Synopses & Reviews
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; 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.
Synopsis
The British Isles have a long tradition of tales of gods, heroes and marvels, hinting at a mythology once as relevant as the Greek and Roman gods were to the classical world. Richard Barber has drawn together thirty-four stories from a wide range of medieval sources to reveal a body of lore and legend associated with the whole of the British Isles: England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
Norse gods and Celtic myth give shape to some of the earliest stories and their deeds, and saints' lives reflect the coming of Christianity. The real and unreal intertwine in stories of the deeds of Taliesin and Merlin, and of Arthur. Later tales mix real events and fabulous heroes, Harold and Hereward, Godiva and Guy of Warwick. Their stories are presented in translations of their original forms, introduced and elucidated by Richard Barber.
This attractive book, beautifully illustrated, offers a first mythology for the British Isles.
Synopsis
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; 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 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. RICHARD BARBER's other books include The Knight and Chivalry.