Myth, Legend, and Lore

Myths of the Norsemen From the Eddas and Sagas, by H. A. Guerber. With 64 Illustrations.

Organized by subject from poems and myths in both ancient and modern tellings, and illustrated by art from the 19th Century, this is also the book that bonded together C. S. Lewis and his ‘first friend’ Arthur Greeves, when he saw the book by Arthur’s sickbed and they realized they both loved the Norse myths. A Dover reprint, I have it more as a cultural item than as a reader.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Myths. Norse. Softcover.

Gods of the North, by Brian Branston.

A scholarly approach to Norse mythology.  Bought this from the college bookstore, and it has served its purpose well in many a school report since. Illustrated with line drawings of artifacts and some photos, such as Tollund Man.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Textbook. Reference. Mythology. Softcover.

Christmas Customs and Traditions: Their History and Significance, by Clement A. Miles.

Originally published in 1912, this Dover reprint is full of half-tone reproductions as illustration. I love a book about Christmas, pagan traditions and all. This copy got a little stained from a spill (tea, if I remember rightly).

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Traditions. History. Softcover.

The Wordsworth Dictionary of the Underworld, by Eric Partridge.

I love a good Wordsworth edition of a classic work. I have (or had) another book by Eric Partridge, “Shakespeare’s Bawdy” (now what did I do with that?). “A celebrated ‘inside job’ on the language of crooks, criminals, beggars and tramps”, so the Underworld here is the criminal underworld. Nice browser and a good thick brick of a book. I actually used it a bit for my story “Sergeant Roth”.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Reference. Slang. Softcover.

Culpeper’s Complete Herbal, by Nicholas Culpeper.

I first heard about this book, I think, in Susan Cooper’s “Silver on the Tree”. The publishers have subtitled it “A Book of Natural Remedies for Ancient Ills.” “Nicholas Culpeper was an English botanist, herbalist, physician and astrologer. Culpeper spent much time outdoors cataloguing hundreds of medicinal herbs. He scolded some methods of contemporaries: "This not being pleasing, and less profitable to me, I consulted with my two brothers, Dr. Reason and Dr. Experience, and took a voyage to visit my mother Nature, by whose advice, together with the help of Dr. Diligence, I at last obtained my desire; and, being warned by Mr. Honesty, a stranger in our days, to publish it to the world, I have done it.” – Wikipedia. The style (early 16^th Century) and the subject matter are just fascinating to me.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Herbal. Reference. Classic. Softcover.

The Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, by Dr. Ebenezer Cobham Brewer, Revised by Ivor H. Evans.

A classic work of reference, more often known as “Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable” but hey, a Wordsworth reprint. What it says on the label and a wondrous browser withal. Hours of fun!

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Reference. Softcover.

British Dragons, by Jacqueline Simpson.

A look at the British folk belief of dragons, in legend and lore, and the locations of dragon traditions. Reproductions of old illustrations and some complete texts of old ballads and stories. 1980. A Wordsworth reprint.

Raking: Keeper.

File Code: Folklore. Reference. Softcover.

Northern Mythology: from Pagan Faith to Local Legend, by Benjamin Thorpe.

Original date 1851; a Wordsworth reprint. New Foreword by Jacqueline Simpson. Why do I need another book about Northern mythology, you may ask? Well, you can always learn something different, or in a different way, or see the state of the learning at the time. Also, these reprints are fairly inexpensive, and they smell wonderful! Such a bookish, inky smell.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code. Norse mythology. Reference. Softcover.

The Mythology of the British Islands, by Charles Squire.

“An Introduction to Celtic Myth, Legend, Poetry and Romance.” Originally published 1910; a Wordsworth reprint.

Raking: Keeper.

File Code: Celtic Mythology. Reference. Softcover.

The Book of Christmas, by Thomas K. Hervey.

“Customs, Ceremonies, Traditions, Superstitions and Festivities of the Christmas Season.” Illustrated by Robert Seymour. A Wordsworth edition, this English book was first published in 1837. A wonderful remembrance of Christmas past.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Christmas. Reference. Softcover.

English Myths and Legends, by Henry Bett.

Illustrations by Michael Ayrton and Eric Fraser. (1921). With many of these reprints I can see the original sources that Peter Haining looted for his 70’s and 80’s books, and this is one of them. I love English folk and fairy tales and find it hard to resist another scholarly collection like this one.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Reference. Folklore. Hardback.

The Fairies in Tradition and Literature, by Katherine Briggs.

A scholarly examination of the “Little People” and “Fairy Folk”, divided pretty evenly between the “Tradition” and the uses it has been put to in “Literature”. Briggs has been THE expert for decades, and her academic writing is just as good and amusing as a novel at times. The cover, though, is just terrible camp, a big tinselly wand on a lilac field.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Folklore. Reference. Softcover.

An Encyclopedia of Fairies, by Katharine Briggs.

“Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies and Other Supernatural Creatures.” “A complete guide to fairy lore from the Middle Ages to the present. Both an anthology of fairy tales and a reference work with essays about the fairy economy, food, sports, powers and more. This book covers every type of "little people" from abbey lubbers to Young Tam Lin. Not just the tiny, translucent winged pixies of popular art, but brownies, goblins and bogies, even larger creatures like dragons and mermaids. Exhaustive in its coverage, while still entertaining. This book covers every type of "little people" from abbey lubbers to Young Tam Lin. Not just the tiny, translucent winged pixies of popular art, but brownies, goblins and bogies, even larger creatures like dragons and mermaids. Exhaustive in its coverage, while still entertaining.” – Amazon. A -ahem- ‘changeling’ of a book, full of classical line illustrations, and one of the best browsers on the subject. My copy lacks this jacket.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Reference. Fairies. Hardback.