Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook: British Units

Showing posts with label British Units. Show all posts

Myth-Folklore Unit: Beowulf

Overview. Beowulf is the hero of an Old English (Anglo-Saxon) epic poem that was composed in England around the eighth or ninth century, but which narrates legendary events that took place in Scandinavia hundreds of years earlier, perhaps around the fifth century. As the story begins, we meet Beowulf as a young man, ambitious but untested in battle. He hears of a monster, Grendel, that is devastating the lands of Hrothgar, King of the Danes, and he resolves to go forth and defeat that monster. Grendel is not the only monster that Beowulf must face, as he also battles Grendel's mother, and a fire-breathing dragon also! The version you will read here — The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs — is a prose adaptation in modern English. You get to read the complete book (it was just the right length for a reading unit in this class!), and I think you will find that Riggs's style is very lively and easy to read.

Language. This is a modern prose adaptation of the ancient poem, easy to read.

Story Length. This is the entire story of Beowulf; the book was the exact right length for a reading unit in this class (15,000 words).

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Beowulf. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

READING A:

READING B:

Myth-Folklore Unit: Mabinogion - Pwyll and Taliesin

Overvew. The Mabinogion (or, more correctly, The Mabinogi) is a collection of Welsh stories that were preserved in manuscript form in the 14th century but which date back many centuries earlier to the oral storytelling traditions of the Welsh people. The version you will read here is a pioneering 19th-century English translation of The Mabinogion by Lady Charlotte Guest. Out of the many story cycles that make up Lady Guest's edition of the Mabinogion, I have chosen for this unit the story of Pwyll, Prince of Dyved, and his mysterious wife Rhiannon. As you will see, theirs is a story of supernatural magic and also of love and loyalty. In addition, you will also get to read the story of the Taliesin, a comical bard and mystical prophet who was later associated with the legends of King Arthur (as, for example, in the novel Taliesin which begins Stephen Lawhead's modern series of Arthurian fantasy fiction, The Pendragon Cycle).

Language. This is a prose version of the original Welsh which attempts to give you a feel for the original oral storytelling style, and the Taliesin stories contain the poems of Taliesin translated into English.

Story Length. This unit consists of two long stories: the first half of the unit contains the story of Pwyll and Rhiannon, and the second half contains the story of Taliesin.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on a single page: Mabinogion.

READING A:

READING B:

(from the Medieval Welsh Prose page,

a very useful resource!)

Myth-Folklore Unit: King Arthur

Overview. This collection of Arthur legends falls into two main categories: there are stories about Arthur (how he became king, how he obtained Excalibur and the Round Table, and his enmity with his own sister Morgan le Fay), and those Arthur stories are then followed by stories about Arthur's knights and their quest for the Holy Grail (focusing on Sir Galahad and Sir Lancelot). Then, at the very end of the unit, the focus shifts back to Arthur, and the tragic events that marked the end of his reign. The source is King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang. While Lang does use a rather lofty style of English to convey the grandeur of the legend, his writing is still very lively and readable. Especially if you are interested in the mystical and mysterious aspects of Arthurian legend, full of magic and dreams, I think you will enjoy these stories very much!

Language. Andrew Lang has retold the medieval Arthur materials in modern literary prose; it should not be too difficult to read.

Story Length. The unit consists of one continuous story, divided into separate episodes, with the second half focused on the search for the Holy Grail.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: King Arthur. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

READING A:

READING B:

Myth-Folklore Unit: Ballads of Robin Hood

Overview. The Robin Hood stories in this unit are in the form of ballads as found in The English and Scottish Popular Ballads collected by Francis James Child. The ballads are oldest sources for the Robin legends, some of them dating back to the Middle Ages. You will see Robin at the start of his outlaw career, a young man with a furious temper who murders fourteen of the king's foresters, leaving just one alive to tell the tale. In addition to his skill with the bow, Robin is a trickster too, often disguising himself as someone unexpected — a butcher, a beggar, a monk, and even an old woman. You will meet the Merry Men, such as Little John, Will Scarlett and Allen a Dale, and you will also meet Robin's sworn enemies, such as the Bishop of Hereford and the Sheriff of Nottingham. And yes, Maid Marian will make an appearance, as will King Richard. Plus, some of the ballads have YouTube recordings where you can listen to the song as well as reading the lyrics!

Language. All the readings in this unit are ballads. For some of the ballads you have just the lyrics; for some ballads, you can listen to a performance of the song at YouTube. The ballads are quite old, so the language is quite old-fashioned, but good for singing out loud!

Story Length. Each ballad is a single page in length.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Robin Hood. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

READING A:

READING B:

(Robin Hood statue in Nottingham)

Myth-Folklore Unit: Canterbury Tales

Overview. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales are one of the most famous works of Middle English poetry, and this unit gives you a chance to enjoy the stories in modern English prose form, as retold in Eva March Tappan's The Chaucer Story Book. On a pilgrimage to Canterbury, a group of pilgrims decide to have a storytelling contest, and the "Canterbury Tales" are the stories that they tell. You will read stories from seven of the pilgrims, and the stories are as varied as the pilgrims themselves. The Wife of Bath tells a sort of fairy tale set in the court of King Arthur, while the Friar tells a story about the devil-as-trickster. From the Franklin you will hear a beautiful story of love and magic. From the Pardoner you will hear a parable about Death, while the Prioress tells a religious tale about the miracles of the Virgin Mary. The Nun's Priest story is a charming animal fable about Chauntecleer the Rooster, and the last story you will hear is a comical tale from the Canon's Yeoman about would-be alchemy. In the spirit of the original storytelling contest, you can decide who is the winner amongst these seven tales.

Language. This is a modern prose adaption of Chaucer's medieval poetry, and as such it should not be difficult to read.

Story Length. The stories in this unit vary in length, with some being a single page while others are two, three or four pages long.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on a single page: Canterbury Tales.

READING A:

READING B:

Myth-Folklore Unit: Faerie Queen - Britomart

Overview. Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene is an epic poem of the English Renaissance that features knights and their adventures. In this unit, you will read about the adventures of a virtuous lady knight, Britomart, who has seen the face of her destined lover in Merlin's mirror and sets out on a quest to find him, all the while disguised as a man. Although Spenser's poetry is very beautiful, I have used a prose version for this unit — Stories from the Faerie Queene by Mary Macleod — so that you can enjoy Britomart's adventure as a story in its own right. You will find magical weapons here, like Britomart's own enchanted spear, and mysterious settings, such as the "Castle Joyous of the Lady of Delight" or the even more weird "Castle of the Enchanter." Britomart's male disguise leads to several gender-bending dilemmas and, to add to the confusion, her beloved Artegall has disguised himself beyond recognition as a wild man called the "Savage Knight." If you are a fan of Arthurian romance and/or Shakespearean comedies of mistaken identity, I think you will enjoy Britomart's story!

Language. This is a prose adaptation of Spenser's Renaissance poetry, and it should not be too difficult to read.

Story Length. This unit consists of one continuous story, divided into different episodes.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on a single page: Britomart.

Free audiobook available!

READING A:

READING B:

Myth-Folklore Unit: Alice in Wonderland

Overview. In this unit, you will read most of Lewis Carroll's famous novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (first published almost 150 years ago, in 1865).There are a few chapters that I had to omit to keep the reading down under 15,000 words, but I'm guessing you will find all or most of your favorite episodes here: Alice's trip down the Rabbit-Hole as she chases the White Rabbit, her encounter with the Caterpillar, the surreal visit to the Duchess's kitchen (which is when she first encounters the Cheshire Cat), the Mad Tea-Party, the Queen's Croquet-Ground, and The Trial to determine "Who Stole the Tarts?" There is a LibriVox audio recording available too, which means you can listen to the novel while you read. I've included the famous illustrations by Sir John Tenniel along with illustrations by Arthur Rackham and others who have imagined Alice's Wonderland in visual form.

Language. Carroll's novel is written in a delightful prose style, and it also contains some original poetry as well.

Story Length. This unit consists of one continuous story, divided up into separate episodes. You will be reading most, but not quite all, of the original novel.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Alice in Wonderland. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

Free audiobook available!

