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Children into Swans: Fairy Tales and the Pagan Imagination
Fairy tales are alive with the supernatural - elves, dwarfs, fairies, giants, and trolls, as well as witches with magic wands and sorcerers who cast spells and enchantments. Children into Swans examines these motifs in a range of ancient stories. Moving from the rich period of nineteenth-century fairy tales back as far as the earliest folk literature of northern Europe, Jan Beveridge shows how long these supernatural features have been a part of storytelling, with ancient tales, many from Celtic and Norse mythology, that offer glimpses into a remote era and a pre-Christian sensibility. The earliest stories often show significant differences from what we might expect. Elves mingle with Norse gods, dwarfs belong to a proud clan of magician-smiths, and fairies are shape-shifters emerging from the hills and the sea mist. In story traditions with roots in a pre-Christian imagination, an invisible other world exists alongside our own. From the lost cultures of a thousand years ago, Children into Swans opens the door on some of the most extraordinary worlds ever portrayed in literature - worlds that are both starkly beautiful and full of horrors.
279 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 19, 2018
Review written: March 18, 2018
Star Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Heat Rating: N/A
An Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book was received free via Netgalley for an honest review.
The best thing I can say about this book is that I now know where a lot of the names Tolkien used in The Lord of the Rings came from more specifically than I did before. I was expecting to learn something new about one of my favorite topics. Instead, I got a dry recitation of things I already knew.
There is a marked lack of analysis or even speculation in this book. At times, the author explicitly states that she does not know why something is. And twice, I could have supplied the answer. That is not a good sign in a book I expected would teach me something. Few conclusions were drawn and there is no comparative discussion at all.
While I appreciated the snippets of stories, I was left with an impression that the stories were more filler than used to truly demonstrate a point.
Some examples include:
1. The author doesn't know why the fairy woman would speak ostensibly Christian words in a story that pre-dates Christianity. That's easily explainable. It is pretty well documented that some monks altered the older stories that they were transcribing or adding Christian elements to them.
2. The author does not know why the stories that center around Samhain (Samain, in the book) and mid winter are so dark in tone. Again, some amount of speculation would suggest that since for the Celts, at least, if not the Norse as well, winter was a time of culling - the old, the young, the sick and infirm humans and cattle. It was also a time of sickness, extreme cold, harsh storms, and near total darkness in some places. All this would naturally lead to darker stories as the extreme weather and sickness were ascribed to supernatural elements.
3. The author fails to draw parallels between Celtic and Norse mythologies and symbols and other civilizations' symbology. For example, the apple as a temptation is prevalent. But she neither ascribes it as definitely pre-Christian nor as an element that may have been introduced when the stories were transcribed by the monks. She also fails to draw parallels between several of the Celtic goddesses and Greek goddesses.
4. The author fails to develop the mythologies to any depth, leaving may details out which actually matter and also fails to differentiate between Christian and pre-Christian stories when necessary. This is perhaps most pervasive at the end where the story straddles the eras but she never discusses how the two traditions influence the story or even how it might have been altered from the original.
In the end, this is simply not a book I could recommend.
This review is ©March 2018 by Monique N. and has been posted to Netgalley.
Star Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Heat Rating: N/A
An Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book was received free via Netgalley for an honest review.
The best thing I can say about this book is that I now know where a lot of the names Tolkien used in The Lord of the Rings came from more specifically than I did before. I was expecting to learn something new about one of my favorite topics. Instead, I got a dry recitation of things I already knew.
There is a marked lack of analysis or even speculation in this book. At times, the author explicitly states that she does not know why something is. And twice, I could have supplied the answer. That is not a good sign in a book I expected would teach me something. Few conclusions were drawn and there is no comparative discussion at all.
While I appreciated the snippets of stories, I was left with an impression that the stories were more filler than used to truly demonstrate a point.
Some examples include:
1. The author doesn't know why the fairy woman would speak ostensibly Christian words in a story that pre-dates Christianity. That's easily explainable. It is pretty well documented that some monks altered the older stories that they were transcribing or adding Christian elements to them.
