Finn Bevan

The third volume that I have read of Finn Bevan's Landscapes of Legend series - which connects the worlds of geography and mythology for young readers - Fabulous Beasts presents seven animal folktales from around the world. Each selection is preceded by a brief discussion of the animal in question, as well as the cultural background of the tale which follows.

The trickster spider is tricked in the West African Anansi and the Chameleon; while Dakuwaqa - the great god of the sharks - is defeated by a giant octopus in the Fijian How the Great Shark God Met His Match. In the Chinese tale, How a Tortoise Saved the World, the goddess Nu Gua uses a tortoise to avert catastrophe, when a battle between the fire god Zhu Rong, and the water god Gong Gong, endangers the world. Raven features in two Native America tales from the Pacific Northwest, Raven Steals the Moon and Raven Creates the World; while the Jaguar is the star of the Brazilian rain forest story, How the Jaguar Lost Its Fire. Finally, the Inuit story of the goddess Sedna is set out in How the Seals Came to Be.

Like Mighty Mountains and Sacred Skies, this thematic collection of folklore was engaging. I continue to appreciate the fact that this series highlights the connections between folklore and geography, and find Diana Mayo's accompanying illustrations charming. I did wish that some more specific information, as to culture of origin, was given for the two Raven tales, as well as for the Brazilian tale of the jaguar. This latter also featured in Philip Ardagh's South American Myths & Legends, where it is listed as Fire and the Jaguar, and is described as a Kayapó myth. I'm not sure what source material Bevan was using, but it surely wouldn't have been that difficult to be more specific. Leaving aside the question of attribution - which seems to pop up with depressing regularity, when it comes to North and South American tales - this was a fairly pleasing collection, although I did wonder how the theme of animals fit into the larger purpose of the series.… (altro)

One of six volumes in the Landscapes of Legend series - which presents young readers with the connections between mythology and geography - Cities of Splendor contains six tales from around the world, each one focused on a particular city or settlement. Preceding every selection is a brief introduction, addressing the cultural and geographic background of the tale in question.

Here is the story of The Founding of Rome, in which twin brothers Romulus and Remus are raised by a she-wolf; and the creation of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, in the middle of Texcoco lake, in At the Place of the Cactus. The significance of the cities of Mecca and Medina, in Islam, is explained in Flight to Medina; while the importance of Bodh Gaya, in the Buddhist tradition, is laid out in Under the Spreading Tree. In How Marduk Saved the World, the ancient Babylonian myth concerning Marduk's battle with Tiamat, and the founding of Babylon, is told. Finally, the tale of the building of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem can be found in King Solomon Builds the Temple.

Like the other entries in Bevan's series, from Sacred Skies to Mighty Mountains, the stories in this collection of legends and myths are greatly simplified. But like these other books, they are also engaging, and accompanied by Diana Mayo's appealing illustrations. Sadly, this is the last of this six-book series that I could locate. It looks like the final entry, The Waters of Life, will have to wait for another time. All in all, Bevan's is a wonderful set of books to use with younger elementary-school children, in highlighting the idea that geography and mythology are often intimately connected. For that alone, I recommend them!… (altro)

One of six volumes in the Landscapes of Legend series - which links geography and mythology, setting out "stories that celebrate Earth's wonders and explain its mysteries" - Mighty Mountains contains six tales taken from the folk traditions of the world, all featuring a mountainous topography. Each selection is preceded by a brief description of the mountain(s) in question, and a short explanation of the cultural background of the story that follows.

The collection leads off with a discussion of Mount Olympus, and a retelling of the Greek myth involving the birth of Hephaestus, Cast from Olympus by his own mother, Hera. In the Hindu tale, The Churning of the Ocean of Milk, a contest between the Devas, the lesser gods, and the Asuras, the demons, involves two mythological mountains: Sumeru and Mandara, and results in the creation of the elixir of everlasting life. The ancient Hebrew tradition is represented by the biblical tale of Moses and the Ten Commandments, a story featuring Egypt's Mount Sinai. In The Kikiyu Find a Home, the origins of the Kikiyu people, and the centrality of Mount Kenya to their identity, is explained. The Japanese tale of Izanagi and Izanami, and their fire god child, is set out in The Fire God and the Mountains; while the Aboriginal story explaining the creation of the massive sandstone formation known as Uluru, as well as the surrounding topography, is contained in The Battle for Uluru.

As with Bevan's Sacred Skies, I found this thematic folklore collection engaging. I appreciated the format, in which fact was paired with fiction, and thought Diana Mayo's accompanying illustrations were very appealing. Entertaining and educational, this series seems like the perfect choice for young elementary-school-age folklore enthusiasts.… (altro)

Part of Finn Bevan's Landscapes of Legend series - which details the relationship between geography and legend for young readers, using a combination of factual information and mythological selections - Sacred Skies presents six tales from the diverse folk traditions of the world, each centered upon some celestial object or phenomenon. Preceding every selection is a page or two of basic scientific and cultural information, pertaining to the object in question (the sun, the moon, the stars), and the society from which the story came.

In The Day the Sun Went Out, Amaterasu - the Japanese goddess of the sun - retreats to a cave after an argument with her brother Susano, the storm god, plunging the world into darkness. Lady in the Moon relates the tale of the Chinese goddess Chang E, whose foolish action - in swallowing all of the elixir of everlasting life - lands her on the moon. The Greek myth of Orion the Hunter, and how he became a constellation, is retold in The Hunter in the Sky; while the Aztec tradition, in which the life-giving rains are create by the god Tlaloc, is set out in Lord of the Rains. The existence of the rainbow is explained in the Aboriginal tale, The Rainbow Comes to Earth, in which a rainbow spirit lives for a time with the people, in the shape of a snake. Finally, the Norse legend concerning the loss of Mjöllnir - the hammer of the mighty god Thor, which, when used to kill giants, caused the lightning and thunder - is told in Thor's Lost Hammer.

I liked the concept of this series, tying legend and myth to place, and demonstrating the importance of geography in shaping culture and belief. I also liked the overall presentation of this volume, with the pairing of fact and fiction. Diana Mayo's accompanying illustrations were colorful and charming - I particularly liked the beautiful portraits of Amaterasu and Chang E. The tales themselves were somewhat simplistic retellings of more complicated stories, but perhaps that is to be expected in a volume that is aimed at elementary school students. All in all, an engaging start to this thematic folktales series!… (altro)