READING A:

READING B:

(illustration by Sir John Tenniel)

Myth-Folklore Unit: Through the Looking-Glass

Overview. Lewis Carroll published Alice in Wonderland in 1865, and in 1871 he published a sequel: Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. While the Wonderland novel was inspired by a pack of playing cards, this novel features chess pieces: you'll meet the Red Queen and Red King, along with the White King and White Queen, and also the gentle but lunatic inventor, the White Knight. In addition to the chess pieces, this novel features some of Carroll's best known characters, such as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Walrus and the Carpenter, and that most famous egg in all of world literature: Humpty Dumpty. Finally, this is the Alice novel which contains the epic nonsense rhyme, Jabberwocky. So, like Alice in Wonderland, this novel is full of delights, and there is a LibriVox audio recording available too, which means you can listen to the novel while you read.

Language. Carroll's novel is written in a delightful prose style, and it also contains some original poetry as well.

Story Length. This unit consists of one continuous story, divided up into separate episodes. You will be reading most, but not quite all, of the original novel.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Through the Looking-Glass. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

Free audiobook available!

READING A:

READING B:

(illustration by John Tenniel)

Myth-Folklore Unit: Aesop's Fables (English)

Overview. This reading unit gives you another chance to experience the very popular tradition of Aesop's fables. The fables in this unit are in both prose and verse, coming from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries! The 17th-century fables are by Sir Roger L'Estrange, whose monumental collection of Aesop's fables — Fables of Aesop and Other Eminent Mythologists — is the biggest and best book of Aesop's fables in English. From the 18th century, there are the fables of the Roman poet Phaedrus translated into rhyming English couplets by Christopher Smart. From the 19th-century, there are more verse fables from Sir Brooke Boothby and James Davies. There are also many illustrations which in turn come from many different sources. If you like to read out loud, this would be a wonderful unit to choose: poetry always sounds good when read out loud, and L'Estrange's hilarious, hyperbolic English prose is as good as poetry for reading aloud!

Language. L'Estrange's 17th-century prose is very old-fashioned but it is also very fun to read out loud. The verse fables by Davies, Smart and Boothby all have rhyme, which makes them fun to read out loud too.

Story Length. Most of the fables are quite short, with several fables on a single page, grouped by the type of animal.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Aesop's Fables (English). Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

Additional Resources. There is an Aesop Index page for all the fables in the various Aesop units in this course, and you can use this link to see the four different Aesop units listed on a single page. If you would like to see all 600 of the fables that are part of the Greek and Roman Aesop tradition, you can find a listing at Aesopica.net.

READING A:

The Gods (Davies)
More Gods (Smart)
Fables about People (Boothby)
More Fables about People (L'Estrange)
Apes (L'Estrange)
Foxes (Smart)
More Foxes (L'Estrange)
Lions (Boothby)
A Lion and a Man (L'Estrange)
Lions and Asses (Smart)
Asses (Boothby)
More Asses (L'Estrange)

READING B:

Wolves (Smart)
More Wolves (L'Estrange)
Dogs (Smart)
More Dogs (Boothby)
Yet More Dogs (L'Estrange)
Cats and Weasels (Smart)
Birds (Smart)
More Birds (Boothby)
Yet More Birds (L'Estrange)
Insects (Smart)
Insects, Fishes, and Frogs (Boothby)
More Frogs (Smart)

(illustration by Arthur Rackham)

Myth-Folklore Unit: Nursery Rhymes

Overview. There are many collections and editions of the English nursery rhymes, but this particular edition — The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang, with plentiful illustrations by L Leslie Brooke — is my own personal favorite. It is full of wonderful rhymes, and Lang has organized them into some helpful categories, as you will see in the table of contents. Before you begin reading this unit, try writing out a list of all the nursery rhymes you can think of, and then check them off as you read. My guess is that you will find all your old favorites here, along with many delightful new rhymes that perhaps you have never heard before. There are also riddles and games: did your parents play "This Little Piggy" with your fingers or your toes when you were little? That's one of the nursery rhyme games you will find here, along with many more!

Language. As you can guess, the nursery rhymes all... rhyme, and so they are wonderfully fun to read out loud.

