Folklore studies / Study of myth Books
Lomond Books Scottish Folk Tales
Book Synopsis
£8.92
Luath Press Ltd Highland Myths and Legends
Book SynopsisStorytelling is a traditional art form which has survived through the centuries and is still being enjoyed today. These tales of Celtic Heroes, Magicians and Vikings were originally told around 200 AD, and have been passed down orally, often verbatim, through generations of storytellers. The oldest Gaelic storybook, dating 260 AD, is preserved in the Housemann Museum in Switzerland and contains many of the stories which are recounted today. The whole idea of the preservation of the Scottish culture is at the root of this fascinating tradition, with established storytellers taking on apprentices until the Disarming Act of 1746 made it difficult and dangerous to do so. Storytelling became family centred. This collection of stories convey the imagination, hopes, fears, and passions of an ancient people. The personalities and culture of people long gone are brought to life by the storyteller's words.Trade ReviewI have heard George telling his stories and it is an unforgettable experience. This is a unique book and a must buy, it is superb. Buy it today! DALRIADA: THE JOURNAL OF CELTIC HERITAGE AND CULTURAL TRADITIONS
£5.99
Boydell & Brewer Ltd Trees in Anglo-Saxon England: Literature, Lore
Book SynopsisA powerful exploration of trees in both the real and the imagined Anglo-Saxon landscape. Trees played a particularly important part in the rural economy of Anglo-Saxon England, both for wood and timber and as a wood-pasture resource, with hunting gaining a growing cultural role. But they are also powerful icons in many pre-Christian religions, with a degree of tree symbolism found in Christian scripture too. This wide-ranging book explores both the "real", historical and archaeological evidence of trees and woodland, and as they are depicted in Anglo-Saxon literature and legend. Place-name and charter references cast light upon the distribution of particular tree species (mapped here in detail for the first time) and also reflect upon regional character in a period that was fundamental for the evolution of the present landscape. Della Hooke is Honorary Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Research in Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Birmingham.Trade ReviewClearly written, well-illustrated, and impressively broad-ranging in its methodology. The footnotes and bibliography make it an invaluable resource for further study. * PARERGON *Della Hooke's book is the first large-scale treatment of its subject, and could hardly be surpassed in its patient and thorough accumulation of data. Lovers of trees and students of early England have equal reason to be grateful to her. -- Ronald Hutton * TIME AND MIND *An enjoyable read and [...] a useful addition to our understanding of pre-Medieval landscapes. * SCOTTISH FORESTY *To look at any tree after reading [the] book is to have a clearer grasp of what someone might have made of it (literally and metaphorically) a thousand years ago. * SALON *An enormously detailed and authoritative study [which] has much to offer Anglo-Saxon scholarship. [...] An excellent volume. * LANDSCAPE HISTORY *[A] well-written and thoughtfully constructed book. * MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY *[A] deeply researched and engagingly written book. * THE MEDIEVAL REVIEW *
£22.49
The History Press Ltd Donegal Folk Tales
Book SynopsisDonegal has a rich heritage of myths and legends which is uniquely captured in this collection of traditional tales from the county. Discover the trails where Balor of the Evil Eye once roamed, the footprint left by St Colmcille when he leapt to avoid a demon and the places where ordinary people once encountered devils, ghosts, and fairies. In a vivid journey through Donegal’s varied landscape, from its spectacular rugged coast line to the majestic mountains of Errigal and Muckish, and on to the rich farmland of the east, local storyteller Joe Brennan takes the reader to places where legend and landscape are inseparably linked.
£11.69
The History Press Ltd Antrim Folk Tales
Book SynopsisCounty Antrim, home to the Giant’s Causeway, has a rich heritage of myths and legends which is uniquely captured in this collection of traditional tales from across the county. Featured here are stories of well-known figures from Irish folklore, including Conal Cearnach, with his association to Dunseverick Castle, and Deirdre of the Sorrows, whose mournful plight is linked to the rock at Ballycastle, known as Carraig Usnach. Here you will also find tales of lesser-known Antrim characters such as the heroic outlaw Naoise O’Haughan and local lad Cosh-a-Day, along with fantastical accounts of mythical creatures, including the mermaid of Portmuck, the banshee of Shane’s Castle, and the ghostly goings-on in Belfast. These stories bring to life the county’s varied landscape, from its lofty mountains to its fertile lowlands and dramatic coastline.
£11.69
The History Press Ltd Kildare Folk Tales
Book SynopsisCounty Kildare abounds in folk tales, myths and legends and a selection of the best, drawn from historical sources and newly recorded local reminiscence, have been brought to life here by professional storyteller Steve Lally. Included in this collection are the exploits of the Wizard Earl of Kildare who lived at Maynooth Castle, the legend of the lonely ‘Pooka Horse’ said to dwell amongst the ruins of Rathcoffey Castle, the story of St Bridgid, the patron saint of County Kildare, and the tale of the time the Devil decided to make a house call. Full of wit and wisdom, these tales tell of the strange and macabre; memories of magic and otherworlds; and proud recollections of county heroes such as Dan Donnelly, Ireland’s first Heavy Weight Boxing Champion. The captivating stories, brought to life with unique illustrations from the author, will be enjoyed by readers time and again.
£11.69
The History Press Ltd Armagh Folk Tales
Book SynopsisCounty Armagh, the Orchard County, abounds in folk tales, myths and legends and a selection of the best, drawn from historical sources and newly recorded local reminiscences, have been brought to life here by local storyteller Frances Quinn. Armagh is the place where, legend has it, the warrior king Conor Mac Nessa once ruled and where Deirdre of the Sorrows met her lover Naoise. It is where St Mochua’s Well was said by some to curse as well as cure and where evidence of St Patrick’s disagreement with a bull can still be seen. And it is where Mrs Lester was rudely awakened in her grave. It is also said to be the home of a plethora of strange and magical creatures and stories abound of encounters with fairies, ghosts, dragons, witches and even a giant pig. From age-old legends and fantastical myths to amusing anecdotes and cautionary tales, this collection is a heady mix of bloodthirsty, funny, passionate and moving stories. It will take you into a remarkable world where you can let your imagination run wild.
