Happy Conjectural Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare

Into the Archive: Three New Old Books

The Shakespeare Apocrypha: Being a Collection of Fourteen Plays Which Have Been Ascribed to Shakespeare (Classic Reprint) - reprint June 16, 2012; original 1904.

by William Shakespeare? (Author); 406 pages

"This volume is designed to satisfy a need which during the past two generations has been variously and often expressed. The ambition of the editor has been to provide an accurate and complete text, with adequate critical and supplementary matter, of all those plays which can, without entire absurdity, be included in the doubtfully Shakespearian class. A similar work to comprise the first thirteen dramas in this book, in addition to The Arraignment of Paris, The Death of Studey, and The Siege of Antwerp appears, indeed, on the list of suggested publications of the New Shakspere Society {Transactions, 1874, p. 4), but it did not get beyond the stage of projection. Since the days of Malone, only three of the works before us Arden of Feversham, The Two Noble Kinsmen, and Sir Thomas More have appeared in English speaking countries in what can at [most] justly be termed independently edited texts. Tolerable versions of four others have been published by Germans in editions now practically unprocurable. As regards the other seven plays, no real attempt at purification of the text or collation of the early editions has been made, if made at all, for more than two centuries, and in the case of Sir John Oldcastle, it has remained for this book to give the very first reprint of what is most unmistakably the only reliable and uncorrupted version. Thus considerable and important passages appear here for the first time since 1600. In the preparation of the body of the text, the main object has been to give a faithful reproduction of the most authoritative edition of each play; that is, of the earliest, except in the rare instances where a later edition is demonstrably truer to the author's manuscript. Supplementary passages are printed, within brackets, from the earliest edition which contains them. Where a variant or an emendation has appeared inevitable, it has been adopted." -Amazon, from the Preface. $17.42

 

The Life of Sir John Falstaff: With a Biography of the Knight from Authentic Sources (Cambridge Library Collection - Shakespeare and Renaissance Drama)

by Robert Barnabas Brough (Author), George Cruikshank (Illustrator); 197 pages

Remembered for both his satirical and serious work, Robert Barnabas Brough (1828–60) was a playwright, journalist, poet and founder member of the Savage Club. Built around a series of inspired etchings by the celebrated artist George Cruikshank (1792–1878), this is a delightful fictional biography, 'from authentic sources', of that most colourful of Shakespeare's characters. We hear how our hero was descended from the great Saxon leader Hundwulf Falstaff, how the name is a corruption of 'False-thief', of his adventures with his beloved Prince Hal, and of Christmas 1412 with the Whittington family. Henry V's terrible rejection of him – 'I know thee not, old man' – is touchingly depicted, as are the episode of the laundry basket and other misadventures at Windsor, along with his sad death at the Boar's Head in 1415. First published in 1858, this book is a must-read for every lover of this larger-than-life figure.  – Amazon; $12.47

 Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers – September 1, 1987

by Andrew Louth (Editor), Maxwell Staniforth (Translator); 199 pages

The writings in this volume cast a glimmer of light upon the emerging traditions and organization of the infant church, during an otherwise little-known period of its development. A selection of letters and small-scale theological treatises from a group known as the Apostolic Fathers, several of whom were probably disciples of the Apostles, they provide a first-hand account of the early Church and outline a form of early Christianity still drawing on the theology and traditions of its parent religion, Judaism. Included here are the first Epistle of Bishop Clement of Rome, an impassioned plea for harmony; The Epistle of Polycarp; The Epistle of Barnabas; The Didache; and the Seven Epistles written by Ignatius of Antioch—among them his moving appeal to the Romans that they grant him a martyr's death. – Amazon; $10.29

After getting no books last month, I went rather overboard when May rolled around. Well, maybe in number, but not too bad financially. Since these three came directly from Amazon and exceeded $35, the shipping was free. I have three more coming, mostly from different Goodwills, so not too expensive on any of them. I think all six together did not exceed, say, the cost of one of those fancy-shmancy deluxe Tolkien books. Thus do I try to justify my purchases and thus do I break one of my New Year's resolutions..

