English Folk Heroes: From King Arthur to Thomas a Becket - Hardcover

Storytelling is a universal instinct, and stories of human heroes strike a perennial chord in every person's heart. Primitive man told stories in an attempt to account for his own existence and that of the world around him. When reading was the privelege of a very few, stories were the means by which people learned of their heritage and held on to cherished traditions. Professional storytellers never lacked for an audience, even today's children demand stories (usually insisting that the tale be told in the exact same words every time). Man's tradition is rich in stories, and stories of heroes are among the most lasting - as well as the most fun. Few countries are as rich in stories of heroes as England, and Christina Hole, in her now classic work English Folk Heroes, illuminates the tradition of the English hero as it has rarely been done before. The lives and legends of King Arthur, Robin Hood, St. George, Thomas a Beckett and many others are retold here in prose that is as lively as its' subjects.