£11.69
Ebury Publishing The Bleeding Tree: A Pathway Through Grief Guided
Book SynopsisIt was the last of the ebbing days, the brink of the new season. It was the murky hours, the clove between sunset and sunrise. It was a tall tree with deep roots and it had been bleeding for a long while.As summer falls into autumn, Hollie Starling is hit by the heart-stopping news that her father has died by suicide. Thrust into a state of 'grief on hard mode', Hollie feels underserved by current attitudes toward grief and so seeks another way through the dark.Following her first year without her father, Hollie embraces her lifelong interest in folklore and turns to the healing power of nature, the changing seasons and the rituals of ancient communities. The Bleeding Tree is an unflinching year-zero guidebook to grief that shows us that by looking back to past traditions of bereavement we can all find our own way forward.'Starling's account of family life is riveting and narrated with grace and honesty, counterpointing the personal with the mythic.' - Irish Times
£17.09
Countryside Books Tales of Old Berkshire
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£7.55
Four Courts Press Ltd Archaeology and Celtic Myth: An Exploration
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£39.28
Four Courts Press Ltd The Early Finn Cycle
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£21.38
Gill Sacred Trees of Ireland
Book SynopsisTrees mirror in many ways the life cycle of human beings: they are born from seed, they breathe and drink, they grow to maturity, reproduce and eventually die from age or disease. Their branches, roots and the veins of their leaves resemble human blood vessels, and certain species even ooze a reddish, blood-like sap when damaged.From ancient times, people appreciated the spiritual value of trees, singling out individual trees for special veneration. In Ireland the roots of tree worship reach deep into pagan Celtic religion and spirituality. Christine Zucchelli looks at these trees, from Fairy Thorns to Rag Trees, from Mass Bushes to Monument Trees. This fascinating exploration of their stories and legends reveals their spiritual, social and historical functions from pagan times to the present.Trade Review'Beautiful arboreal studies, inspiring pleasure in trees' -- Michael Viney * The Irish Times *'Inestimable contribution to the knowledge and understanding of trees in Ireland' * Irish Examiner *
£12.99
Whittles Publishing The Birds are our Friends
Book SynopsisFor many, birds represent freedom and spirituality since they are created to be free. Although this may be true for people as well, we are of course not able to be as truly free as our winged friends. Looking out of his office window and seeing the birds flying, emphasising his confinement indoors and the unnecessary complexities of life in general, the author regrets his lost freedom. Life tends to be over-complicated and many would advocate following a simpler life. Birds, on the other hand, live the life they are destined for and this book shows how a common love of birds bridges cultures and distance. The Birds are our Friends is a wonderful and enlightening collection of essential information, curiosities, myths and folklore of birds and people. The author has discovered the role that birds play in people’s imagination, and their significance for various cultures. People’s accounts of birds give an insight to themselves – what they strive for, what they are afraid of and what they find important. Some birds predict the weather and construct unbelievably sophisticated nests or engage in elegant mating rituals. The author provides new insights on these facts and myths which confound some widely-held assumptions of their activities. Yessengali has a deeply personal connection and relationship with some birds. His fondest memories from childhood or young adulthood are associated with cuckoos, storks, and other birds that remind him of love and friendship. He hopes that these stories will interest readers, remind them of their spirituality and also evoke fine memories. In any event, it is a book that illuminates the world of birds from a slightly different viewpoint.
£18.04
The Dovecote Press Legends
Book Synopsis
£7.29
Whittles Publishing The Mountain of Light
Book SynopsisThis is a mixture of folk-tale, magic, myth, love story and hymn of praise to the natural world of Scotland's high and low lands, their landscapes and creatures, and the poet-guardians who timelessly maintain their care for them. It is the legend-story of the mysterious Wanderer, who comes from the North to Striveling (Stirling) and its great Castle Rock, and the tales he tells to the five men and a woman who befriend him there. Who is this Wanderer, who seems ageless, who has profound affinities with animals and birds, who can take on the shape of swans and what is his mission to the South? Who are these friends, whose friendship becomes more, as they begin to realize that they are part of the strange, timeless and mythic destiny of a country older than civilization? What is the meaning of the unearthly love of the Wanderer and the mysterious Bella?
£8.21
Medina Publishing Ltd You can't get blood out of a turnip
Book SynopsisWhether fashionable or unfashionable, which of us don't use proverbs all the time? They are an indispensable vehicle of popular wisdom and a lively contributor to educated speech. Proverbs are forever evolving. This gathering of Italian proverbs is intended to bring a smile of recognition to it's readers.
£9.45
Papadakis Weather Lore: Weather in General
Book SynopsisA charming and beautifully illustrated book, first published in 1893, covering all aspects of the weather including: Times and Seasons, Months, Days of the week, Winter birds and times of their arrival, Sun, Moon and Stars, Wind, Clouds, Mists, Haze, Dew, Fog, Sky, Air, Sound, Sea, Tide, Heat, Rain, Rainbow, Frost, Hail, Snow, Ice, Thunder and Lightning. Measuring instruments include: Barometer, Thermometer, Hygrometer, Telescope, Spectroscope. Animals include: Quadrupeds, Birds, Fish, Molluscs, Reptiles, Insects, Plants etc. This new edition has been completely redesigned and is fully illustrated with reproductions of woodcuts, photographs and drawings throughout.
£7.99
Arachne Press The Knotsman
Book SynopsisThe Knotsman does not exist, you will not find him in history books or collections of 'bygone' skills. But Math Jones has created him, and his fellows, in a time very like the English Civil War. There he is, going from house to house, village to village, battlefield to gallows, unravelling knots and problems, physical, emotional and psychological; a new kind of cunning man, not always welcome, not always quite as clever as his fingers and picks would have him believe.