I’ve been wanting something like that The Shakespeare Apocrypha for ages; I remember seeing a similar volume a long time ago at one of the Half-Prices in San Antonio. Of particular interest to me is The Birth of Merlin. Since it is basically a scanned copy of a book in the Cornel University Library it includes all the artifacts from that volume, including library marks.

Though I only just learned about the existence of The Life of Sir John Falstaff, I have been aware of George Cruikshank’s illustrations since at least high school. I am wary about a book that was considered ‘humorous’ in 1858, although I somehow feel I owe it to Sir John to take a squint at it. Maybe try to adjust my attitude to the times and give it a whirl. Whatever, I’ll always have the Cruikshank pictures.

I must confess that Jimmy Akin whetted my appetite for Early Christian Writings on his show recently, although I have been thinking of getting just such a volume for a while. I find it includes the entire Didache; I could have spared myself buying that slim little text (almost a pamphlet, really) by itself, had I but known. A Penguin book.

They arrived yesterday, Sunday, at about 4 PM. One thing all three books have in common is that they are all in teeny, tiny, eye-strain-o-vision print. A proper read would involve a bright light and my cheater glasses; my floor lamp having recently passed away (so is the fashion of the world) renders a comfortable place to read moot. I can do it at the desk, but the chair there has its limitations.

 

William Shakespeare: Classics Illustrated

While pondering Shakespearean things, my brain washed up an old memory of the Classics Illustrated edition of Julius Caesar, not a memory of this cover (though I assume it was this one) but certainly of this panel:

I also assume that we had it once upon a time, if I don't just remember looking at it on the stand.

Also I'm getting very strong vibes from this newer Classics Illustrated edition of Hamlet, though I can't quite place it. Did Mike have it? Did I have it, and sold it, or gave it away, or just tucked it away somewhere? Does some other member of the family have it? Ghostly memories of ghosts.

The Shakespeare Archive (Including Some Shadow Library and on The Wish List)

Includes one book in the Shadow Library that I'd never noted before: Shakespeare, by Anthony Burgess. I found it a little outdated. Need to find a copy of the little red-covered Shakespeare from Omi's middle room shelf. Hard to imagine a time when a Terry Pratchett book was thought to need a blurb by Piers Anthony to help sell it.

Wideo Wednesday: Will

 

William Shakespeare (c. 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he was baptised on 26 April 1564. His date of birth is unknown but is traditionally observed on 23 April, Saint George's Day. This date, which can be traced to William Oldys and George Steevens, has proved appealing to biographers because Shakespeare died on the same date in 1616. – Wikipedia.

While a reasonable amount is known about William Shakespeare's life and work, it's significantly less than the vast amount we know about some other prominent figures from his era, particularly in terms of personal details. Compared to his contemporaries, we have more information about his profession, his association with the Globe Theater, and some financial transactions. However, we lack details about his daily life, personal feelings, or even his education, unlike what we might find in more extensive biographies of other historical figures. 

More detail:

• What we know:

We have information about Shakespeare's baptism and the birth of his twins, his career as an actor and playwright in London, his role as a part-owner of the Globe Theater, and his family life. 

• What we don't know:

We lack information about his early education, his motivations as a writer, and his personal beliefs. 

• Lack of records:

The types of records that modern biographies rely on, like personal letters or diaries, were not widely kept during Shakespeare's time. 

• Contemporaries:

We know more about some of his contemporaries, like Ben Jonson, who was also a playwright and wrote about Shakespeare. 

• Speculation:

Some scholars and enthusiasts have speculated on Shakespeare's personal life and beliefs, based on the works he wrote and the limited historical record. 

• Focus on professional life:

The records that do exist tend to focus on his professional life as an actor, playwright, and shareholder in the Globe Theater. 

 

Therefore much of how Shakespeare himself is interpreted depends on the ‘inkblot method’; his personal life is so shady he can bear almost any amount of interpretation and serve any purpose. I personally think that as a professional writer he didn't bother writing letters or diaries because there was no money in it.

