Hero-Myths & Legends of the British Race.

From the mead-halls of the Anglo-Saxons to the courts of legendary kings, this book gathers the great heroic stories of the British peoples and retells them for a new generation of readers.

What it's about

Hero-Myths and Legends of the British Race collects and retells the foundational heroic tales associated with the peoples of Britain. It draws on the old epics and romances, presenting the deeds of legendary champions in accessible, flowing prose. Among the stories are the great early sagas of monster-slaying and kingly valour and the cycles of chivalric adventure that grew up around Britain's most famous heroes. M. I. Ebbutt weaves these varied sources into a single volume, offering readers a grand tour of the legends that shaped the island's imagination and gave its peoples their earliest heroes to admire and remember.

Themes

Heroism in its oldest form runs through every tale: courage in the face of monstrous foes, loyalty to lord and comrade, the winning of glory and the keeping of one's word even unto death. The stories dwell on honour, on the bonds between warriors, and on the fateful workings of destiny that no hero can wholly escape. Together they express the values that early peoples celebrated in their greatest figures, and they carry the deep echoes of myth, in which human courage is tested again and again against forces far larger than any single life. Beneath the adventure lies a whole vanished way of seeing the world.

Why it still matters

These legends are among the taproots of English literature, and their heroes have never really left the culture, resurfacing endlessly in later poems, novels, plays, and films down to our own day. Ebbutt's retellings preserve the stories in a form that readers can enjoy without special training or scholarly apparatus, keeping alive the tales that once defined a people's sense of themselves. For anyone who loves myth and legend, this volume is both an introduction and a lasting companion, a single gateway into a body of story that would otherwise be scattered across many old and difficult sources.

Who it's for

Lovers of myth, legend, and heroic tale will find this collection a delight, as will readers curious about the roots of British and English literature. It reads well aloud and suits older children and adults alike, making it a fine choice for anyone who wants to know the island's oldest stories in a single, well-told, and richly enjoyable volume.

Sources and references

Verified references for this edition: Open Library, WorldCat.