Search results for ""Author Geoffrey Ashe""
Canelo Mythology of the British Isles
An unforgettable and illuminating exploration of the legends of the British Isles.From the misty centuries of British and Irish prehistory to the height of the dark age, comes tales of giants and fairy-folk, druids and saints. From King Lear and King Arthur, to Fingal, Beowulf, Gwendolen and Guinevere these are the legendary characters who shaped the nation.But who were they?In Mythology of the British Isles, Geoffrey Ashe explores these compelling and ancient stories, seeing how they have taken on fresh significance as historical and archaeological research has uncovered the truth behind each legend.
£12.99
The History Press Ltd The Discovery of King Arthur
Attempts to find the person (if any) behind the legend of King Arthur have been going on for a long time. The search has revealed many interesting facts and it has also led to sharp disagreements. By the 1980s, the search was more or less abandoned, having reached a dead-end.The Discovery of King Arthur presents an investigation that broke the deadlock. Arthur emerged from it with a firmer status in history. He was also more interesting - more like his legend - than once appeared likely. It became possible to see better why he became the kind of figure he did. The delay in running him to earth was due to the nature of the problem he posed.Medieval authors who gave him his literary grandeur fitted him into what they claimed was Britain's history several centuries later. Not much of that history can stand up in the light of present day knowledge - it is mostly legend. So historians who looked for Arthur swept the medieval matter aside and searched for him in the scanty older records. But the search was inconclusive. A convincing answer called for a different approach.This books shows that the Arthurian legend itself needs to be taken seriously and sifted for clues. The right questions to ask are not the direct ones, 'Who was Arthur?' or 'Did he exist?', but 'Where did his legend come from?' and 'What facts is the legend rooted in?'. If we line up the legend side by side with the facts as we know them today, the problem of Arthur's identity can be solved.
£11.99
The History Press Ltd Merlin: The Prophet and His History
Geoffrey Ashe's book on this legendary figure offers a succession of surprises. The Merlin of legend was born to be a magician. He was 'immaculately' conceived and was able to interpret dreams and utter prophecies. Even his fate was imbued with magic. Like Arthur, he acquired immortality and sleeps on Bardsey Island, in a subterranean chamber with nine companions. Ashe reveals the man behind the myth, establishing beyond doubt the historicity of a Welsh prophet called Myrddin Emrys. Despite his 'supernatural' status it is Merlin, of all the great characters of the Arthurian world, who has the strongest claim to have existed.
£9.99