The great work of Welsh literature, translated in full for the first time in over 100 years by two of its country's foremost poets Tennyson portrayed him, and wrote at least one poem under his name. Robert Graves was fascinated by what he saw as his work's connection to a lost world of deeply buried folkloric memory. He is a shapeshifter; a seer; a chronicler of battles fought, by sword and with magic, between the ancient kingdoms of the British Isles; a bridge between old Welsh mythologies and the new Christian theology; a 6th-century Brythonic bard; and a legendary collective project spanning the centuries up to The Book of Taliesin's compilation in 14th-century North Wales. He is, above all, no single 'he'. The figure of Taliesin is a mystery. But of the variety and quality of the poems written under his sign, of their power as exemplars of the force of ecstatic poetic imagination, and of the fascinating window they offer us onto a strange and visionary world, there can be no question. In the first volume to gather all of the poems from The Book of Taliesin since 1915, Gwyneth Lewis and Rowan Williams's accessible translation makes these outrageous, arrogant, stumbling and joyful poems available to a new generation of readers.

Taliesin, Chief Bard of Britain and Celtic shaman, was a historical figure who lived in Wales during the latter half of the sixth century. His verse is established as a direct precursor to the Arthurian Legends--and Taliesin himself, is said to be the direct forebear to Merlin. The author presents completely new translations of Taliesin's major poems in their entirety, uncovering the meanings behind these great works for the first time.

Interdisciplinary studies on medieval mystics and their cultural background.

The Compass is a life transformation novel that will guide you on a journey of self-discovery. At the core of The Compass are specific lessons about belief systems and understanding who you really are in order to live out your destiny.Jonathan, the main character, escapes his suburban life after a tragedy that alters his plans for the future. Paralyzed by grief, he decides to journey across the globe in an effort to realign his inner compass. He sets off with a backpack leaving behind his career, friends, family, and home. His travels begin in the dry desert of Nevada, and continue on to the pristine mountains of the Adirondacks, and then to a medieval village in Romania. In each destination Jonathan encounters one pivotal person who offers a major life lesson, and he begins to realize that each individual was placed there for a reason. The Compass is a metaphor for the journey of our lives.In the tradition of The Alchemist, The Compass provides you with specific life lessons about authenticity, self-empowerment, and believing in your dreams. As humans we are all connected - by love, pain, and sometimes even by tragedies or events we cannot control. Each one of us travels a unique path, yet we are linked by experiences and emotions. In this connectedness, there is life.

The four stories that make up the Mabinogi, along with three additional tales from the same tradition, form this collection and compose the core of the ancient Welsh mythological cycle. Included are only those stories that have remained unadulterated by the influence of the French Arthurian romances, providing a rare, authentic selection of the finest works in medieval Celtic literature. This landmark edition translated by Patrick K. Ford is a literary achievement of the highest order.

Arthurian literature is a popular field, but most of the published work focuses on the vernacular tradition. This book, uniquely, looks at Latin Arthurian works. Geoffrey of Monmouth is treated at length and this is the first book to put him in a context which includes other Latin histories, monastic chronicles, saints' lives and other Latin prose Arthurian narratives. Like Geoffrey's works, most can be associated with the Angevin court of Henry II and by placing these works against the court background, this book both introduces a new set of texts into the Arthurian canon and suggests a way to understand their place in that tradition. The unfamiliar works are summarized for the reader, and there are extensive quotations, with translations, throughout. The result is a thorough exploration of Latin Arthurian narrative in the foundational period for the Arthurian tradition.

Rousing pulp action and steampunk come together in a heartbreaking story of high adventure and alternate history. In the year 1870, a horrible plague of vampires swept over the northern regions of the world. It is now 2020 and a bloody reckoning is coming. Princess Adele is heir to the Empire of Equatoria, a remnant of the old tropical British Empire. When she becomes the target of a merciless vampire clan, her only protector is the Greyfriar, a mysterious hero who fights the vampires from deep within their territory. Their dangerous relationship plays out against an approaching war to the death between humankind and the vampire clans. The first book in a trilogy of high adventure and alternate history. Combining rousing pulp action with steampunk style, the Vampire Empire series brings epic political themes to life within a story of heartbreaking romance, sacrifice, and heroism.

A boy, the magic of the forest, and the end of time.