A Treasury of British Folklore: Maypoles, Mandrakes and Mistletoe Kindle Edition

It's basically just a huge compilation of summaries of British folklore in various venues; but seems awfully dry to me, in that there are a few case anecdotes and examples of these events --- But mostly; it's just descriptions of descriptions...???

God this for a giftee on reddit, they were and oxford grad and absolutely loved it.

This book is absolutely stuffed with British folklore from cover to cover. Great read, I learned so many new tidbits of lore.

Lived it couldn’t put it down until I finished it

Delightful and gorgeous! Would make a great gift for a fellow lore-lover!

The information presented is pretty basic, and most of it is factually inaccurate or supposition. It does have some lovely illustrations, and that's why I gave it two stars.

Arrived in horrible condition. In what world is this “New”?

This book only scratches the surface. I found it very lacking in detail, no background information or in-depth research. It's OK for the lay person with no knowledge of the subject. But if you're looking to increase your depth of knowledge, this is not for you. I was wholly disappointed with the lack of content and shallow, limited explanations of the various subjects. I'm thinking that the author must have written comprehensive research noets, why not publish them in a bigger volume?

This is a beautiful little treasure trove of a book, split into three parts giving a wonderful and varied selection of tales from British Folklore.Part One: Of the Land, Plants and AnimalsAn apt place to begin with short insights into the seasons and the folkloric year. For example did you know that... a sneeze on Wednesday in Hertfordshire means a letter is coming.Part Two: Witchcraft, Magic and Heroic TalesPart Three: The Milestones of LifePlus Where to find FolkloreGiving a list of festivals and when they are celebratedAll in all a beautiful book with simple black and white illustrations dotted throughout. Great for dipping in and out of at your leisure.

I was hoping this treasury would have fuller stories or examples of folklore. A lot of it reads like a very pretty list with no further depth. Beltane is mentioned, for example, in the section of season but nothing deeper about the festivities or the beliefs/stories wrapped around the festival. If the author ever comes back to the subject I'd love to see the tales and explanations of all the folklore and folkwisdom in her very poetic and vivid style though.

This little book arrived in the time stated and was well packaged. This is a lovely sturdy hard backed little book. Beautifully illustrated on the front with black+white pictures to display various things inside. Only read a small way into it so far but already I'm hooked+keen to learn more. Overall I would say it's a lovely interesting little book, worth the money. I would definitely recommend.

Obviously this book cannot cover all the folklore of these jewelled isles, but it is a treasury of interesting facts about the many byways of our culture, and a guide to many customs that are still followed even today. If you enjoy learning about what makes us who we are, then this is an excellent guide.