This lovely, sweet, and beauteous Fairy Queen,Begins to rise, when Hesperus is seen;
For she is kin unto the God of night,
Unto Diana, and the stars so bright.
Margaret Cavendish, 17th century)
It has been a long time coming but today Sorita d'Este (co-editor and owner of Avalonia Books) announced that The Faerie Queens will shortly be available for pre-order from Avalonia Books.
This anthology is the first that I had submitted an essay towards and some 6,500 words later (a major effort considering I was averaging 800 words for my column with the now defunct magazine, Insight), my essay on Morgan le Fay still remains my favourite.
The following information about The Faerie Queens (edited by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine) has been taken from the book's Facebook page.
Powerful, mysterious, otherworldly, the Faerie Queens have spread their magic across Europe for many centuries, enchanting all who encounter them. From forests and lakes, mounds and mountains, the Faerie Queens emerge from the liminal places to bestow their numerous gifts (and curses) on man. Lover, shapeshifter, sorceress, prophetess, bestower of sovereignty, semi-divine ancestress, protectress of animals, collector of souls – the powers and roles of the Faerie Queens are as diverse as the folklore about them, their origins rooted deep in the legends, goddesses and beings of the ancient world.
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| Morgan le Fay by Frederick Sandys |
Exploring the tales of many of the mysterious and captivating Faerie Queens, this exceptional anthology contains eighteen essays exploring the diverse accounts and themes associated with the Faerie Queens and their influence in magic, literature and folklore. From the Arthurian mythos to Scandinavia, from ancient Greece to Renaissance poetry and beyond, the awesome power of the Faerie Queens to inspire, challenge and transform is investigated and discussed from both scholarly and personal perspectives.
The fascination of the faerie realms and their denizens has captivated man for millennia, as evidenced by the many romances between Faerie Queens and mortals, the motifs and taboos associated with them. As well as their presence in folklore and popular culture, the influence of the Faerie Queens is found in the Grimoires, in Witchcraft, in influential fiction and even in the royal families of Europe.
The enduring awe, fear and love the Faerie Queens have inspired is growing today as their presence is felt more strongly by an increasing number of people seeking connections to the catharsis offered by the ethereal realms. Travelling far beyond the boundaries of previous works, The Faerie Queens presents an exceptional panorama of the scope and significance of some of the most powerful and important otherworldly rulers of the realms of land, sea and sky.
