The ethnic, religious, linguistic, and cultural diversity, the perceived distance from Western culture as well as linguistic barriers make access to South Slavic folk cultures difficult. In spite of that there is a surprisingly large number of publications in Western languages, but many of them are hardly known even to specialists. The bibliography puts together the extant scholarly literature on the folk cultures of the majority of the South Slavic peoples in the three major languages: English, German, and French, beginning with the first itineraries, topographies, and ethnographic descriptions. It is comprehensive insofar as it covers all aspects of folk culture in the broadest sense, i.e., the past and present everyday culture of South Slavic peoples. Anthropological, sociological, historical, cultural geographical, and other relevant works are included as well as a selection of literature on Balkan history and geography (including travel reports). The large number of titles made it necessary to concentrate on the folk cultures in those South Slavic countries that were under Ottman rule well into the 19th century and whose populations are Christian Orthodox or Muslim, i.e., Bosnia-Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. It also covers minority groups in these countries and South Slavic ethnic groups and emigrants outside these countries. With its 7,654 titles, the bibliography provides the student and teacher of Southeast European culture with a study and research tool. It also will make known to a wider public the findings of Balkan culture studies and thus will further the understanding of this region. The bibliography is divided into 16 major subject headings: 1) Balkan peoples, national and ethnic groups; 2) Regions and culture areas; 3) Folkloristics, ethnography, ethnology, anthropology; 4) Folk culture (general); 5) Material folk culture; 6) Social folk culture; 7) Folk religion, folk medicine; 8) Folklore (general); 9) Folk narrative; 10) Folk song, epic song; 11) Folk music; 12) Balkan studies 13) Cultural and intellectual history; 14) History; 15) Geography, topography; 16) Itineraries, travel reports; Index of authors. Each section is broken down into numerous subsections, making it easy to find everything on a topic. Thus, "Material folk culture" is divided into twenty-seven subheadings: Material culture (in general); Museums, Open air museums; Agriculture, tools, implements, farming; Viticulture, gardening, rose cultivation; Pastoralism, transhumance, cattle-breeding; Hunting, fishing; Transportation, traffic; Trade, traders, markets; Crafts, guilds, home industry; Mining; Village, settlement, settlement pattern; House, dwelling; Architectural monuments; Ceramics, metalwork, vessels; Food, cooking; Drink, drinking, stimulants; Textiles, carpets, wall carpets, weaving; Dress, costume; Embroidery, needlework, knitting; Folk art, popular aesthetics (general); Symbols, ornaments, colors; Wood carving, plastic art; Jewellery; Pictures, painting, naive painting; Religious folk art; Icons, prints, frescos; Cemeteries, graves, gravestones.
"Recommended for Balkan, Slavic, and folk culture collections at the upper-division undergraduate level and above." (Choice)
"...will be welcomed by scholars interested in the Balkans." (Journal of American Folklore)
"...wird auch der Suedosteuropa-Historiker reichen Gewinn ziehen..." Jahrbuecher fuer Geschichte Osteuropas "...einen unentbehrlichen Arbeitsbehelf ... Die Lektuere des Bandes ... fuehrt zu einer Art intellektuellen aber auch emotionellen Euphorie..." (Zeitschrift fuer Volkskunde)
"It is surely an indication of the success of a volume such as this that the user's reaction should be to wonder how it was possible to have managed without it." (SEER)
"...Monumentalbibliographie ... einen unentbehrlichen Arbeitshilf..." (Jahrbuch fuer Volksliedforschung)