2. The author does not know why the stories that center around Samhain (Samain, in the book) and mid winter are so dark in tone. Again, some amount of speculation would suggest that since for the Celts, at least, if not the Norse as well, winter was a time of culling - the old, the young, the sick and infirm humans and cattle. It was also a time of sickness, extreme cold, harsh storms, and near total darkness in some places. All this would naturally lead to darker stories as the extreme weather and sickness were ascribed to supernatural elements.
3. The author fails to draw parallels between Celtic and Norse mythologies and symbols and other civilizations' symbology. For example, the apple as a temptation is prevalent. But she neither ascribes it as definitely pre-Christian nor as an element that may have been introduced when the stories were transcribed by the monks. She also fails to draw parallels between several of the Celtic goddesses and Greek goddesses.
4. The author fails to develop the mythologies to any depth, leaving may details out which actually matter and also fails to differentiate between Christian and pre-Christian stories when necessary. This is perhaps most pervasive at the end where the story straddles the eras but she never discusses how the two traditions influence the story or even how it might have been altered from the original.
In the end, this is simply not a book I could recommend.
This review is ©March 2018 by Monique N. and has been posted to Netgalley.
September 15, 2014
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher on NetGalley.]
I did not finish this book, abandoned it at 40%. It read like an undergraduate research paper, and essentially regurgitated a bunch of research that had already been done, with no new revelations or anything remotely interesting that I couldn't have found out from other historians already. The formatting of the copy I received was horrible, words stuck together, words split in half into new paragraphs, and it was next to impossible to tell when the author had switched back to her own words from the story she was retelling. While the stories themselves were interesting, they were few and far between, nowhere near as prevalent as I expected, and did not have any analysis other than rewording what the story had just said. The writing was dry, extremely unfocused, and, if the author was going for a scholarly work, there were a lot of unprofessional interjections.
I did not finish this book, abandoned it at 40%. It read like an undergraduate research paper, and essentially regurgitated a bunch of research that had already been done, with no new revelations or anything remotely interesting that I couldn't have found out from other historians already. The formatting of the copy I received was horrible, words stuck together, words split in half into new paragraphs, and it was next to impossible to tell when the author had switched back to her own words from the story she was retelling. While the stories themselves were interesting, they were few and far between, nowhere near as prevalent as I expected, and did not have any analysis other than rewording what the story had just said. The writing was dry, extremely unfocused, and, if the author was going for a scholarly work, there were a lot of unprofessional interjections.
December 6, 2021
I don’t necessarily review the most recent “it” book or novels on the NY Times bestseller list. In fact, a few times a year I’ll browse through an agent’s MSWL (Manuscript Wish List) site to see what they’re reading/raving about just to dip my toe back into the mainstream literary world. That’s because my TBR (To Be Read) list is usually 20-deep with books I’m reading based on what I’m writing – and this includes non-fiction. I’m also a big fan of using my local library. Seriously, I could never afford the number of books I read, even if I bought them on kindle. For a witchy novel I’m mulling over, I set out to learn more about fairies and how ancient pagans interacted with fairies and my library offered up this research gem.
Children Into Swans is not a collection of fairy tales, so if that’s on your radar, you’ll be disappointed. It’s an exploration of pagan folk tales that have survived to our time and, when appropriate, how they are tied into more modern fairy tales (thanks to early 19th century writers such as the Brothers Grimm who took the time to travel through many countries, collecting the stories before they were completely forgotten.) It’s astounding how many ancient tales have vanished and we owe a debt of gratitude to not only the Brothers Grimm, but also to Medieval monks for transcribing the records that exist.
