Summersdale January to June 2024 Catalogue

The Little Book of Folklore
An Introduction to Ancient Myths and
Legends of the UK and Ireland
Kitty Greenbrown
ISBN: 9781837993215
£7.99
148x105mm
128pp
Paperback
09/05/2024
Rights and Sales Territories: World
From the famous Arthurian legends to monsters and faeries, The Little Book of
Folklore explores the magical and mystical tales that have shaped the British Isles.
Filled with stories of iconic characters like Robin Hood and Merlin, as well as
lesser-known tales of giants and witches, this book is a beginner’s guide to this
world of myth and wonder.
Key Selling Points:
• A new addition to the accessible Little Book of... series, this title offers the
perfect introduction to British and Irish folklore, providing key information
and retelling popular stories.
• Another title in the series, The Little Book of Witchcraft (ISBN: 9781800074071),
has sold over 12,000 copies.
THE GREEN MAN
WHO IS THE GREEN MAN?
Chapter two:
THE NATURAL
WORLD
The landscape of the British Isles is amazingly
diverse. Travel its length and breadth and you’ll
find everything from craggy coastline and quiet
rolling pasture, to mudflats, moorland, snowy
peaks and wooded valleys packed in, side by side.
Take to the islands’ lanes and by-ways and
you’ll find every barrow has its resident spirit,
every hole its boggit and every stream its dryad or
troll. Even the place names reflect a passion for
folktales, like Devil’s Dyke in Sussex, The Giant’s
Causeway in Northern Ireland and Mermaid’s
Pool in the Peak District.
Folk tales were used to explain Britain’s
many geographical and botanical mysteries,
while festivals like May Day and Michaelmas,
and practices like lighting bonfires and maypole
dancing, were used to keep Mother Nature in
The Green Man is a widely recognised symbol of
British folklore. He is usually depicted with a bearded
face thick with leaves and foliage – often with oak leaves
and acorns which were sacred symbols among the
Druids and in Celtic society.
Carvings of the Green Man image are common in
medieval churches in the UK. This has led researchers
to speculate that he represents a bridge between ancient
pagan beliefs and the Christianity which replaced them.
There are some good examples of Green Man
carvings in St David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire,
Widecombe-in-the-Moor in Devon and Rosslyn
Chapel in Midlothian.
With his face of leaves and twigs, and creepers
sprouting from his mouth, the Green Man is the male
embodiment of nature itself. He’s thought to be the
guardian of the rivers and the forests and is a symbol of
fertility and re-birth as winter ends and spring returns.
Beltane or May Day celebrations across Britain
still feature the Green Man to this day, either with
representations of him woven into the decorations of
the event or as a Green Man figure who takes part in
the parade in full costume.
OTHER NAMES FOR THE GREEN MAN
It’s thought the May King, who sits alongside the May
Queen at May Day celebrations, is just another version
of the Green Man.
As well as The May King, The Green Man is also
sometimes known as the Green Knight and Jack in
good humour and ensure a good harvest. This
the Green.
chapter shares a handful of folk tales and folk
practices rooted in the natural world.
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GIFT & HUMOUR
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