Myths and Legends of the British Isles

Myths and Legends of the British Isles
ISBN-10
0851157483
ISBN-13
9780851157481
Category
Legends
Pages
622
Language
English
Published
1999
Publisher
Boydell & Brewer
Author
Richard W. Barber

Description

THE BRITISH ISLES have a long tradition of tales of gods, heroes and marvels, hinting at a mythology once as relevant to the races which settled the islands as the Greek and Roman gods were to the classical world.The tales drawn together in this book, from a wide range of medieval sources, span the centuries from the dawn of Christianity to the age of the Plantagenets. The Norse gods which peopled the Anglo-Saxon past survive in Beowulf/I>; Cuchulainn, Taliesin and the magician Merlin take shape from Celtic mythology; and saints include Helena who brought a piece of the True Cross to Britain, and Joseph of Arimathea whose staff grew into the Glastonbury thorn. Tales of the British Arthur are followed by legends of later heroes, including Harold, Hereward and Godiva. These figures and many others were part of a familiar national mythology on which Shakespeare drew for Lear, Macbeth and Hamlet, creating the famous versions that are known today. Here the original stories are presented again. RICHARD BARBER's other books include King Arthur: Hero and Legend, Arthurian Legends: An Anthology, and The Knight and Chivalry; he is currently working on a study of the legend of the Holy Grail.Borders.com: England and the British Isles have a rich and still thriving tradition of myths and legends - and this wonderful volume collects together more than thirty of the best from a number of sources... an incredible insight into the fascinating yet complex history of the British Isles and its peoples... Those fascinated by mythology will want to add this wonderful book to their collections.

Similar books

  • Rimas y Leyendas
    By Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

    Rimas y Leyendas

  • Mande Mansa: Essays in Honor of David C. Conrad
    By Stephen Paterson Belcher, David C. Conrad, Jan Jansen

    Mande Mansa: Essays in Honor of David C. Conrad

  • Legends That Every Child Should Know
    By Hamilton Wright Mabie

    Hamilton Wright Mabie. by Hamilton Wright Mabie.

  • North Carolina Legends
    By Richard Walser

    The 48 colorful Tar Heel tales in this volume include such well-known stories as "Virginia Dare and the White Doe" and "Old Dan Tucker" and such lesser known yarns as "The Portrait of Theodosia Burr" and "Bladenboro's Vamire Beast.

  • Aliens, Ghosts, and Cults
    By Bill Ellis

    See Metonym Killeen , Tex . , 203 Kilroy , Mark ( murder victim ) , 162 King , Stephen , 215 Klass , Philip J. , 148 “ Knights of the Black Circle ” ( gang ) , 230 Koch , Edward I. , 180 , 182 Koch , Kurt E. , 164 Kottmeyer , Martin ...

  • Shen gui chuan qi
    By John Malam

    Shen gui chuan qi

  • Search for the King
    By Robert Place Napton, Karl Altstaetter, Jason Levine

    Beginning with an introduction to Saum, (Rostam's grandfather) followed by the tale of Zal, Simurgh, and Rostam's birth & early childhood, this prologue to all three books climaxes with Rostam and Zal's quest to help the new King ascend ...

  • The Giant Book of Myths and Legends
    By Mike Ashley

    Celtic, Indian, Ancient Greek, Native American, Persian, Japanese, African, Scandinavian, and others.

  • Chinese Myths & Legends
    By Philip Ardagh, Micheal Fisher

    He was a great scholar and became a god, and is believed to help students today. To aid children, brief biographies of the heroes, villains and gods who appear in the tales are given.

  • Norse Myths
    By Philip Ardagh

    Every time they were told, they changed a little, with a new character added here and a twist to the plot there. From these ever-changing tales, myths and legends were born.