed at children, are commonly aired on or before the holiday while new horror films are often released theatrically before the holiday to take advantage of the atmosphere.

Foods
Main article: Poisoned candy scare

Because the holiday comes in the wake of the annual apple harvest, Candy Apples (also known as toffee, taffy or caramel apples) are a common treat at Halloween. They are made by rolling whole apples in a sticky sugar syrup, and sometimes then rolling them in nuts. At one time candy apples were a common treat given to children, but this practice rapidly waned after widespread rumors that some individuals were embedding items like pins and razor blades in the apples that they would pass out to children. While there is evidence of such incidents occurring they are very rare and have never resulted in any serious injuries. Nonetheless, many parents were under the assumption that the practice was common. At the peak of this hysteria, some hospitals were offering to x-ray children's Halloween haul at no cost in order to look for such items. Almost all of the very few Halloween candy poisoning incidents on record involved parents who poisoned their own children's candy, while there are occasional reports of children sticking needles in their own candy (and that of other children) more in an effort to get attention than cause any harm.

A Halloween custom which has survived unchanged to this day in Ireland is the baking (or more often nowadays the purchase) of a barmbrack (Irish "báirín breac"). This is a light fruit cake into which a plain ring is placed before baking. It is said that whoever finds this ring will find his or her true love during the following year.

Other foods associated with the holiday:

candy corn
bonfire toffee (in the UK)
Toffee Apple (in Australia, instead of "Candy Apples")
hot apple cider
roasted pumpkin seeds
"fun-sized" or individually wrapped pieces of small candy, typically in Halloween colors of orange, and brown/black.

Cultural history
Main article: History and folklore of Halloween

Christian festival
Pope Boniface IV established an anniversary dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the martyrs when he consecrated the Pantheon on May 13, 609 (or 610). This Christian feast day was moved to November 1st from May 13th by Pope Gregory III in the eighth century in order to mark the dedication of the All Saints Chapel in Rome — establishing November 1st as All Saints Day and October 31st as All Hallows' Eve. Initially this change of date only applied to the diocese of Rome, but was extended to the rest of Christendom a century later by Pope Gregory IV in an effort to standardize liturgical worship.

The feast day of All Souls Day, celebrated to commemorate those souls condemned temporarily to Purgatory, was inaugurated by St Odilo, at the time the abbott of the influential monastery at Cluny, on November 2, 998.

Halloween's Origin: Celtic observation of Samhain
According to what can be reconstructed of the beliefs of the ancient Celts, the new year began around November 1 or on a New Moon near that date, a day referred to in modern Gaelic as Samhain ("Sow-in" or alternatively "Sa-ven", meaning: End of the Summer). Just as sundown meant the start of a new day, shorter days signified the start of the new year; therefore the harvest festival began every year on the night of preceding the autumn new year date. After the adoption of the Roman calendar with its fixed months, the date began to be celebrated independently of the Moon's phases.

As November 1 is the first day of the new year, the day also meant the beginning of Winter, which the Celts often associated with human death. The Celts also believed that on October 31 (the night before the new year), the boundary separating the dead from the living became blurred. (There is a rich and unusual myth system at work here; the spirit world, the residence of the "Sidhe," as well as of the dead, was accessible through burial mounds. These mounds opened at two times during the year, making the beginning and end of Summer highly spiritually resonant.)

The Celts' survival during the cold harsh winters, depended on the prophecies of their priests or Druids. They believed that the presence of spirits would aid in the priests' abilities to make future predictions.

The exact customs observed in each Celtic region differ, but they generally involved the lighting of bonfires and the reinforcement of boundaries, across which malicious spirits might cross and threaten the community.

Like most observances around this season, warmth and comfort were emphasized, indulgence was not. Stores of preserved food were needed to last through the winter, not for parties.

Norse Elven Blót
In the old Norse religion an event believed to occur around the same time of the year as Halloween was the álfablót (elven blót), which involved sacrifices to the elves and the blessing of food. The elves were powers connected to the ancestors, and it can be assumed that the blót related to a cult of the ancestors. The álfablót is also celebrated in the modern revival of Norse religion, Ásatrú.

Halloween customs
Observance of Halloween traditions faded in the South of England from the 17th century onwards, being replaced by the commemoration of the Gunpowder Plot on November 5. However, it remained popular in Scotland, Ireland and the North of England. It is only in the last decade that it again became popular in the south of England, but as an entirely Americanized version.

The custom survives most accurately on the island of Ireland, where the last Monday of October is a public holiday. All schools close for the following week for mid-term, commonly called the Halloween Break. As a result Ireland and Northern Ireland are the only countries where children never have school on Halloween and are therefore free to celebrate it in the ancient and time-honored fashion.

The custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have evolved from the European custom called souling, similar to the wassailing customs associated with Yule. On November 2, All Souls' Day, beggars would walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes" — square pieces of bread with currants. Christians would promise to say prayers on behalf of dead relatives helping the soul's passage to heaven. The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits at the Samhain.