Story Length. The nursery rhymes are all very short, with each page containing a selection of rhymes.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Nursery Rhymes. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

Read More. The chapters of Lang's book included below are all complete, but there are three chapters I omitted for reasons of space. If you want more rhymes, you can read them online! Here are the links to the chapters that I omitted: Historical Rhymes, Literal and Scholastic Rhymes, and Gaffers and Gammers.

READING A:

READING B:

Myth-Folklore Unit: English Fairy Tales

Overview. The readings for this unit come from English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, published in 1890, which he followed with More English Fairy Tales in 1894. In these two volumes, Jacobs set out to find folktales and fairy tales that could be considered "native" to England and the Lowlands of Scotland. He undertook the project in what he considered a patriotic spirit, hoping that English children would enjoy reading English fairy tales, in addition to French fairy tales told by Perrault or the German stories of the Brothers Grimm. Here in this first volume, you will meet Tom Tit Tot, who is the English equivalent of Rumpstiltskin, while Mr. Fox is something like an English Blue Beard. You will find familiar stories here, like The Three Pigs, along with some wonderful stories I would guess you have never heard before, such as The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh, which is not about an earthworm; no, this "laidly worm" is a "loathesome dragon" ("laidly" being a Scottish dialect word).

Language. Jacobs tells the fairy tales in modern literary prose, so it is not difficult reading.

Story Length. The stories in this unit are all single-page stories.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: English Fairy Tales. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

Free audiobook available!

READING A:

READING B:

Henny-Penny
Molly Whuppie
Mr Fox
Johnny-Cake
Mr Miacca
The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh
The Ass, The Table and the Stick
Fairy Ointment

Myth-Folklore Unit: More English Fairy Tales

Overview. The readings for this unit come from More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, published in 1894 as a sequel to his English Fairy Tales of 1890. In these two volumes, Jacobs set out to find folktales and fairy tales that could be considered "native" to England and the Lowlands of Scotland. He undertook the project in what he considered a patriotic spirit, hoping that English children would enjoy reading English fairy tales, in addition to French fairy tales told by Perrault or the German stories of the Brothers Grimm. Here in this second volume, you will find several "Cinderella-type" stories such as Tattercoats, Rushen Coatie, and Catskin. There are tragic stories, such as The Children in the Wood, and comical tales like Johnny Gloke or The Three Wishes. And the opening story is one I am sure you know: The Pied Piper, which is told here with wonderfully vivid details!

Language. Jacobs tells the fairy tales in modern literary prose, so it is not difficult reading.

Story Length. These are all single-page stories.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: More English Fairy Tales. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

READING A:

READING B:

The Children in the Wood
King John and the Abbot of Canterbury
Rushen Coatie
The King o' the Cats
The Stars in the Sky
The Little Bull-Calf
Old Mother Wiggle-Waggle
Catskin

Myth-Folklore Unit: Welsh Fairy Book (Thomas)

Overview. The readings for this unit come from a book by W. Jenkyn Thomas published in 1908: The Welsh Fairy Book. Thomas was a schoolmaster in South Wales and wanted to share with his students the storytelling traditions that were native to the country of Wales, one of the most important centers of Celtic storytelling in the British Isles. You will find stories here about King Arthur and about Merlin, along with other historical and legendary rulers of Wales such as King March and Prince Llewelyn. There are stories of haunted lakes and buried treasure, supernatural monsters and magical spells, as well as many tales about the "fair family," the Tyleth Teg as the fairy folk are called in Welsh. And if you are wondering about how to pronounce all those Welsh names, Thomas provides a helpful pronunciation guide. Yes, those are the same Roman letters used in writing English, but they are used rather differently in Welsh writing!

Language. Thomas tells the fairy tales in modern literary prose, so it is not difficult reading.

Story Length. The stories in this unit are all single-page stories.

