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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: orders@centralbooks.com W: centralbooks.com
Also available from Gardners Books, Bertrums & Little Toller Contact Gracie on 01300 321536 or books@littletoller.co.uk
little toller monographs
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