The Little Encyclopedia of Enchanted Woodland Creatures: An A-to-Z Guide to Mythical Beings of the Forest by Jason Lancaster

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

I picked this one up because I had rather enjoyed The Little Encyclopedia of Fairies:  An A-to-Z Guide to Fae Magic.  It had brief entries but the worldwide focus was interesting. Enchanted Woodland Creatures has equally brief entries and a worldwide focus but the choices for inclusion seem a bit… odd.  I think it’s the word “enchanted” in the main title. 

You see, there are entries for Bigfoot, the Jersey Devil, and even Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox which I don’t really see as being “enchanted.” Folkloric, yes.  Enchanted, no.  The same can be said of several other entries. The subtitle Mythical Beings of the Forest is more accurate, but there's also an entry for a real bird though a bit of folklore connected with it is included. 

That said, there are some interesting entries for both mythological creatures as well as cryptids.  The entries are very brief, and some are accompanied by illustrations by Kate Forrester. I like her style and it’s worth looking through the book for those alone.  Only the cover is in color; the rest are black and white, and some look as they might be woodcuts or else pen and ink.  I thought they were charming.  In fact, I liked them well enough that I searched for the artist online and found she’s done a number of book covers. She is now on my radar as an artist I admire.

The limited information given in the entries was interesting, and I did like the long list of sources at the end.  The entries are well written.  This is a fun browsing book, despite the sometimes perplexing choices.

I did enjoy it, even if I didn’t fit it into a Book Bingo square.

The Element Encyclopedia of the Celts by Rodney Castleden

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Subtitled “The ultimate a-z of the symbols, history, and spirituality of the legendary Celts,” this book does take on a lot of territory.  Author Castleden, a former teacher, divides the book up into six sections: Celtic people and lifestyles; Celtic places; Celtic religion; myths, legends, and stories; symbols, ideas, and archetypes; and Celtic twilight and revival.  Each section has an a-z listing of terms under that topic, with many “see” references for alternate terms and spellings.

The length of entries varies from a couple of sentences to several pages, depending on the topic.  The tone is conversational but not casual; and the author tries to be very even-handed on some controversial topics, such as King Arthur. (Castleden does believe there was a historical Arthur but also explains why others don’t believe he existed.)

To be honest, I got much more than I expected from this book.  I like the detailed explanations and that some things are put in historical context:  as in, this is what was thought about the item when first discovered, this is what other evidence showed, and this is the current thought. I like that it is very browseable, and that I found all the entries both interesting and entertaining.  Under “Bean Si,” I learned that this is the term for a Celtic fairy woman who is often seen washing the bloody clothes of those about to die.  It’s pronounced “banshee”—and that certainly explains a lot.  Another term I looked up was “Claddagh,” the popular symbol of clasped hands and a heart. Castleden says it dates to the sixteenth century and seems to have originated in Galway, though it may have been inspired by a Roman design. The section on “Fairies” was quite enlightening, and certainly explained some references I had come across as to their origin and dress.

There are entries on Druids, Samhain, Celtic Cross, and many more.  There aren’t a lot of illustrations but the information more than makes up for it. As mentioned before, I like that the author is up-front about his biases and beliefs rather than just presenting them as fact; it leaves room for disagreement.  I do wish there was an index, but otherwise I found this a very enjoyable and informative book.

Little Encyclopedia of Fairies by Ojo Opanike

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

While setting up our cryptid display, I was a bit sidetracked looking at other creatures in folklore.  This small volume with a charming cover is subtitled “An A to Z Guide to Fae Magic” and includes creatures from cultures all over the world.  Unlike the Disney versions, many of these creatures aren’t cute or fond of humans, except perhaps as a snack.  Many are small, some can shape-shift, and they mostly are connected with nature.  Some are helpful to humans; others are indifferent or malevolent; some can be all three, according to their mood.

For many fairies, giving them a place to stay or offerings of food will encourage them to help or bring luck to humans, or at the very least to not create mischief.  Some appear as small humans, while others like the Alpine Aguane are beautiful but who have hooves.  The Abatwa of South Africa are so small that they ride on the backs of ants but they can bring down large game with their poisoned arrows. You can curry favor with them by saying they appear large.

While many were new to me, some readily recognizable ones are also included, such as Brownies or Boggarts. One feature I particularly liked in this book is that the author will often mention a literary appearance although the Boggarts of Harry Potter are different than the traditional forms. Traditionally, a mistreated Brownie becomes a malicious Boggart.

While I’ve read other books on fairies, most have concentrated on European folklore.  This one has global coverage, including entities from Native American tribes.  The entries are mostly brief and there are a few illustrations.

This is by no means a comprehensive look, but it is a fun browser’s book.   

Tuesdays with Ambrea: The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

 

 

Reviewed by Ambrea

 

Punished by Odin for refusing to share her magic sight, Angrboda is burned at the stake three times and pierced through her heart with a spear.  When she awakens, she flees to the farthest reaches of Ironwood and begins her life anew.  Even as she refuses to be drawn back in by the treacherous gods and goddesses of Asgard, her story quickly becomes entwined with that of Loki—the trickster god who returns her heart and claims her love.

The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec is an interesting novel.  Like most novels revolving around characters in Norse myths, readers immediately know how Angrboda’s story will end—with the realization of Ragnarok and the end of the worlds.  Everyone knows what happened to the old gods and goddesses of Norse mythology.  It can spoil the end of a story, especially if you happen to fall in love with the characters.

