The saga of Bennibister continues. There are tensions in the marriage of Isobel and Charles as the the land loses its total grip on him and the sea beckons. Near death brings love and new blood. Enter the third Norn, teller of tales, giver of wise council, guider of the fates. There are three novellas in the Bennibister series; Bennibister (the Place of the Horse), The Wedding at Bennibister, and the last in the series, The Third Norn (at Bennibister).

The nornir - or norns - were a group of female supernatural beings closely related to ideas about fate in the Old Norse tradition. In this book, author Karen Bek-Pedersen provides a thorough understanding of the role played by norns and other similar beings. Surprisingly little has been written specifically about the norns, and this book - now available in paperback - is the first detailed discussion of the norns among the literature dealing with Old Norse beliefs. Although often mentioned in scholarship treating Old Norse culture, the norns are all too often dealt with in overly superficial ways. The book's research goes much deeper in order to properly understand the nature and role of the norns in the Old Norse world view. The conclusions that are reached overturn a number of stereotypical conceptions that have long dominated the understanding of these beings. The book is especially relevant to those interested in or studying Old Norse culture and tradition. However, comparative material from Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Classical traditions is also employed, therefore the book will also be of interest to those with a broader interest in European mythologies.

Analyzing Opera: Verdi and Wagner explores the latest developments in opera analysis by considering, side by side, the works of the two greatest opera composers of the nineteenth century. Although the juxtaposition is not new, comparative studies have tended to view these masters as radically different both as musicians and as musical dramatists. Wagner and his "symphonic opera" set against Verdi "the melodist" is one of many familiar antitheses, and it serves to highlight the particular terms from which comparisons are often made. In this book some of the leading and most innovative music scholars challenge this view, suggesting that as we become more distant from the nineteenth century, we may see that Verdi and Wagner confronted largely similar problems, and even on occasion found similar solutions. But more than this, Analyzing Opera sets out to demonstrate the richness and variety of modern analytical approaches to the genre. As the editors point out in their introduction, today's musical scholars increasingly question the usefulness of organicist theories in analytical studies, and, as they do so, opera seems to become an ever more central area of investigation. Opera is peculiar: its clash of verbal, musical, and visual systems can produce incongruities and extravagant miscalculations. It invites a multiplicity of approaches, challenges orthodoxy, and embraces ambiguity. The sheer variety of essays presented here is witness to this fact and suggests that analyzing opera is one of the liveliest (and most polemical) areas in modern-day musical scholarship. Contributors: Philip Gossett, John Deathridge, James A. Hepokoski, Joseph Kerman, Thomas S. Grey, Matthew Brown, Anthony Newcomb, Martin Chusid, David Lawton, and Patrick McCreless. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1989.

Beatriz is the 3rd born child of a well to do Portuguese family. Her fate is destined to visit the Doll Maker, who resides in ?vora, a walled ancient City in Alentejo. Her sister, born 30 seconds before her, sealed her fate as the second born. The prophecy has been set in stone for hundreds of years and cannot be broken, nor can the Dollmaker or the Sisters from Church of the Great Aether Circle be angered. Beatriz, however, is a strong-willed girl, this journey she has to make to The Dollmaker is far from simple. Even with the force of the GNR to ""accompany"" her there, will not deter her will and takes the first steps along a path which will lead to a rebellion on the streets of ?vora. And the impact of what lies beneath the old city comes into full force!

The most comprehensive guide to Norse literature, historical folk lore and more. Kvilhaug peels back the layers of the Eddas, Poems and Sagas to reveal hidden truths within Maria's background in research and archaeology is visible throughout with full illustrations, timelines and beautiful translations of passages providing the key to unlocking and deciphering the hidden wisdom within. Her exploration of modern interpretations, past parables, and related cultural mythos provides a deeper layer into the mysteries of Old Norse practices.

With the flames of �vora burning brightly behind them, Beatriz and her friends have no time to celebrate. The Golden Village of Aviz beckons a twisted place where the cobbled streets, the warped houses, the leaves, everything is made of gold; and it is a village where the dark secrets are even more horrifying. The women and children are also draped in gold ... Perhaps liquid gold even runs in their veins. The third-borns are treated with even more ferocity here, by a new Dollmaker who holds the fate of girls like Beatriz and her friends in her grip. Beatriz is determined to save them all, and if she can solve the riddles of the Golden Village, survive the red-gold snakes, the Floating Place, the bone-folding and the tunnel of eyeballs, maybe it will bring her closer to the answers she is looking for and she can set the whole of Portugal free.

One of the most controversial figures in the history of ideas as well as music, Richard Wagner continues to stimulate debate whenever his works are performed. Drawing upon the scholarship of The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, the most comprehensive dictionary of opera in the world, Barry Millington offers a concise, portable survey and guide, which will make a welcome addition to the shelf of anyone who loves opera. Millington has completely updated the original pieces and contributed four new chapters on Wagner, including a summary of Wagner productions from 1876 to the present day, a suggested listening and viewing gyide, complete chronology of Wagner's operas, and a glossary of terms that will delight any opera-goer. In addition, there are detailed entries on each of Wagner's operas, a main biographical section, and a group of separate articles on such topics as Leitmotif and Gesamtkunstwerk, as well as a newly revised updated article on Bayreuth. Complete with a new preface, updated bibliography, glossary, and discography--including first release dates of each recording--The New Grove Guide to Wagner and his Operas furnishes both seasoned Wagner-lovers and neophytes with all they require for an in-depth appreciation of this unique historical figure.

Achilles Chiorri, known as Aki, believes he is a normal twelve year-old like everyone else; that is, until he discovers he has the power to travel to the distant worlds of the Parallel Crystals. With the help of a mighty artifact, the Sphere of Time, Aki goes on his first great journey and discovers that the gods and creatures he thought were only myths, are actually alive and all too real. Aki, together with an extraordinary girl and a special cat, is led by an elf of the Light as he travels through the realms of the Crystal of Yggdrasil, where he will encounter amazing creatures. To be able to return home, Aki must embark on a dangerous mission that leads to an exciting series of events full of twists and turns.

This accessible text guides novice and seasoned opera listeners alike through Richard Wagner's renowned Ring cycle. To aid in understanding this complex and often contradictory work, a modern-day prose translation of its four component operas is provided, as is an explanation of "The Nibelung's Ring's mythological background, Wagner's creative process, and the ideas conveyed throughout each component. A section reviewing its numerous musical themes and how they bind the cycle together musically is also included. Rarely seen lithographs by artist Hugo Braune illustrate the story.

(Amadeus). This book explores the mythology, story, music, characters and language of Wagner's monumental work. At its heart is a concordance of the keywords in the four librettos, a powerful reference tool. The volume also includes a brief synopsis of each of the four operas, a presentation of the 145 principal musical motives in order of appearance, and a discussion of the characters and their relationships, listing their appearances and the musical motives associated with them.