Scotland
Every legend has a first teller. This book goes looking for them.
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Scotland’s folklore is full of creatures that predate Christianity, saints, and the written word. The each-uisge drags riders into the loch. The brollachan is pure malevolence with no fixed form. The bodach comes down the chimney for children who misbehave. These are not fairy tales smoothed for modern consumption. They are older, stranger, and considerably more dangerous.
Tales of Myth and Magic, Volume I: Scotland collects 25 of the most compelling figures from Scottish legend and folklore. Each tale is told in full, then traced back to its earliest sources. Where did this creature come from? What did it mean to the people who believed in it? What does it still mean now?
Every entry follows the same three-part structure: the tale itself, told properly; the origins, drawing on folklore scholarship and primary sources; and a personal reflection on why this story still matters.
The book also includes a full map of Scotland showing where each creature or legend originates, a pronunciation guide for Gaelic names, a glossary, a full list of sources for every entry, and an index.
Paperback, 978-1-917789-00-2.
From the water-horses of the Highland lochs to the ghosts of Glasgow, each creature told properly and traced to its roots.
Every entry draws on folklore scholarship and original texts: Briggs, Campbell, MacPhail, and the great Victorian collectors who recorded these stories before they were lost.
A map of Scotland, Gaelic pronunciation guide, glossary, complete source list for every entry, and a full index.
Scotland is only the beginning. Volume II is in progress, continuing the same approach into the wider world of myth and folklore.
Subject to confirmation. Final contents listed in the book’s index.
The story told properly, in full, as it was meant to be told. Not summarised. Not sanitised.
Where the creature came from. What the earliest sources actually say. How the legend evolved and what it meant to the people who believed it.
A personal reflection on why this story endures. What it still means. Why it deserves to be taken seriously.
The book also includes a full map of Scotland showing where each creature originates, a pronunciation guide for Gaelic names, a glossary of key terms, a complete list of sources, and an index. At 25 tales it is substantial without being exhaustive: a book you read rather than consult.
Tales of Myth and Magic, Volume I: Scotland
Paperback. 25 tales. Every legend traced to its source. £11.99.
Buy on Amazon