When this work - one that contributes to both the history and
anthropology fields - first appeared in 1982, it was hailed as a
landmark study of the role of folklore in nation-building. It has since
been highly influential in reshaping the analysis of Greek and European
cultural dynamics. In this expanded edition, a new introduction by the
author and an epilogue by Sharon Macdonald document its importance for
the emergence of serious anthropological interest in European culture
and society and for current debates about Greece's often contested place
in the complex politics of the European Union.