Retellings of Legends/Myths

[Karl J. Barnes]

I just stopped reading Lou Goble's retelling of Estonia's fabled hero/king The Kalevide . One) It surprised me that there was a legend from Estonia and 2) The reason no one knew is because it is beyond boring!

Now, I can handle boring, if at least, I am being educated. I learned nothing and I mean NOTHING about the ancient peoples of Estonia or the surrounding customs of the Lapps and Letts. The motivations and plot were just so out of balance. At one moment, the dialogue and events seemed plausible and of the era and then Kalevide or some minor character would almost sound modern.

So I have a question or questions as it maybe: What novel or novels have you found retold or added to an existing legend(s) the best? ( Please leave out the MANY retelling/re-imagings of Author and Merlin and Camelot) Which have been the worse?

Two that I can think of immediately are Pat O'Shea's The Hounds of Morrigan and Jack Vance's Lyonesse . Anyone else?

[Shem the Penman]

Evangeline Walton's "Mabinogion" books -- Prince of Annwn, The Children of Llyr, The Song of Rhiannon, and The Island of the Mighty.

(Lloyd Alexander's Prydain series is partly inspired by the Mabinogion, but isn't all that close -- in particular, his treatment of Prince Gwydion owes a lot more to Strider than it does to the Mabinogion's Gwydion.)

de Camp and Pratt's Harold Shea books are pretty good too.

[CaptMagellan]

I liked Stephen Grundy's "Rhinegold" and it's sequel "Attila's Treasure" which retells the Volsunga Saga.

And Michael Crichton's "Eaters of the Dead" (AKA "The 13th Warrior) was a really good retelling of Beowulf.

Other than those two, I can't really think of any that were memorable enough for me to remember reading (other than those endless Arthurian retellings that mostly suck).

[Dee3]

One of my favorite fantasy authors is Marion Zimmer Bradley is it alright I talk about her work?

[Dee3]

I would also like to add Lady of the Forest and Lady of Sherwood two books by Jennifer Roberson which are fantasic re-tellings of the Robin hood legends from Marions point of view.

[Karl J. Barnes]

I just remembered another re-telling that was beautifully done. Juliet Marrlier's Daughter of the Forest , a re-telling of seven brothers, who are turned into swans and their sister's task of returning them back to themselves. Well told and refreshingly descriptive.

[mgs]

another is the rebirth thing with Christ and all.

[Karl J. Barnes]

I would also like to add Lady of the Forest and Lady of Sherwood two books by Jennifer Roberson which are fantasic re-tellings of the Robin hood legends from Marions point of view.

I believe Robin McKinnley also did a Sherwood re-telling....wasn't too into it, so I can't remember who's POV that she used.

[Karl J. Barnes]

another is the rebirth thing with Christ and all.

Which books or authors did this? I know of quite a few authors who used the the Christ figure in their novels, like William Faulkner's A Light In August and Ken Kersey's One Who Flew Over The Cuckcoo's Nest .

[Dee3]

I believe Robin McKinnley also did a Sherwood re-telling....wasn't too into it, so I can't remember who's POV that she used.
From what I remember she wanted to tell how a group like the one in Sherwood would come together. I thought it was neat how she portrayed Robin and Marions relationship and how she did it from Marion's point of view.

I still think that Bradley did a great re-telling of Arthuran legend she also did one from Cassandra of Troy's point of view which I've been meaning to pick up.

[berk]

There aren't many I like. I think most efforts at retelling myths/legends/folk-tales lose the qualities that made the originals, even in translation, so compelling without adding much of interest in compensation. The exceptions that come to mind are:

Grendel - John Gardner (prose version of Beowulf from the monster's POV)
Jason and Medeia - John Gardner (long narrative poem re-telling the voyage of the Argonauts and its aftermath)
War Music - Christopher Logue (a re-imagining, in modern verse, of the Iliad, still incomplete)

[Solaris]

"White Raven" by Diana L. Paxon... is a retelling of the story of Tristan and Isolde, from her half sister Brangwen's p.o.v. Good one.

Pretty much all the Morgan Llewellan books, so far as I can tell: Finn Mac Cool (great story! Our son is named for the legendary Finn Mac Cool, or properly spelled, Fionn Mac Cumhal), The Lion of Ireland (about Brian Boru), etc. They're really good.

"Snow White and Rose Red" by Patricia Wrede...a retelling of the old fairy tale that was pretty neat: she brought in John Dee and his assistant as messing with Faerie, and nearly mucking things up.

I liked Robin McKinley's "Deerskin," but didn't care much for her "Beauty and the Beast" adaptation.

