"Within a few minutes of this book arriving, I had put bookmarks in five places and was roaring through the index. A lovely compilation. It's the real macabre." —Terry Pratchett Scotland's rich past and varied landscape have inspired an extraordinary array of legends and beliefs, and many of the most intriguing are collected here: stories of heroes and bloody feuds; giants, fairies, and witches; and accounts of local customs and traditions. Their range extends across the country, from the Borders with their haunting ballads, via Glasgow, site of St. Mungo's miracles, to the fateful battlefield of Culloden, and finally to the Shetlands, home of the seal-people. More than simply retelling these stories, this collection explores their origins, showing how and when they arose and investigating what basis they have in historical fact. It uncovers the events that inspired Macbeth, probes the claim that Mary King’s Close is the most haunted street in Edinburgh, and examines the surprising truth behind the fame of the MacCrimmons, Skye's unsurpassed bagpipers. Moreover, it reveals how generations of Picts, Vikings, Celtic saints, and Presbyterian reformers shaped the myriad tales that still circulate. The result is a thrilling journey through Scotland's legendary past and an endlessly fascinating account of the traditions and beliefs that play such an important role in its heritage.

The Lore of Scotland: A guide to Scottish legends

History

Kingshill, Sophia

Westwood, Jennifer Beatrice

Europe

Arrow Books, Ltd.

A rich, magnificent exploration of the folklore and mythology of the English and Irish coast
Pirates and smugglers, ghost ships and sea-serpents, fishermen's prayers and sailors' rituals—the coastline of the British Isles plays host to an astonishingly rich variety of local legends, customs, and superstitions. Here renowned folklorists Sophia Kingshill and Jennifer Westwood gather together the most enthralling tales and traditions, tracing their origins and examining the facts behind the legends. Was there ever such a beast as the monstrous Kraken? Did a Welsh prince discover America, centuries before Columbus? What happened to the missing crew of the Mary Celeste? Along the way, they recount the stories that are an integral part of Britain's coastal heritage, such as the tale of Drake's Drum, said to be heard when England was in peril, and the mythical island of Hy Brazil, which for centuries appeared on sea charts and maps to the west of Ireland. The result is an endlessly fascinating, often surprising journey through island history.

The Fabled Coast: Legends & Traditions from Around the Shores of Britain & Ireland

Westwood, Jennifer

Arrow

Pirates and smugglers, ghost ships and sea-serpents, fishermen’s prayers and sailors’ rituals—the coastline of the British Isles plays host to an astonishingly rich variety of local legends, customs, and superstitions. In The Fabled Coast, renowned folklorists Sophia Kingshill and Jennifer Westwood gather together the most enthralling tales and traditions, tracing their origins and examining the facts behind the legends. Was there ever such a beast as the monstrous Kraken? Did a Welsh prince discover America, centuries before Columbus? What happened to the missing crew of the Mary Celeste? Along the way, they recount the stories that are an integral part of the coastal heritage, such as the tale of Drake’s Drum, said to be heard when England was in peril, and the mythical island of Hy Brazil, which for centuries appeared on sea charts and maps to the west of Ireland. The result is an endlessly fascinating, often surprising journey through Britain's island history.

RANDOM HOUSE UK

A rich guide to a fascinating set of myths, this book explores the legends attached to buildings such as Balbegno Castle, whose last Laird was killed in battle before returning as a ghost to prophecy a friend’s future greatness; examines the tales behind landscape features such as Dowalton Loch, said to contain an ancient village in its depths; and looks at the strange events commemorated by monuments such as the Martyr’s Tomb in Wigtown, erected in memory of the "Covenanters," who resisted Charles II’s 1679 reintroduction of bishops. Along the way, it explains when these stories date from, how they arose, and what historical eventsif anyunderlie them, and the result is an endlessly fascinating exploration of the astonishing wealth of Scottish folklore.

The Lore of Scotland: A Guide to Scotland's Legends, from the Loch Ness Monster to Sawney Bean the Cannibal

Sophia Kingshill has written here the history of a unique family tree, travelling back 3,000 years to discover the enduring myths and the vibrant folklore that continue to enchant us and ensure the mermaid’s survival.

Mermaids

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Little Toller Books

Mermaids are blessed with one tail or two, are as happy in freshwater as salt, and boast an ancestry that stretches from the classical world to the present, pre-dating Homer's sirens and which will outlive the blood-thirsty nymphs of Pirates of the Caribbean. The mermaid expresses our reliance on the sea for food and trade and draws on our fear and fascination of the unknown depths. From her roots in Assyrian reliefs and her casting in Medieval bestiaries, she has been carved intochurches, painted onto pub signs and Pre-Raphaelite canvases, inked into skin, sketched by Picasso, starred in Hollywood movies and in 21st century graffiti, reclaimed as neither vamp nor victim but as a symbol of womanhood and resistance. Few creatures claim this allure or longevity. Mermaids' culture spans eras, continents, art forms.

Mermaids: Lusts and Legends of a Rebel Sisterhood

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kingshill, Sophia. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Kingshill, Sophia

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kingshill, Sophia. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Lore of Scotland: A guide to Scottish legends

The Fabled Coast: Legends & Traditions from Around the Shores of Britain & Ireland

The Fabled Coast: Legends & Traditions from Around the Shores of Britain & Ireland

The Lore of Scotland: A Guide to Scotland's Legends, from the Loch Ness Monster to Sawney Bean the Cannibal

Mermaids

Mermaids: Lusts and Legends of a Rebel Sisterhood