European mythology

Simpson takes a functional approach to folklore - that is, she looks at how the belief functions in the setting in which it is observed, and the meanings the belief has for those who use it. This is in contrast to James Fraser (author of The Golden Bough) and his generation, who saw current folk

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beliefs as survivals of pre-Christian beliefs, and used folklore to reconstruct those beliefs. Combined with a comparative method that saw similar evolutionary stages of religious belief across cultures, this older method led to some tenuous reconstructions of ancient practices and beliefs (some of the same impulse lay behind certain biblical studies).

Simpson does deal with the history of folk beliefs, but cautiously. The current volume is not a comprehensive handbook to European folklore, but it sketches an approach, using major categories and prominent beliefs. Fascinating stuff.

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