Claude LecouteuxDictionary of Gypsy Mythology: Charms, Rites, and Magical Traditions of the Roma

I enjoyed learning more stories and myths from the Roma. In places, though, the story can be way too truncated, like "... and then various things happen..." Literally uses the phrase various things. So it lost a star for that. It also took me a while to realize that the diamond symbol meant "also see" and referred to another section of the dictionary. At one point, I was impressed by a very good description of what I assume to be Celiac disease, or some other chronic gut illness. It's described as a kind of sphere with spikes that rolls around the abdomen. Since Punjab is one of the areas in the world with the highest incidence, I assume it's Celiac they're describing.

Interesting book. I love it.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*Dictionary of Gypsy Mythology is an interesting reference book that catalogs various myths, creatures, and deities from Romani culture in dictionary format. It’s fairly extensive in that it details various myths from various cultures (those who settled around Romania, for example, have different myths than those who settled in Hungary). I also liked the illustrations that accompanied it, though I would have liked to see more information about why they were included and what they were from.Because of its format, I would not recommend this book for those unfamiliar with Rom mythology. I don’t have a great foundation in it to work from, and I found it a bit dense and hard to delve into. Once I started glancing at it every once in a while.While you can learn a lot from it, the dictionary format doesn’t lend itself well to really connecting to the myths and experiencing them as a story. It also must be noted that the author is non-Romani, so it’s important to look at these with that lens in mind. However, I really enjoyed how comprehensive this is and learning a little about the various types of Romani culture.Definitely pick this up if you’re interested. I found it intriguing and informational, if not a “thrilling” read. I’m interested to read more into Romani mythology now that I’ve been introduced to it.

A fascinating peek into a culture that our modern society has romanticized but that we really know little about. Origin myths, causes and cures for ailments and illnesses, celestial myths, folktales and more are all presented here in very readable dictionary-style entries, followed by a few actual folktales. Very interesting read!

I have always been interested in the culture of the Roma Gypsy. This is a comprehensive dictionary from A to Z with legends and stories included.. There was a lot of research done obviously to be able to have so much pertinent information. I am very excited to be able to read this book. I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review.

I had nothing with which to compare the content of this book. It could be factual or not. It is interesting in places. I love reference books, but this one would be way down on my purchasing list.

Specifically an A-Z dictionary for Gypsy mythology and a good introduction for terms, this work would serve best as a complement book to historical and origin stories in narrative form or a starting place for more in depth research. A helpful student text.Net Galley Feedback

Excellent book with lots of history

The shipper did no wrong, and I received the book within the time allotted. The book itself is not recommended.The amount of regionalism and Judeo-Christian bias within this book does not accurately discuss the vibrant & diverse mythologies of the Rromani & Sinti peoples. You are better off using other collections, and forming your own notes.

It was okay. Didn’t bother reading it all as I got bored of it.