But Gornichec’s novel is one of those that grabs you and takes you along for the journey, drawing you into the story, regardless of whether you know the destination or not.  It’s fascinating to see Angrboda fleshed out as a character, as a person—as more than Loki’s wife and the mother of Hel, Fenrir, and Jormungandr.  I enjoyed seeing her develop, weaving together the shattered pieces of her memory, falling in love with Loki, making friends with Skadi and Gerd, fighting to save her children.

I truly enjoyed reading about Angrboda and envisioning her story, but, then again, I’ve found I adore retellings of little-known female characters from ancient literature and mythology.  The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, for instance, or Circe by Madeline Miller.  Others include:  Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, Lavinia by Ursula K. LeGuin, or The Memoirs of Helen of Troy by Amanda Elyot.

While I don’t think The Witch’s Heart quite lives up to either Diamant’s or Miller’s novels, I think it manages to blaze its own trail and create an interesting, compelling, and enjoyable story.  Moreover, I really liked the way Gornichec brought together different myths—tales of Hyndla, Heid, Gullveig, and Angrboda—and created a singular, intricate story.

I think my biggest complaint about The Witch’s Heart is the length:  it feels a little too long.  I enjoyed reading about Angrboda and following along with her journey; however, I thought it started to run out of steam about midway through the novel.  I mean, once we recognize the true extent of her tragedies and, more to the point, get our first real glimpse of Ragnarok, it’s difficult to remain invested.  After a certain point, much of her story begins to feel like filler, as we slowly make our closer and closer to the end of the world.

Even so, I think it’s a pretty great novel and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Norse mythology or female-centric retellings of classics.

Monsters and Mythical Creatures from Around the World by Heather Frigiola

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

I picked this book up with the intention of just glancing through it but became intrigued. Frigiola starts from various cultural areas instead of individual countries, and briefly explores some of the creatures from those areas.  Greek and Roman myths occupy their own chapter because of the strong influence these have had on Western civilization, but they didn’t dominate the book. 

While in most cases the author looked at ancient legends, a few creatures of more modern vintage did show up, such as the Mothman, Jersey Devil, and the jackalope.  Entries tend to have some history, a description and variations, and sometimes a brief retelling of a story about the creature.  I especially liked that Frigiola noted how some descriptions changed after conditions in the area changed, whether from conquest or migration. 

Some creatures are not at all well known outside of their homeland while others have international reputations.  There are also comparisons between creatures who have superficial similarities:  the Russian Firebird is compared to the legends about the phoenix ; the Yeti, Yowie, and Sasquatch are contrasted as are the Egyptian and Greek versions of the Sphinx.  I had heard of the Australian bunyip but not the yara-ma-yha-who which draws blood out of its victims by way of suckers on its fingertips and toes.  Parents advise children to play dead if attacked as the creature loses interest if it believes the victim is dead.

The entries are certainly not comprehensive and don’t pretend to be.  They’re short essays designed to whet the appetite and to give the reader some idea of the amazing variety of the world’s mythical beasts and beings.  There are several I want to follow up on.

I also like that the author doesn’t present each entry as if this is the last word.  For example, under Latin America’s “Were-jaguar,” it’s explained that the term is used by archaeologists and researchers who aren’t really sure what it meant in the culture.  It could have been an object of worship or an ancestral totem; it could represent a cryptid or a shapeshifter.  The text also makes clear that shapeshifting can mean something different than a typical Western European interpretation. 

The illustrations are simple but effective.  I would have enjoyed seeing more artistic interpretations (or in some cases photos of native artwork) but given the sometimes greatly divergent descriptions of some of the creatures a full representation would have taken up several volumes. 

A simple index ups the value and maps make clear which geographic area is being referenced.

I think this is a nifty little book and was certainly worth my time.

Once and Future Myths

By Jeanne

Mythology has become a hot topic. 

There have been many books drawing from myth and legend over the years—books about King Arthur* alone would fill a library—but there seems to be a recent uptick in the number of titles which draw from myth.  Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series introduced a whole generation of children to the gods of Olympus, a series so successful that it spawned other series dealing with Norse and Egyptian mythology.  He now has his own children’s book imprint, Rick Riordian Presents, which will showcase new writers who are producing myth based fantasy of many cultures. The first book is Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi which uses Hindu mythology as its setting.

On the adult side, Neil Gaiman came out with Norse Mythology last year, a non-fiction book which retells the Norse myths.  Those who know Thor only as one of the Avengers may be in for quite the surprise. The retellings are done with Gaiman’s usual high quality wordsmithing skills, with wonderful imagery, insight, and humor. This book is highly recommended as a starting point.

Following that, anyone intrigued should try Joanne Harris’ writing about the Norse, especially The Gospel of Loki which retells the stories from the point of view of one of the first unreliable narrators—Loki the Trickster.  She had two previous books, set in an alternate world after Ragnarok, Runemarks and Runelight.  Coming in May 2018 will be The Testament of Loki, which picks up right after The Gospel but which ties in with the Runemarks books.

Another new book draws on Greek myths:  Circe by Madeline Miller tells the story of the woman best known today as the enchantress Odysseus encountered on his way back from the Trojan War.  The reviews have been glowing, praising the engrossing story and poetic language. Miller’s previous novel, Song of Achilles, was about the Greek prince Patroclus and his friend Achilles, and how both ended up in going to fight in Troy.

It just goes to show that a good story never really goes away; it is just reworked to suit a new audience. 

*If you are interested in the Arthurian tales, I recommend a classic trilogy by Mary Stewart:  The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, and The Last Enchantment. These are as much Merlin’s story as Arthur’s; in fact, the first book takes place before Arthur is born.  There is a fourth book, The Wicked Day, which is told from Modred’s point of view.

There are many, many others but this is a long time favorite of mine.