In the time of the Troubles, when there were bombs in the night and soldiers on the road, Henry Glassie journeyed to the Irish borderland to learn how country people endure. He settled into the farming community of Ballymenone, beside Lough Erne in the County Fermanagh. He asked questions, and he listened. For a decade he heard and recorded the stories and songs in which they outlined their culture, recounted their history, and pictured their world...

A truly international treatment of its subject, The Spirit of Folk Art draws upon the vast resources of the Girard Collection, amassed by Alexander and Susan Girard and housed at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. Distinguished folklorist and scholar Henry Glassie offers a vigorous and often lyrical discussion of the nature of folk art. More than 345 illustrations, including 285 in full color and 50 field photographs showing the various...

Contains tales representing all facets of Ireland.