Ruth L. Tongue Books

Ruth Lyndall Tongue is a curious figure in English folklore, largely unknown in popular culture but highly influential and debated within the niche field. A natural storyteller, her vibrant and memorable tales frequently appear in folktale anthologies. While her modern style and occasional inconsistencies invite scrutiny regarding authenticity, she introduced previously unpublished material that greatly enriched the collections of Katharine Briggs. Tongue's embellishment and adaptation of stories served both to create more engaging narratives and to capture the attention she desired.

The Chime Child
114 pages
4 hours of reading
Originally published in 1968. The author, a well-known contemporary and friend of folklorist Katharine M. Briggs, collected a tremendous store of folk music material over many years and eventually decided to put some of it on permanent record. This book comprises a cross-section of rescued melodies dating back to medieval days and up to the Victorian early ballads. It describes individual folk singers in Somerset in great detail as personal accounts and documents their lyrics and their tunes, which are all together at the end of the volume.

The Chime Child