Further information: Puck
In Celtic parts of western Brittany, Samhain is still heralded by the baking of kornigou. Kornigou are cakes baked in the shape of antlers to commemorate the god of winter shedding his "cuckold" horns as he returns to his kingdom in the Otherworld.

In the Isle of Man where Halloween is known as Hop-tu-Naa children carry turnips instead of pumpkin, and sing a song called Jinnie the Witch.

"Punkie Night"
"Punkie Night" is observed on the last Thursday in October in the village of Hinton St. George in the county of Somerset in England. On this night, children carry lanterns made from hollowed-out mangel-wurzels (a kind of beet; in modern days, pumpkins are used) with faces carved into them. They bring these around the village, collecting money and singing the punkie song. Punkie is derived from pumpkin or punk, meaning tinder.

Though the custom is only attested over the last century, and the mangel-wurzel itself was introduced into English agriculture in the late 18th century, "Punkie Night" appears to be much older even than the fable that now accounts for it. The story goes that the wives of Hinton St. George went looking for their wayward husbands at the fair held nearby at Chiselborough, the last Thursday in October, but first hollowed out mangel wurzels in order to make lanterns to light their way. The drunken husbands saw the eerie lights, thought they were "goolies" (the restless spirits of children who had died before they were baptized), and fled in terror. Children carry the punkies now. The event has spread since about 1960 to the neighboring village of Chiselborough.

Sources: on-line report from the Western Gazette and a National Geographic radio segment. Chiselborough Fair is memorialized by Fair Place in the village. The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) reported that there was "a fair for horses and cattle on the last Thursday in October."

"Mischief Night"
The night before Halloween, known alternately as "Devil's Night", "Mischief Night", "Mizzie Night", "Gate Night", "Cabbage Night", "Mat Night", or "Goosie Night" is often associated with pranks or destructive activities performed by adolescents. Some of the acts range from minor vandalism to theft (e.g. of door mats — thus the name "Mat Night" in some areas), or even arson. Many youths involved in Mischief Night would be considered too old for traditional trick-or-treating. One of the most common wrong-doings is "egging", the act of throwing eggs (sometimes left out for several days to rot) at neighbors' houses, the eggs' yolk causing damage to the paint. Another common Mischief Night act is "T.P.ing", in which people's houses, lawns, and trees are covered in toilet paper streamers.

In parts of northern England, "Mischievous Night" occurs on the 4th of November, the night before Bonfire Night(associated to Bonfire night because the last phases of the plot were coming together). It is celebrated in the same way, although minor vandalism often includes fireworks, which appear in shops in the United Kingdom around this time for legitimate reasons — to set off alongside bonfires on the following night.

Religious viewpoints
The majority of Christians ascribe no doctrinal significance to Halloween, but the Celebration of Halloween by the support of Catholic and other Christian sects exist because how it mocks Pagan beliefs by presenting outrageous superstition and religious concepts, and supports the more easily accepted Christian beliefs.

The mingling of Christian and Pagan traditions in the development of Halloween, and its real or assumed preoccupation with evil and the supernatural, have left many modern Christians uncertain of how they should react towards the holiday. Some fundamentalist and evangelical along with many Eastern Orthodox Christians and Orthodox Jewish believers consider Halloween a pagan or Satanic holiday, and refuse to allow their children to participate. In some areas, complaints from fundamentalist Christians that the schools were endorsing a pagan religion have led the schools to stop distributing UNICEF boxes at Halloween. Another response among conservative evangelicals in recent years has been the use of Hell houses, which attempt make use of Halloween as an opportunity for evangelism.

Other Christians, however, continue to connect the holiday with All Saints Day. Some modern Christian churches commonly offer a fall festival or harvest-themed alternative to Halloween celebrations. Still other Christians hold the view that the holiday is not Satanic in origin or practice and that it holds no threat to the spiritual lives of children: being taught about death and mortality actually being a valuable life lesson.

Likewise, to many Protestant churches, October 31 is also the date of Reformation Day, a minor religious festival. Some families, churches, and religious schools combine the holidays.

Halloween Costumes
Halloween costumes are outfits worn on October 31st, the day of Halloween. Halloween is a modern day holiday (spun off of the Gaelic/Druidic/Pagan holiday of Samhain (in Christian times, the eve of All Saints Day). Originally a day to remember the dead by celebrating the darker and more gruesome side of human existence, celebrants would dress as their deceased relatives. It has now become a very commercialized celebration. Because of this, popular costumes are often mass manufactured and sold in specialty stores.

What sets Halloween costumes apart from costumes for other celebrations or days of dressing up is that they are often designed to be gruesome or scary. Popular monsters of legend or fiction are regular themes for Halloween costumes, as are pop culture figures like presidents, film or television characters.

Some of the most common and popular Halloween costumes are:

Ghost
Vampire
Frankenstein's Monster
Witch
Skeleton
Mummy
Fairy
Giant baby