£9.49
Medina Publishing Ltd Where There's a Will There's a Way: Japanese
Book SynopsisThe English may say, 'Where there's a will there's a way,' and the Japanese, 'A concentrated mind pierces even a rock', but the meaning is clearly the same; 'Too many boatmen sail the boat up the hill' may be the same as the English, 'Too many cooks spoil the broth', but the Japanese version has a delightful absurdity about it which is illustrated in Kathryn Lamb's witty cartoon. These and many more proverbs and sayings feature in Where There's a Will There's a Way, which joins the family of six other bilingual illustrated proverb books, devised in 1985 by Primrose Arnander and the late Ashkhain Skipwith: three in Arabic, and one each in Italian, French and Chinese. Each title in the series gives the proverb in its original (and where the scripts are different, provides the original script and its transliteration), the literal translation and the English equivalent. They are not intended as weighty works of scholarship, but rather as a source of entertainment. They make the perfect gift, as well as being useful to language students, whatever their native tongue. The cartoonist Kathryn Lamb has brought her skills to all seven titles.
£8.53
Two Rivers Press The Veiled Vale: Strange Tales from South
Book SynopsisWhat historical tragedy could possibly make a young Wallingford girl daub a wall with her own tears?What really happened to the family who encountered a UFO in Stanford-in-the-Vale?What made a Highworth Squire’s ghost choose to be banished to a barrel of cider?And what does the Uffington White Horse get up to once every hundred years?The Vale of the White Horse and the beautiful countryside of South Oxfordshire is a landscape steeped in thousands of years of legends, history and mystery. Here are witches, monsters and ghosts; old legends and modern-day tales of strange encounters with the unknown. From the mildly curious to the frighteningly inexplicable, The Veiled Vale is a treasure trove of fabulous folklore and modern mysteries. Illustrations by Peter Hay.
£10.80
Bradwell Books Legends Folklore Nottinghamshire Legends and
Book Synopsis
£6.23
Luath Press Ltd The Old Grey Magician: A Scottish Fionn Cycle
Book SynopsisFionn Cycle: A loose collection of tales originating in Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man which surround hunter-warrior leader Fionn, his band of men and his poet son, Ossian. Old Grey Magician: A mystical, morally ambivalent figure who appears throughout Celtic mythology; in Ireland he is the Dark Druid, and often he appears as a seabird. The shapeshifting sorcerer is a thorn in Fionn’s side, solving impossible problems but always asking too much in return. George W Macpherson has been telling the traditional tales of Fionn and the Fianna for years, artfully drawing in audiences with his storytelling talent. Gathered from sources all over the country and occasionally beyond, and collected here for the first time, the Old Grey Magician’s exploits offer a fascinating insight into the traditions of Scotland and the development of oral storytelling. Introduced and situated in physical and literary history by Donald Smith, this collection reminds us of the importance of retaining the stories that shaped us.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR HIGHLAND MYTHS AND LEGENDS: The mythical and the legendary – this is the stuff of stories and storytellers, an age-old tradition. Celtic heroes, fairies, Druids, Silkies, sea horses, giants, magicians, Vikings… all feature in this collection of Scottish tales, the like of which were told round camp fires centuries ago. - Scots Magazine, July 2002 Table of ContentsIntroduction: A Search for a Story Sgiath’s Sea Battle Donnran (The Brown Searcher) The Feeling of Fear The Daughter of the King of Spain The Tribe of Fife The Cup of Healing: Cupan Beatha The Rescue of Fionn’s Son The Death of Diarmid Fionn and Grainnhe Lochlannaich Spirits of Former Days Afterword: Ossian Reclaimed
£7.59
Carn Publishing ltd Folk Tales of Ayrshire
Book Synopsis
£13.30
Triarchy Press The Pilgrimage of Piltdown Man
Book Synopsis“Once upon a time…there was the Weald. Much of the Weald was smoke and flame – a place of blast furnaces and molten iron – and the mine pits; still, deep, dark cooling pools, from which would come the hiss of steam when white hot iron was plunged in.And scattered throughout the Wealden forest there were those charcoal burners’ enclosures – the hut and the kiln, the piles of cut limbs and branches, and the solitary, wrinkled charcoal burner.And when the charcoal burner died, as often as not his body rotted away in solitude and there was no-one to miss him, as the forest retook the enclosure – and the hut and the kiln subsided back into the ground. Sometimes bits of body were collected – no-one knew by whom. Someone dark. Someone with a book. Bits of body were fixed together – bits of this, that and the other. Higgledy piggledy wiggledy. A brain animated by a spark of fire from a bloomer – an ancient blast furnace; a clay chimney – or fluxed into awareness and motion by an organism usually associated with rot and decay – the body jerked into some sort of life...”Here begins the story of Link, a cryptid, a knitted-together Piltdown Man, whose pilgrimage takes him up the South Downs, staggering along the A27 and the M27, through Southampton, through Amesbury, past Porton Down, to Glastonbury, Dartmoor, the west of Cornwall and Brittany.Mike O’Leary has been a professional storyteller for 25 years and his post-fairy tale vividly knits together the knuckers, hags, wisht hounds and dragons of folklore with more contemporary concerns of roadkill, hitch-hiking, migration and abuse. The result is a very adult story that investigates the whole idea of story in our lives and in our search for meaning.
