Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain

by Russell Ash (Contributor), The Reader's Digest Association Limited (Editor)

This is an endlessly fascinating book that is perfect for dipping in and out of. It's a bit like a massive folklore magazine, rather than a book you'd sit down and read from cover to cover. The book is split into three parts - the first covers ancient superstitions, creatures, plants and festivals. The second (largest) section covers regional stories from across Great Britain and the Isle of Man, such as alleged hauntings, origins of place names and local festivals. The final section describes key figures in British folklore. It's a huge book but very easy to read and illustrated with drawings and black and white photos throughout. The book summarises stories and describes myths and folklore in a highly readable, matter-of-fact way. There are lots of interesting explanations about how current day festivals, phrases and superstitions may have developed.

Genres: Folklore, Nonfiction, Mythology, History, Reference, Witchcraft, Paganism

552 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Russell Ash is best known for his annual 'The Top Ten of Everything' and other popular reference works, but he is also the author of numerous humour titles. His extensive research work encompasses biographical studies and genealogy.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I will have to admit I have been reading this book off and on for many years - this is one of those books you cannot read from cover to cover in one sitting or even many sittings I just think there is too much to take in. What you do instead is get comfortable making sure you have several hours free ahead of you and dive in - there are so many things in this books from local legends to maps of locations in each region (they cover several counties) to specific articles on a related subject such as the significance of flowers and plants. I have no idea how long it took the authors and editors to put this book together but it is not a light tomb this is a reference book with no boundaries or limits. The edition I have was printed a year after I was born and I still think it is as fascinating now as it was the day it was published - I think really its cheeky of me to put a read date here as I suspect every time I pick it up I will find more in its pages

[Andrew Grewcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book used to belong to my grandmother and was a favourite of mine from the time I learned to read. It's a reference book of a sort that seems to be out of fashion now, but this, of course, only adds to its perennial appeal. It was always tucked on a bottom bookshelf behind the TV in the living room and I would make a bee-line for it whenever we visited. I pored over the gorgeous and spooky Robin Jacques illustrations and imbibed a whole host of stories which make up a parallel history of the British Isles. The book passed to me when she died a few years back and still bears her name on the inside front page, as well as the evocative, tobacco-tinged scent of my grandfather's 60-a-day habit. I'm nearly forty now and hope I'll still be as captivated by its magic another 25 years down the line.

[Sir Robbiethehoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have for anyone with an interest in British folklore and legend.

This book is filled with encyclopaedic knowledge of Britain’s folklore the length and breadth of the country and complete with illustrations. Packed full of fascinating information and ideas of things to visit should one be in a particular area.

Snippets of British history are highlighted in the closing section and detailed in a way that is interesting and easy to understand.

Also included are popular well known British figures such as Robin Hood and King Arthur and their back stories.

Traditions, festivals, customs, plants and animal lore are all discussed too.

This was a highly informative and entertaining read and great to dip in and out of.

[Empath Warrior · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely book! I am super excited about my 1977 Britain Folklore book that just smells like old book. I would definitely recommend this book to those traveling to England or the surrounding area(s) as it gives tons of folklore and maps of places to go. It would be a huge advantage to have this book while prepping to travel to these parts.

[I'mogén]

Dnf @ page 174

December 15th 2015... I logged this as started reading in TWENTY FIFTEEN!!

It's nearly the tail end of 2024 ... 9 years later and I still haven't finished it or made much progress and it's not even that hefty of a book, really!

It's kind of become a comfort having it on my currently reading year in, year out, but I think it's time to cut my losses and admit I'm never gonna finish this.

It's great, but it's like textbook/reference material piece... Why am I trying to kid myself I can read it like a story??

It's great though, lots of fantastic legends, superstitions and that sort of stuff in here.

Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok so I am going to be honest, I didn't read the entire book, because it's massive, it was a library book and somebody else reserved it, and it's the sort of book you dip in and out of, you don't (you can't) read it from cover to cover.

I grew up with this book and I have so many memories of it,.so it was amazing to curl up in my favourite chair and devour this! Reading all my favourite sections and the bits that appealed to me. My favourites are the stories of the Black Shuck and the Willow the Wisps on the Norfolk fens, the story of the Daisy Dog, and all the bits about witches and ghosts.

This is such a great book! So many memories, going to try and get my hands on my own copy now.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my best ever bookshop bargains. It has been a source of inspiration for many of my stories and poems. My only quibble is that the Black Country seems to be neglected - I'm sure there must be some interesting myths and legends from around there.

[Wendy Leveret · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful treasury of carefully presented anecdotes and stories, beautifully illustrated and compiled in an easily-digested format. If you're interested in Britain's folklore, myths and legends I highly recommend this tome; I have already purchased two copies as gifts!

[Paul Ballantyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

seeds for my imagination. totally recommended, if you like this sort of brain pain.