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WydbcNQpN7Q

All is True

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqb7H8Jt6P0&list=PLZbXA4lyCtqrH_twmafv3X2rS3Vf7fgiD&index=4

Upstart Crow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG14YKyyb7A

Joseph Pearce: Shakespeare, The Authority

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YUo57I_xho

Bugs Bunny, “A Witch’s Tangled Hare”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdXw72QZ3Iw

 

Thursday Thought

Well, here's a thought that's always a kick in the schnutz, whenever or however it's applied.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdn07wgUrno King Lear: Laurence Olivier, John Hurt, Leo McKern

Into the Archive: Quests for Shakespeare and Memories

The Quest for Shakespeare by Joseph Pearce (Ignatius Press, 2008)

Highly regarded and best-selling literary writer and teacher, Joseph Pearce presents a stimulating and vivid biography of the world’s most revered writer that is sure to be controversial. Unabashedly provocative, with scholarship, insight and keen observation, Pearce strives to separate historical fact from fiction about the beloved Bard.

Shakespeare is not only one of the greatest figures in human history, he is also one of the most controversial and one of the most elusive. He is famous and yet almost unknown. Who was he? What were his beliefs? Can we really understand his plays and his poetry if we don t know the man who wrote them?

These are some of the questions that are asked and answered in this gripping and engaging study of the world’s greatest ever poet. The Quest for Shakespeare claims that books about the Bard have got him totally wrong. They misread the man and misread the work. The true Shakespeare has eluded the grasp of the critics. Dealing with the facts of Shakespeare s life and times, Pearce's quest leads to the inescapable conclusion that Shakespeare was a believing Catholic living in very anti-Catholic times.

Many of his friends and family were persecuted, and even executed, for their Catholic faith. And yet he seems to have avoided any notable persecution himself. How did he do this? How did he respond to the persecution of his friends and family? What did he say about the dreadful and intolerant times in which he found himself? The Quest for Shakespeare answers these questions in ways that will enlighten and astonish those who love Shakespeare s work, and that will shock and outrage many of his critics. This book is full of surprises for beginner and expert alike. – Amazon

Only arrived yesterday, and I am already deep into it. Pearce continues to enlighten and inform. While many English critics of the past (especially of the 'Whig' school of history) might have been reluctant to see the quintessential English writer as something so 'foreign' as Catholic, evidence abounds. "Yet modern 'scholars,' blind to this moral vision, have habitually misread the plays. Instead of seeing evidence of traditional Christian morality, they see the plays as a reflection of their own secular fundamentalist prejudices. It is, therefore, necessary to discover the real Shakespeare, and the real beliefs that he held, in order to expose this literary abuse of his work." Take that, Harold Bloom!

The Truth About Dragons, by Hazard Adams (HBJ, 1970)

Well, I threatened to buy it, and I have, Lord knows why. It's like a compulsion, an effort to preserve memories. I don't have any big recollection about it, great or terrible, but I have the feeling that reading it again might spark some emotions or ideas that would evoke a kind of hidden response. At the least I will come to some sort of adult (if not border-line senescent) assessment of it. 

My Amazonian efforts have left my coffers a little depleted, and there's still two-thirds of the month to go. My situation reminds me of a story, recorded either in The Oxford Book of Literary Anecdotes or Biblioholism: The Literary Addiction. A  man (a writer) and his wife are near the end of their funds, and the man goes out with their last shilling to buy a fish for supper. However, he is diverted by a bookstore selling Night Thoughts, by Edward Young (very popular, once upon a time). Intrigued and then enamored, he spends the money on the book, and returns home to the wife. She is, naturally, disappointed, but he explains that had he bought the fish it would have soon been eaten and forgotten, whereas they could 'feast on Night Thoughts forever.' He claimed his wife 'saw the justice of his reasoning,' but I wonder.   

