Books in the Myths and Legends series

Explores the myths and legends of the great king Charlemagne, from the stories about his mother, Bertha Bigfoot, and his youthful adventures with the thief, Basin, to his fantastical journeys to Jerusalem and Constantinople. This book retells the stories of his most famous knights, the Paladins.

From the Thorsdrapa to the Marvel Thor and Avengers movies, Odin, the dark and mysterious lord of Valhalla, looms over all of the ancient tales of the Vikings. This book retells the greatest of Odin's stories, and then places those stories within their historical and mythological context.

From his court at Camelot, King Arthur ruled over a unified Britain in a mythical age of peace and prosperity. His glory, however, would be short-lived. For even as he drew the sword from the stone, a doom settled over Arthur that would see his kingdom fall to betrayal and war.

Suitable for anyone who is interested in fantastical tales of bravery or the actual history behind the stories, this book provides a collection of the most famous and interesting tales of the Knights of the Round Table, including the historical and literary background to the stories.

Accepting the quest in order to regain his kingdom, Jason assembled a crew of legendary heroes, including Hercules, Orpheus, Atalanta, and the twins Castor and Polydeuces. With this band of warriors and demi-gods, Jason set sail in the Argo on a journey across the known world. This title examines its historical context, and, its classical sources.

With its fiery breath, scaly armour, and baleful, malevolent stare, the dragon became the ultimate symbol of evil and corruption in European folklore and mythology. This title retells the greatest legends of this select group of warriors, while examining the myth of the dragonslayer in a historical, mythological, and even theological context.

In the stories of the ancient Vikings, Thor is a warrior without equal, who wields his mighty hammer in battles against trolls, giants, and dragons. He is the god of storms and thunder, who rides to war in a chariot pulled by goats, and who is fated to fall in battle with the Midgard Serpent during Ragnarok, the end of all things.

Hercules battled gods, men and monsters in a lifetime of violence and destruction. Today, Hercules is best known for his 'twelve labours', a series of near-impossible tasks assigned to him as punishment for the killing of his wife and children. Yet even when his labours were done, his adventures continued.

He robbed from the rich to give to the poor, or so the legend goes. But who was the outlaw known as Robin Hood? How did his legend develop and how has it changed over the passing centuries? This book explores how the legend grew, and how famous names such as Little John, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian, and Alan-a-Dale became associated with Robin Hood.

When Paris, prince of Troy, ran off with Helen, wife of the king of Sparta, it launched the greatest war of the mythic age of Greece. Heroes and gods assembled on both sides, as the combined armies of Greece launched a siege that would last for ten years.

Collects the tales of the interesting, popular, and important spell-casters, including such legendary figures as Merlin, Simon Magus, Zhang Guo Lao, Nicolas Flamel, Dr John Dee, and Johann Georg Faust, and examines their place in history and legend.

Retells the story of Sinbad the Sailor and recounts tales of the voyages on which he acquired his wealth, of the strange peoples and monsters he encountered along the way and of lands beyond the horizon.

Even before Theseus descended into the labyrinth to face the Minotaur, he was already a hero and a veteran of many battles. The son of a man, a woman, and the god Poseidon, he'd journey far across Ancient Greece, fighting numerous monsters including the Periphetes 'the clubber', the Crymmyon Sow, and the insane demigod, Procrustes 'the stretcher'.