Mike Dixon-Kennedy – författare

This volume offers the first comprehensive guide in English to the myth and legend of the Russian Empire and other Slavic countries and peoples.There are few stories more stirring than those of ancient Russia. Russian and other Slavic beliefs weave a rich tapestry in which real-world elements coexist with those from fantasy, such as dragons, monsters, and shape-changing wolves. Though Russia adopted Christianity as the state religion in A.D. 988, paganism remained popular through the end of the 19th century and survives in isolated pockets even today. In Russian myth and legend, Christian themes are interwoven with pagan ideas: dragons fight priests, saints encounter nymphs, and witches enter the kingdom of heaven.Encyclopedia of Russian and Slavic Myth and Legend includes extensive historical, geographical, and biographical background to deepen the reader's understanding of the myth and legend. Numerous illustrations are included in this fascinating volume, which will be of great interest to students, scholars, and everyone who wishes to explore the cultural heritage of ancient Russia.

Encyclopedia of Greco-Roman Mythology presents over 1,400 comprehensive A–Z entries of the myths and legends of ancient Greece and Rome. The entries are cross-referenced where appropriate, and an extensive bibliography is provided. Entries include Heracles and Alexander the Great, and geographical features such as the islands of the Blessed and Dardanelles. An unusual feature of this dictionary is the inclusion of astronomical data, linking the myths and legends to the celestial objects named after them. Diverse characters and events from related traditions—Greco-Egyptian, Roman-Celtic, and more—round out the volume.Students of classical Greek and Roman traditions, librarians, and general readers will turn to this volume again and again for authoritative information on the myths and legends of these ancient cultures.

Two of the most fertile types of myth and legend are the Celtic and the Arthurian. For the first time these are brought together in an authortative guide to the people, places, events and traditions associated with Arthur and Ireland, Wales and the Celtic fringe. Based on wide research and reflecting the latest scholarship, A Companion to the Arthurian and Celtic Myths and Legends provides us with a unique reference tool to some of the most colourful stories and traditions in history.From Gidolin to Lancelot, Tir na n-og to Morgan-le-Fay, and Aed Ruadh to Zel, we discover a wealth of material, Lancelot and Guinevere's love story has been retold many times; that Gidolin was a dwarf who was said to keep flasks of hag's blood warm on the 'hearth of hell' is less well-known. Aed Ruadh was a tyrannical king whose own champion inviked the powers of the sea, sun, wind and firmament against him; Zel is a mythical king who is said to have buried on horseback within Silbury Hill.Romance, magic, betrayal, humour and horror are mixed together within the pages of Mike Dixon-Kennedy's intriguing book. It encompasses the Celtic Golden Age, the invasion of the Romans when Celtic society began to collapse, and the later Celtic revival in the Gaelic countries of Brittany, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and in England.This richly illustrated A-Z guide is a must-have for all those enthralled by Arthurian history and the Celts, mythology and legends.