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Thistle and Thyme: Tales and Legends from Scotland
A collection of ten Scottish legends passed down through the ages Scottish culture is rich with mythology. There are tales of monks and saints, fairies and witches, kings, nobles, and ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Some stories were never written down, shared instead through retellings that turned storytelling into an art form.
In "Thistle and Thyme," Sorche Nic Leodhas brings together ten folktales that were passed down through the generations as part of Scotland's vibrant oral tradition. In this volume, stories about the changeling and the stolen child, the bride who was cursed to silence by a water kelpie, and the beekeeper who found a rabbit under a spell are just a handful of the thousands of local myths that make up Scotland's colorful history.
In "Thistle and Thyme," Sorche Nic Leodhas brings together ten folktales that were passed down through the generations as part of Scotland's vibrant oral tradition. In this volume, stories about the changeling and the stolen child, the bride who was cursed to silence by a water kelpie, and the beekeeper who found a rabbit under a spell are just a handful of the thousands of local myths that make up Scotland's colorful history.
223 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1962
About the author
Sorche Nic Leodhas
33 books13 followerspseudonym for Leclaire Alger
Sorche Nic Leodhas (1898–1969) was born LeClaire Louise Gowans in Youngstown, Ohio. After the death of her first husband, she moved to New York and attended classes at Columbia University. Several years later, she met her second husband and became LeClaire Gowans Alger. She was a longtime librarian at the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she also wrote children’s books. Shortly before she retired in 1966, she began publishing Scottish folktales and other stories under the pseudonym Sorche Nic Leodhas, Gaelic for Claire, daughter of Louis. In 1963, she received a Newbery Honor for Thistle and Thyme: Tales and Legends from Scotland. Alger continued to write and publish books until her death 1969.
Sorche Nic Leodhas (1898–1969) was born LeClaire Louise Gowans in Youngstown, Ohio. After the death of her first husband, she moved to New York and attended classes at Columbia University. Several years later, she met her second husband and became LeClaire Gowans Alger. She was a longtime librarian at the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she also wrote children’s books. Shortly before she retired in 1966, she began publishing Scottish folktales and other stories under the pseudonym Sorche Nic Leodhas, Gaelic for Claire, daughter of Louis. In 1963, she received a Newbery Honor for Thistle and Thyme: Tales and Legends from Scotland. Alger continued to write and publish books until her death 1969.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 24, 2020
As I begin reading the e-book I see that unfortunately the illustrations have been removed, which is awful as Evaline Ness is wonderful!
The introduction is interesting and helpful. It even gives pronunciation clues - I had not idea that Cèilidh is pronounced kay-lee!
The first story is fun, and I love that the strong-willed girl is also kind and so deserves to have her way and win her choice of husband. There's an unfortunate reference to a thieving Gypsy, but children are likely to overlook it, or families could discuss it.
So far I say that I would have loved this book when I was a child, and now I want to own it (or the omnibus) for the rereading opportunity and the illustrations!
The second story is v. short, a St. Cuddy pourquoi tale.
The third gives us a better look at gypsies, and includes revelations about the Sidh. And oh the mother's courage and cleverness!
I love the author's voice; she makes the stories sound so musical. Reading this aloud to children would be a joy.
I looked a bit at her author page here and see that I have actually read several other books by her before. Some more are avl. on OpenLibrary, too.
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I'm enjoying it so much that I'm not making time to make notes here as I continue! I'm also going to put it on my 'to re-read' shelf. The stories are light and short, for a younger audience than many of the older Newbery books.
Themes are generally about the virtues of courage, kindness and honesty, as characters exhibiting those traits get rewarded. And in the story of the bee-keeper, it's the gypsies that actually help the young man. Often though the helper is an old woman, a sort of good witch. And often the hero is a woman.
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Done. One of my favorite Newbery honors so far in this project. Just a delight.
The introduction is interesting and helpful. It even gives pronunciation clues - I had not idea that Cèilidh is pronounced kay-lee!
The first story is fun, and I love that the strong-willed girl is also kind and so deserves to have her way and win her choice of husband. There's an unfortunate reference to a thieving Gypsy, but children are likely to overlook it, or families could discuss it.
So far I say that I would have loved this book when I was a child, and now I want to own it (or the omnibus) for the rereading opportunity and the illustrations!
The second story is v. short, a St. Cuddy pourquoi tale.
The third gives us a better look at gypsies, and includes revelations about the Sidh. And oh the mother's courage and cleverness!
I love the author's voice; she makes the stories sound so musical. Reading this aloud to children would be a joy.
