Nine tales of early Irish literature beautifully retold in a modern, evocative styleA mysterious woman appears nightly at the bedside of a prince and sings to him until he falls sick with love for her. A determined hero tracks his beloved through several incarnations, struggling to win her back. A young warrior seeks a woman who turns into a swan. These are the plots of little-known, anonymous tales composed over a thousand years ago in the monastic libraries of Ireland. In poetry and prose, they tell us what happens when human and supernatural lovers cross the boundaries between our world and the Otherworld (síd). Set in a lost time of heroes, demi-gods, warrior queens, and other folk of the Irish Otherworld (áes síde), these stories inspired some of the earliest fairy tales of France and England. What is more, they are sexier, funnier, and bloodier than better-known medieval myths and romances. In Otherworld, historian and novelist Lisa M. Bitel offers lively retellings of these Irish original myths using her expertise in Irish history and literature to guide modern readers. She traces themes and characters that link the nine magical tales, explains customs and locations, and brings out the humor. Like all storytellers--whether medieval or modern, performers or scribes--Bitel interprets the originals as she leads her readers over the boundary of reality to the Otherworld. Drawings especially created for the book by Saba Joshaghani accompany these astonishing tales.
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Otherworld 9780197600610 Hardback
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- Authors:
- Bitel, Lisa M. (Dean's Professor of Religion and Professor of History, Dean's Professor of Religion and Professor of History, University of Southern California)
- Year Published:
- 2025
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Format:
- Hardback
- Illustrations Note:
- 12 line drawings
- ISBN:
- 9780197600610
- Number of Pages:
- 248
- Publication Date:
- 23/01/2025
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press Inc
- Language:
- English
- Place of Publication:
- New York
- Imprint:
- Oxford University Press Inc
- SKU:
- 9780197600610