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Различные книги в жанре СказкиThe Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles
First published in 1921, “The Golden Fleece and The Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles” by the acclaimed and award-winning children’s author Padraic Colum is a classic retelling of the ancient mythological tales of Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. Woven into this volume of Greek mythology are also the stories of the creation of the heavens and the earth, Zeus's battle with the Titans, Pandora's box, Persephone in the Underworld with Hades, and the adventures of the hero Heracles. Born in 1881 in Ireland, Colum first rose to fame as a playwright and poet in Dublin and became a leading figure in the Irish Literary Revival. In 1914, Colum and his wife came to the United States and remained there for most of the rest of their lives. Once in America, Colum began to write children’s literature, beginning with the retelling of Irish folklore and eventually turning his skills to myth and folklore from all over the world, making these classic tales accessible to children. With illustrations by Willy Pogany and Colum’s wonderful prose, these ancient myths are masterfully brought to life.
The Children of Odin
First published in 1920, «The Children of Odin» is the retelling of famous North myths for children by the acclaimed Irish poet, novelist, playwright, and children’s author Padraic Colum. With illustrations by Willy Pogany this volume brings classic Norse literature and mythology to a wider audience and makes it accessible to children of all ages. Born in 1881 in Ireland, Colum first rose to fame as a playwright and poet in Dublin and became a leading figure in the Irish Literary Revival. In 1914, Colum and his wife came to the United States and remained there for most of the rest of their lives. Once in America, Colum began to write children’s literature, beginning with the retelling of Irish folklore. In “The Children of Odin”, Colum’s masterful and award-winning storytelling brings the gods and goddesses of Asgard to life: the wise All-Father Odin, mighty Thor with his hammer, the wily and mischievous Loki, and the dragons, giants, dwarves, and Valkyries that inhabit their world as well. In his lyrical and beautiful prose, Colum tells the story of this rich world from its beginning to its final battle.
The Blue Fairy Book
First published in 1889, “The Blue Fairy Book” is the first in a series of collections of fairy tales from around the world edited by Andrew Lang, the Scottish novelist, poet and literary critic, with translations and retellings by his wife, Leonora Blanche Alleyne, and others. Lang and Alleyne would go on to publish popular collections of fairy tales and poetry for over twenty years. As the first in the series of collections, each named after a color, “The Blue Fairy Book” contains some of the world’s most famous and recognizable fairy tales. Some are from the Brothers Grimm, with tales also from Charles Perrault and Madame d’Aulnoy, stories from the Tales of the Arabian Nights, and four stories are translations of Norwegian tales. The collections published by Lang and Alleyne put all of these memorable and universally appealing tales into a single volume making them accessible to generations of children and parents. No childhood would be complete without hearing about the adventures of “Puss in Boots”, the mystery of “Rumpelstiltzkin”, the romance of “Sleeping Beauty” and “Beauty and the Beast”, and all the other beautiful and timeless tales in “The Blue Fairy Book.”
The Saga of the Volsungs (translated by Eirikr Magnusson and William Morris with an introduction by H. Halliday Sparling)
One of the most legendary of the Icelandic sagas, «The Saga of the Volsungs» is the 13th century work of unknown authorship which relates the origin and decline of the Volsung clan. The story unfolds over five parts as it passes in time through the various generations of the clan. In the first part, the preliminary generations are described, beginning with Sigi, a man banished from his homeland who through his adventuring arises to create a great kingdom. When the brothers of Sigi’s wife become jealous of his power they plot to overthrow him and a violent cycle of revenge ensues. In the second part of the story the fantastical tale of Sigurd and his conflict with the dragon Fafnir is told. In the remaining parts of the saga conflict between the relations of Sigurd are related in a tragic story which describes the downfall of a legendary clan. A combination of both myth and real human drama, «The Saga of the Volsungs» is a classic tale which continues to influence the fantasy genre to this day. This edition follows the translation of Eirikr Magnusson and William Morris and includes an introduction by H. Halliday Sparling.
The Aesop for Children (Aesop's Fables for Children)
The history of the fable likely does not originate with Aesop; however it is with him that we associate the fable’s most ancient of known origins. Little is actually known of the life of Aesop. According to the historical accounts of Herodotus, Aristotle, and Plutarch, he was a slave from the Greek island of Samos who lived between 620 and 564 BC. Described as a strikingly ugly man he is said to have secured his freedom through his cleverness. Known for his wit, Aesop would become employed as an advisor by kings and city-states. The simplicity of the fable cannot be overstated. The short narrative form and the use of animals to personifying particular human characteristics makes the fable a particularly useful form of instruction for imparting bits of wisdom to children. Dozens of fables have been attributed to Aesop, however given their sometimes conflicting moral lessons, the attribution of some fables to Aesop is considered by certain scholars as doubtful. Collected together here are some of the most famous examples of Aesop’s fables. This edition is illustrated by Milo Winter.
