Review by Choice Review
Covering published (and some unpublished) materials from the time of the first Spanish explorers through the creation of the new political entities under the aegis of the US, this comprehensive bibliography should dispel any notion of uniformity within this vast region of widely separated islands. Materials dealing with Christianization are not included, except for a few references to indigenous customs. Of the 1,196 entries, 500 are concerned with myths, legends, proverbs, and riddles. Smaller sections cover magic and medicine; supernatural beings; the life cycle; acculturation; and dance, music, and song. Each entry is annotated, usually briefly. Local school readers are listed--worthy of note, because they are not generally accessible. The preface, which sets out the limitations of the work, and the introduction, "Congeries of Spirits," by Francis X. Hezel, deserve close reading. Within the wide range of contributors, a dozen or so whose works are likely to be more generally accessible receive multiple entries. The compilers regret they were unable to investigate personally the large numbers of Japanese materials located in Japan itself. There are geographic, author, title, and subject indexes. The subject index entries are also subdivided geographically. For all collections with an interest in the Pacific, religion, and folklore. M. S. Martin; emeritus, Tufts University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review