THE RETURN OF THE LIGHT

Each of these tales celebrates the return of the sun, and the book’s pleasing size and format increases its appeal. In Part 1, stories of the theft of light, from Raven to the Indian continent’s golden earring to the Miwok’s why the hummingbird has a red throat are told. In Part 2, The Surrender, the story of Loki and the death of light is linked with the Chinese tale of how the cock got his red crown. In Part 3, The Grace, the African tale of the girl who married the sun illuminates the Italian tale of La Befana, the old woman who carries sweets to each child as she searches for the infant savior. The introductions are respectful and strive mightily to see the overarching and very human unities to these tales. Rituals and games for solstice time and a rewriting of familiar carols to be less Christmas-centered and more New Age do not always ring true, but the bibliography includes Web sites as well as numerous old and new sources. Useful in particular for tracing how ancient the celebration of the year’s turning is, and how deep in the human soul. (bibliography) (Folktales. 12+)