These 450 poems, songs, charms, prayers and laments in the original languages and in English convey the worldview and an insight into the lives of pre-literate peoles. The text illustrate the beliefs, perceptions and artistic genius of fifteen peoples scattered across Northern Europe deep into Russia and beyond the Urals, and of Hungarians in Central Europe.

Each sections is introduced by a specialist essay.

This book is a companion volume to Iso Karhu/The Great Bear. Old Photographs of the Volga-Finnic, Permian-Finnic and Ob-Ugrian Peoples (1980).