G. F. Abbott – författare

G. F. Abbott spent two years at the turn of the twentieth century studying the cultural beliefs and folklore of Greek-speaking Macedonia. His results are formulated in this 1903 book and include accounts of such varying topics as the folk-calendar, funeral rites and bird legends among many other observations. Filled with anecdotes of his adventure and reports from local inhabitants, this work is a highly engaging travelogue with many ethnographic insights. Those interested in the development of anthropology will find Abbott's study a telling example of Victorian methods while the general reader will find his prose style warm and enjoyable.

Originally published in 1900, this volume gathers together a collection of modern Greek songs designed for both classical scholars and lovers of folklore in general. It is consummately edited and contains a wide variety of works divided according to genre; each poem is introduced within the main body of the text and additional critical analysis is given in a large notes section at the end. The poems are presented in a parallel text format and non-interpretive translations provide the reader with as literal a version of the original as possible. This is a fascinating collection that is particularly notable for being made up of poems which were previously unpublished in Western Europe.