tow: the shorter, coarser fibers left over from the working of flax into linen thread. If you are “tow-headed,” your hair resembles these coarser blond strands that were used to make rope, ship’s caulking, wigs, and false beards. See also flax.
Turkish delight: a confection consisting of gluey hunks of rosewater and almonds or pistachios dusted with powdered sugar. Personally, I would be horrified to find a box of Turkish delight in my stocking no matter how prettily it was wrapped, but I may be alone in this. Slabs of Turkish delight form the roof of the witch’s house in Hansel and Gretel, and the confection is the principal means by which the White Witch gains Edmund’s confidence when he first arrives in Narnia. (When Father Christmas is finally able to make his way into that land, he conjures the humbler treat of a pot of tea with cream and lump sugar.)
warp: the set of vertical threads that must be carefully assembled on the frame of the loom before weaving can begin. Once the loom has been “warped,” the weft (also “woof”), or horizontal threads, can be inserted to achieve the desired pattern.
[contents]
Bibliography
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[contents]
Night of the Witches
Folklore, Traditions & Recipes
for Celebrating Walpurgis Night
Linda Raedisch
Witches, goblins, and ghosts in the warm springtime: what could be more fun? The roots of Walpurgis Night reach deep into the Pagan past, and modern Europeans celebrate it with as much abandon as their ancestors did. Walpurgis Night, in Germanic tradition, is a dark night at the end of April when witches are out celebrating and causing mischief. This charming book explores the history of this frightful night and explains how to celebrate it with seasonal activities, simple crafts, and tasty recipes.
Readers will learn about the sacred rites of spring and the thirteen herbs that correspond with the Night of the Witches. They’ll discover how this “lost” holiday has changed from a lusty fertility festival to a children’s night of fun and treats, learn a bit about brooms and how to make one, and meet a collection of old-time Witches, from Ash Wives to Wolf Crones.
978-0-7387-2058-6, 240 pp., 53⁄16 x 8
To order, call 1-877-NEW-WRLD
Prices subject to change without notice
Order at Llewellyn.com 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Make Merry in Step and Song
A Seasonal Treasury of Music, Mummer’s Plays
& Celebrations in the English Folk Tradition
Bronwen Forbes
“See the blazing Yule before us…” This is just one of the many ancient British folk songs we all know and love. Other tunes and symbols that tug on our memories have similar historical roots, hearkening back to a shared Pagan past. Some of these dances, songs, and theatrical plays in the English folk tradition ar
e now little known, and reviving these vital traditions can bring new life to Renaissance festivals and community events.
Introducing the lively music and homegrown entertainments of times long past, this descriptive how-to is designed for twenty-first-century joviality. The songs, dances, and plays of old are explained in their mythical, seasonal, and historical significance and outlined for easy reenactment. Simple-to-follow instructions detail six dances, including the popular Abbots Bromley Horn dance, six full scripts for dramatic performances of mummer’s plays (folk plays of death and rebirth), and over thirty songs with lyrics and music. Kick up your heels, hold high your skirts, and make merry the year through.
978-0-7387-1500-1, 264 pp., 71⁄2 x 91⁄8
To order, call 1-877-NEW-WRLD
Prices subject to change without notice
Order at Llewellyn.com 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Field Guide to the Little People
A Curious Journey into the Hidden Realm of Elves, Faeries, Hobgoblins & Other Not-So-Mythical Creatures
Nancy Arrowsmith
Welcome back one of the most revered introductions to the lineage, appearance, general characteristics, and case histories of seventy-nine elf folk, including White Ladies, Red Caps, Church Grims, Hobgoblins, English Fairies, Leprechauns, Sirens, Hey-Hey Men, and all of their strange and mythical kin.
For many years, this charming illustrated guide has been as elusive as a Will-o’-the-Wisp. This is the first opportunity for elven fans to once again own an English-language edition—featuring more than eighty new illustrations by Sabrina the Ink Witch.
978-0-7387-1549-0, 336 pp., 6 x 9
To order, call 1-877-NEW-WRLD
Prices subject to change without notice
Order at Llewellyn.com 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Rituals of Celebration
Honoring the Seasons of Life through the Wheel of the Year
Jane Meredith
The Old Magic of Christmas Page 20
