The Return of the Light: Twelve Tales from Around the World for the Winter Solstice - Softcover

Edwards, Carolyn McVickar; McVickar Edwards, Carolyn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1569246173 ISBN 13: 9781569246177

Publisher: Da Capo Press, 2000

Synopsis

The winter solstice, the day the "sun stands still," marks the longest night and the shortest day of the year (it occurs either on December 20 or 21). Celebrations honoring the winter solstice as a moment of transition and renewal date back thousands of years and occur among many peoples on every continent. Now The Return of the Light makes an ideal companion for everyone who carries on this tradition, no matter what their faith. Storyteller Carolyn McVickar Edwards retells twelve traditional tales-from North America, China, Scandinavia, India, Africa, South America, Europe, and Polynesia-that honor this magical moment. These are stories that will renew our wonder of the miracle of rebirth and the power of transition from darkness into light.

About this title

From the Publisher

"Intelligent and charming, The Return of the Light draws you into an ancient, still thriving world of mystery and magic, where humans strive to make sense of nature and come up with ingenious and often fun tales to explain the winter solstice.

Carolyn McVickar Edwards lays a foundation of knowledgeable yet accessible scholarship, then recounts each tale in the various cultures' unique styles, often with snappy dialogue, often with a haunting poignancy.

Whether you're new to comparative mythology or an old hand, you're sure to enjoy and appreciate Edwards' respectful yet lively look at how the mystery of change resonates throughout our stories and rituals, bringing meaning to our myths and our lives." -Pamela Jaye Smith, mythologist and filmmaker, founder of MYTHWORKS(tm)

"Each story is a glimpse into the imagery and mysteries of another culture-from a female Santa Claus in Italy to a girl marrying the sun in Africa, to the North American Raven creating light. Read the stories one day as a meditative journey or read them to your kids, or read one after another. They tell of an inner journey too, the universal journey from light to dark and back to light again. As Carolyn says, myths are the soul stories of a particular culture. Each of her commentaries creates a tone, paints the landscape, and deepens our journey through these other worlds. Wonderful stories for the holidays or for any day of the year." -ELLIE FIDLER M.F.A., artist, lecturer and teacher of art and mythology, and the Solstice and Seasonal Myths and Mysteries series at the University of California extension, Santa Cruz, and in Berkeley, California

"The Return of the Light: Twelve Tales from Around the World for the Winter Solstice honors the power of storytelling and will enhance the experience of the Winter Solstice through its stories and fables, ritual and ceremony. It gives us ways to look at this time of year with renewed meaning." -Angeles Arrien, Ph.D., cultural anthropologist, author of The Four-Fold Way and Signs of Life

About the Author

Carolyn McVickar Edwards is a teacher, storyteller, and the author of The Storyteller's Goddess (Marlowe & Company), recently re-issued in an expanded and revised second edition. She lives in Oakland, California.

Edition details

• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1569246173
• ISBN 13: 9781569246177
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256