An Incomplete Esoteric Education

Jack the Giant Killer, Retold and Illustrated by Richard Doyle.

“A beautiful British edition of this famous story for juveniles, retold by Richard Doyle, who has also created the delightful full-color illustrations. The black-&-white endpapers reprint five of Ernest H. Shepard's illustrations from "Dream Days," & an illustration by S. C. Hulme Beaman. Bookmark matches cover color. Beautifully designed. Cover has gold type on deep blue-purple felt-like binding.” – Amazon. Although it must have been an older version, I never look at this book without thinking about Samuel Johnson saying that whenever the general talk turned to society, he abstracted himself in boredom and instead thought about Jack the Giant-Killer.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fairy Tale. Hardback.

The Oxford Book of Carols, by Percy Dearmer, Martin Shaw, and Ralph Vaughan Williams.

A classic collection of carols. “Vaughan Williams was a noted composer and arranger of music in the Anglican Church and a founder member of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. He was a scholar of English folk-song and his music was greatly influenced by traditional folk forms. Vaughan Williams had collaborated with Percy Dearmer on the production of the English Hymnal, which was published in 1906, and as with this hymnal, The Oxford Book of Carols favoured traditional folk tunes and polyphonic arrangements of carols, instead of the Victorian hymn tunes that Vaughan Williams considered to be over-sentimental and Germanic in tone. Vaughan Williams in particular drew on music from his own childhood and his scholarship of English folk music, and was driven by his conviction that the music of ordinary people should be valued.” – Wikipedia. Contains some carols by Frances Chesterton.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Carols. Collection. Hardback.

Irish Wonders: Popular Tales as Told by the People, by D. R. McAnally, Jr. Illustrated by H. R. Heaton.

“The Ghosts, Giants, Pookas, Demons, Leprechawns, Banshees, Fairies, Witches, Widows, Old Maids, and Other Marvels of the Emerald Isle.” Reprint of a classic work of folklore.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code. Ireland. Folklore. Hardback.

Russian Fairy Tales, Collected by Aleksandr Afanas’ev, Translated by Norbert Guterman, Illustrated by Alexander Alexeieff.

I first read this book in college and recognized the stories behind Gardner’s “In the Suicide Mountains”. I remember Kenny’s then-girlfriend Tracie reading out loud one of the stories while she sat on the old green couch in front of the porch window in the boy’s room. A wonderful collection full of Koschey the Deathless, Baba Yaga, many-headed dragons who sometimes ride horses, tsars, fools, and talking animals of particularly Russian character, and illustrated in an initially forbidding folk-style that comes to grow on you.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fairy Tales. Russian. Softcover.

Great Swedish Fairy Tales, selected by Elsa Olenius, translated by Holger Lundbergh, and Illustrated by John Bauer.

The illustrations seem to be the main feature here; that is certainly the way the cover sells it. The Swedish artist John Bauer is famous for his artwork, especially his trolls, which have influenced both Brian Froud and the trolls in the Rankin/Bass ‘Hobbit’.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fairy Tales. Swedish. John Bauer. Softcover.

Scandinavian Folktales, Translated and Edited by Jacqueline Simpson. Illustrated by Caroline Gowdy.

I read it in college and was pleased to find this copy at Half-Price. Stories grim and stark, mostly, bleak as a Northern sky, illustrated in a minimalist folk-style. For a good sample, read ‘How to Raise the Dead’, page 110. Not a book of twinkly tales to amuse the children, unless you’re looking to teach them a hard lesson and keep them in line. Jacqueline Simpson strikes again!

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Folk Tales. Scandinavian. Softcover.

Irish Folk Tales, Edited by Henry Glassie.

“Here are 125 magnificent folktales collected from anthologies and journals published from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day. Beginning with tales of the ancient times and continuing through the arrival of the saints in Ireland in the fifth century, the periods of war and family, the Literary Revival championed by William Butler Yeats, and the contemporary era, these robust and funny, sorrowful and heroic stories of kings, ghosts, fairies, treasures, enchanted nature, and witchcraft are set in cities, villages, fields, and forests from the wild western coast to the modern streets of Dublin and Belfast.” – Amazon. Bought it in the college bookstore, as I recall. Or was it from a book club? About that era, anyway. Some illustrations at the section heads.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Folk Tales. Irish. Softcover.

