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The Quest for Olwen
The Quest for Olwen is a traditional Celtic tale of brave heroes, ancient magic, giants and witches. It was passed on by generations of story-tellers until first written down in medieval Welsh.
A curse is placed on young prince Culhwch by his jealous stepmother; he can only marry Olwen, the beautiful daughter of the King of the Giants. Culhwch enlists the help of his cousin King Arthur to find Olwen, but the Giant sets Culhwch a series of well-nigh impossible tasks which must be accomplished before the marriage can take place. Culhwch's quest for the tusk of the King Boar and the blood of the Black Witch is aided by Arthur's knights and the wisdom of ancient animals.
The Quest for Olwen was translated into modern Welsh by Gwyn Thomas and is retold in English by Gwyn Thomas and Kevin Crossley-Holland. The powerful illustrations in colour and black and white are by Margaret Jones.
People of all ages, story-tellers and lovers of folk tale will be delighted by the lyrical beauty, vitality and humour of this colourful legend.
A curse is placed on young prince Culhwch by his jealous stepmother; he can only marry Olwen, the beautiful daughter of the King of the Giants. Culhwch enlists the help of his cousin King Arthur to find Olwen, but the Giant sets Culhwch a series of well-nigh impossible tasks which must be accomplished before the marriage can take place. Culhwch's quest for the tusk of the King Boar and the blood of the Black Witch is aided by Arthur's knights and the wisdom of ancient animals.
The Quest for Olwen was translated into modern Welsh by Gwyn Thomas and is retold in English by Gwyn Thomas and Kevin Crossley-Holland. The powerful illustrations in colour and black and white are by Margaret Jones.
People of all ages, story-tellers and lovers of folk tale will be delighted by the lyrical beauty, vitality and humour of this colourful legend.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 27, 2024
3.5/5
Easy to read translation/adaptation. I was reading side-by-side with Lady Charlotte Guest's translation. The latter was more difficult to follow, but it does provide lovely details that this adaptation skips.
As other people have mentioned, it is a very "archaic" story and to the modern reader, some parts drag too much. Thomas and Holland take these moments with a hint of humor, which is great because despite all the gore, this story reads as having a very interesting comedic tone.
The illustrations are lovely. I am particularly fond of the letter decorations between chapters and the little details in things like clothing, but overall all the illustrations are very vivid, distinctive, and have a lot of personality.
Easy to read translation/adaptation. I was reading side-by-side with Lady Charlotte Guest's translation. The latter was more difficult to follow, but it does provide lovely details that this adaptation skips.
As other people have mentioned, it is a very "archaic" story and to the modern reader, some parts drag too much. Thomas and Holland take these moments with a hint of humor, which is great because despite all the gore, this story reads as having a very interesting comedic tone.
The illustrations are lovely. I am particularly fond of the letter decorations between chapters and the little details in things like clothing, but overall all the illustrations are very vivid, distinctive, and have a lot of personality.
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October 7, 2020i don’t know what the fuck i just read
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews