Curious Myths of the Middle Ages

by Sabine Baring-Gould

Book Overview

One of the most brilliant, eclectic thinkers in Victorian England, the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924) was intrigued by the grotesque and often savage history of the Middle Ages. The noted... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0517639920
• ISBN13: 9780517639924
• Release Date: May 1987
• Publisher: Crescent
• Length: 159 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Myths with a timeline

A relaxing read after intense study books. Reading the myths made me able to visualize the people and the times. I like how the author explains the myths that match in different countries and reveals the dates of origin. I feel it shows the evolution of consciousness but also something that remains, our belief in a hero.

rare treasure

Great book built on concepts not allowed in todays writing. Good for homeschoolers wanting classic stories of europe for their kids.

A Compendium of Fascinating Stories

I was interested in this book because it covered stories with which I was already familiar--the Wandering Jew, Pope Joan, the Grail--and for which I am always interested in finding new resources. The bonus was that I discovered deeper roots for stories I only knew superficially--the Pied Piper, Prester John, William Tell--and I learned of fascinating myths I barely recognized--the Seven Sleepers, Melusina, the Swan Maidens, etc. Like the Victorian scholar he was (this was originally published in 1894), Rev. Baring-Gould is expert at tracing the roots of the various stories and legends. He then carries the stories forward and shows how the root story can become a basis for related myths across cultures and countries. For example, how the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus inspires the story of Rip Van Winkle. It is difficult not to see the silliness of some fervored believers of the truth of some of these stories when it is so easy to trace the variations from country to country. Sometimes the root story is not even the best known or most widely believed. On the other hand, Rev. Baring-Gould can sometimes be a little cavalier with his judgements which, again, is quite typical of his time. And anyone not familiar with the Victorian scholarly writing style will certainly be turned off. I enjoy it myself, though even I found some of the passages pushing on a little long. Rev. Baring-Gould also has the facility with various languages (Latin, Greek, French, etc.) which was common for an educated European at the time. He quotes from these sources often and, using them untranslated, leaves those less familiar with these languages (like myself) in the dark. Still, this is a compendium of interesting medieval myths that reads quite well considering its age. Anyone interested in these stories will find much of interest here that will impact their understanding of how they have made it (or not) into today's compendium of myth.

A Fascinating Account of Medieval Myth and Legend.

_Curious Myths of the Middle Ages_ by Sabine Baring-Gould offers a fascinating account of various myths and legends from the Middle Ages. Baring-Gould was an interesting character who was a member of the Anglican clergy. He is perhaps most famous for writing the hymn "Onward, Christian Soldiers" but is also known for his works on folklore and myth (in addition to this work he also wrote on werewolves). This book reveals his learning and scholarship when dealing with various accounts from the beliefs of the Middle Ages. The book is based extensively on the lives of the saints, including such famous works as the _Legenda Aurea_ of Jacques de Voragine, the writings of Jacob Grimm on Germanic folklore, but also many legends and beliefs issuing from the Orient, including Jewish, Islamic, but also Hindu beliefs. This book contains brief chapters on each of the following legends, each featured with a corresponding woodcut from the work of Albrecht Durer: The Wandering Jew - a Jew cursed to wander the earth till the end of time for his refusal to give rest to Christ as he carried the cross, Prester John - a Christian king rumored to rule in the Orient (or perhaps in Africa), The Divining Rod - a rod used to aid in the discovery of hidden treasures or perhaps the location of murderers, The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus - seven Christians persecuted by the emperor who rested in the earth for three hundred and seventy-seven years, William Tell - an archer who shot an apple off the head of his child, The Dog Gellert - a loyal dog (or other beast) who faithfully guarded an infant yet was accidentally killed by his master who believed the dog had killed the infant, Tailed Men - the rumor of the homo caudatus, Antichrist and Pope Joan - the legend of the Man of Sin who will reign before the end of the world and the Second Coming of Christ as well as the spurious legend of a female pope, The Man in the Moon - a man who gathered wood on the Sabbath and was thus cursed to appear on the surface of the moon, The Mountain of Venus - a mountain under which lived the pagan goddess Venus and the legend concerning the debauches there, St. Patrick's Purgatory - an underground region leading to purgatory, The Terrestrial Paradise - rumors of the Oriental location of the Garden of Eden, St. George - the famous saint who underwent seven martyrdoms yet continued to live and slew a dragon in another legend, St. Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins - a virginal saint who asked that eleven thousand virgins be made to sail the world for three years before she offered herself up for marriage, The Legend of the Cross - the legend of the cross in pagan myth as well as the legend of the Cross of Christ, Schamir - a stone used by Solomon to build the temple in lieu of iron, The Piper of Hameln - a piper who led the rats out of the city but who later cursed the city and led the children away, Bishop Hatto - the story of an evil bishop who was eaten by rats, Melusina - a mysterious

Quite a Hoot!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a wonderful diversion from some of my more esoteric readings. If you want to pontificate with some interesting tales at your next dinner party, regale them with any that you find in this fascinating tome and you will be the center of attention. A fun read!

A supurb discussion of popular folklore!

As a budding Folklorist at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, I have derived great pleasure from, and relied heavily upon "Curious Myths of the Middle Ages." It supurbly outlines the basic myths themselves, while providing a highly rational and non-biased discussion upon their origins, relevance, and truthfullness.It is highly entertaining, and to anyone who loves folklore and mythology, is like being let loose in a candy shop!

Curious myths of the middle ages

The chapter on The man in the moon inspired my website. Some real gems. In one chapter, the author proves convincingly that William Tell never existed, and then uses the same logic to prove that Napoleon was entirely mythical. More than just a collection of stories, this book shows how history and myth, reality and imagination are frequently interchangeable