While Children Into Swans begins with ancient Irish tales, it also delves heavily into Celtic and Scandinavian folk and fairy tales, with a good bit of information on Welsh derivatives. At times, the author will mention Germanic tales but the focus of the book is on Northern Europe and Scandinavia. This is a fairly scholarly work, but easily readable (i.e., not dry) and is divided into digestible chapters. These include: History (of fairy and folk tales); Characters (giants, elves, etc.); Stories from the Pagan Year (Beltaine, Samain, etc.); and Storyteller’s Themes (omens, spells, etc.). The author references several other works on ancient tales and sagas if you wanted to dig deeper. This particularly appealed to me since I’ve narrowed down my research needs to Welsh pagan beliefs so I’ve been served up several other avenues to pursue.
I find myself abandoning some research books mid-way through because they are either difficult to read or I’m not finding the information I thought they would contain. This book was an enjoyable immersion into pagan beliefs and folklore and I’d recommend it to anyone searching for a foundational knowledge of Celtic, Irish, or Norse mythology.
Children Into Swans is not a collection of fairy tales, so if that’s on your radar, you’ll be disappointed. It’s an exploration of pagan folk tales that have survived to our time and, when appropriate, how they are tied into more modern fairy tales (thanks to early 19th century writers such as the Brothers Grimm who took the time to travel through many countries, collecting the stories before they were completely forgotten.) It’s astounding how many ancient tales have vanished and we owe a debt of gratitude to not only the Brothers Grimm, but also to Medieval monks for transcribing the records that exist.
While Children Into Swans begins with ancient Irish tales, it also delves heavily into Celtic and Scandinavian folk and fairy tales, with a good bit of information on Welsh derivatives. At times, the author will mention Germanic tales but the focus of the book is on Northern Europe and Scandinavia. This is a fairly scholarly work, but easily readable (i.e., not dry) and is divided into digestible chapters. These include: History (of fairy and folk tales); Characters (giants, elves, etc.); Stories from the Pagan Year (Beltaine, Samain, etc.); and Storyteller’s Themes (omens, spells, etc.). The author references several other works on ancient tales and sagas if you wanted to dig deeper. This particularly appealed to me since I’ve narrowed down my research needs to Welsh pagan beliefs so I’ve been served up several other avenues to pursue.
I find myself abandoning some research books mid-way through because they are either difficult to read or I’m not finding the information I thought they would contain. This book was an enjoyable immersion into pagan beliefs and folklore and I’d recommend it to anyone searching for a foundational knowledge of Celtic, Irish, or Norse mythology.
May 5, 2015
Beveridge has written a fairly engaging book on the motifs of Norse and Celtic folktales, mythological cycles and possible pagan religious concepts. She has a tendency to get a little purple prose-y talking about her preferred folktales (it's always "starkly haunting" or some such) and sometimes it can get frustrating when she discusses two nearly identical stories several chapters apart, but the research is solid, and the history is fascinating. She says that she chose Norse and Celtic stories mainly for practical reasons-- both communities actually managed to save a decent portion of their folk stories-- and I believe it, since despite the similarities, she never seems to really want to discuss the whys and hows of those similarities. The book is not hyper-academic, but it's definitely thoughtful and I learned plenty about the history of salvaging pagan stories in the context of fairy tales.
March 24, 2015
I'm really enjoying reading Children into Swans. I read a lot of Fantasy type books and I was interested in learning a bit out the linkages of recent stories to older fairy and folk tales. I was also interested to learn more about some of the very old tales that I'd heard only bits about.
Children into Swans gave me an appreciation for how these ancient stories impact our lives today. I was amazed to learn how many of the fantasy books that I read have borrowed or evolved contents from old folk and fairy tales. I also really enjoyed learning about the history of the manuscripts themselves - some of them have survived some pretty incredible adventures.
I find the book well organized - each chapter diving into a different theme or idea and it reads easily. I would highly recommend this book to fantasy buffs and folks who have an interest in the roots behind many of our traditions and oldest stories.
Children into Swans gave me an appreciation for how these ancient stories impact our lives today. I was amazed to learn how many of the fantasy books that I read have borrowed or evolved contents from old folk and fairy tales. I also really enjoyed learning about the history of the manuscripts themselves - some of them have survived some pretty incredible adventures.