I looked a bit at her author page here and see that I have actually read several other books by her before. Some more are avl. on OpenLibrary, too.
----
I'm enjoying it so much that I'm not making time to make notes here as I continue! I'm also going to put it on my 'to re-read' shelf. The stories are light and short, for a younger audience than many of the older Newbery books.
Themes are generally about the virtues of courage, kindness and honesty, as characters exhibiting those traits get rewarded. And in the story of the bee-keeper, it's the gypsies that actually help the young man. Often though the helper is an old woman, a sort of good witch. And often the hero is a woman.
----
Done. One of my favorite Newbery honors so far in this project. Just a delight.
February 19, 2020
Happily, this book was available on Kindle Unlimited. I only extended my subscription because there was a deal and I noticed this book was available. I need all the help I can get finding all these Newbery books.
One of my faves of the Newbery list. I love reading legends, myths, and fairytales so this was right up my alley.
I felt like these Scottish tales had a jauntiness to them missing from other European tales. I felt like they were never taking themselves too seriously. I love that.
One of my faves of the Newbery list. I love reading legends, myths, and fairytales so this was right up my alley.
I felt like these Scottish tales had a jauntiness to them missing from other European tales. I felt like they were never taking themselves too seriously. I love that.
April 29, 2009
I love the old Scottish tales and the way the sensible Scots outwit the supernatural elements in the world over and over again. I also like the lilting sense of poetry that comes with these stories. I dearly wish that I could have heard them as they were originally performed.
August 31, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyable. Great stories to read to family or enjoy for yourself.
December 4, 2010
A Scottish friend tracked down this book for me -- he wants a copy for himself now. Evaline Ness' woodcut illustrations are absolutely wonderful! And gosh I love that Scottish burr..
September 17, 2022
This is a book of short fairy tales from Scotland - they were fun and interesting.
March 23, 2020
A collection of fairy tales and legends from Scotland. Nicely told, and not surprisingly so; I have long appreciated Alger for her storytelling abilities.
January 17, 2014
These lovely tales were all told to the author and recreated in a lilting Gaelic feel. It would be a great read-aloud book. There is an intro that tells about Scottish tales and their history and where in Scotland each of these tales come from. There are fairy folk and a demon, wise and foolish lassies, brave and gentle laddies, and loving mothers. Each one is a wonderful story with a nugget of wisdom inside. I truly loved them.
January 21, 2019
I just loved this book. So different than anything I've read in forever. The illustrations were wonderful, the stories are fun and imaginative. The Introduction relevant. The book takes the reader to a time and place a million miles away. I just loved it. Even the copy I got from the library is an old, library bound, pre-ISBN book. A First Edition. Solid and reminiscent of my childhood. My only complaint is that it is way too short - I want MORE! I will seek this author out, for sure.
March 13, 2021
A really lovely collection of stories that have a musical quality to them due to the author's lilting writing style and her rich use of the Gaelic language. The essence of Scotland really comes through in every story and leaps off of every page. It was a wonderful reading experience to get swept up in the stories of strong-willed women and gentle, kind-hearted men. I especially loved the tale of the beekeeper and the bewitched hare.
September 14, 2019
A lovely collection of Scottish tales and folklore. Best I've read of Sorche Nic Leodhas yet.
September 29, 2011
When the author writes in the introduction to this book, "It is important to remember...that these stories were always told in Erse (Scottish Gaelic). The swing and rhythm of the Gaelic must be faithfully reproduced to preserve the cadence, which is almost metrical", it made me curious to see what this attempted style would feel like while reading. I didn't have to wait long for the answer. I don't know if it's even possible to read the short stories that make up Thistle and Thyme without an accent echoing every line as it appears in one's mind; not only are many of the words very Scottish/Irish sounding, but the sentence structures are, as well. I don't know a lot about the author's personal background apart from the fact that Sorche Nic Leodhas isn't her real name, but it's evident that she put a lot of work into honing these tales to sound as authentically Gaelic as possible. I can certainly see what would have interested the Newbery committee in Thistle and Thyme.
Filled with stories about fairies and waifs, sad single people looking for their perfect mate and greedy recluses who care about nothing but increasing their own personal wealth, all of the tales in this book have some kind of a definite moral to them, with some of the stories naturally hitting home more meaningfully than others. However, they all have one thing in common, which is a happy ending; completely happy, with no vagaries left to the reader's interpretation. This is a departure from most other books that have been officially acknowledged by Newbery, since realistic stories that reflect the complications which always seem to come along with happy endings in real life are generally the ones chosen for Newbery recognition. I don't get the impression that the stories in this collection are whitewashed in order to arrive at their happy endings, though. The Scottish tradition of storytelling seems to put a lot of emphasis on bad guys getting their due and long-suffering good people being rewarded for their patience, so I can respect the need for well-defined positive endings for the characters.
There are a number of good stories which teach some very important ideas in this collection, but a few stand out to me as being especially strong. The Stolen Bairn and the Sídh, which follows the long journey of a mother determined to get her baby back from the fairies who kidnapped him, does well in showing the undying tenacity of a mother for her child, even if it means traveling into the underworld to find him. The Changeling and the Fond Young Mother is a caution against excessive pride, even if the source of pride is a loved one. The story is also a classic version of a changeling tale, and just as in The Stolen Bairn and the Sídh, the mother in this story who has been robbed of her child must go to great lengths to earn back her baby boy. The Fisherlad and the Mermaid's Ring, which I have to say is probably the best short story in the entire book, tells the tale of a wan young fisherman whose love for the girl of his dreams goes unrequited because she is already pledged to another. A stroke of luck comes his way, though, when he catches a mermaid in his net one day; in return for letting her go, she offers to give him the love of the one he most desires. But love often seems to have a funny way of adapting both to closed doors and the constancy of change, and the desire of the fisherman's heart may not be the same anymore when he finally gets what he longs for most.
Younger readers will find some curious new words in this text, but I believe that they'll be equally interested in the fresh new set of folk tales, taken from a culture whose yarns they're likely not as familiar with as they are with the German tales of the Brothers Grimm or the French story of Cinderella. The Scots have their own rich history of folklore and traditional stories of wizardry and cunning that will thrill just as surely as the more well-known fairy tales, and I think that we can all learn something from the wisdom they have to offer. I would give two and a half stars to Thistle and Thyme, and it's a very close call for me between rounding it up or down. Either way, I like this book more than I expected to, and I sincerely recommend it for readers of virtually any ilk.
Filled with stories about fairies and waifs, sad single people looking for their perfect mate and greedy recluses who care about nothing but increasing their own personal wealth, all of the tales in this book have some kind of a definite moral to them, with some of the stories naturally hitting home more meaningfully than others. However, they all have one thing in common, which is a happy ending; completely happy, with no vagaries left to the reader's interpretation. This is a departure from most other books that have been officially acknowledged by Newbery, since realistic stories that reflect the complications which always seem to come along with happy endings in real life are generally the ones chosen for Newbery recognition. I don't get the impression that the stories in this collection are whitewashed in order to arrive at their happy endings, though. The Scottish tradition of storytelling seems to put a lot of emphasis on bad guys getting their due and long-suffering good people being rewarded for their patience, so I can respect the need for well-defined positive endings for the characters.
There are a number of good stories which teach some very important ideas in this collection, but a few stand out to me as being especially strong. The Stolen Bairn and the Sídh, which follows the long journey of a mother determined to get her baby back from the fairies who kidnapped him, does well in showing the undying tenacity of a mother for her child, even if it means traveling into the underworld to find him. The Changeling and the Fond Young Mother is a caution against excessive pride, even if the source of pride is a loved one. The story is also a classic version of a changeling tale, and just as in The Stolen Bairn and the Sídh, the mother in this story who has been robbed of her child must go to great lengths to earn back her baby boy. The Fisherlad and the Mermaid's Ring, which I have to say is probably the best short story in the entire book, tells the tale of a wan young fisherman whose love for the girl of his dreams goes unrequited because she is already pledged to another. A stroke of luck comes his way, though, when he catches a mermaid in his net one day; in return for letting her go, she offers to give him the love of the one he most desires. But love often seems to have a funny way of adapting both to closed doors and the constancy of change, and the desire of the fisherman's heart may not be the same anymore when he finally gets what he longs for most.
Younger readers will find some curious new words in this text, but I believe that they'll be equally interested in the fresh new set of folk tales, taken from a culture whose yarns they're likely not as familiar with as they are with the German tales of the Brothers Grimm or the French story of Cinderella. The Scots have their own rich history of folklore and traditional stories of wizardry and cunning that will thrill just as surely as the more well-known fairy tales, and I think that we can all learn something from the wisdom they have to offer. I would give two and a half stars to Thistle and Thyme, and it's a very close call for me between rounding it up or down. Either way, I like this book more than I expected to, and I sincerely recommend it for readers of virtually any ilk.
