The Song of Arthur: Celtic Tales from the King's Court John Matthews 234 pages 10 black & white illustrations 7 x 9/34 $19.95 paper 978-0-8356-0809-1

This companion to Celtic folklorist John Matthews' The Song of Taliesin (Quest 2001) features seventeen stories never before published in book form, interspersed with the author's original poetry in the style of the ancient past whence the tales spring.

The book is a stunning retelling of legends, myths, and folktales drawn from the Welsh Mabinogion, the Taliesin tradition, The Book of Leinster, the story of Perceval, Malory's Morte d'Arthur, and other traditional sources.

The stories are accompanied by excellent endnotes explaining sources and elucidating points of difficulty, but they stand beautifully on their own. Taken as a whole, they present the characters, themes, and events of Celtic, Grail, and Arthurian lore in an authentic literary voice that makes for great reading and great telling.

The Ancient Wisdom flows forward in many forms. One of its streams is surely found in the Arthurian "quest for the Grail"---which is, at its core, the quest for enlightenment and spiritual mastery. Matthews' lucid refashioning of these tales is informed by his deep understanding of their esoteric center. Through them, the reader may clearly see the Ancient Wisdom shine.


John Matthews is an international authority on Celtic folklore, the Western mystery tradition, and the Grail legends, and is one of the great culture-bearers of our times. He has written over forty books on the Arthurian legends, esoteric wisdom, and the Grail. His Quest Book The Winter Solstice won the Benjamin Franklin Award in 1998. With his wife and frequent coauthor Caitlin, John established the Foundation of Inspirational and Oracular Studies.

To visit the author's website, www.hallowquest.org.uk


Other titles by the author:

• Celtic Evening With John Matthews (CD)
• The Quest for the Green Man
• The Song of Taliesin:
  Tales from King Arthur's Bard
• The Summer Solstice:
  Celebrating the Journey of the Sun from May Day to Harvest
• The Winter Solstice:
  The Sacred Traditions of Christmas

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