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The Golden Thread: Myth and the Labyrinth of Life
In The Golden Thread, there are 14 unique tales: from Raven the Lightbringer to Odin, and The Lindworm Prince to The Sun Maiden. Each chapter braids the visible with the invisible, a diverse tapestry of folklore, symbolism, alchemy, psychology and shamanism. The Golden Thread traverses the landscape of imagination and the borderlands of our own lives; those threshold moments of love and loss. It aims to show us in a time of great upheaval, how cosmic, seasonal, and ancestral patterns can help root and connect us. While myth, a vital and steadfast guide, weaves its way throughout.
- GenresFolklore
244 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 9, 2019
5 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Amy Dyer
3 books18 followersinstagram @amber.of.the.sea
My books are: 'The Golden Thread', 'The Silver Bough' and 'the Bronze Serpent'.
My books are: 'The Golden Thread', 'The Silver Bough' and 'the Bronze Serpent'.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 9, 2020
The Golden Thread is a wonderfully cultivated selection of folklore that goes beyond the usual scattering of Norse/Greek/Egyptian that has become almost trite these days. The author takes the time to let these stories breathe as solo bursts but also part of that golden thread that ties the book together. For a first work this is massively impressive and something that I hope Dyer continues to build on over the coming years.
Fans of Gaiman's Norse Mythology will love this!
Fans of Gaiman's Norse Mythology will love this!
February 23, 2020
A magical journey through myths and fairy tales. I can highly recommend this wonderfully illustrated and well-written book.
September 5, 2020
Golden Thread by Amy Dyer
Amy Dyer has loved mythology and fairy tales since a young child and even then instinctively sensed that they held something more, a wisdom. At 27, her life was overwhelmed with sadness, family cancers and loss, depression and severe anorexia. The day after her 27th birthday she had an accident and fell backwards down a flight of stairs. She was rushed to the hospital, and very fortunately did not have any serious or lasting injuries. This was a turning point in her life. She now understood literally that “sometimes we feel like we are hanging on by a single thread.” She began to read and study myths and fairy tales in earnest, devouring everything by Joseph Campbell and studying Jung’s archetypes. She broadened her scope and began to see common or repeated threads running throughout many of these tales of wisdom; stories that come down to us through the oral tradition of our ancestors. And as these patterns became more evident, she became aware of the universal golden threads that weave through them to create a larger tapestry; a tapestry that portrays the human condition on a psychic and psychological level. These tales and myths run deep and we can learn much about ourselves from them. They are as relevant today as ever.
The Golden Thread consists of 14 wonderful fairy tales and myths, retold in the author’s words, and 7 insightful essays that analyze the “golden threads” or universal themes that run through them. The tales are delightful, many new to me as well some well-known. There are 7 Parts to the book: Awakening, Leaving Childhood, Crossing the Threshold, Into the Unknown, Separation, Ordeal and Acceptance, Death and Rebirth. Each part consists of two tales that demonstrate the theme and then an analysis of the two stories. The essays also show us that many of these golden threads cross over and weave from one story to another across all 7 parts. That is because these tales are rich and layered and often touch upon more than one theme. The tales are delightful to read and the essays are scholarly in an accessible and entertaining way. Ms. Dyer includes a Glossary, Story Sources and Works Cited. I will also add that the book offers several beautiful illustrations by Niall Grant. This is a book for anyone who loves fairy tales and myths and enjoys thinking more deeply about them and what they might mean. I am happy to say that a second volume is nearly complete and may be out as early as the holidays.
Amy Dyer has loved mythology and fairy tales since a young child and even then instinctively sensed that they held something more, a wisdom. At 27, her life was overwhelmed with sadness, family cancers and loss, depression and severe anorexia. The day after her 27th birthday she had an accident and fell backwards down a flight of stairs. She was rushed to the hospital, and very fortunately did not have any serious or lasting injuries. This was a turning point in her life. She now understood literally that “sometimes we feel like we are hanging on by a single thread.” She began to read and study myths and fairy tales in earnest, devouring everything by Joseph Campbell and studying Jung’s archetypes. She broadened her scope and began to see common or repeated threads running throughout many of these tales of wisdom; stories that come down to us through the oral tradition of our ancestors. And as these patterns became more evident, she became aware of the universal golden threads that weave through them to create a larger tapestry; a tapestry that portrays the human condition on a psychic and psychological level. These tales and myths run deep and we can learn much about ourselves from them. They are as relevant today as ever.
The Golden Thread consists of 14 wonderful fairy tales and myths, retold in the author’s words, and 7 insightful essays that analyze the “golden threads” or universal themes that run through them. The tales are delightful, many new to me as well some well-known. There are 7 Parts to the book: Awakening, Leaving Childhood, Crossing the Threshold, Into the Unknown, Separation, Ordeal and Acceptance, Death and Rebirth. Each part consists of two tales that demonstrate the theme and then an analysis of the two stories. The essays also show us that many of these golden threads cross over and weave from one story to another across all 7 parts. That is because these tales are rich and layered and often touch upon more than one theme. The tales are delightful to read and the essays are scholarly in an accessible and entertaining way. Ms. Dyer includes a Glossary, Story Sources and Works Cited. I will also add that the book offers several beautiful illustrations by Niall Grant. This is a book for anyone who loves fairy tales and myths and enjoys thinking more deeply about them and what they might mean. I am happy to say that a second volume is nearly complete and may be out as early as the holidays.
January 29, 2020
Life stages seen through the lenses of fairy tales and mythology... A very inspiring book, questioning life, death, and everything surrounding us. Amy's retelling of 14 fairy tales is absolutely lyrical, but the connections she makes at the end of each part, analysing the stages of life symbolically, connecting myths, and quotes are utterly fascinating. The moment I read the first pages of the book, I could see an aura of creativity surrounding it.
The Golden Thread focuses on certain patterns, or threads, as Amy calls them, in order to demonstrate how everything in life intermingles, creating a tapestry woven of all these seemingly insignificant threads. Thus, the book embarks us upon a symbolic journey within, demonstrating the importance of these threads and how, without them, the entire tapestry is hollow and colourless.
I recommend The Golden Thread to whoever is interested in fairy tales, comparative mythology, and Jungian psychology.
The Golden Thread focuses on certain patterns, or threads, as Amy calls them, in order to demonstrate how everything in life intermingles, creating a tapestry woven of all these seemingly insignificant threads. Thus, the book embarks us upon a symbolic journey within, demonstrating the importance of these threads and how, without them, the entire tapestry is hollow and colourless.
I recommend The Golden Thread to whoever is interested in fairy tales, comparative mythology, and Jungian psychology.
June 12, 2023
Tiene puntos interesantes, pero en general creo que me ha servido para darme cuenta de que prefiero usar el Camino del Héroe como recurso narrativo y ya está, mi historiadora interior se niega a tragarse lo del monomito. Y la deriva protoconspiranoica de la autora me ha dado mal rollo.
April 22, 2020
Interesting work
Myths are eternal for they are but the stories of man, not just from the past but also the present and future. An interesting for anyone interested in the secret symbols of ancient literature and narratives with life lessons.
Myths are eternal for they are but the stories of man, not just from the past but also the present and future. An interesting for anyone interested in the secret symbols of ancient literature and narratives with life lessons.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews