Ladies of Lore

See yourself reflected in these ancient and fascinating tales of women drawn from across European mythology and folklore, as they fall in love, get revenge, play tricks and seek redemption.

The world of these European women, drawn from mythology and folk tales across the continent, is dynamic and complex, revealing more about us than we might like to admit – after all, who hasn’t fallen deeply in love or dreamed quietly of revenge or played a trick that didn’t go quite to plan?

Here, for the first time, folklorist Rosie Mahoney has organised the women of European mythology into the twelve Jungian archetypes, which reflect our collective human experience, like Lover, Mother, Child and Trickster, and shows how these women resonate through modern society, from iconic figures such as Persephone and her cursed pomegranate seeds to Baba Yaga and her hut on chicken legs, to more unknown tales, such as Sigyn, the wife of Loki, and Scathach, the legendary Scottish warrior.

In Ladies of Lore, these ancient stories will fascinated, captivate and shock you, as you experience mythology as a living, evolving tradition shaped by the storyteller, the audience and the times. Accompanied by evocative and expressionist artwork by artist Georgia Naughton, this book is a visual and narrative celebration of feminine power, transformation and storytelling across the ages.

Word count: 40,000