Review

A collection of stories that have stood the test of time. HISTORY MAGAZINE (US)(An) excellent compendium of medieval folklore. FORTEAN TIMESTruly ... a landmark work. This impeccably researched and very readable book should appeal to a wide audience. MEDIEVAL REVIEWEvery reader is sure to find something new and many readers may find something to treasure in this sprightly anthology. ARTHURIANAStrongly recommended. A convenient compendium indeed! MR JAMES NEWSLETTERAssembles dozens of ghostly tales from an impressive array of original sources ranging from Iceland to Florence. BBC HISTORY

Product Description

Strongly recommended. M R JAMES NEWSLETTER Stories of restless spirits returning from the afterlife are as old as storytelling. In medieval Europe ghosts, nightstalkers and unearthly visitors from parallel worlds had been in circulation since before the coming of Christianity. Here is a collection of ghostly encounters from medieval romances, monastic chronicles, sagas and heroic poetry. These tales bore a peculiar freight of spooks and spirituality which can still make the hair stand on end. Look at the story of Richard Rowntree's stillborn child, glimpsed by his father tangled in swaddling clothes on the road to Santiago, or the sly habits of water sprites resting as golden rings on the surface of the river, just out of reach. Writer and broadcaster Andrew Joynes brings together a vivid selection of these tales, with a thoughtful commentary that puts them in context and lays bare the layers of meaning in them.