[David Habert · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dad had been studying the unexplained for many years and I "inherited" all the knowledge he had which also included this book. (sadly I lost that copy, so I got my own copy) I think this is more of a guide to the Folklore, Myths and Legends in England and although it's very old and there have been new additions to these Folklore, Myths and Legends in England. Don't for one second think this book isn't worth getting and is out of date, nothing could be further from the truth. It's essential that you do get a copy of it.

It is literary a treasure trove of information concerning towns, areas and regions of Britain which are steeped in stories, legends, myths, folklore and mysteries of Britain. Some of them are well known like the town of Borley, Hampton Court, Baker Street and Canterbury Cathedral. But there are also some places like the Ostrich Inn in Colnbrook which although not that well known, it did appear on an episode of "Most Haunted". But thanks to this book I knew about it's history at least 20 years before that episode came out.

My advice is use this book as a guide only and see if you can expand your knowledge of whichever place your interested in, by reading and finding out the history of that place by reading other books on your chosen place. Or finding out that info on the internet. Borley for example is a classic example of doing a lot more research about that area. (I personally found out about that place thanks to this book. But when I looked closer at the story. I ended up researching this case for ten years, my knowledge on the paranormal and other related subjects has now grown)

It's a shame that when the book came out in 1973, that it wasn't held back. Because it appears that some of the elements in that book were used in making a very famous movie which is based on Pagan rituals. That movie was "The Wicker Man" which came out on the 6th December 1973. There is a picture of some people being burned alive in a massive "Wicker Man" and there is also a picture of some men holding swords in the shape of a star and another man with his head in the middle. This also appears in the movie. Another addition that could've been added to this book if it came out a year later, is that the "stumps" of the Wicker Man prop are still there in that location of Scotland.

It's for that reason why I have given this book a four star rating, because by missing out on that movie which does look into those Folklore, Myth and legends. Readers Digest really did miss a trick with that one.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as a kid; as soon as I opened it the other day I recognized it immediately and its been probably over twenty years. Borrowed this copy from Interlibrary Loan. Packed full of fun myths, legends and ghost stories from all over the Isles. It's like an encyclopedia, so it is easy to read bits and pieces at a time. There is a key for every section: myths, monsters, ghosts, witches, etc. All the old, good stories are in it, too: screaming skulls, huntsmen, etc. Not to be missed. I think it would be a popular reprint.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so maybe I didn’t read this one properly. I did in the beginning, because it is quite interesting. However, I mainly picked this up (again from a charity shop) because I thought it might help with my Wiccan research. It has a little, but as it went on I felt myself growing bored, which made me reluctant to read it. So instead, I skimmed over everything I found interesting or relevant. There is no option on good reads for dnf so I guess I’ll have to count it as ‘read’ because I have technically read some of its many, many pages.

[Amelie-Linden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully informative - I wish there was a version for Irish Folklore too!

Found out about this book through the Folklands podcast and immediately tracked down a secondhand copy. It contains a great deal of material that may have been lost in someone's attic if it hadn't been put into this book. It's a must read for anyone interested in British folk history or myths, although it will definitely take a while to read from cover to cover.

[Dorian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I asked for this book for Christmas, the first edition, when I was ten years old. I have it still. For a child obsessed with folk, fairy and fantastic tales of all kinds, as well as geography, it was the perfect gift. It's probably the book I've read most often and which has done more to inform the person I've become than anything else I've read.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of legends and lore can be dipped into by region and then city/village, or, you can read general aspects of British folklore. I enjoyed learning more about the ancient pagan traditions found in the motif of "The Green Man," seen in church architecture and used in pub names. Cornwall has its mermaid chair, Hertfordshire has its Bed of Ware. Fun to browsw

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good to open and browse at random, rather than to read start to finish. Used it to make several folklore maps in spring 2017. Really comprehensive and reliable with a huge wealth of info!

[Mónica Cordero Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genial libro que recoge un montón de mitos, folklore, historia de los lugares,...Permanecerá en mi biblioteca para siempre.

[Eddie Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

how I found this for a quid at a charity shop is beyond me.

[H.E. Bulstrode · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with one of the other reviewers, a copy of this book once belonged to my grandmother, and as a child I spent many happy hours poring over its pages, entranced by both the stories that it contained and its equally beguiling illustrations, many of which recreated the look of traditional woodcuts. It was therefore a delight to receive a copy of this book from my partner a couple of Christmases ago, for I have been rediscovering it as an adult, and, if anything, find it to be more enchanting than I did the first time around.

Its section covering the different counties of Britain provides snippets of tales that enhance and enrich the localities with which they are associated, lending a colour to them that formal histories - whilst excellent in themselves - lack. This book provides an endless stimulus to the imagination, particularly for the author who happens to be seeking to inject a local and authentic air into novels or shorter tales that possess a hint of the uncanny or the supernatural. Many of the stories themselves are ripe to be worked up into something more substantial. Although 'The Fabled Coast' - a more recent publication - focuses upon some of the same subject matter associated specifically with the coastal regions of the British Isles, it is a complementary rather than a successor volume to Russell Ash's early seventies treasure trove. Both though, are to be recommended.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect