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Mythology, Legends & Folklore — page 12
546 public-domain mythology, legends & folklore books, summarised. Page 12 of 12.
The Brother Avenged, and Other Ballads
George Borrow
A restless wanderer avenges his murdered brother across snowy northern lands, chased by ancient dooms and strange woodland magics.
The King's Wake, and Other Ballads
George Borrow
A royal midnight dance turns fatal when a jealous queen forces a tragic vow, while legendary heroes cross seas to battle monsters and vindicate the falsely accused.
The World English Bible (WEB): Esther
Anonymous
An imperial court becomes the stage for a high-stakes struggle when an orphaned young woman risks her life to save her people from total destruction.
Marsk Stig: a ballad
George Borrow
The betrayal of a soldier’s wife by his own King ignites a cycle of vengeance that leaves a kingdom fractured and a royal house in ruins. This ballad traces the consequences of power used as a weapon against the vulnerable.
The Giant of Bern and Orm Ungerswayne: A Ballad
George Borrow
A young hero rises from obscurity to defend a kingdom, reclaiming his father's legendary blade to vanquish giants and avenge ancestral blood. This spirited ballad captures the rhythmic intensity of old heroic traditions, telling a tale of courage that refuses to be ignored.
The San Francisco Fairy: A Tale of Early Times
Anonymous
The waters of a prehistoric inland sea recede to reveal a city of prophecy, as a young woman’s act of kindness towards a magical creature secures her fortune and her future.
Mortal Summer
Mark Van Doren
The gods of Olympus have woken from centuries of slumber, only to find themselves wandering a modern American valley, meddling in the fragile, mortal lives of those who dwell there.
The Expedition to Birting's Land, and Other Ballads
George Borrow
Through the lens of northern legend and lyrical verse, this collection explores the raw vitality of old-world heroism and the quiet, persistent beauty of the natural world.
Kwan-yin
Stella Benson
A golden face stares into the smoke of incense, offering a silence that eventually shatters under the weight of human suffering. This dramatic work captures the agonizing disconnect between desperate faith and the reality of an indifferent universe.
Little Engel: a ballad
George Borrow
This ballad traces a cycle of blood vengeance, following a son born from the ashes of his father’s murder as he grows to exact a brutal retribution upon his uncle. It is a stark, rhythmic exploration of inherited violence and the inescapable weight of family honor.
The Return of the Dead, and Other Ballads
George Borrow
A spectral mother returns from the grave to protect her neglected children, while elsewhere, transformations and deceptions challenge the boundaries of identity and fate. These verses capture the haunting, rhythmic essence of traditional balladry.
The Quadrupeds' Pic-Nic
Anonymous
A whimsical gathering of the animal kingdom turns into a satirical study of manners and natural history, where the beastly guests find that even a perfect feast must eventually contend with the forces of nature.
The Serpent Knight, and Other Ballads
George Borrow
These ballads capture the eerie, moralizing rhythm of Northern folklore, where supernatural transformations and sudden dooms await the unwary traveler. They offer a window into a world where the thin veil between humanity and the wild is easily—and often tragically—pierced.
In the Time That Was
James Frederic Thorne
This collection of Chilkat tribal legends preserves the oral history of an Alaskan people, capturing the voice of a traditional storyteller through the eyes of a traveler who finds kinship in the North. It is a bridge between two worlds, offering a window into the cosmology of a culture that defines its reality…
Tord of Hafsborough, and Other Ballads
George Borrow
A collection of stark traditional narratives and sharp epigrams, these verses bridge ancient northern lore and reflective wisdom with an unsparing voice.
King Hacon's Death, and Bran and the Black Dog: Two Ballads
George Borrow
Two traditional ballads recount the tragic overseas expedition of a Norwegian king and a legendary canine duel among the mountains of the Fenians.
Proud Signild, and Other Ballads
George Borrow
Dark tales of vengeance, hidden blood, and broken vows echo through these old Scandinavian-flavored verses collected by George Borrow.
Child Maidelvold, and Other Ballads
George Borrow
Secret flight across blood-spattered moors ends in silent tombs and fatal vows, tracing a grim northern lineage where honor demands life and blood claims the rest.