I find the book well organized - each chapter diving into a different theme or idea and it reads easily. I would highly recommend this book to fantasy buffs and folks who have an interest in the roots behind many of our traditions and oldest stories.
February 1, 2018
A powerhouse of an introduction to the vast subject that is Fairy tales, and their roots. Using the Celtic, and Norse sources that can be traced previous to Christianity's introduction and influence.
Beveridge traces the history of these early sources, and the eventual collectors of European folklore that gives us the stories that we know today.
The strong bones of further study are offered here with the deconstruction of fairy tales into their elements of character, and themes; each chapter offering one-page representative stories to illustrate the topic.
The readers are taken on a journey with fairies, elves, dwarfs, household spirits, water dwellers, giants, souls, and spirits of their development through the stories, and over time, and the way these participants in the tales tell as much about the people that told these stories, as it does about the clues to the deeper meanings, and clues to clearer understanding of these extremely old stories that have swirled through Northwestern Europe for long centuries before they were ever written down.
Next the journey moves onward to explore into the realms of motifs that are so familiar to any listener, or reader of fairy tales. The times of the year that are open to magic, wishes/dreams, triples, shape-shifting, omens/prophecies, between the worlds, spells, trees, and the Unseen World.
Each chapter examines these parts for their cultural significance so that we can learn more about the time, people, and places they were told because, like in a good fairy tale, aren't rational, or coherent . Time moves differently. Borders are unclear, and moving.
In the end, fairy tales are about the strength of right values, faith in courage, and a good heart when keeping one's world. Traits that would do anyone well in a society, and, when we encounter the Other World.
Beveridge traces the history of these early sources, and the eventual collectors of European folklore that gives us the stories that we know today.
The strong bones of further study are offered here with the deconstruction of fairy tales into their elements of character, and themes; each chapter offering one-page representative stories to illustrate the topic.
The readers are taken on a journey with fairies, elves, dwarfs, household spirits, water dwellers, giants, souls, and spirits of their development through the stories, and over time, and the way these participants in the tales tell as much about the people that told these stories, as it does about the clues to the deeper meanings, and clues to clearer understanding of these extremely old stories that have swirled through Northwestern Europe for long centuries before they were ever written down.
Next the journey moves onward to explore into the realms of motifs that are so familiar to any listener, or reader of fairy tales. The times of the year that are open to magic, wishes/dreams, triples, shape-shifting, omens/prophecies, between the worlds, spells, trees, and the Unseen World.
Each chapter examines these parts for their cultural significance so that we can learn more about the time, people, and places they were told because, like in a good fairy tale, aren't rational, or coherent . Time moves differently. Borders are unclear, and moving.
In the end, fairy tales are about the strength of right values, faith in courage, and a good heart when keeping one's world. Traits that would do anyone well in a society, and, when we encounter the Other World.
September 6, 2023
This was basically an undergrad research paper. It made references to other tales but it was really hard to tell when the author would switch between their thoughts and the originals. None of the stories were very long, which not the author's fault, but it just didn't feel very meaty. While I appreciated some of the insights, they were few and far between.
February 2, 2022
I thought it a well-documented book, despite a certain vagueness in the use of some terms. And then the author referenced Mircea Eliade by the pronoun “her” and that sort of blunder pretty much ruined all its authority for me.
June 18, 2017
An excellent read. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in folklore or fairy tales.
May 29, 2019
Good resource for anyone interested in fairy tales, reading them and then writing.
September 19, 2014
Since I read a lot of urban fantasy novels I've noticed the same names popping up rather often. Irish, Celtic, Norse, all types of gods, goddesses and strange folk appear over and over. I thought this book might be a good place to put some fact behind the fiction and see what was real and what was probably just made up for a specific novel. I was very surprised to find that so often the modern author of urban fantasy does take note of historical stories and other-worldly beings in their novels. Author Jan Beveridge provided me with all types of information regarding the characters, legends and stories I've been reading about.
