John Matthews

Edición coleccionista de una de las leyendas más influyentes.La primera autoridad del mundo en materia artúrica reimagina la historia del rey Arturo y sus caballeros, una de las leyendas más queridas e influyentes, para un nuevo siglo en esta bella edicion para coleccionistas, acompañada de magnificas ilustraciones a todo color y dibujos de la mano de John Howe, el mundialmente aclamado artista de Tolkien.Las historias del rey Arturo y Merlin, Lancelot y Ginebra, Galahad, Gawain, Tristan y el resto de los caballeros de la Mesa Redonda, asi como de la busqueda del Santo Grial, no han dejado de apreciarse a lo largo de los siglos y son la inspiracion de muchas novelas de fantasia modernas, peliculas y series. Estas leyendas comenzaron cuando un misterioso heroe celta llamado Arturo entro en el escenario de la historia en algun momento del siglo VI, lo que genero una gran cantidad de relatos orales que unos 900 años mas tarde Thomas Malory recogeria en su obra clasica Le Morte dArthur (La muerte de Arturo).El gran libro del rey Arturo nos trae esas leyendas a la epoca moderna, recurriendo por primera vez a una prosa accesible para lectores contemporaneos. Ademas de las historias incluidas en La muerte de Arturo, John Matthews incluye numerosos relatos de Arturo y sus caballeros que o bien Malory desconocia o bien estaban escritos en otros idiomas, como la historia de Avenable, la muchacha que se hizo pasar por hombre y se convirtio en un caballero famoso; Morien, cuyas aventuras son tan fantasticas y emocionantes como cualquiera de las que encontramos en la obra de Malory; y una version de la vida de Gawain, el caballero favorito de la Mesa Redonda, desde su extraño nacimiento e infancia en la pobreza hasta su ascension al cargo mas importante de todos: emperador de Roma.Ademas, aqui encontramos tambien algunos de los relatos mas tempranos sobre Arturo, derivados de la tradicion celtica. El heroe epico aparece representado en historias tan poderosas como Las aventuras del Niño Aguila y La llegada de Merlin, basada en el texto medieval temprano La vida de Merlin, en la que se nos cuenta una version totalmente nueva de la historia del gran hechicero.Casi seiscientos años despues de Malory, parece que estos relatos existan aun en un presente glorioso, como si pudieramos ir a pie a la corte del rey Arturo y encontrarnos en Camelot.Neil Gaiman

'Why do you want to die? Why is it you don't want me to try and save you?' Jac went straight in with the key question. No point in beating around the bush, fencing. He might have got over most of the first hurdle with the attempted prison break, if Marmont survived, but unless he tackled this hurdle, they were all wasting their time. He could prepare the most marvellous clemency plea for the Governor's office, but Durrant had to agree to its contents and sign the plea petition. Durrant shuffled uncomfortably, shrugged. He looked like he'd have preferred some delay, as if a question of such purport deserved reasonable preamble. He looked almost offended to be hit with it straightaway. 'I don't know. Tired, first and foremost. Tired of the appeals and empty promises, tired of waiting. Tired of false hope. Tired of life.' Durrant looked up with a steady gaze as he hit the last words, as if he'd only at that moment finally discovered what, most of all, he was tired of. 'You're tired, and so you want out. Is that about it?' Jac said it offhandly, disdainfully, and Durrant's stare became icy. Jac fully expected some confrontation if he was to stand a chance of shifting Durrant's stance. It wasn't going to be easy. 'Yeah, that's about it.' Equally offhandly, disdainfully. Jac stood up and took a couple of paces away from the interview table before turning to look back again. 'That may be okay for you. But have you given a thought to those you're leaving behind. Your wife. Your son. How old is he now?' Jac remembered the age from Durrant's file, but he wanted Durrant to say it, be reminded. 'Twelve this April gone. Had his first birthday just two months before I was sentenced.' Jac considered Durrant dolefully for a second. 'Maybe your wife will come to terms with you dying, has had a fair time to prepare herself. But do you really think your son will at that age?' And as he saw Durrant flinch and look away, he knew he'd struck a chord. The first chink in Durrant's armour, built-up hard, impenetrably these past eleven years. Durrant knew he was being worked, but it was difficult to get angry. This new lawyer was young, still wet behind the ears, was probably not yet seasoned and world-wear

El Santo Grial -uno de los misterios más fascinantes que el mundo ha conocido- es un símbolo universal de la búsqueda de la verdad, y los Caballeros Templarios participaron activamente de este símbolo poderoso y vivificante. En este obra se produce un encuentro entre El Santo Grial, los Caballeros Templarios y el Tarot ofreciendo al lector numerosas y efectivas claves que le permitiran comprender la verdadera esencia del esoterismo medieval y del camino iniciatico seguido por la Orden del Temple. La baraja, dibujada con un bello estilo renacentista, posee un profundo simbolismo que le ayudara a conectar con su propia busqueda espiritual.

