an engaging introduction to traditional knowledge and forgotten wisdom

'Dr Drake's Comprehensive Compendium of Dragonology.' As the title suggests, this collectible volume, from the pen of eminent dragonologist Dr Ernest Drake, is a fully comprehensive guide to the specialist words and scientific terms needed by a true expert of dragonology. Listed alphabetically, the entries are accompanied by detailed black and white illustrations. Lavish 'Victorian' cover ...

Delves into the hidden meanings of the nursery rhymes and songs we all know so well. This book discovers various kinds of strange tales ranging from Viking raids to firewalking and from political rebellion to slaves being smuggled to freedom.

An A to Z of the Undead

Scotland's rich past and varied landscape have inspired an extraordinary array of legends and beliefs. This title brings together many of the finest and most intriguing: stories of heroes and bloody feuds, tales of giants, fairies, and witches, and accounts of local customs and traditions.

Includes facts surrounding the myths and magic of Christmas. This work delves into the background of the Christmas rituals we take for granted: sending cards, singing carols, eating turkey - and of course the arrival of Santa Claus.

Suitable for children aged 5 to 7, this title includes many Mother Goose verses, from London Bridge Is Falling Down and Jack Be Nimble to Hey, Diddle Diddle and There Was an Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe , along with rhymes for each month that take children through the year.

Ovid's witty and exuberant epic starts with the creation of the world and brings together a series of ingeniously linked Greek and Roman myths and legends in which men and women are transformed, often by love - into flowers, trees, stones and stars.

A History of the Imagination.

Rosslyn Chapel, eight miles south of Edinburgh, has captured the imagination of many in recent years. This book traces themes of transformation and metamorphosis through inward endeavour. It is suitable for those interested in stories from the beginnings of the world, Ancient Egypt, the Holy Land, Celtic myth and Scottish history.

Suitable for both the serious scholar and the casual inquirer, this title tells the adventures of the important gods and heroes worshipped by the ancient Greeks. Each entry provides a full commentary which examines problems of interpretation in both historical and anthropological terms, and in light of contemporary research.

What were the twelve labors of Herakles? Why did Zeus turn himself into a shower of gold? What was the name of the guard-dog of the Underworld? Which two-faced Roman god gave his name to the month January? What is the answer to the riddle of the Sphinx? This book answers these questions.

A study of heroism in the myths of the world - an exploration of all the elements common to the great stories that have helped people make sense of their lives from the earliest times. It takes in Greek Apollo, Maori and Jewish rites, the Buddha, Wotan, and the bothers Grimm's Frog-King.

In 1879, local people reported an apparition of the Virgin Mary and other supernatural personages at Knock, a poor rural village in western Ireland. This title shows how the apparition was related to the local social context including economic, cultural, religious, political and historical dimensions.

The legendary hero of Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood, is a figure who has in equal measure attracted and baffled historians for decades. With the first mention of him coming in Olde English ballads, it was long assumed that it was almost impossible that he ever existed at all. Historian John Paul Davis, while undertaking research on the Knights Templars, has uncovered new evidence on the folk hero ..

The 11 tales of the Mabinogion combine Celtic mythology and Arthurian romance. This new translation recreates the storytelling world of medieval Wales and re-invests the tales with the power of performance.

A guide to London folklore, superstition and traditional stories. It includes stories ranging from the man in gray who haunts the Theater Royal in Drury Lane to the Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green via the true stories behind Sweeney Todd and Spring-Heeled Jack.

Suitable for teens who enjoy romance literature laced with mystery and a twinge of darkness.

Explores three myths across 400 years of Scottish history: the political myth of the 'ancient constitution' of Scotland; the literary myth, including Walter Scott as well as Ossian and ancient poetry; and, the sartorial myth of tartan and the kilt, invented - ironically by Englishmen - in quite modern times.