The Land of the Green Man: A Journey through the Supernatural Landscapes of the British Isles

by Carolyne Larrington

The folklore of Britain abounds with local tales about the activities of one sort of supernatural being or another giants, elves, hobs, boggarts, dragons or shape-changing witches. The stories are vivid, dramatic and often humorous. Carolyne Larrington has made a representative selection, which she re-tells in a simple, direct way which is completely faithful to the style and spirit of her sources. Most collectors of local legends have been content merely to note how they may serve to explain some feature of the landscape or to warn of some supernatural danger, but Carolyne Larrington probes more deeply. By perceptive and delicate analysis, she explores their inner meanings. She shows how, through lightly coded metaphors, they deal with the relations of man and woman, master and servant, the living and the dead, the outer semblance and the inner self, mankind and the natural environment. Her fascinating book gives us a fuller insight into the value of our traditional tales.

Genres: Nonfiction, Folklore, Mythology, History, Research, British Literature, Nature

250 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

Carolyne Larrington is a Tutorial Fellow in English at St. John's College, Oxford.

Dr. Carolyne Larrington teaches medieval English literature in the college, ranging from the earliest Old English to the beginning of the Renaissance period.

Dr Larrington's research interests are in Old Icelandic literature, medieval women's writing, European Arthurian literature, and, most recently, medieval emotion. She has published on Old English and Old Icelandic wisdom poetry, compiled Women and Writing in Medieval Europe: A Sourcebook and edited two collections of essays on the Old Norse Poetic Edda. Her revised and expanded translation of the Poetic Edda, just published, is the standard. Her most recent monograph is King Arthur's Enchantresses: Morgan and Her Sisters in Arthurian Tradition which appeared from IB Tauris in June 2006. Her book on sibling relations in European medieval literature, and a new popular book on British folklore, The Land of the Green Man will be published in 2015; a BBC Radio 4 series based on the folklore book has also been commissioned. She is currently editing a collection of essays on emotion in Arthurian literature, and a Handbook to Eddic Poetry. She has been until recently editor-in-chief of the journal Viking and Medieval Scandinavia, and the President of the Viking Society for Northern Research, the British scholarly society for Old Norse study.

(from https://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/945-714/Dr-C...)

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Overview of mostly British folklore, divided by theme, with a strong sense of place. Interesting on what the tales are really telling us, and the very late rise of the Green Man figure (a fairly modern invention).

There's a fair bit on modern uses of folklore in TV and books, which is frankly WTF. Doesn't so much as *mention* Terry Pratchett, whose deep knowledge of folklore informs Discworld in really interesting and ingenious ways (how can there be a whole chapter on the Tam Lin thing without discussing Lords and Ladies?!). But there's a ton of admiration for JK Rowling's back-of-the-fridge approach of dumping in a bunch of magpied names. Nothing to do with this being a Bloomsbury book, I'm sure.

[Rosemary Atwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Larrington’s knowledge of medieval literature, Norse mythology, Arthuriana and folklore make this an absolute storehouse of reference for storytellers, readers and scholars.

The use of landscape and topography as springboards for mythical retellings, literary allusions and imaginative explorations really do immerse the reader in the almost limitless culture and diversity of British folk traditions and legends.

A fun and wonderfully rewarding read.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley.

There is one thing wrong with this book. Let’s get it out of the way first. How can you write a book that deals with English Folklore, that mentions the influence on modern writers, and yet not mention, even in passing, Terry Pratchett? It’s true that there is already a book about Discworld and folklore, but still. It’s like this huge turtle hanging over the book.

That aside, this book is pretty good. Larrington details various folklore and legends of the countryside. The book is more than just the Green Man, but also fairies, selkies, and ghostly dogs. Larrington’s retelling of the various tales is solid, and she includes varieties. What is particularly interesting is her analysis of various tales.

