British Folklore

From the dark centuries of British prehistory to the ninth century AD, comes tales of giants and fairy-folk of druids and saints. From King Lear and King Arthur, to Fingal, Beowulf, Gwendolen, and Guinevere legendary characters have shaped the making of the nation. But who were they? In Mythology of the British Isles, Geoffrey Ashe explores how each of these stories are inter-connected, and how they have taken on fresh significance and meaning as historical and archaeological research has uncovered the truth behind each legend.

This fascinating audiobook is the first volume in a projected cultural history of the United States, from the earliest English settlements to our own time. It is a history of American folkways as they have changed through time, and it argues a thesis about the importance for the United States of having been British in its cultural origins. While most people in the United States today have no British ancestors, they have assimilated regional cultures which were created by British colonists, even while preserving ethnic identities at the same time.

An Illustrated Bestiary of the British Isles retells many myths of the wonderful creatures that were said to roam the countryside as night fell. In addition to various members of the Unseelie (Fairie) Court from the Cornish tin mines to the mountains and Lochs of the Scottish Highlands, the book also includes the origin tales of several creatures and elements that have been integrated into the world of Harry Potter such as The Black Dog, Hand of Glory, Basilisk, Cloak of invisibility, and others. Also there are our native versions of the vampire, werewolf, and Yeti.