a little toller monograph mermaids by SOPHIA KINGSHILL MERMAID ancestry can be traced from the classical past to the present. From her roots in Assyrian reliefs to inn signs, figureheads and tattoos, from the seductress of sailors to Picasso’s mural of Syrena, the legends and folklore surrounding the mermaid remain as open to interpretation as the myths that have ensured her survival. She is blessed with one tail or two, as happy in freshwater as salt, and her line of descent runs from Homer’s sirens to the nymphs in Pirates of the Caribbean. And what of the selkies, or seal-folk, or the fish-tailed maidens found entangled in fishermens? nets? The earliest surviving images of mermaids date from 3,000 years ago. For much of her existence she has been an object of desire: in Medieval bestiaries and Pre-Raphaelite paintings, mermaids were symbols of lust and temptation. Only recently has the mermaid been reclaimed as neither vamp nor victim, but confident selfaware woman. Few creatures match her allure. A sexual hybrid, woman to the waist and fish below, her enduring popularity spans eras, continents and art forms. Sophia Kingshill is co-author of The Lore of Scotland and The Fabled Coast, an examination of British and Irish sea legends, both written in collaboration with the late Jennifer Westwood. Her interest in folklore began with childhood visits to the home of the great scholar of fairytale and legend Katharine Briggs, where productions were staged based on ballads and folk tales. Her articles, on topics including the sunken galleon of Tobermory and the search for the fabulous island of Hy Brasil, have been published in Marine Quarterly and Folklore. She also writes for the theatre, and her plays on subjects such as the Brontës, William Morris and Sinbad have been performed in Scotland, England and Norway. ‘This is a marvellously bracing compendium, to be swum through from first page to last rather than occasionally dipped into with a sceptical toe.’ Adam Thorpe, The Guardian Published April 2015 by Little Toller Books 210 x 156mm, hardback Price: £15 isbn 978-1-908213-26-6 Coloured ends, jacket over foiled boards, illustrated throughout, 180 pages on 100gsm Munken paper Jacket by Jonny Hannah Distributed by Central Books T: 020 8525 8800 F: 020 8525 8879 E: [email protected] W: centralbooks.com Also available from Gardners Books, Bertrums & Little Toller Contact Gracie on 01300 321536 or [email protected] little toller monographs A new series of books celebrating the very best in contemporary nature writing. A cross between New Naturalist and King Penguin, we have asked a wide range of authors and artists to choose a particular building, plant, animal, person or landscape, and through this object of their fascination tell us wider stories about the world.
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