£9.50
The Emma Press The Fox's Wedding
Book SynopsisRebecca Hurst's debut pamphlet is woven through with fairy tales, folklore and landscape. She uses the natural world, family mythology and the theory of fairy tales to unpack, embroider, and explode traditional tales and tropes, exploring themes of voice, concealment, and transformation. Prickling with magic and spells, the poems in The Fox's Wedding lead us down a twisty path to find – what? A prince made of needles? A cursed box? A golden key? Take care and keep your wits about you; if you're lucky you might just find your way home.*** Describe the box. It is square, carved from elm with a brass hinge and lock. I see you hold it in your hands. I hold it against my body, so. It is a burden. It is the size of a tea-caddy. It is an object of beauty. You could call it beautiful. The grain, the glow. The box is very old. The box would prefer we not discuss its age.- from 'Her Unbreakable Box'
£9.50
Luath Press Ltd On the Trail of Scotlands Myths and Legends
Book SynopsisA book about Scotland drawn from hundreds, if not thousands, of stories. From the oral traditions of the Scots, Gaelic and Norse speakers of the pat, it presents a new picture of who the Scottish are and where they come from. The stories are hilarious, tragic, heroic or frightening.
£8.54
Andrews UK Limited The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams
Book Synopsis
£8.54
Snowbooks Ltd Deeper, Older, Darker
Book SynopsisAncient yew trees - living links between the past and present - embody a magical discipline that offers a way to reach beyond the mundane world. An occult group has rediscovered this knowledge, and uses it to experience a reality where legends live, magic is currency and willpower is a weapon. They find themselves drawn into a hunt for the last magical artifacts left in Britain - but the land is an entity with its own deadly agenda, and is harnessing these individuals for its own ends.
£9.49
Scribe Publications The Night Parade: a speculative memoir
Book SynopsisIn the groundbreaking tradition of In the Dream House and The Collected Schizophrenias, a gorgeously illustrated lyrical memoir that draws upon the Japanese myth of the Hyakki Yagyō — the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons — to shift the cultural narrative around mental illness, grief, and remembrance. Are these the only two stories? The one where you defeat your monster, and the other where you succumb to it? Jami Nakamura Lin spent much of her life feeling monstrous for reasons outside of her control. As a Japanese Taiwanese American woman with undiagnosed bipolar disorder, her adolescence was marked by periods of extreme rage and self-medicating, an ever-evolving array of psychiatric treatments, and her relationships with those she loved — especially her father — suffered as a result. Frustrated with the tidy arc of the typical mental illness memoir, the kind whose trajectory leads toward being ‘better’, Lin sought comfort in the Japanese folklore she’d loved as a child, tales of supernatural creatures known to terrify in the night. Through the lens of the yōkai and other East Asian mythology, she set out to interrogate the Western notion of conflict and resolution, grief, loss, mental illness, and the myriad ways fear of difference shapes who we are as a people. Divided into four acts in the traditional Japanese narrative structure and featuring stunning watercolour illustrations, Jami Nakamura Lin has crafted an innovative, genre-bending, and deeply emotional memoir that mirrors the sensation of being caught between worlds. Braiding her experience of mental illness, the death of her father, and other haunted topics with the folkloric tradition, The Night Parade shines a light into dark corners in search of a new way, driven by the question: How do we learn to live with the things that haunt us?Trade Review‘At once a medical memoir ... and a reflection on mythology — the personal, the collective, the inherited — The Night Parade moves with courage ... Jami Nakamura Lin’s speculative memoir is a feat of storytelling; one that I found deeply moving.’ -- Katie Goh‘The Night Parade is a stunning excavation of personal and collective histories, filled with the endless alchemy of storytelling. Jami Nakamura Lin writes with meditative precision and expansive empathy, challenging and reaffirming what communal stories can make possible. Exploring the many worlds that flourish beyond certain knowledge, this boundary-blurring memoir finds power in the undefinable. It reveals to us that the fracturing of a story can be beautifully fruitful. Teeming with language that is transformative and fully embodied, and gorgeously illustrated by Cori Nakamura Lin, The Night Parade is a generous and abundant feast for our living and our dead, our salvaged lineages, and our continuing stories.’ -- K-Ming Chang, award-winning author of Bestiary‘Jami Nakamura Lin has reinvented the genre of memoir, weaving an intricate braid of fable, memory, art, cultural legacy, and legend into a gorgeous tapestry of the stories that made her. The haunting illustrations by her sister, Cori Nakamura Lin, are a potent reminder that no one is self-authored. We all collaborate to become ourselves. Serpentine, polyphonic, and stunningly textured, The Night Parade positively pulses with life.’ -- Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, award-winning author of The Fact of A Body‘A gorgeous invocation of the magic-haunted spaces between lived experience and folkloric traditions, between the living and the dead, between memory and story. I loved The Night Parade.’ -- Kelly Link, bestselling author of Get in Trouble‘Beautifully written and imaginative, The Night Parade takes speculative nonfiction to new heights. Jami Nakamura Lin is both poet and storyteller, mystic and philosopher, teaching us to see the world differently, to suspend our disbelief, using mythology to interrogate our notions of family, grief, fear, love, and belonging. There is no other book like this — it’s truly a stunning and visionary work of art.’ -- Jaquira Díaz, author of Ordinary Girls: a memoir‘Genre-defying and deeply poetic, The Night Parade invites the pandemonium within the personal and mythic to a round table where ancestors and folkloric creatures transform grief, memory, and mental illness into the tangible. Ancient tales and horrific spectres braid throughout Jami Nakamura Lin’s life, but will worm your way under your skin, prompting the question: what do we cut out from our lives and histories and what do we let grow with us? Impossible to put down, gut-wrenching, and magical. I cannot think of a writer who has written so personally while acknowledging ancestral and cultural grief with such grace and honesty. A crucial and groundbreaking entry for the literature of the Asian Diaspora and explorations of mental illness.’ -- Sequoia Nagamatsu, author of How High We Go in the Dark‘The Night Parade is stunning — it is haunting and magical and terrifying at once. Deeply intimate, but with a sense of scope that transcends history and genre, I loved stepping into this dream of a memoir, of a shared experience.’ -- Catherine Cho, author of Inferno‘With abundant honesty and tenderness, Jami Nakamura Lin wraps her story in the expansive frameworks of folklore and the mystical, bringing in centuries of storytelling about love and loss, death, illness, and mystery. A moving and notable memoir.’ -- Aimee Bender, New York Times bestselling author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake‘In this gorgeous and unique debut memoir, Lin draws on the Japanese myth of the Hyakki Yagyo (the “Night Parade of One Hundred Demons”, in which demons and spirits march through the streets at night) to document her struggles with bipolar disorder and her father’s fatal illness … Throughout, Lin draws on characters from the Hyakki Yagyo (like the hideous, flesh-eating Oni Baba, or the vengeful ghost whale known as Bakekujira) to contextualise and come to terms with her feelings, sometimes using them to personify her “ugly” emotions, other times using them to interrogate cultural narratives about monstrousness. Interspersed throughout are full-colour illustrations of each creature by her sister, Cori … The result is a memorable and moving exorcism of the monsters within.’ -- Publishers Weekly, starred review‘Lin uses mythology from her Taiwanese and Japanese heritage to make sense of mental illness, cancer, and pregnancy loss … Throughout this inventive narrative, Lin takes calculated literary risks, ranging from the use of epistolary forms to experiments with point of view. These risks pay off mightily, coming together in a vulnerable, insightful, and refreshingly original meditation on survival, illness, and grief. A stunning memoir about the stories that make us who we are.’ -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review‘In this debut speculative memoir, Lin isn’t afraid of her demons. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teenager, Lin struggled to manage her illness while caring for her cancer-stricken father. Unhappy with the rose-coloured narratives about recovering from mental illness, she takes a different approach here, leaning into the darkness. Inspired by Japanese, Taiwanese, and Okinawan ghost stories, Lin blends memoir and horror — plus stunning illustrations — to consider what it means to co-exist with anguish.’ * The Millions *‘Highly innovative ... Using Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese folklore to enrich her story, the author (who is a Japanese Taiwanese Okinawan American) delves into her own powerful feelings of rage, despair, loss, and hurt, ultimately emerging from each experience stronger and with more insight into not only herself but also her complex family history. With compelling prose, this title weaves folktales about frightening and monstrous figures into the narratives of Lin’s own developing bipolar disorder, her lineage, and her father’s illness. Her gorgeous writing draws readers into her gripping story, which is organized into a four-part narrative structure drawn from Japanese literary tradition. The book is richly illustrated by the author’s sister, Cori Nakamura Lin. VERDICT An engrossing memoir by an extraordinary debut author.’ -- Rebecca Maugridge * Library Journal, starred review *‘Part personal narrative, part mythical taxonomy, The Night Parade intertwines Nakamura Lin’s lifelong experience of bipolar disorder with figures from Japanese and Taiwanese myth, resulting in a moody, unusual, and compassionate portrait of a struggle too often reduced to cliché.’ * The Boston Globe *‘In an extraordinary exploration of life in all its stages, debut memoirist Jami Nakamura Lin turns to the monsters of Japanese and Taiwanese folklore to better understand her own mental illness, the death of her father and the birth of her child. Featuring illustrations of these fantastical beasts by the author’s sister Cori Nakamura Lin, this book is an “abundant feast for our living and our dead”, according to … author K-Ming Chang.’ * San Francisco Chronicle *‘In this highly innovative memoir, Lin shares her experiences as a person with bipolar disorder as she comes of age, marries, experiences a miscarriage, loses her father to cancer, and becomes a mother … With compelling prose, this title weaves folktales about frightening and monstrous figures into the narratives of Lin’s own developing bipolar disorder, her lineage, and her father's illness. Her gorgeous writing draws readers into her gripping story, which is organised into a four-part narrative structure drawn from Japanese literary tradition. The book is richly illustrated by the author’s sister, Cori Nakamura Lin. An engrossing memoir by an extraordinary debut author.’ -- Library Journal, starred review‘“In the presence of a story … time collapses. This is why I am always telling it.” So begins Lin’s memoir-cum-bestiary, a narrative of discovering her bipolar disorder, the struggle to start a family, and her beloved father’s death and its aftermath. Along the way, she tells stories of the yōkai, the liminal, ambiguous, supernatural creatures of Japanese folk and fairy tale, in the legends of which Lin finds parallels to her family’s experience of colonisation, trauma, immigration, and community. Illustrated in dreamy gouache and watercolour by Cori Nakamura Lin, the author’s sister, The Night Parade explores the many ways we — humans as individuals, humans in community — use stories to make sense of our lives. When calamity strikes, as in every life it must, the tales of the yōkai tell us why and how we can keep it from happening again. “To prevent disaster,” Lin writes, “worship the thing that eats you.” Heartfelt and thoughtful, this painfully lovely memoir will appeal to readers of Carmen Maria Machado’s In the Dream House and Sabrina Imbler’s How Far the Light Reaches.’ * Booklist *‘Lin’s braiding of personal experience and cultural touchstones make this memoir very special.’ * Los Angeles Times *‘This genre-bending and emotionally resonant memoir offers a masterfully braided narrative of Lin’s experience with mental illness, the death of her father, the grieving process, and Japanese, Taiwanese, and Okinawan legends to interrogate the very notion of recovery. The result is a deeply textured portrait of the experiences that haunt us and the ways in which we can begin to feel whole again.’ * Chicago Review of Books *‘Beautiful and bizarre … explode[s] conventional narratives of mental illness and grief … weaves together fable and memory, research, and family history with elegance and honesty to create a singular record of family, diaspora, art, and belonging.’ -- Kathleen Rooney * Chicago Magazine *‘Based on a traditional Japanese narrative structure, this riveting speculative memoir by Jami Nakamura Lin is accompanied by the luminous illustrations of her sister, Cori. Grappling with themes of family, neurodivergence, illness, and identity, Nakamura Lin presents a nuanced, raw, and poetic redefinition of memoir.’ * Ms. magazine *‘Inventive … Jami Nakamura Lin weaves together threads of memoir and Japanese and Taiwanese mythology to create a gorgeous mosaic of family, grief, illness, inheritance, and love.’ * Shondaland *‘Both heart-wrenching and heart-filling … It’s breathtaking to read the way [Jami Nakamura Lin] skillfully utilises the Hyakki Yagyo — a procession of supernatural oni and yokai in Japanese folklore and mythology — to recontextualise and reconsider narratives of grief, mental illness, and memory-making. This is a book to keep at your bedside.’ * Conde Nast Traveler *