The Children’s Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy, by Padraic Colum. Illustrated by Willy Pogany.

Another Colum/Pogany joint effort, which I had to have. It is mostly pictures of people throwing spears, with an occasional monster here and there (I can’t say I think much of Colum’s version of Polyphemus or Scylla). Haven’t read it as I know the story, but couldn’t pass up the book because, you know, Colum and Pogany.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Myth and Legend. Children’s. Softcover.

The Kalevala, or Poems of the Kalevala District, Compiled by Elias Lonnrot. Translated by Francis Peabody Magoun, Jr.

Most simply put, it is the national poem of Finland. “The Kalevala was compiled by Elias Lönnrot, who published the folk material in two editions (32 cantos, 1835; enlarged into 50 cantos, 1849). Kalevala, the dwelling place of the poem’s chief characters, is a poetic name for Finland, meaning “land of heroes.” The leader of the “sons of Kaleva” is the old and wise Väinämöinen, a powerful seer with supernatural origins, who is a master of the kantele, the Finnish harplike stringed instrument. Other characters include the skilled smith Ilmarinen, one of those who forged the “lids of heaven” when the world was created; Lemminkäinen, the carefree adventurer-warrior and charmer of women; Louhi, the female ruler of Pohjola, a powerful land in the north; and the tragic hero Kullervo, who is forced by fate to be a slave from childhood. Among the main dramas of the poem are the creation of the world and the adventurous journeys of Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen, and Lemminkäinen to Pohjola to woo the beautiful daughter of Louhi, during which the miraculous sampo, a mill that produces salt, meal, and gold and is a talisman of happiness and prosperity, is forged and recovered for the people of Kalevala. Although the Kalevala depicts the conditions and ideas of the pre-Christian period, the last canto seems to predict the decline of paganism: the maid Marjatta gives birth to a son who is baptized king of Karelia, and the pagan Väinämöinen makes way for him, departing from Finland without his kantele and songs.” – Wikipedia. I have not completely read this book. The Kalevala not only influenced Tolkien’s work, it’s also the basis for one of Kameron’s and my favorite MST3K’s, “The Day the Earth Froze.” So there’s that. Magoun’s translation is described as ‘prose’ in that, while it is still in lines and stanzas, it does not try to keep the alliterative or stressed beat of the original ‘runot’; this form can be seen in Longfellow’s “Hiawatha’, which was influenced by the epic poem.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Epic Poem. Translation. Softcover.

Heimskringla, or The Lives of the Norse Kings, by Snorre Sturlason. Edited with Notes by Erling Monsen. And translated into English with the assistance of A. H. Smith.

“With 145 Illustrations and 5 Maps”. “It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson … Heimskringla is a collection of sagas about Swedish and Norwegian kings, beginning with the saga of the legendary Swedish dynasty of the Ynglings, followed by accounts of historical Norwegian rulers from Harald Fairhair of the 9th century up to the death of the pretender Eystein Meyla in 1177.” – Wikipedia. All part of my Northern Thing. That being said, I haven’t read it all, it being a big thick brick of a book.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Saga. Softcover.

The Animal Story Book, Edited by Andrew Lang. Illustrations by H. J. Ford.

“The Animal Story Book, part of Andrew Lang’s original Fairy Book series, has been admired time and time again, enchanting readers with its carefully crafted prose and eclectic assortment of tales, featuring animals from land, sea, and air, from the domesticated dog and parrot to the wild lion and dolphin. Originally published in 1896, this collection of celebrated tales has stood the test of time.” A Dover book.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Animal Stories. Softcover.

English Fairy Tales, Collected by Joseph Jacobs. Illustrated by John D. Batten.

