Anglo-Saxon Myths : The Struggle for the Seven Kingdoms

Author: Stratford, Brice Stratford

Folklore, myths & legends

Published on 29 September 2022 by Batsford Ltd in the United Kingdom.

Hardback | 224 pages, 20 illustrations
253 x 188 x 27 | 912g

Enchanting tales of the gods, kings, and monsters that populated the Anglo-Saxon world.An atmospheric collection of 30 folk tales exploring stories of cosmology, monsters, conflicts and courtship from the Seven Kingdoms to Middle Earth. This is an entertaining portal into a world overflowing with mythology, magic and all manner of beguiling creatures, which has inspired everything from the Lord of the Rings to Game of Thrones.

The book is divided into 3 parts: Scop is a set of stories told by the Anglo-Saxon storyteller Scop, from the creation to the destruction of the world. It explores what remains of the gods and monsters of the Anglo-Saxon cosmology. Wreccan is pagan stories exploring self-discovery and development through exile. Variations of these tales would have told by the Anglo-Saxons themselves, including Sigemund's rebellion and the trials of Beowulf.

Bretwalda stories revolve around Bretwalda the chief Anglo-Saxon king who ruled over the majority of the Seven Kingdoms. These stories reflect a period when both the old gods and Christianity existed simultaneously.

Remarkable illustrations by Jess Sots breathe new life into these tales of the past.