£17.09
University of Wales Press The Folklore of Wales: Ghosts
Book SynopsisWales is a land with a vast wealth of ghost stories, including fantastical animals, flickering death omens and unseen things that go bump in the night. Whether these tales are based on true events, or are the creations of active imaginations, is known only to those who have experienced them – but what is certain is that their power to delight and scare us remains undimmed to this day. In The Folklore of Wales: Ghosts, renowned folklorists Delyth Badder and Mark Norman present an intriguing and comprehensive selection of ghostly accounts, illuminating key themes running through them, and giving insights into the history and culture of Wales’s varied regions and communities. With original Welsh texts, many translated into English for the first time, the authors present a wide panorama of stories and first-hand accounts that will be new to even the most seasoned folklore reader. Ranging from the distant past right up to the present day, this collection shines a spotlight on the unique qualities of folkloric ghost beliefs in Wales.Table of ContentsPreface Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Unfinished Business Chapter Three: Ghosts in the Landscape Chapter Four: Spectral Beasts Chapter Five: Holy Ghosts Chapter Six: Poltergeists Chapter Seven: Ladi Wen Chapter Eight: Water Spirits Chapter Nine: Fantastical Ghouls Chapter Ten: Death Omens Glossary Bibliography Diolchiadau/Acknowledgements
£13.49
Herne Books Herne the Hunter
£17.00
Adventures Unlimited Press Vimana: Flying Machines of the Ancients
Book SynopsisAccording to early Sanskrit texts the ancients had several types of airships called vimanas. Like aircraft of today, vimanas were used to fly through the air from city to city; to conduct aerial surveys of uncharted lands and as delivery vehicles for awesome weapons. David Hatcher Childress, popular Lost Cities author and star of the History Channel''s long-running show Ancient Aliens, takes us on an astounding investigation into tales of ancient flying machines. In his new book, packed with photos and diagrams, he consults ancient texts and modern stories and presents astonishing evidence that aircraft, similar to the ones we use today, were used thousands of years ago in India, Sumeria, China and other countries. This means that these ancient civilisations had advanced metal technology, electricity and the engineering knowledge of flight many thousands of years before our own era of flight technology. Childress discusses ancient UFO sightings, the fascinating lore of ancient flight and the technology allegedly used in the flying machines of the ancients.
£22.50
Adventures Unlimited Press Abominable Snowmen: Legend Come to Life
Book SynopsisIn the opinion of one of the world''s leading naturalists, not one, but possibly four kinds of abominable snowmen, still walk the earth! Do they really live on the fringes of the towering Himalayas and the edge of myth-haunted Tibet? They do, but you are far more likely to catch one in the United States! Northern California and its almost impenetrable Klamath Forests may hide the astonishing evidence. From how many areas in the world have factual reports of wild, strange, hairy men emanated? Reports of strange apemen have come in from every continent, except Antarctica. In this book, Ivan Sanderson, who accumulated material for 30 years on this subject, explains in language as plain and clear as a news flash just why no Snowman (ABSM) has ever been captured or kept for a zoo or a museum - although one was captured during the last century, in Canada. Contents include: A Brief History of ABSMery; Reports from Canada (1860 to 1960); Abominable Affairs in the U.S.; Happenings in Northern California; Affairs in Central and South America; Reports from Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula; Things in the Indo-Chinese Peninsula; ABSMs in the Himalaya and the Great Gutter; Russian Findings in the Caucasus and Thereabouts; Current Conditions on the Great Mongolian Uplands; The Physical Evidence for ABSMs; Established Fossil Apes and Men; Myths, Legends, and Folklore; Some Basic Geography and Vegatology; Sundry Objectionable Facts; Certain Abominable Conclusions and more.
£19.80
Adventures Unlimited Press Obelisks: Towers of Power
Book SynopsisDavid Childress, popular author and star of the History Channel''s show, Ancient Aliens, brings us a stunning tale of archaeological investigation on a megalithic scale. Childress looks into the enigma of obelisks and their purpose. Egyptologists tell us that obelisks are granite towers that symbolise a ray of the sun - a megalithic symbol of the Sun God Ra, later to be called Aton. Some obelisks weigh over 500 tons and are massive blocks of polished granite that would be extremely difficult to quarry and erect even with modern equipment. Why did ancient civilisations in Egypt, Ethiopia and elsewhere undertake the massive enterprise it would have been to erect a single obelisk, much less dozens of them? Were obelisks more than simple monuments? Were they energy towers that could receive or transmit energy? Childress takes us on an amazing journey through the history of the obelisk and its probable purpose as an energy tower. With discussions on Tesla''s wireless power, and the use of obelisks as gigantic acupuncture needles for earth, Childress shows us what the ancients were trying to achieve with their mysterious obelisks. Chapters include: Megaliths Around the World and their Purpose; Mysteries of the Unfinished Obelisk; The Crystal Towers of Egypt; The Obelisks of Ethiopia; Obelisks in Europe and Asia; Mysterious Obelisks in the Americas; Round Towers, Obelisks and Earth Energies; The Terrible Crystal Towers of Atlantis; Tesla''s Wireless Power Distribution System; Obelisks on the Moon and more.