“Joseph Jacobs (29 August 1854 – 30 January 1916) was an Australian folklorist, translator, literary critic, social scientist, historian and writer of English literature who became a notable collector and publisher of English folklore … His work went on to popularize some of the world's best known versions of English fairy tales including "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Goldilocks and the three bears", "The Three Little Pigs", "Jack the Giant Killer" and "The History of Tom Thumb". He published his English fairy tale collections: English Fairy Tales in 1890 and More English Fairy Tales in 1893 but also went on after and in between both books to publish fairy tales collected from continental Europe as well as Jewish, Celtic and Indian fairytales which made him one of the most popular writers of fairytales for the English language. During his lifetime, Jacobs came to be regarded as one of the foremost experts on English folklore.” – Wikipedia. Got this copy at Yesterday’s Warehouse.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fairy Tales. Collection. Softcover.

The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, Edited by Iona and Peter Opie.

“Here is a brand new edition of the classic anthology of nursery rhymes--over 500 rhymes, songs, nonsense jingles, and lullabies traditionally handed down to young children. Included are all of your favorites, ranging from "Yankee Doodle Came to Town" and "A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go" to "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep," Jack and Jill" and "Old Mother Hubbard." And complementing the rhymes are nearly a hundred illustrations, including reproductions of early art found in ballad sheets and music books, which highlight the development of children's illustrations over the last two centuries. With each piece, Iona and Peter Opie introduced a wealth of information, noting the earliest known publications of the rhyme, describing how it originated, illustrating changes in wording over time, and indicating variations and parallels in other languages. Moreover, in the general introduction, the Opies discuss the different types of rhyme and the earliest published collections, and they address such questions as who was Mother Goose and whether or not individual rhymes originally portrayed real people. For this second edition, the notes have been updated and extended in light of recent scholarship, providing an unrivaled wealth of literary and bibliographic information.” – Amazon.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Nursery Rhymes. Dictionary. Hardback.

Paracelsus: Selected Writings, by Phillipus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim. Edited by Jolande Jacobi. Translated by Norbert Guterman.

Illustrated by many old woodcuts of alchemy and natural philosophy. “The enigmatic sixteenth-century Swiss physician and natural philosopher Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, called Paracelsus, is known for the almost superhuman energy with which he produced his innumerable writings, for his remarkable achievements in the development of science, and for his reputation as a visionary (not to mention sorcerer) and alchemist. Little is known of his biography beyond his legendary achievements, and the details of his life have been filled in over the centuries by his admirers. This richly illustrated anthology presents in modernized language a selection of the moral thought of a man who was not only a self-willed genius charged with the dynamism of an impetuous and turbulent age but also in many ways a humble seeker after truth, who deeply influenced C. G. Jung and his followers.’ – Amazon. Paracelsus was always my favorite alchemist after I read about him in middle school. For all his learning and philosophy, he seemed to be a typical hard-headed Northern kind of fellow, argumentative and earthy. Bought this book for research and reference, as it were. I’ve peeked into it but haven’t really read it.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Alchemy. Natural Philosophy. Softcover.

The Art of Memory, and Bruno Giordano and the Hermetic Tradition, by Frances A. Yates.

Dame Frances’ work was a huge influence on John Crowley; the Art of Memory plays a key role in ‘Little, Big’, and the character of Bruno Giordano in the Aegypt Cycle. She even appears as a character in ‘Endless Things’. I bought these books out of the interest aroused by Crowley. “The ancient Greeks, to whom a trained memory was of vital importance—as it was to everyone before the invention of printing—created an elaborate memory system, based on a technique of impressing "places" and "images" on the mind. Inherited and recorded by the Romans, this art of memory passed into the European tradition, to be revived, in occult form, at the Renaissance, and particularly by the strange and remarkable genius, Giordano Bruno. Such is the main theme of Frances Yates's unique and distinctive book, in the course of which she sheds light on such diverse subjects as Dante's Divine Comedy, the form of the Shakespearian theater, and the history of ancient architecture. Aside from its intrinsic fascination, this book is an invaluable contribution to aesthetics and psychology, and to the history of philosophy, of science, and of literature.” – Amazon. ‘Memory’ has a fold out diagram; both are illustrated with woodcuts and half-tone reproductions of art. These are densely scholarly works into which I have only dipped a toe; I suppose I really am a dilettante and not a real academic.