The Poetic Edda (The Complete Translation of Henry Adams Bellows)
First passed down orally through innumerable generations of minstrels before the presence of Christianity in Scandinavia, and written down eventually by unknown poets, “The Poetic Edda” is a collection of mythological and heroic Old Norse poems. The bulk of the text was preserved for hundreds of years in the Codex Regius of Iceland, a 13th century manuscript which was largely unknown until its rediscovery in the 17th century. Upon this rediscovery it was immediately celebrated for its broad portrait of northern pagan beliefs and one of the most important sources of Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends. Split into two parts, the work relates the stories of Norse gods in its first part and mortal heroes in its second. A fascinating collection of poems that has stirred the imagination of artists and writers for centuries, from the musical works of Richard Wagner to the fantasy of J. R. R. Tolkien, “The Poetic Edda” will surely continue to inspire readers for generations to come. Presented here is the complete translation of Henry Adams Bellows.
The Prose Edda (Translated with an Introduction, Notes, and Vocabulary by Rasmus B. Anderson)
“The Prose Edda”, or “Younger Edda”, is a classic collection of Norse myths of the Icelandic people believed to have been written or compiled by Icelandic scholar and historian Snorri Sturluson around the year 1220. Preserved through a handful of medieval manuscripts and another dating to the 17th century, “The Prose Edda” is composed of a prologue and three additional books. In the prologue Sturluson describes the Norse gods as historical descendents of the Trojans who travelled north after the fall of Troy to settle the lands of Northern Europe. The second book, Gylfaginning, old Icelandic for “the tricking of Gylfi”, describes the creation and destruction of the world of the Nordic gods. The third book, Skáldskaparmál, old Icelandic for “the language of poetry”, contains of a dialogue between Ægir, a sea god, and Bragi, a skaldic god, on the nature of poetry. The fourth book, Háttatal, Old Icelandic for “list of verse-forms”, is a section of poetry composed and discussed by Snorri Sturluson. A classic of Norse mythology, “The Prose Edda” is one of the most important of all Icelandic texts. This edition is translated with introduction, notes, and vocabulary by Rasmus B. Anderson.
Le Morte d'Arthur (with an Introduction by Edward Strachey)
First published in 1485, Thomas Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur” or “The Death of Arthur” collects together many of the known legends of King Arthur into one creative text. Beginning with his birth, “Le Morte d’Arthur” relates Arthur’s rise to become the King of England and leader of the Knights of the Round Table. Drawing upon numerous historical accounts of King Arthur, Malory’s work details the exploits of King Arthur against Lucius of Rome, of Sir Gareth of Orkney against the Red Knight of the Red Lands, of the quest for the holy grail, of the adulterous love affair of Tristan and Isolde, and of the rise of Sir Lancelot to the position of Arthur’s most eminent knight and his ultimate betrayal which leads to Arthur’s downfall. Through these tales the reader is transported back to the time of chivalry when the demands of one’s honor and duty rose above all else. The influence of Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur” upon subsequent retellings of Arthurian legend cannot be overstated having been utilized as a primary source for both T. H. White’s “The Once and Future King” and Tennyson’s “The Idylls of the King.” This edition includes an introduction by Edward Strachey.
Andersen's Fairy Tales (with and Introduction by Edmund Gosse)
19th century Danish author Hans Christian Andersen was one of the most prolific writers of fairy tales to ever have lived. His unique literary gift for storytelling was not immediately recognized as his first fairy tale collections sold poorly. The humor of Andersen’s writing was often lost in translation and his darker sensibility was not fully appreciated at first. However by the mid 1830s he would begin to gain the popularity that he so justly deserved. His works, which were often retellings of folk tales he had heard as a child, are noted for their lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity, and for the dark humor that made them appealing to mature readers. This collection draws together thirty-five of his most popular tales, including “The Little Mermaid,” “The Snow Queen,” “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Nightingale,” “Thumbelina,” “The Princess and the Pea” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Andersen’s stories have inspired numerous adaptations and are likely to remain as some of the most popular legends for generations to come. This edition includes an introduction by Edmund Gosse.
The Odyssey (Translated into prose by Samuel Butler with an Introduction by William Lucas Collins)
Generally attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer, “The Odyssey” is considered one of the most important works of classical antiquity, an epic poem about the events at the end of the Trojan War which is generally thought to have been written near the end of the 8th century BC. The story centers on Odysseus and his ten year journey to reach his home in Ithaca. Because of his long absence, Odysseus is presumed dead, leaving his wife Penelope and son Telemachus to deal with a group of suitors, the Proci, who compete for Penelope’s hand in marriage. After seven years of captivity by the nymph Calypso, Odysseus undergoes an arduous journey home. Along the way he encounters, the witch-goddess Circe, the land of the Sirens, the six-headed monster Scylla, and the sea monster Charybdis. “The Odyssey” is at once the story of an ordinary man’s struggle of will against forces beyond his control which keep him from being reunited with his family and a classically epic mythological tale. This edition follows the prose translation of Samuel Butler and includes an introduction by William Lucas Collins.