Concern is mounting about the fate of fragile tropical forests and their indigenous people. This original collection of the folklore of peasants living in the Amazon basin, who regard their environment with awe and respect, focuses on the significance of myths and legends as a message of conservation.

Compiled during Nigel Smith's quarter-century of fieldwork in Amazonia, the stories reflect the resilient culture of millions of small farmers, hunters, and fisherfolk along the region's waterways and pioneer roads. Their lore is an intriguing blend of indigenous, European, and African religious beliefs spanning all aspects of daily life and including a wide assortment of ghosts, monsters, and enchanted places.

As a backdrop to the tales, Smith provides information on the flora and fauna of the area, on the geographical and historical setting, and in particular on the problems of rain forest conservation. All is not lost, he says. Young people in rural areas still recount tales of spirit protectors, and the region is experiencing a revival of traditional cultural practices.

With its intimate photographs, also by Nigel Smith, this book will appeal to the general public as well as to ecologists, anthropologists, botanists, natural historians, and all others working in the Amazon Basin.