The Mythic Forest The Green Man And The Spirit Of Nature

Author : Gary R. Varner
Publisher : Algora Publishing
ISBN 13 : 087586435X
Total Pages : 230 pages
Book Rating : 4.58/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Mythic Forest, the Green Man and the Spirit of Nature written by Gary R. Varner and published by Algora Publishing. This book was released on 2006 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mankind has given a recognizable face to the awesome and impalpable forces of nature in the image of the Green Man and the nature spirits that this book explores. The ways in which different societies and different craftsmen have depicted these spirits display the wide creative range of the human imagination, but the persistence of the theme suggests that in all their many facets these spirits represent a deep, primordial sense that humans have shared since civilization began. For the very origin and message of these images have remained the same, even if somewhat altered over time. Traditional customs from around the world, from the rites that celebrate spring and egg on the forces of fertility to folk health remedies and the use of talismans to ward off illness and other evils, show some surprising similarities and hint at the shared origins of human culture. Even though the original significance of many customs has been lost or diluted, they still hold an appeal and many towns even today are re-introducing seasonal fairs to recreate the link between man and nature. Varner presents examples, ancient and new, from Europe and Asia, East Coast and West, and identifies in particular the different guises of the Green Man who has figured in architecture since before the advent of Christianity and still makes his appearance today, peering out from behind his leaves on California banks and New York brownstone houses.

Author : Ellen Datlow
Publisher : Open Road Media
ISBN 13 : 1504060385
Total Pages : 367 pages
Book Rating : 4.87/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Green Man written by Ellen Datlow and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2020-03-24 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on the mythology of the Green Man and the power of nature, Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, and others serve up “a tasty treat for fantasy fans” (Booklist). There are some “genuine gems” in this “enticing collection” of fifteen stories and three poems, all featuring “diverse takes on mythical beings associated with the protection of the natural world,” most involving a teen’s coming-of-age. Delia Sherman “takes readers into New York City’s Central Park, where a teenager wins the favor of the park’s Green Queen.” Michael Cadnum offers a “dynamic retelling of the Daphne story.” Charles de Lint presents an “eerie, heartwarming story in which a teenager resists the lure” of the faerie world. Tanith Lee roots her tale in “the myth of Dionysus, a god of the Wild Wood.” Patricia A. McKillip steeps her story in “the legend of Herne, guardian of the forest. Magic realism flavors Katherine Vaz’s haunting story. Gregory Maguire takes on Jack and the Beanstalk, and Emma Bull looks to an unusual Green Man—a Joshua tree in the desert” (Booklist). These enduring works of eco-fantasy by some of the genre’s most popular authors impart “a real sense of how powerful nature can be in its various guises” (School Library Journal). “A treasure trove for teens and teachers exploring themes of ecology and folklore.” —Kirkus Reviews “The stories are well-written and manage to speak to both the intellect and the emotions.” —SF Site

Author : Bob Curran
Publisher : Red Wheel/Weiser
ISBN 13 : 1601639309
Total Pages : 278 pages
Book Rating : 4.01/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Walking With the Green Man written by Bob Curran and published by Red Wheel/Weiser. This book was released on 2007-03-05 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Almost since the dawn of time, the image of the Green Man—the carven enigmatic head surrounded by leaves and foliage—has both intrigued and mystified viewers and folklorists alike. Appearing in churches, taverns, and even on stately buildings, the carving seems shrouded in supernatural obscurity. Is it merely a fertility symbol, or is it something much deeper, which calls for a response from us all? Though it seems a predominantly Celtic icon, does the concept of the Green Man also appear in other places and in other cultures? What is its relevance for the world today? In an absorbing new book, Dr. Bob Curran traces the many strands that make up this enigmatic image. Tracing its origins from prehistoric times, he explores its significance in the medieval world and discusses its development in the modern world. He also investigates the image’s psychological appeal, which has allowed it to continue down through the ages, and, pulling from a variety of sources, its impact upon other cultures in various parts of the world. From heroic archetypes such as Robin Hood to Demigods such as Herne the Hunter; from the King of the Woods to the Jack in the Green, Walking With the Green Man examines the interconnection of man and Nature throughout history. Whether as a man amongst the trees, a man of the trees, or a symbol of Nature used to express secrets and solidarity, the Green Man’s visage is traced throughout lands and cultures. Walking With the Green Man will appeal to all those who are interested in the image of the Green Man as an example of symbolic art, as well as to those who are interested in folklore and the interplay between folklore and culture. It is a fascinating study, which not only examines the history of the icon but also its development within human perception.

Author : Ellen Datlow
Publisher : Viking Juvenile
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 408 pages
Book Rating : 4.95/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Green Man written by Ellen Datlow and published by Viking Juvenile. This book was released on 2002 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of stories and poems by a variety of authors relating to the Green Man and other myths of the forest.