The material can be somewhat dry and repetitive at times, but that seems to be mostly because the available research material stories have been handed down over such a long period of time that many of the stories tend to mimic each other. This book is a great place to firm up the difference between a dwarf and an elf in your own mind - should you need to get that distinction straight. You will read about the well known fairies, elves, dwarfs, giants, and witches plus my favorites, the house spirits and brownies. Irish, Scottish, Scandinavian, Germanic, Norse, all of these peoples and more contributed to the oral history of these creatures from other realms and eventually began to commit the stories to writing. Changes to the stories happened with the growth of Christianity and time periods such as the Victorian Age.
For someone who is interested in general information about the fairy tales which so often have a recurring theme and who want to see examples of the difference between a fairy tale and a folk tale, this book will give you a lot of material to think about. It definitely answered my questions about the characters I see utilized in modern novels. There are a large number of notes at the end of the book if you are interested in delving further into any specific portion of the information provided.
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
The material can be somewhat dry and repetitive at times, but that seems to be mostly because the available research material stories have been handed down over such a long period of time that many of the stories tend to mimic each other. This book is a great place to firm up the difference between a dwarf and an elf in your own mind - should you need to get that distinction straight. You will read about the well known fairies, elves, dwarfs, giants, and witches plus my favorites, the house spirits and brownies. Irish, Scottish, Scandinavian, Germanic, Norse, all of these peoples and more contributed to the oral history of these creatures from other realms and eventually began to commit the stories to writing. Changes to the stories happened with the growth of Christianity and time periods such as the Victorian Age.
For someone who is interested in general information about the fairy tales which so often have a recurring theme and who want to see examples of the difference between a fairy tale and a folk tale, this book will give you a lot of material to think about. It definitely answered my questions about the characters I see utilized in modern novels. There are a large number of notes at the end of the book if you are interested in delving further into any specific portion of the information provided.
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
October 16, 2014
I enjoyed this book a lot. I have read quite a few books about fairy tales, but have never come upon one that looks at the genre from this point of view, which is that stories with some fairy tale subject matter had been told for centuries before there were actually fairy tales. The author examines elves, trolls, mermaids, and so on, in European literature from the Early Middle Ages. Throughout the book are examples of ancient stories, some of them from one important Irish manuscript which the author keeps coming back to, and to the scribe who wrote it. This gives the book an engaging focus. The old stories are wild and quite extraordinary, and before I read the book I was not familiar with this literature. I found this book definitely worth reading.
August 19, 2014
A collection of Norse and Celtic fairytales and a the history behind them.
It was interesting but some where a bit confusing as they were similar.
As my purpose is not academic and I just wanted to read the fairytales it was a bit too much at times, but still well researched and I read more than I thought I would.
It was interesting but some where a bit confusing as they were similar.
As my purpose is not academic and I just wanted to read the fairytales it was a bit too much at times, but still well researched and I read more than I thought I would.
January 31, 2015
Well researched, this a collection of Norse and Celtic fairy tales and their origins. I thought it was only going to be the stories but there is a tremendous amount of research in this book. Being a fairy tale fanatic I thoroughly enjoyed the stories but I did get a bit bogged down by all the background.
June 27, 2015
Fine as far as it went. The book limited itself to Celtic and Scandinavian tales, and by omitting much interrelated East European and Slavic material unfortunately missed out on a much deeper level of understanding. It also only showed that fairy tales are derived from myth, without consideration of the deeper meaning of the underlying mythologies.
September 30, 2014
I thought this was going to be a story but it is more a historical research paper compiling the similarities of fairy tales and folk lore from across Europe. I enjoyed parts of the book that actually told the tales but the the comparisons and data, not so much.
February 6, 2015
This had the potential not to suck and yet it did. I got bored, which is weird for me considering the topic and I was frustrated that there didn't seem to be much new info. This was just a recap of what other researchers had done
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April 17, 2015398.2094 B5715 2014
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews