Enchanted Wales: Myth and Magic in Welsh Storytelling

(Hardback)

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Description

Delve into the ancient roots of Welsh mythology, exploring sculptures, carvings, and artifacts that were made at least a thousand years before evidence of them was written down.

The magical world of Welsh mythology deserves to be better known outside its homeland. With its cast of heroes and tricksters, animals that can talk and change shape, and magicians and witches who can bring disaster or triumph to the people in their paths, Enchanted Wales brings the vibrant worlds of Welsh mythology to a wider audience and explores both their physical and ethereal origins. Voyage through the key stories of Welsh literature, exploring not just their medieval texts but also their ancient roots, which can be glimpsed in sculptures, carvings, and other artifacts from at least a thousand years earlier. A skillful storyteller, Miranda Aldhouse-Green, guides readers through this weird, wonderful, and Narnia-like world of dreams. Tales of witches, magicians, heroes, and villains are more than just epic entertainment, as they challenge readers to explore the human questions of life and death, war and peace, and good and evil.

Reviews

"The Welsh mythical tales, first written down by clerics in the Middle Ages, preserve vivid narratives told and retold by travelling storytellers over many centuries before. In this delightful book, the author explains the cultural and social background from which the stories come, going back to the Roman period and the Iron Age. Everything is here, severed heads, boar cults, magic cauldrons and shape-shifting. This is a fascinating, scholarly analysis made accessible to all."-- "Barry Cunliffe"

Author Bio

Miranda Aldhouse-Green is professor emeritus at Cardiff University. She has lectured at academic institutions including the Smithsonian Institution and the Universities of Toronto, Melbourne, Utrecht, and Ume.