The world of Native American mythology is inhabited by such fantastical and capricious characters as the shape-shifting trickster Coyote and the mischievous Blue Jay. The seminal study of these sacred tales was written by the Scottish folklorist Lewis Spence in 1914; this updated edition has a new introductory essay, commentary on Native American culture and stories from tribes, not covered by Spence such as the Inuit.

Stories of humans transforming into wolves go back to the ancient Greek civilization, and were widely believed in the Middle Ages with werewolf trials taking place in central Europe from the 15th century. From the monsters of classical and Norse myths to the inventions of gothic writers and modern fantasy authors, this compendium profiles the origins and characteristics of a host of supernatural creatures including dragons, goblins, griffins, vampires and unicorns.

What do a weak lion king, a grief-stricken rooster and a dim-witted bear have in common? They’ve all been fooled by crafty Reynard the Fox. Unscrupulous, cunning and cynical as Machiavelli, the hero – or antihero – of these popular medieval tales steals and swindles with impunity, cocking a snook at authority along the way. This lively modern translation of Caxton’s Middle English version captures all the dark humour, biting satire and irreverent verve of the original. Off-mint.

Adam Ardrey follows up the detective work in his Finding Merlin with this account of his wider investigations into the legend of King Arthur. He reaches the startling conclusion that the historical Arthur came from Scotland, and also presents evidence to suggest that some of the story’s most familiar features – the Round Table, the Sword in the Stone and the Lady of the Lake – have their origins in the landscapes of the Scottish Highlands.

Daniel Mersey retells ten Arthurian legends, including ‘The First Quest of the Round Table’, ‘Gawain and the Green Knight’ and ‘Tristan and Isolde’. Illustrated with artwork and photographs, the book places the stories in the context of the greater Arthurian tradition, and explains their impact on modern storytelling.

This expanded edition of an acclaimed reference work has substantial entries for the greatest gods and heroes, from Achilles to Zeus, together with information on a host of minor figures, such as nymphs, seers and river-gods. References are given to the passages of Greek and Roman literature where their stories appear, as well as examples of the ancient myths’ influence on modern works. The book also features more than 170 illustrations, largely redrawn from Greek vases.

'The status of Glastonbury rests upon two contentious claims,' writes Richard Hayman - first, that Joseph of Arimathea founded the first Christian church at Glastonbury; and second, that the town is the final resting place of King Arthur. This illustrated exploration of the Glastonbury myth examines both legends in full and explores how their influence has been felt from medieval to modern times, including William Blake's Jerusalem and the town's role as the capital of New Age culture.

Covering the Inner Isles of the West Coast of Scotland from Arran to Rassay, this volume for piping enthusiasts includes piping lore, notes on the nature and meaning of the tunes, and biographies of renowned 20th century pipers such as Andrew Macneil of Colonsay and the great Mackays of Raasay. 16pp b&w plates

This volume for piping enthusiasts includes notes on the tunes prescribed for the Skye competitions, discussion of the island’s two chief schools, and anecdotes about a host of famous players from Skye including Simon Fraser MacCrimmon. 20pp b&w plates

Covering the Outer Isles of the West Coast of Scotland from Mingulay to Lewis, this volume for piping enthusiasts includes old Gaelic poems, notes on the nature and meaning of the tunes, and biographies of renowned 20th century pipers such as Wee Donald MacLeod and Peters Macleod. 20pp b&w plates

These tales of kelpies, selkies and witches, friendly giants and a baby monster are all based on Scottish legends and folklore, retold for children by Lari Don and illustrated by Cate James. At the end of the book there are 'notes from the author' on each of the ten stories. Age 5+

Led by the Hoopoe, a conference of birds embarks on a perilous quest for the mountain of Kaf, where their king, Simorgh, lives. In this book, the award-winning Czech writer and illustrator Peter Sís retells the classic 12th-century Persian poem in his own inimitable style. His lyrical text and magical paintings bring to life this epic of love, pain, beauty and faith, in which the birds must jettison all they hold dear to find their true purpose.

Examining the themes that underlie the art, worship and literature of the Western world, this volume traces European consciousness from the Levantine earth goddesses of the Bronze Age to the late Middle Ages and the religions of Persia, Rome, Islam and Christian Europe.