Ranking: Essential, yet only Keepers.

File Code: Medieval Philosophy. Softcovers.

The White Goddess, by Robert Graves.

“The White Goddess: a Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth is a book-length essay on the nature of poetic myth-making by author and poet Robert Graves. The White Goddess represents an approach to the study of mythology from a decidedly CREATIVE and IDIOSYNCRATIC perspective. Graves proposes the existence of a European deity, the "White Goddess of Birth, Love and Death", much similar to the Mother Goddess, inspired and represented by the phases of the moon, who lies behind the faces of the diverse goddesses of various European and pagan mythologies … Graves argues that "true" or "pure" poetry is inextricably linked with the ancient cult-ritual of his proposed White Goddess and of her son … The White Goddess has been seen as a poetic work where Graves gives his notion of man's subjection to women in love an "anthropological grandeur" and further mythologises all women in general (and several of Graves's lovers in specific) into a three-faced moon goddess model. Graves's value as a poet aside, flaws in his scholarship such as poor philology, use of inadequate texts and outdated archaeology have been criticised. Some scholars, particularly archaeologists, historians and folklorists have rejected the work – which T. S. Eliot called "A prodigious, monstrous, stupefying, indescribable book" – and Graves himself was disappointed that his work was "loudly ignored" by many Celtic scholars.” Had to have it for insights into the ideas behind some of his novels.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Literary Theory. Crackpot. Softcover.

Magi: The Quest for a Secret Tradition, by Adrian G. Gilbert.

Illustrated by maps, star charts, and color photo inserts. I have always been interested by the Magi as somewhat enigmatic figures, and here they are examined by ‘reconstructive anthropological archaeology’. Not completely convinced by his conclusions, but his research, gathering of data, and theories are interesting.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Anthropology. Theory. Softcover.

The Hermetic Museum: Alchemy and Mysticism, by Alexander Roob.

A Taschen art book, and as such is a vast chunky image file with a dash of writing. Pictures such as these fascinated me as I found them sprinkled through history books and mythological ‘digests’ through school. Here they are gathered in one place, many in brilliant color. Enigmatic images and ancient diagrams, hinting at lost systems of esoteric knowledge.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Art. Mysticism. Softcover.

Christmas Curiosities, by John Grossman.

“Odd, Dark, and Forgotten Christmas” images and graphics. “Christmas Curiosities is just that; peculiar imagery from the time between St. Nicholas falling out of favor in the Protestant world and the now familiar image of Santa Claus becoming defined; also limited by the time that color printing becomes more widespread and inexpensive. Kristkindls, Krampuses, and Wienachtsmen compete with Santa Claus and St. Nicholas for the job of gift giver. I find the images of Mrs. Claus and Santa at the Creche are a lot older than I thought.” – Power of Babel.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Christmas. Art. Hardback.

A Dictionary of Chivalry, by Grant Uden. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes.

There was a copy of this in the Seguin public library that I wanted to borrow for years to browse in, but was unable to; it was in Reference, and could not be checked out. When I realized years later that it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes, my desire for this book only increased. I finally ordered this ex-library copy just recently; it too was marked for reference and “Not to be taken from this room”. Which is a shame, for it is basically what I would call a browser first and technical reference second, and so was isolated from its proper audience for years. Profusely illustrated in color and line drawings.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Dictionary. Chivalry. Hardback.

The Druids, by Stuart Piggott.

An edition of this book was in the high school library. I read it because I was fascinated with the Druids through much of my reading, especially Arthurian stories like “The Crystal Cave”. A scholarly look from archaeological and traditional accounts, with a record of their influence on popular imagination and ‘recreations’ of ancient religion. Profusely illustrated.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: History. Anthropology. Softcover.