She is able to connect selkie tales to marriage stories and how a woman might view marriage. In fact, if you have read Gould’s Spinning Straw Into Gold, Larrington’s book makes an good companion read. Larrington’s anaylsis adds another level to the idea of the Beauty and the Beast as tale preparing women for marriage. Additionally, her reading of the Finn saga, and in particular Sadb, is actually pretty mind blowing. It made me want to re-read the stories with her analysis in mind.

Larrington also connects the stories to modern work. If you are fan of Neil Gaiman, this book is worth reading for her gets several pages. Less popular authors and works get credit too, and there is a good chance that you will want to track down a newspaper article or two.

All in all, this is a good book about folklore connected to the landscape.

[George Ilsley · Rating 2 out of 5]

If one is drawn to a book titled "The Land of the Green Man" because one wants to learn more about "the Green Man" one is going to be sorely disappointed.

Colour me disappointed. There he is on the cover, but page 226 (out of 239) "brings us at last to the Green Man"!

The motif is a feature of many old churches, a face surrounded by stylized oak leaves. Why oak leaves? That question is never asked much less addressed. Why does it adorn old churches, and who carved them? No curiosity there.

So many other topics received detailed surveys: giants, dragons, selkies, fairies and elves of all sorts and types. So why is this the land of the Green Man, and not The Land of the Giants and Fairies? Especially considering how fleetingly we examine the Green Man — mostly through a Kingsley Amis ghost story novel of the same name The Green Man.

And that brings us to another matter—how much modern material is referenced as examples of ... who knows, really — examples of enduring relevance? Harry Potter and Neil Gaiman are the most common references, but thrown into the jumble sale are an admixture of songs, movies and kids' books. I found this approach baffling and unhelpful.

The index may include an author or the book title, maybe both, or maybe neither. The novel Orkney is discussed as an example of selkie (seal-type mermaids) mythology, but here Larrington inexplicably descends into literary criticism: "much of the book is overwritten," she says, but the novel "understands the essential unknowability of the seal-woman and the uncomprehending, overpossessive and insecure husband." I'm not sure I understand the unknowability and the uncomprehending, and the claim that the novel is "overwritten" is startling in the context of the many works discussed for their treatments of themes without literary judgment. (This novel doesn't make it into the index, or even the notes of sources.)

As a journey through the supernatural landscape, there is some merit in this survey, although I would have appreciated more history and context and less pop culture references. Harry Potter is not everyone's touchstone, and plot summaries of random novels are never interesting.

Rounded down to 2 stars because the author couldn't be bothered to actually talk about the Green Man. Despite the promise of the cover and the title. As a side note, the oak leaves have a deep significance and a rich cultural history— but you won’t find that mentioned here.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a child I would sit curled up against my father's legs in the sunshine, or cuddled on his lap of an evening and listen to him tell me tales. Not fairy tales or nursery rhymes, but stories of Finn Mac Cool, gods and heroes, Maori myths, of my immediate family, and of my ancestors. I understood what a selkie was long before I ever saw a seal. Old fashioned story telling. The ancient way of teaching by stories, really.

Thus I was delighted to open Carolyne Larrington's book "The Land of the Green Man - A Journey through the Supernatural Landcapes of the British Isles" and found my favourite Finn Mac Cool story related, along with many others I remember.

Rather than trudge all over the green and pleasant land, Carolyne tells stories by genre as much as by area. There are tales of life, of death, of love: all the grand sweep of human experience.

The thing I do like most about this book is the way it links the past with the present. Black Shuk leads to the Hound of the Baskervilles. J K Rowling, Ben Aaronovitch, and Neil Gaiman's wonderful works are mentioned throughout. Especially where they blend seamlessly with the tales from the past.

One gets the feeling that the tradition of folk tales in the United Kingdom is a strong as it ever was. Not least because of the novels of the writers mentioned above, but also because of scholars such as Professor Larrington.

If you love folklore and enchantment combined in a highly readable, absorbing, and entertaining manner, then this book is a must for you.

Highly recommended on all levels.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Larrington explores the folklore of Great Britain and Ireland. Some of the stories were new to me, others were familiar and all was interesting. She also looks at how writers and film-makers have incorporated traditional tales into their work.

[Star Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll have to give this one 2.5 stars. The author has clearly done years of research on the vast array of folktales around the British Isles, scouring oral history, preserved documents, and theses about all that history. She even brings modern fantasy big shots who use the very same mythic legends to develop their own tales for the modern reader to the argument table. An attempt to bring the ever changing, developing youth in touch with their rustic roots of wonder and awe.

The part that is lacking for me is the heart, though. The whole essay lacks the essence of the fairy livelihood. It misses out on the actual wonder and awe part. All of it reads like a semi-dry lecture paper that gets buried at the back of the library to collect dust. And this is coming from a huge folktale enthusiast who has read some really dry academic papers on the subject up to the soul embracing exploration of myth with fiction.

I also was not a fan of "filler" pages that recap an entire epic fantasy novel from the 70s. (Granted I'm missing the reference completely as I am neither British nor from that era; however, I don't think I'm totally amiss in my point that an entire recap of the plot line is unnecessary for this dissertation.) The author mentions the trickster nature of the fairy nation, yet somehow misses the feeling in her actual writing.

Pick it up if you are looking for a comprehensive look into the myths of the British Isles. Fairy creatures from brownies to the kings of the fae nation are all present here with the variants particular to region. The whole compilation is very well laid out, if only it had the heart.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carolyne Larrington's book explores, in a well informed way, the richness of the folklore of Great Britain. There is an effective informative introduction as to what the book is about and what will be covered. This book is literary ranging very widely from Tolkien to Game of Thrones & Harry Potter with many in between. It takes a deep look into the myth and legends of mostly the British Isles, though touching on other areas, frequently comparing with literature ancient & modern.

Taking the chapter "Black Dog" as an example, Essex, East Anglia, Winston Churchill, Nick Drake, a local folk group, Jersey, Conan-Doyle, Dartmoor, the Welsh borders, Mark Gatiss,  Harry Potter all manage to get into the early part of the chapter.  After that the author ranges far more widely on the general topic and related topics. My copy was a prepublication copy however the index seemed to be pretty comprehensive as would be essential and very useful in such a book.

This was a delightful read for anyone interested in the folklore of Great Britain and also the use of that folklore in literature. My feeling having finished the book is that I need to start it again and allow myself a deeper immersion in it.

Disclosure - I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.

[Alex Sarll]

A wander through the strange tales of our past, which offer explanations for everything from social taboos to odd family traits and peculiar rock formations. So that means less ghosts - though they crop up here and there - than the really weird stuff, the giants and dragons, black dogs and fair folk, lost lands and selkies. Larrington explores the social uses of enchantment, and the transmission and alteration of the tales (stuff like enforcing the sabbath or warning against rash marriage can sometimes be at the core of the story, but elsewhen looks to have been bolted on later), but clearly also enjoys the sheer strange power of them. She also looks at their cultural afterlife, and here the book can perhaps a bit heavy on the references to Harry Potter. Still, I suppose it gets the punters in - and other recent work it mentions range from the pretty much obligatory (Gaiman, Garner) to stuff of which I've never heard, despite this end of fantasy being very much my ballpark, so it's not as if she's just ticking off the hits. The old tales themselves are retold well; some are eerie, others daft and a few both, and she won't shy away either from the creepy stuff, or the dragons undone by parkin or being kicked up the arse. Part of me wishes the overall architecture of the book could have been a little madder - but saying that, I've been reading The White Goddess in small chunks for 18 years now, so maybe, like the foolish protagonists in folklore, I should be careful what I wish for. And without her approach we wouldn't have her wonderful conclusion, in which she points out that the eponymous Green Man himself, at least as now understood, is a modern composite - but no less significant for that.
(Though on the way there she does suggest that you can't think of Gawain's Green Knight as symbolising nature, because he hunts. And I don't even know where to begin on how wrong that is. Still, one paragraph; let it pass)

I read considerable chunks of this in St Dunstan's in the East, a suitably liminal and paradoxical space for folklore (a building with no roof, a church that's also a park, a nature haven in the heart of the city) which, despite its recent over-tidy, I still tend to think of as the Green Chapel. If you have a similar space nearby when reading this, do go there, as it definitely complements the experience.