Choosing Between Units. This book of Welsh stories contains literary fairy tales, while the Welsh unit by Emerson contains stories that are closer to the oral storytelling tradition, more like folktales.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: The Welsh Fairy Book (Thomas). Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

READING A:

Arthur in the Cave
Why the Red Dragon is the Emblem of Wales
Einion and the Lady of the Greenwood
March's Ears
The Stray Cow
Bala Lake
Tudur ap Einion
Dick the Fiddler's Money
Einion and the Fair Family
St Collen and the King of Fairy
Helig's Hollow

READING B:

Owen Goes A-Wooing
The Fairy Reward
Why Deunant has the Front Door in the Back
The Bride from the Red Lake
John Gethin and the Candle
Melangell's Lambs
The Men of Ardudwy
Hu Gadarn
The Devil's Bridge
The Martyred Hound

Myth-Folklore Unit: Welsh Fairy Tales (Emerson)

Overview. These Welsh Fairy-Tales and Other Stories were collected by Peter Emerson in Anglesea during the winter of 1891-1892. He records the stories just as they were told to him, which gives each story a distinct personality and a strongly oral quality, very different from the more literary editorial style that is typical of most 19th-century story collections. The majority of the stories here are about the fairies with their fairy rings, their music and dancing, the rewards they give to those in their favor, and the punishment of anyone who dares to betray their secrets. Especially fascinating are the stories of fairies who are healers and exorcists able to work counter-spells against witches and witchcraft. You will also find a marvelous version of the story Prince Llewellyn and his dog Gelert, along with an account of "Brutus of Troy" who gave "Britain" its name.

Language. Emerson tells the fairy tales in modern literary prose, so it is not difficult reading.

Story Length. The stories in this unit are mostly single-page stories, with a few stories that are two pages in length.

Choosing Between Units. This book of Welsh stories contains stories that are still quite close to the oral storytelling tradition, more like folktales than the literary fairy tales in the Welsh unit by Thomas.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Welsh Fairy Tales (Emerson). Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

Free audiobook available!

READING A:

READING B:

(illustration by John Batten)

Myth-Folklore Unit: Celtic Fairy Tales

Overview. Joseph Jacobs published his first volume of Celtic Fairy Tales in 1892, followed by More Celtic Fairy Tales in 1895. Both books draw on a wide range of Celtic sources (primarily Irish, Scottish, and Welsh, but also Cornish!), and they feature many different story genres. In this reading unit, you will find tales of fairies and of leprechauns, like The Brewery of Eggshells and The Field of Boliauns, along with ghost stories like The Horned Women or the story of Andrew Coffey. There is the tragic tale of Beth Gellert, and also humorous stories like Munachar and Manachar or the story of King O'Toole and Saint Kavin. You will also find fairy tale adventure stories like The Shee An Gannon and the Gruagach Gaire (i.e. the Gannon Fairy and the Laughing Goblin) or the story of Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree, which is a sort of Celtic Snow White tale.

Language. Jacobs tells the fairy tales in modern literary prose, so it is not difficult reading.

Story Length. These stories are all single-page stories.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on a single page: Celtic Fairy Tales.

Free audiobook available!

READING A:

READING B:

King O'Toole and his Goose
The Shee An Gannon and the Gruagach Gaire
Beth Gellert
The Tale of Ivan
Andrew Coffey
Brewery of Eggshells

Myth-Folklore Unit: More Celtic Fairy Tales

Overview. Joseph Jacobs published his first volume of Celtic Fairy Tales in 1892, followed by More Celtic Fairy Tales in 1895. Both books draw on a wide range of Celtic sources (primarily Irish, Scottish, and Welsh), and they feature many different story genres. This reading unit starts out with the mythological legend of The Fate of the Children of Lir which takes place during the era of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the legendary kings and heroes of Ireland's distant past. There are comical stories here too, like The Dream of Owen O'Mulready or the hilarious Story of the McAndrew Family. You will see what happens when the devil in human form is employed as a ploughman by The Farmer of Liddesdale, and of course there are several stories here about the fairy folk, such as the wonderful Legend of Knockgrafton which is about the fairy music, or Elidore, which is about a boy's journey into the land of the fairy folk.

Language. Jacobs tells the fairy tales in modern literary prose, so it is not difficult reading.

Story Length. This units contains stories of varying length: some are single-page stories, some are two pages long, and some are three pages long.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: More Celtic Fairy Tales. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

READING A:

READING B:

Pages