The Works of Francois Rabelais, Translated by Sir Thomas Urquhart and Pierre Motteux. Illustrated by Frank. C. Pape.

Having been rather intrigued by accounts of Rabelais and already a fan of Pape from his illustrations of Cabell, I was extremely happy to find this book on a high shelf in Yesterday’s Warehouse. It is a little brittle and mildew-stained; no longer a reading copy, I fear. I have another Rabelais in softcover for that. Though Rabelais had a reputation as being rather risqué (which accounts for this edition), nowadays he wouldn’t flutter a pulse. He is rather ‘earthy’ and scatalogical, but most of his writing is scholarly and satirical. The style of Urquhart’s [pronounced ‘Irkit’] translation has influenced other writers, most notably Charles Kingsley and Robert Nye. Pape’s pictures are superb, with a certain kind of genius. [Since the binding is a rather plain lemon-yellow, I show a couple of the illustrations.]

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Classic. Satire. Hardback.

Saint George and the Dragon, by Edmund Spenser. Adapted by Sandol Stoddard Warburg. Illustrations by Pauline Baynes.

Found and read it in college. Preserved it in my memory with numerous Xeroxed images. Bought this copy many years later off the internet. More of Baynes’ medieval-style genius; the main reason I bought it. Let not this short entry be taken as an indication of its size in my affections.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Poetry. English. Hardback. Adaptation.

Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings, by Aboi Qasi Ferdowsi. A new translation by Dick Davis.

A big thick brick of a Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, got for a good price from Hamilton Books. “Wherever Persian influence has spread, the stories of the Shahnameh become deeply embedded in the culture … Among the greatest works of world literature, this prodigious narrative, composed by the poet Ferdowsi in the late tenth century, tells the story of pre-Islamic Iran, beginning in the mythic time of creation and continuing forward to the Arab invasion in the seventh century. The sweep and psychological depth of the Shahnameh is nothing less than magnificent as it recounts classic tales like the tragedy of Rostam and Sohrab.” – From the Cover.  Of interest to me for its myths and influence on several writer (like Matthew Arnold, and through him, C. S. Lewis). Also, Ferdowsi would be an excellent name for a cat.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Persia. National Legend. Softcover.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, by Rudolf Erich Raspe. Illustrated by Gustave Dore.

This 1944 edition is from the Book League of America, famous for its inexpensive, black-binding reprints of the classics (like the edition in which I first read ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’). These famous stories, once read all over the world, went into an eclipse after Germany’s use of them in propaganda in WWII. Revived a bit with Terry Gilliam’s ‘flawed’ masterpiece movie adaptation.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Classic. Tall Tale. Hardback.

Le Morte D’Arthur, by Sir Thomas Malory. Edited by John Matthews. Illustrated by Anna-Marie Ferguson.

“Complete, Unabridged, New Illustrated Edition”. One of the foundational works in the Arthurian legendarium, this book replaced a little paperback that I had. Could almost be a twin for the Alan Lee edition of “The Lord of the Rings” in size and design. Malory influenced White, Steinbeck, Lewis, and a host of other writers.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: The Matter of Britain. Legends. Hardback.

Shakespeare: The Complete Works, Edited by G. B. Harrison.

The textbook for my Shakespeare class under the great Dr. Robert W. Walts, it has the fully annotated plays and sonnets, and allied documents about the playwright. My preferred copy to read the plays in. Has my name in it. A souvenir of my highest attainment in English learning.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Shakespeare. Plays and Poetry. Hardback.

An Incomplete Education, by Judy Jones and William Wilson.

1987 Edition. Initially bought as a present for Mike, it later came back to me. This happens quite often to me: I give books I think both I and the other person would enjoy, and later I get them back. A compendium of facts about art, history, philosophy, science, and so on, potted into short snappy articles that help fill in gaps of one’s education and, if necessary, fake it. Illustrated. A good browser, it has been updated since.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Compendium of Civilization. Cheat Notes. Hardback.