May 7, 2023
I thought I would love it way more than I did.
April 9, 2012
10 folktales from Scotland; none of which I had ever read before. And none of the tales are Scottish versions of well-known stories like Cinderella, etc. Well-written in a flowing style, such as a story teller would use in an oral telling. With black and white illustrations by Caldecott Award winner Evaline Ness.
The stories all were romantic or adventurous, and it was refreshing to read stories I had not encountered a hundred times before.
In 2020, I read another edition which combined Thistle and Thyme: Tales and Legends from Scotland and Heather and Broom: Tales of the Scottish Highlands for a total of 18 unique Scottish tales. The reteller's introduction gives some background on traditional Scottish stories, and in the table of contents, the area of Scotland is given, where the tale is from.
The stories all were romantic or adventurous, and it was refreshing to read stories I had not encountered a hundred times before.
In 2020, I read another edition which combined Thistle and Thyme: Tales and Legends from Scotland and Heather and Broom: Tales of the Scottish Highlands for a total of 18 unique Scottish tales. The reteller's introduction gives some background on traditional Scottish stories, and in the table of contents, the area of Scotland is given, where the tale is from.
March 21, 2015
1963 Newbery Honor Book
Delightful. This book is delightful.
It is a collection of ten Scottish folktales. Unlike Grimm, most of them are very light and have happy endings. The author says in a note at the beginning that these tales would have been told at weddings and other special occasions. My favorite was about a girl who has a run in with a Kelpie.
Delightful. This book is delightful.
It is a collection of ten Scottish folktales. Unlike Grimm, most of them are very light and have happy endings. The author says in a note at the beginning that these tales would have been told at weddings and other special occasions. My favorite was about a girl who has a run in with a Kelpie.
March 1, 2025
These were all tales I had never read before. All of the tales were really fun. The edition I checked out on Libby did not show the illustrations which was a little sad to me, but I also enjoyed trying to imagine how I would illustrate some of these stories.
I loved The Stolen Bairn and the Sidh It has beautiful imagery in the words, and feels truly enchanting. The premise of that one is a mother is somehow separated from her baby, and the fairies come and take the child. The mother then makes a cloak of white feathers and a harp from ivory bones to trade for entrance into the fairy kingdom and to trade for her baby.
I also really liked The Lass who went out at the Cry of Dawn The elder sister is stolen away by an evil magician and the younger sister goes on a quest to rescue her. The strangers she helps end up giving her advice and are also under the evil magician's enchantment.
The beekeeper and the Bewitched Hare A beekeeper with the help of his bees is able to free the enchanted hare from the witch who cursed her.
The Fisherlad and the Mermaid's Ring A fisherman confesses his love and is rejected, he hides away in a removed cove from embarrassment. Catches a mermaid and the mermaid says she will help him marry his one true love if he can wait but one more year
I'll admit while reading this tale I kept picturing Ross and Demelza Poldark from the 2015 BBC series. so obviously I also enjoyed this story as well.
I loved The Stolen Bairn and the Sidh It has beautiful imagery in the words, and feels truly enchanting. The premise of that one is a mother is somehow separated from her baby, and the fairies come and take the child. The mother then makes a cloak of white feathers and a harp from ivory bones to trade for entrance into the fairy kingdom and to trade for her baby.
I also really liked The Lass who went out at the Cry of Dawn The elder sister is stolen away by an evil magician and the younger sister goes on a quest to rescue her. The strangers she helps end up giving her advice and are also under the evil magician's enchantment.
The beekeeper and the Bewitched Hare A beekeeper with the help of his bees is able to free the enchanted hare from the witch who cursed her.
The Fisherlad and the Mermaid's Ring A fisherman confesses his love and is rejected, he hides away in a removed cove from embarrassment. Catches a mermaid and the mermaid says she will help him marry his one true love if he can wait but one more year
I'll admit while reading this tale I kept picturing Ross and Demelza Poldark from the 2015 BBC series. so obviously I also enjoyed this story as well.
July 14, 2026
My favorite hobby is studying folklore and mythology of all countries, but my favorites are the British tales, and especially the Scottish ones. So, periodically I’ll pickup an anthology I’ve never read and lose myself in the wondrous, entertaining and sometimes dark stories, most of which are ancient. This book is actually a small collection put out by an author (now deceased) that I had never come across. And I’m glad I did! Sorche nic Leodhas retells the stories for a young audience, and she is a Newbery Honor recipient. There is a succinct but informative introduction followed by ten Scottish tales. I read them all in about an hour, and it was an hour well spent. They’re well constructed to read out loud as well, as my French Bulldog will attest to. I love the Selkie tales and it’s fun to read the aloud.
