Enchanted Wales

Myth and Magic in Welsh Storytelling

Miranda Aldhouse-Green

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English

University of Wales Press
17 July 2024

Literary studies: classical, early & medieval; Religion & beliefs; Folklore, myths & legends; Monsters & legendary beings

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 is an invitation to voyage through the key stories of Welsh mythic literature, exploring not just their medieval texts but also their ancient roots, which can be glimpsed in sculptures, carvings and other artefacts from at least a thousand years earlier. These stories are more than epic entertainments: they allow us to explore our deepest questions about life and death, war and peace, and good and evil, secure in the knowledge that a skilful storyteller will guide us safely to the end of the tale.

On this journey, you will encounter severed heads that speak, birds that can tell the future, cauldrons with magical properties, quests that are as intricate and exciting as the Labours of Hercules, and ghostly underworlds where strange and frightening things happen to the humans who visit them. Enter these pages, and prepare to discover a weird, wonderful and Narnia-like world of dreams

the world of enchanted Wales.

By: Miranda Aldhouse-Green
Imprint: University of Wales Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 135mm, Spine: 10mm
ISBN: 9781915279187
ISBN 10: 1915279186
Pages: 168
Publication Date: 17 July 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: No Longer Our Product

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 Umeå.

Reviews for Enchanted Wales: Myth and Magic in Welsh Storytelling

"""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"""