Swedish Folktales & Legends
Translated and Edited by Lone Thygesen Blecher and George Blecher
“A wonderful collection… The creatures that appear repeatedly in these particular tales are numerous, varied, and familiar – giants, trolls, household spirits, water spirits, nightmare hags, etc. – and their stories, sorted into such categories as ‘True Dummies and Clever Folk,’ ‘How to Win the Princess,’ ‘Heroes and Heroines,’ and ‘Moral Tales,’ are funny, unusual, and enlightening.” Booklist
Swedish Folktales and Legends is a diverse and representative collection of stories from Sweden’s centuries-old folklore tradition. Ranging from the ribald to the romantic, from the rustic to the mythical, these are lively translations of 150 tales drawn from unique sources including the Swedish National Folklore Archives and numerous private collections, while the humorous and dramatic illustrations are gathered from classic volumes of Swedish folktales. Lone Thygesen Blecher’s engaging introduction details the purpose and background of folktales and legends as well as the history of their collection. This distinctive selection presents the storytelling artistry of Sweden’s lush folkloric tradition.
Lone Thygesen Blecher and George Blecher are award-winning translators of Swedish and Danish. Their many children’s book translations include If You Didn’t Have Me by Ulf Nilsson and The Battle Horse by Harry Kullman.