Ronald M. James
Ronald M James, folklorist and historian, is the author of a dozen books including the recently-released, The Folklore of Cornwall: The Oral Tradition of a Celtic Nation. He is a retired state historic preservation officer. He also taught history and folklore at the University of Nevada, Reno and served as the chairman of the National Historic Landmarks Committee for the U.S. National Parks System. In 2016, James was elected as a bard of the Gorsedh Kernow, the Bardic Council of Cornwall. View his books here.
Sex, Murder, and the Myth of the Wild West: How a Soiled Dove Earned a Heart of Gold
In the summer of 1960 at the age of five, I joined an honored folk tradition by telling my first
The Last Gleam of Sunlight: Mining Folklore on the International Frontier
alking deep into a mine, when the last gleam of sunlight is eclipsed by the next turn, reveals the overwhelming
Mark Twain’s Wild West and the Presidential Election of 1872
In a daring act, facing frightful peril, Mark Twain exploited a legend to launch his onstage comic career. With his
Lost Mines and the Secret of Getting Rich Quick
old! The very word fuels the imagination. And when that furnace is stoked, folklore is not far behind. Legends of lost
Horse or Dragon? May Day’s ‘Obby ‘Oss of Padstow, Cornwall
A horse or a dragon? Anyone who has seen May Day's ‘Obby ‘Oss of Padstow may conclude that it looks
Nazis, Trolls and the Grateful Dead: Turmoil among Sweden’s Folklorists
A story of love, betrayal and impending war became entwined with upheavals that affect the discipline of folklore to this
Piskies, Knockers and Tommyknockers – Cornwall’s Misunderstood Folklore
The Folklore of Cornwall: The Oral Tradition of a Celtic Nation addresses everything from piskies – south west Britain’s fairies