£21.60
Adventures Unlimited Press Giants
Book SynopsisThere were giants on the earth in those days...These ancient giants, many of whom stood between ten and twelve feet in height, were kings and rulers, shamans and mighty warriors. They occupied the upper echelon of ancient societies and were members of an elite bloodline carefully preserved for millennia. They were the gods and demigods of the ancient mythologies.In the first part of the book, worldwide myths and legends of giants are explored in depth. Nearly every culture from the Americas to the far-flung corners of the globe tell of people of enormous stature. The stories cannot all be wrong. Also discussed are various religious texts such as the Bible which famously declared there were giants in those days; the Book of Enoch that chronicles the disastrous result of the Watchers taking human wives; the Kebra Nagast and the Book of Giants expand on both the Biblical and Enochian accounts; the Book of Moses sheds light on the topic from a Mormon perspective; the sacred book of the May
£21.60
Adventures Unlimited Press The Gods in the Fields: Michael, Mary and Alice -
Book SynopsisThis book offers for the first-time detailed insights into England''s St Michael leyline, the celebrated straight track whose dragon energies (Michael and Mary) travel coast-to-coast from Cornwall to Norfolk. Along its 364-mile length are some of the most renowned megalithic, historical and otherworldly features found anywhere in the world. British researcher Nigel Graddon takes us on a special journey to explore these magnificent locations. We learn of Britain''s special place in the origins of ancient wisdom and of the Sun-Men who taught it to a humanity in its infancy. Aspects of these teachings are to found all along the St Michael ley: at Glastonbury, Britain''s holyeste erthe and the hallowed location of Merlin and Arthur''s Avalon; in the design and layout of the extraordinary Somerset Zodiac of which Glastonbury is a major part; in the amazing stone circles and serpentine avenues at Avebury and nearby Silbury Hill: portals to unimaginable worlds of mystery and enchantment; the Gods in the FieldsWiltshire''s incredible volume of mind blowing crop circles and their invisible makers; Graddon''s exciting discovery of the St. Michael ley''s Golden Ratio position and its enchanting connections between Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland and the fairyfolk; and, not least, the enduring tales of high strangeness east of the line, including Suffolk''s history of X-Files time-slip phenomena and the infamous UFO events (Britain''s Roswell) in the county''s Rendlesham Forest. Chapters include: Britain: Key, Lock and Door; Michael, Mary and Merlin; England''s West Country; The Glastonbury Zodiac; Wiltshire; The Gods in the Fields; Michael, Mary and Alice; East of the Line; Table of Michael and Mary locations; more.
£19.80
Adventures Unlimited Press The Bigfoot Files: Bigfoot and Missing People in
Book SynopsisDo people go missing in the national parks of the United States and Canada? Yes, they do. In fact, an astonishing number of people go missing in these national parks every year. Many of these people are found some days or weeks later - alive and dead - but some just vanish forever. There are lots of cases of people wandering alone into national parks and disappearing, but many of the reports are about people who are with others, but inevitably they end up alone at some point and then they mysteriously vanish. Is it possible that the elusive animal known as bigfoot is responsible for some of these deaths and disappearances? Starting with the most recent case in the summer of 2021 and moving back through time, Childress unravels some of these truly bizarre cases of missing hikers and discovers a frightening reality - many hikers on trails are being carefully watched. Chapters include: A Missing Boy in Idaho; The Strange Case of Dale Stehling at Mesa Verde; Some Baffling Recent Disappearances; Vanishing People in Colorado; The Disturbing Death of Jaryd Atadero; Taking a Selfie with Bigfoot?; Friend of the DevilDisabled Topaz Miner Disappears; Missing People in the Smokey Mountains; The Dangers of Yosemite National Park; Missing Hunters and Park Rangers; A Fascination with Shoes and Boots; Can You Prosecute the Boogey Man?
£21.60
Adventures Unlimited Press Lost Paititi and the Non-Human Remains of Nazca
Book SynopsisFrench explorer and anthropologist Thierry Jamin rdiscusses his findings from his years in Peru in search of the lost Inca city of Paititi plus his most recent escapades with non-human skeletons at Nazca on the coast.Chapters include: On the Path of Adventure; On the Tracks of the Lost City of the Incas; Machu Picchu and the Mystery of the Secret Room; The Strange Square Mountain; Where It All Begins; In the Footsteps of Mario; Summit Meeting; Strange Relics; The New B.E.; A Mysterious Man in Black; Three Eggs!; The Incredible Hybrid; First Results. and New B.E.; The Lima Conference; The Real False Site; The Familia; Analysis and Pressure on All Sides!; The Final Proof; The Starchild; Transfer of the Mummies; The Ica Conference; The Flight Over the Gran Paititi; The Case Of Nazca Continues; more.
£21.60
Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd. Draupadi: The Tale of an Empress
Book SynopsisThe life of a princess raised by a loving father and three doting brothers would seem like a bed of roses to any woman. But born out of sacred fire, Draupadi is no ordinary woman, and her destiny cannot be to walk the beaten path. Witnessing estrangement and betrayal within her own family makes her perceptive and intuitive beyond her years. A complicated marital relationship, a meteoric rise and a fateful loss, humiliation unheard of and a pledge of revenge, all culminating in a bloody warher o
£15.52
The History Press Ltd Lakeland Folk Tales for Children
Book SynopsisIncluding a gang of smugglers and an ugly face-pulling competition, not only will children love to read them, or listen to them being read, the tales will also stimulate an interest in the area, and help children engage with their own surroundings wherever they live .
