{"title":"Books by Sophia Kingshill","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780099547167","title":"The Lore of Scotland","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A lovely compilation. It's the real macabre.' \u003c\/b\u003eTerry Pratchett\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'An impressive folkloric travel guide'\u003c\/b\u003e Times Literary Supplement  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eScotland's rich past and varied landscape have inspired an extraordinary array of legends and beliefs. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Lore of Scotland, \u003c\/i\u003eJennifer Westwood and Sophia Kingshill bring together many of the finest and most intriguing: stories of heroes and bloody feuds, tales of giants, fairies, and witches, and accounts of local customs and traditions. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTheir range extends right across the country, from the Borders with their haunting ballads, via Glasgow, site of St Mungo's miracles, to the fateful battlefield of Culloden, and finally to the Shetlands, home of the seal-people. More than simply retelling these stories, \u003ci\u003eThe Lore of Scotland \u003c\/i\u003eexplores their origins, showing how and when they arose and investigating what basis - if any - they have in historical fact. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the process, it uncovers the events that inspired Shakespeare's Macbeth, probes the claim that Mary King's Close is the most haunted street in Edinburgh, and examines the surprising truth behind the fame of the MacCrimmons, Skye's unsurpassed bagpipers. Moreover, it reveals how generations of Picts, Vikings, Celtic saints and Presbyterian reformers shaped the myriad tales that still circulate, and, from across the country, it gathers together legends of such renowned figures as Sir William Wallace, St Columba, and the great warrior Fingal. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe result is a thrilling journey through Scotland's legendary past and an endlessly fascinating account of the traditions and beliefs that play such an important role in its heritage.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'This is a well researched book exploring the rich folklore of Scotland ... The breadth and range of this book is wide ... Amusing and erudite, it's also an excellent guide to local variations in Scottish culture.' \u003c\/b\u003eThe Sunday Telegraph    \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A fascinating read which looks at mythical beings from kelpies and waterhorses to modern-day vampires' \u003c\/b\u003eScottish Sunday Mail\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43201379270834,"sku":"9780099547167","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780099547167_a84e7d3c-f705-4212-9371-ca7df124939d.jpg?v=1786011588"},{"product_id":"9781915068026","title":"Mermaids","description":"Mermaids are blessed with one tail or two, are as happy in freshwater as salt, and boast an ancestry that stretches from the classical world to the present, pre-dating Homer’s sirens and which will outlive the blood-thirsty nymphs of Pirates of the Caribbean.   The mermaid expresses our reliance on the sea for food and trade and draws on our fear and fascination of the unknown depths. From her roots in Assyrian reliefs and her casting in Medieval bestiaries, she has been carved into churches, painted onto pub signs and Pre-Raphaelite canvases, inked into skin, sketched by Picasso, starred in Hollywood movies and in 21st century graffiti, reclaimed as neither vamp nor victim but as a symbol of womanhood and resistance. Few creatures claim this allure or longevity.   Mermaids’ culture spans eras, continents, art forms. Mermaids is the first history to delve into 3,000 years of folklore and myth, celebrating this looming figure of our imaginations.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43205876744370,"sku":"9781915068026","price":16.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781915068026_108677cc-7d2c-42cc-ae1e-336e43e00004.jpg?v=1787039814"},{"product_id":"9780099551072","title":"The Fabled Coast","description":"\u003cp\u003ePirates and smugglers, ghost ships and sea-serpents, fishermen’s prayers and sailors’ rituals – the coastline of the British Isles plays host to an astonishingly rich variety of local legends, customs, and superstitions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Fabled Coast\u003c\/i\u003e, renowned folklorists Sophia Kingshill and Jennifer Westwood gather together the most enthralling tales and traditions, tracing their origins and examining the facts behind the legends. Was there ever such a beast as the monstrous Kraken? Did a Welsh prince discover America, centuries before Columbus? What happened to the missing crew of the \u003ci\u003eMary Celeste\u003c\/i\u003e? Along the way, they recount the stories that are an integral part of our coastal heritage, such as the tale of Drake’s Drum, said to be heard when England was in peril, and the mythical island of Hy Brazil, which for centuries appeared on sea charts and maps to the west of Ireland. The result is an endlessly fascinating, often surprising journey through our island history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56223354814837,"sku":"9780099551072","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780099551072_02d5b2dd-5ecf-4325-b9e7-97b8d2efb763.jpg?v=1786033384"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-sophia-kingshill.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}