Tales of Court and Castle

Lisa Arsenault is an elementary-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

Familiar legendary figures like Merlin, Tristan, and Childe Rowland
inhabit these ancient Celtic tales of the British Isles. As the title
suggests, courtly themes predominate in these stories of chivalry,
knightly exploits, romantic love, and magical occurrences. As befits an
agrarian pastoral society, nature plays a large part, with Elfland
acting as a middle ground between the often-mysterious woods and largely
unexplored parts of the known world and the safe haven of the castle.

These seven stories have been re-worked by a master storyteller. Joan
Bodger, recently deceased, has an international reputation in her field.
She has remained true to the original plots and has not added any
unnecessary or modern accretions that would ring false and take away
from their ancient magic.

The legends are from all over the British Isles, and the separate
national flavour of each island and region has been ably retained.
Particularly noteworthy is Bodger’s rendering of the feisty, lusty
Irish Queen Mayve’s character in “The Warrior Queen.”

The skilful use of a number of techniques contributes to the pleasure
of reading the stories; as in good storytelling tradition, the reader is
often directly addressed and actively engaged in the story. Touches of
descriptive detail establish atmosphere and place. The use of poetry in
several of the tales adds to their musical flow and cadence.
Black-and-white woodcut-style illustrations with Celtic flourishes
emphasize the theme. Highly recommended.