£9.49
Inner Traditions Bear and Company The Dragon Riders Oracle
Book SynopsisAn oracle deck with wisdom from dragons and their wise dragon riders Dragons, the oldest creatures in our universe, have accompanied gods, goddesses, planets, angels, elves, and ascended masters through the ages. Together these pairings of dragon and dragon rider create powerful energetic fields that can support us on our way to higher levels of consciousness. You will connect with dragon riders from all times, countries, and cultures, such as Kuan Yin, Archangel Michael, Mother Mary, planet god Mars, the Celtic goddess Ceridwen, and Mother Earth, along with their ancient dragon companions. The deck also includes two joker cards, featuring cats, which, like dragons, magically connect our world to the spirit world. The jokers indicate a great opportunity at hand and, instead of a message, they offer a ritual to support you in making the leap to the next level. In the guidebook the author explores the different light-filled realms from which the
£18.35
Watkins Media Limited The Goblin Market Tarot: In Search of Faery Gold
Book SynopsisThis is a faery tarot with a difference, uncompromising in its portrayal of faeries as they really are: sly, frequently cruel, cleverer than humans and full of secrets, rather than the whimsical, sweet-natured creatures beloved of the Victorians and the New Age. It's the world of Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market, a place where all denizens of the Otherworld come to buy and sell, to mingle and exchange gossip. It is a place unsafe for humans. But imagine if you could look through a window onto the scene, as Christina Rossetti does in her poem? Imagine the beings you would see there ... Here is a tarot of wit and wickedness, of challenge and uncertainty, of wonder and truth. This 80-card deck with 176-page guidebook offers as the Major Arcana a gallery of strange and wonderful creatures, from the Faery Queen to the Wiseman, plus intriguing motifs from the poem, such as the Secret Way and the Fallen Tree. Minor suits represent magical implements, fruits, flowers and elements. Enter a haunted, magical world – an enchanting landscape of falling towers, crumbling walls and tangled woods, of streams tumbling amongst mossy stones, of fallen trees and bones threaded with vines and spiked roses. Prepare to be enspelled ... and to discover the answers to your questions and dilemmas.
£22.07
Adventures Unlimited Press Vril
Book Synopsis
£19.20
Wellfleet Press The Complete Language of Birds
Book SynopsisExpand your bird knowledge with this gorgeous encyclopedia of nearly 400 bird species around the world, unique for its inclusion of both their physical and mythological characteristics.If you’re a nature lover who thrives on bird videos and photography, go beyond the scope of standard field guides with this comprehensive reference. Each entry of The Complete Language of Birds provides not only the bird’s name and physical qualities, but also its history, symbolic meanings, and hidden properties from mythology, legends, and folklore. Within the pages of this colorful volume, you’ll find: Beautiful illustrations and descriptions of common and unusual birds Notes on the surprising properties and powers of birds Discussions of the symbolism and mythological significance of each bird species Dive into an unusual dimension of historical and arcane kno
£17.09
Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc The Complete Language of Herbs: A Definitive and
Book SynopsisDiscover the meanings, powers, facts, and folklore for over 500 herbs and spices in The Complete Language of Herbs—now in a pocket-size edition for easy, on-the-go reference. Along with a beautiful visual depiction, each entry provides the herb or spice’s scientific and common names, characteristics, and historic meanings and powers from mythology, medieval legends, folklore, and flower poetry. Did you know that allspice can be added to herbal mixtures to attract money or luck? Or that sprinkling arrowroot at the doors of your home will keep guests’ negative energy from entering? Reaching the height of popularity during the Victorian era, floriographies—dictionaries of symbolic flower meanings—were an amusing pastime and art to subtly communicate unspoken emotions. To complement the success of The Complete Language of Flowers, author S. Theresa Dietz has scoured historic sources and compiled an equally beautiful compendium in The Complete Language of Herbs, revealing the secrets and powers of hundreds of common and forgotten herbs and spices from around the world. Together with stunning full-color illustrations and two indexes, one for searching by common herb and spice name and the other organized by meaning, this beautiful reference is a must-have for gardeners, chefs, party planners, and food enthusiasts. Table of Contents Introduction How to Use This Book A – Z Works Consulted Acknowledgments About the Author Photo Credits List of Culinary Herbs Index of Common Herb Names Index of Common Meanings & Powers
£11.69
Castle Books Dragons
Book Synopsis
£13.49
The History Press Ltd Folklore of Kent
Book SynopsisKent boasts a plethora of characterising traditions which include hop-growing, smuggling and saints. All this reflects the curious history and geography of the area. It is bounded by sea on three sides, has the longest coastline of any English county and was the base for much maritime activity. This included trade and invasions, which gave rise to communities rich in sea-lore. This book also covers topics such as seasonal customs including harvest traditions; drama; witchcraft, saints and holy wells; and the background and songs surrounding fruit and hop-growing. This book charts the traditional culture of a populous and culturally significant southern county.
£17.00
John Donald Publishers Ltd Scotland's Merlin: A Medieval Legend and its Dark
Book SynopsisWho was Merlin? Is the famous wizard of Arthurian legend based on a real person? In this book, Merlin's origins are traced back to the story of Lailoken, a mysterious 'wild man' who is said to have lived in the Scottish Lowlands in the sixth century AD. The book considers the question of whether Lailoken belongs to myth or reality. It looks at the historical background of his story and discusses key characters such as Saint Kentigern of Glasgow and King Rhydderch of Dumbarton, as well as important events such as the Battle of Arfderydd. Lailoken's reappearance in medieval Welsh literature as the fabled prophet Myrddin is also examined. Myrddin himself was eventually transformed into Merlin the wizard, King Arthur's friend and mentor. This is the Merlin we recognise today, not only in art and literature but also on screen. His earlier forms are less familiar, more remote, but can still be found among the lore and legend of the Dark Ages. Behind them we catch fleeting glimpses of an original figure who perhaps really did exist: a solitary fugitive, tormented by his experience of war, who roamed the hills and forests of southern Scotland long ago.Trade Review'Tim Clarkson should be congratulated on producing a book which marries together painstaking and detailed research with common-sense and open-minded analysis ... The book that emerges succeeds in cutting through centuries of confusion and complexity in a way that is deeply impressive' - Undiscovered Scotland
£14.24