A comprehensive overview of the Western perennial tradition--the hermetic tradition and the ancient earth wisdom of shamanic indigenous peoples Provides practical exercises to reawaken mystical awareness and reconnect with the ancient mystery traditions of our ancestors Reveals how earth wisdom and high magic complement one anotherIn Walkers Between the Worlds, the authors reveal the development of both these traditions that were never far beneath the surface of Western culture and how they complement each other.As the orthodox structures of the West appear increasingly hollow and irrelevant, the Western way trod by the shaman and the magus remains vital, with many practical methods for reawakening awareness and reconnecting with the earth. In addition to its in-depth theoretical analysis, Walkers Between the Worlds contains practical exercises drawn from traditional teaching methods used by both native and hermetic traditions to help the reader explore these mysteries.

Henry Hunters friend Charlie is desperate for help. His parents have gone missing in the Caribbean Ocean, and no one will believe him that something sinister is afoot. Henry and his sidekick Dolf are on the case! The only lead Henry and Dolf have is the sighting of a ghostly galleon and a huge tentacle of mist. Exploring the local pirate history and myths, Henry and Dolf uncover a cursed crew of pirates, led by no other than the deadly Edward TeachBlackbeard himself. But whats keeping the pirates sailing beyond their deaths? And how and why are they building a crew of live prisoners? Its up to Henry and Dolf to survive monster waves and befriend a crazy local seadog to solve the mystery and put the pirates back in their watery graves!Discover the ghostly world of the paranormal through the eyes of our spooked narrator as he tags along on the second adventure in the Henry Hunter series!

A comprehensive examination of the historical and mythological evidence for every major theory about King Arthur Explores the history of every Arthur candidate and the geographical arguments that have placed him in different locations Examines 1,800 years of evidence for Arthurs life and the famous series of 12 battles fought against the Saxons in the 6th century Reconstructs the history of the 6th century in Britain, when the first references to Arthur and the core events of his reign appearFew legends have had the enduring influence of those surrounding King Arthur. Many believe the stories are based on historical truth. For others Arthur represents the archetype of the brilliant monarch reigning over a fairy-tale kingdom, offering his knights the opportunity to prove their mettle in battle and find gnostic illumination through initiation into sacred mysteries like that of the Grail.Presenting the culmination of more than 40 years research, John and Caitlin Matthews examine the historical and mythological evidence for every major theory about the existence of King Arthur. Drawing on modern techniques in archaeology and scholarship, they reconstruct the history of the 6th century in Britain, the period when the first unambiguous references to Arthur appear. They explore the history of every Arthur candidate, the geographical arguments that have placed him in different locations, and the evidence for his life and famous battles fought against the Saxons. Was the greatest British hero of all time not a king but a 2nd-century Roman officer active around Hadrians Wall in Cumbria? A 5th-century soldier who operated in areas as far apart as Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, or Brittany? Or an entirely mythical fiction that provided a figure of light during a dark period of British history?Examining other literary figures from the 5th century such as Vortigern and Ambrosius, the authors also break down the plots of all the major Arthurian romances, including those by Chretien de Troyes, Sir Thomas Malory, and Robert de Boron, to reveal the historical events they are based on. Piecing together the many fragments that constitute the image of Arthur, both the man and the myth, the authors show how each face of Arthur has something to offer and how his modern popularity proves the enduring power of the hero-myth, truly earning Arthur the title he first received in the 15th century: The Once and Future King.

El caballero de las cocinas (Gran Bretaña). El caballero del cisne (Alemania). Los tres viajes de Hay Murom (Rusia). El chifl ado Perronick (Gran Bretaña). El relato de Bushtasp (Persia). Yogadayu y el ejercito de abejas (Japon). Sir Cliges y el cerezo (Francia).

En els contes populars i mites de tot el món, els gegants, els fantasmes i els follets solen ser candidats favorits per a representar el paper de contrincants del personatge principal. Sempre que l'heroi ha d'enfrontar-se a gestes més perilloses que qualsevol repte abans enfrontat, podeu estar ben segurs que ensopegarà amb alguna d'estes tres criatures.

Relato de la travesía africana que emprendió el oficial inglés John Matthews en el siglo XVIII, en el que describe minuciosamente la geografía, la flora y la fauna, así como las diferentes razas, costumbres, religiones, ritos y ceremonias de Sierra Leona, un territorio hasta entonces desconocido. El libro, escrito a modo de epistolario, consta de ocho cartas. 

En los cuentos populares y mitos de todo el mundo, los gigantes, los fantasmas y los duendes suelen ser los candidatos favoritos a representar el papel de contrincantes del personaje principal. Siempre que el heroe tiene que enfrentarse a hazañas mas peligrosas que cualquier reto antes afrontado, podeis estar seguros de que topara con alguna de estas tres criaturas. Lo mas notable de estos tres tipos es que sin ellos no habria aventura. Son ellos los que fuerzan a los heroes y heroinas a crecer y aprender, haciendo de los cuentos populares una distraccion continua e importante en nuestras vidas.Este libro recoge relatos de Noruega, Australia, China, Irlanda, Dinamarca, Africa, Siberia, Escocia y de los indios Cheyenes en Estados Unidos.