Description

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In this profoundly personal journey through British history, Martin Wall traces the influence of Magic and Myth from the earliest times to the present day. These abiding myths have endured since before the time of the Druids, reaching their apotheosis in the Arthurian tales and the Glastonbury legends, stories which retain their dynamism and imaginative power. These mythic templates, constantly reinvented, provided a legitimating mission for the British Empire, which mediated them to a worldwide audience. Britain's spiritual inheritance is shot through with magic. But this book takes in more obscure mysteries, such as "Who put Bella in the Wych-Elm?," a localized "tribe of witches,"  and a host of extraordinary characters like Doctor John Dee, William Blake, and the notorious Aleister Crowley. In this fascinating account of the occult origins of British culture, the author depicts this island story as an outworking of magical destiny - a challenge to us to create our own imaginative system.

About the Author

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Martin Wall has been interested in history since his early childhood, when he became fascinated by legends, folklore, magic and myth. Following his retirement, he published his first book, The Anglo-Saxon Age, in 2015.. He is currently working on his next project – an examination of the relationship between landscape and literature in the west of England. For more information visit historyeducation.org.uk.