[Sophy H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I realise I've marked this fiction and non-fiction! That's because it's a non-fiction book that pretty much relates huge swathes of fictional folklore.

Labelling aside, I couldn't get on with this one and ended up skim reading a lot of it. I particularly liked the section on the "black dog" but that's probably all I ended up truly engaging with. The rest felt as if Larrington was just making lists of all the folklore she could think of and giving convoluted explanations of those on the list.

I found the writing quite repetitive and dry.

2 stars and it's off to the community book exchange for this disappointment.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 Stars*

[Bookshire Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very easy-to-read but not trivial introduction to British folklore. The book is organized into chapters by theme, so you have death and loss, lust and love or continuity and change etc. The added value of the book for me is that the author explains why the particular folklore sprang to life, i.e. what the then inhabitants of British Isles attempted to explain with it - natural phenomena, social inequality, anything they weren't able to explain by rational means.
You get a solid starting point for deeper research or an enjoyable casual reading, depending on your mood and purpose. This balance is not easy to achieve but Larrington managed it quite well.

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very accessible, not only covers a wide range of geographical, thematic legends across different parts of Britain but their regional variants as well. Obviously a non-fiction book but the myths themselves are written with enthusiasm from the author so it does feel like you're reading many condensed stories with some succinct and enlightening context provided.

[SA · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine read from a talented folklorist. I quite liked Larrington's use of contemporary fiction to further the reader's grasp of the myths, legends, wonder tales, and folk tales the author is recounting. It makes the book all that more accessible, even while introducing a handful of literary and critical concepts and aspects of folklore studies.

The only real complaint I have of the book is the appalling lack of Welsh stories. To be honest, Larrington does over-emphasize stories based in England significantly compared to Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. A quick look at the map printed on the flyleaf of the cover illustrates this clearly. By number, Ireland has 8 tales; Scotland 24; and Wales has two. That is fucking terrible, particularly given the profound abundance of legends and wonder tales that flower all over the country. There's no evident reason, either.

Larrington also wrote Norse Myths, which I quite enjoyed as well, so I can't point to her scholarship being focused solely on the folkways of England. So I am left disappointed and uncomfortably wondering about discrimination, not a characteristic I would like to associate with the author.

Nonetheless, this was a fine read. I appreciated the last section devoted to the Green Man and the hilarious reality of his 20th century (late 19th?) invention. Yet at the same time it's telling that he features in the title of Larrington's book, because the Green Man speaks to something very timely and relevant to today -- and thereby underpins the notion that tales reflect the people who tell them, a key point of the book's analysis.

[Jonny Thomson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful fusion of the ancient folklore of the British Isles alongside their modern variants (Tolkein, Rowling, Gaiman etc...). I loved the themes and the "just so" type stories of how landscapes or peoples came to be eg. Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland was a boulder throwing match between an Irish and Scottish Giant.
I was taken by really how rich British folklore lore is.
Loses a star because I would have liked a few more retellings of the tales (as the author occasionally showcases at the start of her chapters) rather than thematic and broad overviews.

Really enjoyable though, and good fodder for conversions and woodland walks.

[Janis Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank I.B.Tauris for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest review.

Definitely more a text book than something you casually read as something to do. And I agree with the other reviews – why no mention of Pratchett?

Okay, that’s all going to sound far more negative than I mean it to be. This was a fascinating and educational book and I did get some fantastic information from it that was new to me. But I will stand by my comments that this is more the sort of book you read for research and study than just to while away a few hours.

I like text books, I love to research and so, for me, whiling away the hours with this was sort of okay… but I really did find it slow going at times and it seemed to get distracted at what the point it was trying to make actually was. Heck, I get like that… pretty sure at least half my reviews appear like that. ;-) But, yeah, not a book to casually read.

I also found the layout format rather dull and I feel this added to the ‘text book’ feel. Then again, if ‘The Land of the Green Man’ is being sold as a text book – nailed it. For me, too blocky, not enough gaps/ paragraphs and sometimes very easy to go cross eyed over and start thinking about other things and losing concentration on what I was trying to read.

From the blurb on Netgalley I was expecting a slightly lighter style of read and not the heavy text book I got.

Would I recommend this book to others? I might mention it in passing as a good reference book if people were trying to research the myths and legends associated with areas of the UK. But I wouldn’t jump up and down and tell everyone it was the ‘must read’ book of the season.

Would I buy this book for myself? Yes I would. See my comments on loving to research and how I gleaned some new information from ‘The Land of the Green Man’. Don’t get me wrong, this is an excellent reference book to add to the collection of anyone wanting to cover the myths and legends of the UK. I really could see myself referring back to this book often due to my own writing and wanting to be inspired by those story tellers who came before me.

In summary: A little slow going, not the light and easy read I took it to be from the blurb, but still a worthy book to add to any true lover of myths and legends library.

[Madeleine McDonald · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book disappointing rather than fascinating. Perhaps because the author is an academic rather than a storyteller, I found the myriad retellings of myth and legend from every corner of Britain confusing. The author eventually makes her way back to the Green Man and asserts that under that name he has a “short pedigree”, being invented in 1939 by Lady Raglan “for a world which was beginning to need him” because people realised industrialisation was destroying our planet. I’m not sure this is a definitive explanation for such an enduring symbol.

[Grinney Pig · Rating 2 out of 5]

as mentioned before there is no reference to Terry pratchet I also cannot believe she does not mention de laney's spooks apprentice series. I felt this aside that the folklore and tales of Britain are much more in depth than she has put here. I felt her constantly referencing modern fiction took away from the original source material.

[Angel Hatfield · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not get into this book. It was more of a book written for school or research and that wasn’t what i wanted to read. I also found it dragged for me and just didn’t hold my attention.
I was given an ARC of this story for an honest review.

[Niall O'Conghaile · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book with the intent of reading it all, but have now ended up dipping in and out of it. I actually think this way of reading the book is fine as it is so packed full of myths and information. The writing is fairly succinct and Larrington has a good way with words, so I have enjoyed reading it so far. However, it's not perfect. This is another "supernatural" (esoteric) book I have purchased recently that I feel has been mis-titled. The landscapes Larrington writes about are entertaining and informative, but they are more historic and mythical than "supernatural", dealing with ancient lore and legends with seemingly very little information from the modern age. This was not exactly what I was expecting to read from the book's title. And I have to be frank with this last point: the use of folklore from beyond the borders of England is tokenistic at best. This relates particularly to the coverage of folklore from Ireland, and in particular from Northern Ireland, which merits ONE solitary mention in the entire book. Perhaps this "British Isles" element was shoe-horned in to the title by a publisher keen to maximise the public's interest?

[Jonathan Natusch · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting overview of the supernatural in the British Isles, with numerous stories and creatures I hadn't previously encountered before. The book ties in the old stories with both Larrington's analysis of why they came about and what they mean, and their influence on modern writers (for instance, Neil Gaiman and J.K. Rowling, who are both mentioned on a number of occasions).

Criticisms levelled in other reviews often focus on either the lack of mention of writers like Terry Pratchett, or the scholarly tone of the book. Frankly, Larrington's book doesn't appear to be trying to be a complete overview of all the modern writers who have been influenced by old tales of the supernatural. Larrington evidently has her favourites, and fair enough. As to the scholarly nature of the book, I found it eminently readable, but I must admit that I delved into it in short chunks over several months. As a quaffably fun read, to be devoured in a sitting or two, perhaps it wouldn't work; as a well-written, interesting book to keep dipping into, it was rather enjoyable. I went off on research tangents, and bought other books that Larrington referenced. It sent me down rabbit holes!

3.5 stars.