At the end of the book, her other books, all of the same ilk, are listed by showing book covers. I hope i can find these other books, though at least some are probably out of print. I found this particular one on Kindle Unlimited. I highly recommend for people of all ages if folklore and mythology are some of your “things.” A++
At the end of the book, her other books, all of the same ilk, are listed by showing book covers. I hope i can find these other books, though at least some are probably out of print. I found this particular one on Kindle Unlimited. I highly recommend for people of all ages if folklore and mythology are some of your “things.” A++
August 2, 2019
It's good to reconnect with this classic book of tales and legends from Scotland. Sorche Nic Leodhas (Leclaire Alger) has brought together eighteen stories from the oral tradition. Included are tales of the sidhe, selkies, kelpies, bogles, and more. My favorites are "The Woman Who Flummoxed the Fairies" and "The Fisherlad and the Mermaid's Ring." but all are worth telling again and again.
Note: The edition I read includes the ten tales originally in Thistle and Thyme, plus eight tales originally in Heather and Broom.
Note: The edition I read includes the ten tales originally in Thistle and Thyme, plus eight tales originally in Heather and Broom.
August 16, 2020
4 stars. This short collection of Scottish tales is delightfully enjoyable and surprisingly cheerful. For the most part they're about brave and clever people who outwit rather than out muscle their antagonists. The vocabulary may be a bit challenging and the book really needs a glossary for the Scottish words. I really regret that the illustrations have been omitted from the e-book. I recommend this to anyone who likes myths, legends, and fairy tales. I read this for my 2020 Reading Challenge (Popsugar 2019 "inspired by myth, legends, folklore") and my Newbery Challenge (Honor 1963).
November 13, 2017
This excellent collection--I enjoyed all ten tales and legends--was a finalist for the Newbery Medal and won a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1963. Stories include witches and wizards, fairies and changelings, monks and pirates, bairns and lasses the bonniest you'll ever meet. The Scottish Gaelic dialect is super fun to read aloud.
March 25, 2019
This is an entertaining group of tales - I appreciated the introductions which defined the variety of different types of tales, how they were given, where they would be performed, etc. My three favorite tales were "The Bride Who Out Talked the Water Kelpie", The Bee Keeper and the Bewitched Hare" and "The Fisherlad and the Mermaid's Ring".
May 7, 2017
Wonderful, consistent voice and tone throughout, hard to achieve in short story collections. The author also did a good job of picking stories that seemed new and unique, not just "the Scottish version of this kind of folktale." I especially loved the mermaid story.
April 16, 2020
Loved the old tales
It's been a very long time since I read or heard any myths and this small book was very enjoyable indeed. I could hear my grandfather's voice reciting them, with his Bathgate accent that never changed during the 40-odd years he lived in Detroit.
It's been a very long time since I read or heard any myths and this small book was very enjoyable indeed. I could hear my grandfather's voice reciting them, with his Bathgate accent that never changed during the 40-odd years he lived in Detroit.
April 20, 2020
I really enjoyed reading the short stories within this volume. I can best describe them as Scottish fairytales, although not all of them involve fairies or the Sidhe. I would recommend this book as one to read for fun to younger kids.
April 26, 2020
Delightful and entertaining
I enjoyed reading this delightfully amusing collection of stories. I found all the stories fascinating and can not choose one as a favorite. There are 10 stories total.
I enjoyed reading this delightfully amusing collection of stories. I found all the stories fascinating and can not choose one as a favorite. There are 10 stories total.
November 8, 2020
A fun read
A nice dip into the Scottidh culture through this small collection of tales and legends. I can't speak intelligently on the translation but I still felt a lot of the direct and culture come through and appreciated it.
A nice dip into the Scottidh culture through this small collection of tales and legends. I can't speak intelligently on the translation but I still felt a lot of the direct and culture come through and appreciated it.
January 8, 2024
This is a book of stories from the Scottish oral storytelling tradition; the author provides an introduction that frames how the stories were usually heard and passed on, and then recounts them in the storyteller's voice, which made them very entertaining and a pleasant winter read.
December 8, 2017
Read the full review here: http://newberyandbeyond.com/newbery-r...
July 27, 2020
I always enjoy learning new legends and folklore from other countries. I had not heard any of these before.
November 7, 2020
Charming and lyrical short Scottish tales. Look forward to reading these to my granddaughter when she is old enough
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews