Public-domain ebook
Language: en5,101 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Children & Young Adult Reading·Mythology, Legends & Folklore
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #24935.
The volume is a sweeping anthology of mythic and legendary narratives drawn from the cultural heritage of many nations, assembled for a youthful audience. It opens with a reflective essay that argues folklore is a truer index of a people’s spirit than formal history, then launches into a series of retellings that begin with the Greek titan Prometheus and proceed through Hercules, Beowulf, King Arthur, Siegfried, and a host of other iconic figures. Each story is introduced by a brief heading and followed by a prose adaptation that blends the original plot with a clear, accessible style, allowing readers to encounter the ancient deeds without the weight of scholarly commentary.
The language reflects the nineteenth‑century editorial voice that shaped many classic children’s collections, offering a measured yet lively narration that balances reverence for the source material with the simplicity needed for younger readers. Those who enjoy richly imagined adventures, appreciate the moral and cultural layers of myth, or have a fondness for the grand storytelling of Victorian anthologies will find this book an engaging gateway to the legends that have shaped world literature.
The opening · free to read
The historic basis of the tales is slight; yet who can think of the Greeks without remembering the story of Troy, or of Rome without a backward glance at AEneas, fabled founder of the race and hero of Virgil's world-famous Latin epic? Any understanding of German civilisation would be incomplete without knowledge of the mythical prince Siegfried, hero of the earliest literature of the Teutonic people, finally immortalized in the nineteenth century through the musical dramas of Wagner. Any understanding of English civilization would be similarly incomplete without the semi-historic figure of King Arthur, glorified through the accumulated legends of the Middle Ages and made to live again in the melodic idylls of the great Victorian laureate. And so one might go on. In many ways the mythology and folklore of a country are a truer index to the life of its people than any of the pages of actual history; for through these channels the imagination and the heart speak. All the chronicles of rulers and governing bodies are as dust in comparison.
The imagination of the ancients had few if any bounds, and even Athens in the height of her intellectual glory accepted the fabulous tales of gods and half-gods. Today we read and wonder. But the child, who in his brief lifetime must live over in part at least the history of the whole race, delights in the myths and legends which made his ancestors admire or tremble. They are naturally not so real to him as they were to his forefathers; yet they open up a rich and gorgeous wonderland, without excursions into which every child must grow up the poorer in mind and spirit.
To the children of America, wherever they may be, this book is dedicated. It is sure to bring enjoyment, because its stories have stood the test of time.
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