[Roy McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An academic work though thoroughly readable by the lay reader with a little concentration. The writer has gathered together sample stories from the vast store available to researchers. She relates and examines these, grouping them widely by type, and also location. Some types are to be found the length and breadth of the land, others are more likely to be found in a particular region or district. We have giants, goblins, black dogs, selkies, dragons, elves, witches, trolls and many more. She is intrigued as to how the countless stories came about, the lessons they often teach, the metaphors they offer to us in real life. She has examined sources and sought patterns, looking also at how such folklore has been recast in modern literature and on screen. Always there is interaction with nature, though I was somewhat saddened to learn that the Green Man of the title, which I supposed to be a staple from Britain's ancient times, lurking mischievously in wood and forest, is in fact a quite modern construct. The student of folklore will learn much from Ms Larrington's work, the seeker of bedtime stories might wish to start with something else.

[Thomas Goddard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lost track of all the things I learned from this collection. I had to go back to places where I knew that there were tales I’d forgotten to note down precisely enough.

I picked this up thinking that it would help me by adding a little more meat to the idea of a novel I’m working on. In the end, I think I should give a free copy of my book to the author of this one, when I’m done writing it. Because this book has really shaped my understanding of the subject and how best to incorporate elements of folklore into my own work.

There were things I knew already, but those bits of information were polished and newly faceted by revisiting them and having things expanded on.

I spent a good deal of the time reading this sharing the little stories and the reason they were so lovely – the hidden/disguised metaphors at work – with my partner.

A really proficient and highly readable text on the supernatural landscape above, below and behind the British Isles.

[Scribe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a deccently comprehensive look at the various figures, spirits and themes that bind the British landscape and its history together. As others have mentioned, this is more of a reference book perhaps - I wasn't sure the book's thread and its categories helped navigate things much, and I think I prefer formats with more of a compendia or atlas-style approach. Having said that, there are some fascinating tales in here, and some good reminders of how much lore has been constantly reinterpreted and evolved by modern writers.

[Tom Fordham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book journeying through the ancient folkloric world of the British Isles. Larrington's easily digestable information is captivating and fires your imagination. I enjoyed her analytical approach about the origins of the stories she discussed, the balance between good and bad so we can see the complexity of British and Irish folklore, alongside a wonderful tie in to modern culture. I recommend this if you're interested in staring to get to know the British Isles folklore, it's engaging and intriguing, certainly gets you thinking about your relationship with these stories.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's lots of interesting material here, but there were many times when I felt I was being lectured or was trapped in a university tutorial. Overall, there's too much explanation of what medieval legends and romances 'really mean', and not as much sensitivity to landscape and place as I was expecting. Larrington's shifts between medieval texts and more recent ones can often seem jarring (not to say arbitrary), and the 'I' of the book is uncertain whether she's walking the crags and woodlands or standing behind a lectern reading her notes. It's great to see books like this getting paperback runs (especially with nice covers), even if this one occupies the academic-popular hinterland somewhat awkwardly.

[Kieran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a lot of folklore of Britain books (legacy of an MA thesis and half baked ideas of taking it further), but most of them are collections of stories. This book takes those stories and tries to put them into context- what meaning lay behind them for those who heard them? How have they been re-interpreted for us today? And how are they relevant for us going forwards?

[Andie · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF. It's fine, well-written and engaging, but it feels like Larrington repurposed her lecture notes for her freshman year Intro to Folklore class. Also every chapter ties in Harry Potter or Game of Thrones in some way (see kids! Folklore is relevant to your lives!), followed by a summary of the chapter contents. Not really what I was looking for.

[gaiahart · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like this book a lot and enjoyed getting little tasters of what british folklore has to offer and what i'd like to dive further into, i trudged a bit through sections of random book/tv show name-dropping but enjoyed the writing style other than that 😌 feel like a good intro to british folklore in general

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely wonderful journey through myths, legends and the kind of nature-based folk stories that abound in the UK. Great selection of tales to tell, along with contemporary references and a strong author voice that really made the discovery of some of these locations, ideas and stories a real pleasure.

My only complaint: it wasn't long enough!