Oh, and Mercedes Lackey has a quartet of fairy tale adaptations, set in the early 1900's, that are really great. She managed to put in a lot about Women's Rights and the Suffrage Movement into them. The books are:

1. The Fire Rose (based off Beauty and the Beast, and has to do with Air Magic)

2. The Serpent's Shadow (based off Snow White, and has Earth Magic)

3. The Gates of Sleep (based off Sleeping Beauty, has Water Magic)

4. Phoenix and Ashes (based off Cinderella, has Fire Magic)

Lackey set the books in a world where elemental magic (and actual elementals) exist... it's pretty neat reading, but the best part is the actual historical information and accounts on women that she wove into the story. Does a great job of showing what life was like for women back then. And yes, they're factual, for the most part: I've read several factual accounts from that time period, and a lot of the things Lackey lifted straight from historical accounts of real things that happened to women.

[Solaris]

One of my favorite fantasy authors is Marion Zimmer Bradley is it alright I talk about her work?


Of course! You mean "The Mists of Avalon" and its sequels?

[Dee3]

Of course! You mean "The Mists of Avalon" and its sequels?
Yeah. Im also thinking of of picking up firebrand. Which is a re-telling of Troy from Cassandra's pov.

[Kirayoshi]

I know you said no Arthur, but you should check out Jack Whyte's Camelud Chronicles, which retell the Arthurian myth as a historical drama instead of a fantasy. A different approach, resulting brilliant and believable stuff. Don't recall all the titles, but it starts with "The Skystone", which presents an unusual take on the Excalibur legend(a meteor landed in a lake on the property of a Roman general living in Briton, and his second-in-command/son-in-law smelted the 'skystone' ore to create a sword far stronger than conventional steel). The latest book, "The Lance Thrower" introduces a guy who likes to throw his lance a lot. Get it?

Mercedes Lackey also wrote "The Firebird", based on the Russian folk-tale of the Firebird(also the source of the Stravinsky ballet).

Oh, and also Fred Saberhagen's "The Dracula Tapes". The old bloodsucker finally tells his side of the story. Darkly humorous.

"The Godmother" by Elizabeth Anne Scarborough retells several fairy tales in a modern setting, as an overworked social worker in Seattle gets some help from a professional Godmother("Felicity Fortune. Fair Fates Facilitated, Questors Accomodated, Virtue Vindicated.").

And Andrew M. Greeley(best known for his Father Blackie Ryan mysteries) wrote an entertaining if slight fantasy called "Angel Light", a modern retelling of the Book of Tobin, one of the books of the Apochrypa.

[Karl J. Barnes]

I know you said no Arthur, but you should check out Jack Whyte's Camelud Chronicles, which retell the Arthurian myth as a historical drama instead of a fantasy. A different approach, resulting brilliant and believable stuff. Don't recall all the titles, but it starts with "The Skystone", which presents an unusual take on the Excalibur legend(a meteor landed in a lake on the property of a Roman general living in Briton, and his second-in-command/son-in-law smelted the 'skystone' ore to create a sword far stronger than conventional steel). The latest book, "The Lance Thrower" introduces a guy who likes to throw his lance a lot. Get it?

Mercedes Lackey also wrote "The Firebird", based on the Russian folk-tale of the Firebird(also the source of the Stravinsky ballet).


.

I have read the first two books in Jack Whyte's Camelud Chronicles and thanks for reminding me about Mercedes Lackey. She wrote a revised/retelling of The Black Swan about a princess that is under a spell to be a swan and her adventures to break the spell and to also save other princess's with the help of the sorcerer's daughter. A wonderful fairy tale.

[Puma]

Michael Cadnum's "In a Dark Wood" and "Forbidden Forest", re-workings of the Robin Hood stories

Robin McKinley's "Rose Daughter" a Beauty and the Beast re-telling and "Spindle's End" with Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty)

[Metal-Demon]

I'd like to see someone tackle the Finnish epic prose "The Kalevala" ... that would be awesome!

[Puma]

on a slightly different note, I've been trying off and on to find the tale/myth that is the premise for the movie LadyHawk. It's suppose to be a Spanish folktale. Anyone have any suggestions?

[Metal-Demon]

I've been trying off and on to find the tale/myth that is the premise for the movie LadyHawk. It's suppose to be a Spanish folktale. Anyone have any suggestions?

I recall that just being an unfounded rumour perpetuated by diehard fans of the film. :confused:

[Solaris]

on a slightly different note, I've been trying off and on to find the tale/myth that is the premise for the movie LadyHawk. It's suppose to be a Spanish folktale. Anyone have any suggestions?


I've never heard anything about that, but I loved the film! :)

[Shem the Penman]

I'd like to see someone tackle the Finnish epic prose "The Kalevala" ... that would be awesome!

Not quite the same, but the Harold Shea books, which I mentioned earlier in the thread, do include one book -- The Wall of Serpents -- set in the world of the Kalevala.

[BoosterBronze]

On a "LadyHawke" note, I heard compose Frank Wildhorn was making a musical based on it. Hes best known for "Jekyll & Hyde".

I would love to read a good novelization of the pseudo-mythic "Scorpion King" of egyptian legend, and I dont mean anything resembling the movie.