Bøger af Stuart McHardy

Whether as the mothers of the Norse God Heimdall, Morgan and her sisters on Avalon, the nine sisters at the heart of the founding myth of the Gikuyu of Kenya, or witches battling with the Irish St Patrick, stories of nine women, often attending a goddess or linked to a heroic or divine male, exist across much of our world. Triggered by a local story still told in his native Dundee, Stuart McHardy has traced what seems to be memories of groups of nine women, most likely some kind of priestesses, across much of Europe and as far as Siberia, Korea, India and Africa. Whether as Pictish saints, Muses, Valkyries, Druidesses or witches, the tales of these groups of nine women transcend a vast range of cultural and linguistic boundaries. The painting of nine women dancing round a priapic male in a Catalonian cave painting over fifteen thousand years old suggests these groups may well have been one of the oldest cultural institutions humanity has known.Â

This is an accessible history of the oft misunderstood Picts, discrediting the idea that the Picts were a strange historical anomaly and showing them to be the indiginous people of Scotland.

Stuart McHardy examines the Pictish symbols which have been discovered on various items across Scotland. This interpretation serves as a backdrop for his analysis of the symbols themselves, providing a context for his suggestion that there was an underlying series of ideas and beliefs behind the creation of the symbols.

The origins of the Scottish clans go back over a thousand years, and for centuries these extended networks of families dominated life in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. The warriors of the clan, fiercely loyal to each other and to their chief, were well known for their extraordinary courage and military skills.

Arthur's Seat is climbed (or walked up and around) by thousands of people each year. The views from the top of the 350-million year old landmark are breathtaking. In this book, Stuart McHardy and Donald Smith interweave the tales of folklore and customs that surround this iconic hill. Review Draws on folklore tales and real life stories to create a unique walkers' guide to the famous ridges, crags and valleys that make up the hill. EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS Back Cover: Standing in the Hunter's Bog with the Salisbury Crags to the west, Dasses to the east and the great summit crag rising above, you could be deep in the Highlands. There is no sight and very little sound of the modern cityscape all around. STUART McHARDY Arthur's Seat, rising high above the Edinburgh skyline, is the city's most awe-inspiring landmark Although thousands climb to the summit every year, its history remains a mystery, shrouded in myth and legend. Quickly and suddenly we lose the sense of ciy. Through the park is now surrounded by Edinburgh, it still retains a sense of wildness. DONALD SMITH The first book of its kind, Arthur's Seat: Journeys and Evocations is a salute to the ancient tradition of storytelling, guiding the reader around Edinburgh's famous 'Resting Giant' with an exploration of the local folklore and customs associated with the mountain-within-a-city. Inspired by NVA's Speed of Light, a major event in Edinburgh's International Festival and the country-wide Cultural Olympiad, Journeys and Evocations brings together past and future in a perspective of the Edinburgh landscape like no other. A place where time does not pass but simply adds up. ROBERT GARIOCH

Topicsinclude literature, religion, history and story, the Radical1790s, the remarkable Douglas Young and anintroduction to Geomythography, a new way of meldingprehistory and history to present a new and refreshingway seeing our past.Understanding our past is vital to the process of buildinga new Scotland in the years ahead.

A book about Scotland drawn from hundreds, if not thousands, of stories. The stories are hilarious, tragic, heroic or frightening.

Lord Cockburn, Victorian defender of Edinburgh's beauties, describes Calton Hill as 'the Glory of Edinburgh'. 'It presents us,' enthused Cockburn, 'with the finest prospects both of its vicinity and the city... it is adorned by beautiful buildings dedicated to science and to the memory of distinguished men. 'Following on from the success of Arthur's Seat, the Journeys and Evocations series continues with a look at the events and folklore surrounding Edinburgh's iconic Calton Hill. Standing only 338 ft (103m) high, this small hill offers a fascinating view of Edinburgh both literally and historically. The book brings together prose, poetry and photographic images to explore the Calton Hill's role in radical nationalist politics through the centuries as well as taking a look at the buildings, philosophy and intrigue of a central part of Edinburgh's landscape. Two of the city's leading storytellers, Donald Smith, director of the Scottish Storytelling Centre... and historian and writer Stuart McHardy, have sifted through the centuries to compile the remarkable guide to Edinburgh's famous landmark. EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS on Arthur's Seat.

From bold heroines to clan battles, standing stones to castles, there is hardly any aspect of Scotland's heritage that does not feature in our storytelling traditions. This collection of stories from all parts of Scotland, and from all periods of our dramatic - and often truly heroic - history is both an introduction to and a journey into Scotland's rich cultural heritage. Covering the same themes as Disney-Pixar's new fairytale film, Brave, this book provides the next step for those wishing to delve deeper into Scotland's culture and traditions. BACK COVER: There is not a stream or a rock that does not have its story. STUART McHARDY With the release of Disney-Pixar's 'Brave' the world's attention is being drawn to Scotland and its fascinating history. But 'Brave' merely scrapes the surface of Scotland's rich story-telling culture. This collection of tales is the next step for anyone wishing to look further into the traditions of Scotland. These enchanting tales reflect the wide diversity of its heritage and there are few aspects of Scottish tradition that have escaped memorialisation in folklore. With its captivating, and often gruesome, tales of heroic warriors in battle, bold heroines, deceitful aristocracy, and supernatural creatures Brave Land is a journey into the cultural heritage of a nation and the folklore surrounding the creation of the breath-taking landscape of its country. Scotland the Brave Land provides the reader the perfect opportunity to delve a little deeper into the myths, legends and history of this truly mesmerising country.

King Arthur of the Britons - the Celtic hero supreme. There was no invasion for Arthur to fight, the Angles and Saxons came slowly, over centuries, but he was leading a crusade - for the new religion against the old.

Experience the scenery and folklore of Edinburgh's iconic Old Town through new eyes in the latest installment in the Journey's and Evocations series. This blend of prose, poetry, photography and history is the perfect gift for any visitor to Scotland's capital city.

An imaginative look into the story of the Jacobites who fought to bring the Stuart kings back to Scotland, McHardy creates a vivid historical picture of Scotland's Stuart past.

Scotland's Democracy Trail goes from Edinburgh Castle, Greyfriars, down the High Street, across North Bridge to Calton Hill, and then on down to the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood. Although the roots of democracy run deep in Scotland, here we concentrate on the footprint of democracy in our capital city.

For many centuries the people of Scotland have told stories of their ancestors, a mysterious tribe called the Picts. From Shetland to the Border with England, these ancient memories of Scotland?s original inhabitants have flourished since the nation?s earliest days and now are told afresh, shedding new light on our ancient past.

A new title in the popular 'Luath Storyteller' series, Tales of Edinburgh Castle is a salute tk the ancient tradition of storytelling, painting a vivid picture of the castle in bygone times, and the rich and varied characters to whom it owes its notoriety.

Writer and storyteller Stuart McHardy, known to take a dram or ten himself, draws upon the wide range of tales associated with the world's finest tipple, to make you laugh, cry and wonder!

The Wey Forrit is a political work written in Scots which examines the current British political climate, with a particular focus on how the inner workings of Westminster affect Scotland and her people.

A collection of the popular and the more obscure chosen from the treasure trove of poetry in Scots and put together by well-known storyteller Stuart McHardy.