Children into swans : fairy tales and the pagan imagination / Jan Beveridge.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Beveridge, Jan, 1945-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Fairy tales--Europe--History and criticism.

Fairy tales.

Fairy tales--Europe--Classification.

Europe.

Genre:

Classification.

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

xvi, 279 pages ; 21 cm

Place of Publication:

Montreal : Mcgill-Queens Univ Press, 2014.

Summary:

"Fairy tales are alive with the supernatural - elves, dwarfs, fairies, giants, and trolls, as well as witches with magic wands and sorcerers who cast spells and enchantments. Children into Swans examines these motifs in a range of ancient stories. Moving from the rich period of nineteenth-century fairy tales back as far as the earliest folk literature of northern Europe, Jan Beveridge shows how long these supernatural features have been a part of storytelling, with ancient tales, many from Celtic and Norse mythology, that offer glimpses into a remote era and a pre-Christian sensibility. The earliest stories often show significant differences from what we might expect. Elves mingle with Norse gods, dwarfs belong to a proud clan of magician-smiths, and fairies are shape-shifters emerging from the hills and the sea mist. In story traditions with roots in a pre-Christian imagination, an invisible other world exists alongside our own. From the lost cultures of a thousand years ago, Children into Swans opens the door on some of the most extraordinary worlds ever portrayed in literature - worlds that are both starkly beautiful and full of horrors."--Publisher's description.

Contents:

Part One: History

Early Storytellers

The Oldest "Fairy" Tale

The Manuscript

Folk Tales and Fairy Tales

Part Two: Characters

Fairies

Elves

Dwarfs

Household Spirits

Water Dwellers

Giants

Souls and Spirits

Part Three: Stories from the Pagan Year

Festival Days

Beltaine

Samain

Midwinter and Midsummer

Part Four: Storytellers' Themes

Wishing, or Dreams Come True

The Triple Form

Shape-Shifting

Omens and Prophecies

Between Two Worlds

Spells

Trees

The Invisible World

A Fairy Tale Almost Forgotten.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Beveridge, Jan, 1945-, author. Children into swans.

ISBN:

0773543945

9780773543942

OCLC:

879528710