Monday's Child is Fair of Face - Hardcover

Roud, Steve

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 190521152X ISBN 13: 9781905211524

Publisher: Random House Books, 2008

Synopsis

Pregnancy and childbirth remains a mystical and magical time, characterised by feelings of hope, uncertainty and worry. No matter how many scientific innovations come along, there's still room for home-grown beliefs and traditions handed down through the family. Couples buying a pram may still ask for it to be delivered after the birth, and some grandparents will shrink from tickling the baby's feet in case it grows up to have a stammer. "Monday's Child is Fair of Face" gathers together these beliefs and customs, explaining how and why they arose, in which parts of the country they have been particularly popular, and to what extent they survive today. Arranged thematically, it's the perfect book to dip into, and its mixture of familiar, unfamiliar and frankly bizarre beliefs makes for compelling reading.

About this title

About the Author

Steve Roud is Local Studies Librarian for the London Borough of Croydon and served as Honorary Librarian of the Folklore Society for over fifteen years. He has been researching British folklore for over thirty years and is the joint author of the Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore, plus other books on traditional drama and folk song, and the Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland, which won the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award in 2004. He also compiles the Folk Song Index and the Broadside Index, two internationally acclaimed computer databases of traditional folk and popular song. He lives in Sussex.

From the Back Cover

Why did people once claim that babies were found under gooseberry bushes?
How can heartburn help expectant mothers tell if they are having a boy or a girl?
What is a chime child ?
Why was it once thought that a baby s name should be kept secret until the christening?
Pregnancy and childbirth remains a mystical time, characterised by feelings of hope, uncertainty and worry. No matter how many scientific innovations come along, there s still room for home-grown beliefs and traditions handed down through the family. Couples buying a pram may still ask for it to be delivered after the birth, and some grandparents will shrink from tickling the baby s feet in case it grows up to have a stammer. Monday s Child is Fair of Face gathers together these beliefs and customs, exploring how they arose, where they have been popular and to what extent they survive today. The perfect book to dip in to, it makes compelling reading for any new mum.

Edition details

• Publisher: Random House Books
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 190521152X
• ISBN 13: 9781905211524
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 208