Author : Kingsley Amis
Publisher : New York Review of Books
ISBN 13 : 1590176162
Total Pages : 257 pages
Book Rating : 4.60/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Green Man written by Kingsley Amis and published by New York Review of Books. This book was released on 2013-05-07 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The owner of a haunted country inn contends with death, fatherhood, romantic woes, and alcoholism in this humorous and “rattling good ghost story” from a Booker Prize–winning author (The New York Times) Maurice Allington has reached middle age and is haunted by death. As he says, “I honestly can’t see why everybody who isn’t a child, everybody who’s theoretically old enough to have understood what death means, doesn’t spend all his time thinking about it. It’s a pretty arresting thought.” He also happens to own and run a country inn that is haunted. The Green Man opens as Maurice’s father drops dead (had he seen something in the room?) and continues as friends and family convene for the funeral. Maurice’s problems are many and increasing: How to deal with his own declining health? How to reach out to a teenage daughter who watches TV all the time? How to get his best friend’s wife in the sack? How to find another drink? (And another.) And then there is always death. The Green Man is a ghost story that hits a live nerve, a very black comedy with an uncannily happy ending: in other words, Kingsley Amis at his best.

Author : Charles Phillips
Publisher : Time Life Medical
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 152 pages
Book Rating : 4.34/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Forests of the Vampire written by Charles Phillips and published by Time Life Medical. This book was released on 1999 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's the cultural information that never seems to make it into history books: strange stories, mystic rites, angry gods, vision quests, magic symbols. This series captures, culture by culture, the intersection of imagination, history, wisdom, dream, and reality.

Author : Tamra Andrews
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 0195136772
Total Pages : 302 pages
Book Rating : 4.77/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Dictionary of Nature Myths written by Tamra Andrews and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2000 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comprehensive and cross-referenced, this informative volume is a rich introduction to the world of nature as experienced by ancient peoples around the globe. 51 halftones.

Author : Charles de Lint
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 9780312865191
Total Pages : 406 pages
Book Rating : 4.98/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Forests of the Heart written by Charles de Lint and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2000-06-03 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new tale of urban magic, in which a diverse cast of characters learns that all the oldest myths are true. Teems with music, danger and a touch of romance.

Author : Gary R. Varner
Publisher : Algora Publishing
ISBN 13 : 0875865461
Total Pages : 222 pages
Book Rating : 4.61/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Creatures in the Mist written by Gary R. Varner and published by Algora Publishing. This book was released on 2007 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bringing together a medley of stories, myths, and folklore Gary Varner shares a fascination and respect for humankind's early and contemporary cultures and wonders at similarities across the board. Here, he focuses on "Little People" and giants, animals and were-creatures, and the odd, helpful or threatening ways imputed to our earthly companions including dogs and cats, bats and spiders, and the stories people have told each other about them since time immemorial. Gary Varner has performed a valuable service in these books. [Presenting] lore from about the world, a collector's hoard of traditions rich and strange, ... Varner shows there really are obvious and puzzling similarities between widely separated cultures. Gary Varner has pointed the way to some important cross-cultural readings in the ageless themes of stone and water. - Jeremy Harte, Curator of the Bourne Hall Museum, Surrey, England, in Northern Earth magazine, #103, 2005 Menhirs, Dolmen and Circles of Stone is an excellent guide to large-scale magical stones and stone magic. This book is a must for anyone interested in megalithic sites. Most highly recommended. -PanGaia Magazine, United States As with other books by the same author, this is a book based upon broad research into the subject, stretching across the world. What results is a fascinating weave of stories and images, descriptions of sites and associated tales, that leaves a sense of a thousand deities whispering in the air. Because it is so broad a sweep, the positive outcome is an overreaching perspective of the patterns and commonalities held between human communities - our ancestors - all around the world. The book is a sound overview and provocation toresearch more deeply ourselves, to find alternative visions, tales and interpretations, to find out more about the sacred currents, their depths and importance - both to our ancestors and to ourselves. The author's notations are comprehensive, allowing us easily to follow the clues. A valuable piece of work. -The Druid Network, England * Gary R. Varner is a lecturer and writer on folklore and early religions. He is author of several popular books comparing legends and beliefs around the world, including The Mythic Forest, the Green Man & the Spirit of Nature (Algora 2006); Menhirs, Dolmen and Circles of Stone: The Folklore and Magic of Sacred Stone (Algora 2005); and Sacred Wells: A Study in the History, Meaning, and Mythology of Holy Wells. His approach incorporates details from ancient cultures and from Native American, UK and European, Asian, South Pacific and African folklore. Varner is a member of the American Folklore Society.

Author : Tom Cheetham
Publisher : State University of New York Press
ISBN 13 : 0791484157
Total Pages : 184 pages
Book Rating : 4.59/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Green Man, Earth Angel written by Tom Cheetham and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2012-02-01 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Green Man, Earth Angel explores the central role of imagination for understanding the place of humans in the cosmos. Tom Cheetham suggests that lives can only be completely whole if human beings come to recognize that the human and natural worlds are part of a vast living network and that the material and spiritual worlds are deeply interconnected. Central to this reimagining is an examination of the place of language in human life and art and in the worldview that the prophetic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—presuppose. If human language is experienced only as a subset of a vastly more-than-human whole, then it is not only humans who speak, but also God and the world with all its creatures. If humans' internal poetry and creative imaginations are part of a greater conversation, then language can have the vital power to transform the human soul, and the soul of the world itself.