England is a maritime nation. Our folklore and history is peppered with tall tales of the high seas: mysteries of the great ocean, the unknown world beneath the surface of the salt sea, and the liminal coast where the sea-gods meet our lives on the land. Here is a collection of traditional folk tales from the coasts and seas of England. Lisa Schneidau retells the old stories with a contemporary twist: dragons and monsters, sailor heroes and ghost ships, mermaids and shapeshifters. Immerse yourself in these salty sea stories, and learn about England’s heritage, magic and relationship to the mysterious ocean world that surrounds us.
'Lisa Schneidau has an environmentalist’s eye and a storyteller’s heart, weaving together both precision and passion in this utterly engaging new collection of seafaring stories. The author has dived deep into the ocean of folktales and legends from every corner of coastal England, pulling up a treasure-hoard of shimmering stories that deserve to be shared widely. A few of the tales I was aware of, but many were brand new to me – a testament to her diligence and delight in researching the source material. As someone who lives by the sea, this feels like a book to be dipped into often and enjoyed as much as the salty sea itself.' -- Martin Maudsley 'This delightful book is filled with fascinating and enchanting folklore and histories of both coast and sea. Even if you are not a coastal dweller, you will find magic and wonder in some of England's oldest and strangest tales. A lovely read.' -- Annie Worsley * Author of Windswept and contributor to Women on Nature and Elliot & Thompson in the Seasons anthologies * 'Many of the stories speak of the wonder of the sea and the coast, as seen through the lens of shapeshifting birds, mermaids, sea-sirens,magical fish and sea-dragons, and may or may not have happy endings.' * Coast magazine * 'Find mermaids and monsters, ghost ships and shapeshifters, sailor heroes and magic aplenty in this enchanting collection of briny folk tales.' * BBC Countryfile magazine *
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