This elegantly written and accessible collection of 15 tales from around the world includes a girl whose stepmother transforms her into a dragon, a princess who makes a deal with the queen of snakes and a curious boy who becomes a wolf cub. Age 7+

This compendium of 'lore' describes - and hopefully revives - knowledge and skills such as calculating with logarithms, using a map and compass, writing by hand or making fire without matches.

Devoted to one of the oldest of all mythical animals, this book covers dragons from the Bible, from Ancient Greek and other European mythologies, and from Asia and America.

With excerpts from Geoffrey of Monmouth, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and less well-known sources from across Europe, Barber’s anthology shows the diversity of the original Arthur legends.

This Teach Yourself guide is the ideal introduction to Chinese myth, covering little-known symbolic stories as well as the familiar dragons and astrology that are well embedded in popular culture. The author begins by explaining the background to Chinese culture and mythology, then goes on to explore the myths, retelling them in modern English and teasing out their meanings and cultural significance.

The poems of Ossian, Highland bard of the 3rd century, inspired the Romantic movement when they were 'rediscovered' and translated by James Macpherson in 1760. This volume is an introduction both to the poetry and to the continuing controversy about it: was it a hoax, entirely the work of Macpherson's imagination, or does it form part of a great Gaelic oral tradition? The texts of Fragments of Ancient Poetry and Fingal are reprinted here, together with contemporary and modern opinions. No jacket.

These 20 tales give a fascinating insight into Traveller beliefs about evil, temptation and suffering in which the Devil exists not to punish, but to outwit you in a contest of intelligence.

Along the shores of the British Isles legends and traditions flourish: sailors' yarns and the songs of sirens, mythical beasts and mystical islands, drowned cities with tolling bells and ghost ships on Goodwin Sands. With erudition and engaging enthusiasm, the renowned folklorists Jennifer Westwood and Sophia Kingshill retell the stories heard along the English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish coasts, and explore their imaginary geography, fantastic zoology and historical origins. This edition is exclusive to Postscript.

Starting at the 'central gathering ground' at Avebury, Cox's guide covers all the ancient roads of England, following the Stone Age ridge roads of southern England, describing, with the help of maps, plans and illustrations, the hill forts and other earthworks found along them and discussing other aspects of neolithic civilization. Facsimile edition.

In an epilogue to his translation, Evans declares this to be 'the original story of Sir Perceval and the Holy Graal, whole and incorrupt as it left the hands of its first author' and he commends it to all who love the Arthurian legends. The translation is of Potvin's 1866 edition of the anonymous 13th-century romance, Perceval le Gallois.

In addition to a dictionary of English Romany words, this book includes chapters on Gypsy names, fortune-telling, the London 'Gypsyries' in Wandsworth, Notting Hill and Friars' Mount, folk hero Ryley Bosvil and a collection of Gypsy songs. George Borrow (1803- 1881) was a great traveller and translator, whose works included novels, travel writing and pioneering translations of Romany.

Adam Ardrey follows up the detective work in his Finding Merlin with this account of his wider investigations into the legend of King Arthur. He reaches the startling conclusion that the historical Arthur came from Scotland, and also presents evidence to suggest that some of the story’s most familiar features – the Round Table, the Sword in the Stone and the Lady of the Lake – have their origins in the landscapes of the Scottish Highlands.

This collection, put together by one of Scotland’s best-known storytellers, celebrates the rich tradition of Scottish playground songs and rhymes; some hundreds of years old, others adapted or created by more recent generations of children. From ‘baloos’, or lullabies, with accompanying actions, to singing and counting games and clapping songs, these verses chart an alternative history north of the border.

Intended as first introductions for students new to a subject, each of these guidebooks gives an overview of the fundamental principles of a subject area in an accessible format and jargon-free language.

'The world is full of amazing beasts and monsters far beyond our ken', writes Ernest Drake; and in these books he reports on his researches into dragons (his first love) and into the study of the many supposedly mythical beasts besides dragons that mundane science misses altogether. Each of his reports features maps and documents, wonderful paintings and anatomical drawings of the creatures, samples of shed skin and feathers and even a hair from the mane of a unicorn. Jewel-encrusted and slip-cased. Age 8+

Adam Ardrey follows up the detective work in his Finding Merlin with this account of his wider investigations into the legend of King Arthur. He reaches the startling conclusion that the historical Arthur came from Scotland, and also presents evidence to suggest that some of the story’s most familiar features – the Round Table, the Sword in the Stone and the Lady of the Lake – have their origins in the landscapes of the Scottish Highlands.