Storyland - Amy Jeffs

The first thing that struck me whilst reading this book was how extensive my knowledge of Greek myths and legends is but how sparse and how little I know of the mesmerising legends from my own country. It made me wonder why? Did Homer have a better PR team than Geoffrey of Monmouth?! I am somewhat incredulous that it's taken until the 21st century for  inspired artist and art historian, Amy Jeffs, to redress the balance with her wonderful volume, Storyland. The second thing that struck me was what better way to thrust the mythology of our own fair isle into a wider consciousness than produce a book of this quality.

An elegant fusion of history, story telling and geographic commentary enhanced by the most exquisite linocuts (Oh, how I wish I could behold them in the flesh - especially Edward the Martyr) steers the willing reader through this country’s history from the Deluge to the Norman Conquest. It’s a wondrous achievement in itself - to have all this contained within one volume but the construction of the texts and the layout of the book is just so satisfying and complete. The presentation is superb. For me it was love at first sight and I am not easily seduced by the physical veneer of a book, it’s the words I’m attracted to usually.

We know that myths and legends, although fictional, were used to aid understanding of various phenomena within the cultural and sociological framework of the time. But I do believe that there is many a true word spoken in myth! And like the Mount Olympus of the Greeks locations like Stonehenge and Glastonbury Tor, which obviously feature in these tales,  have retained their mystical pull though the centuries.

Amy Jeffs has made all of this accessible to a wide audience. Her ability to retell and enhance these stories offer an appeal to people who ‘just’ love a good story as well as the history buffs thirsty for a cohesive account of the misdemeanours of our nation and enable, in part, to contextualise the current state of our land and how we arrived at this place politically and sociologically.

The author has a relaxed and flowing narrative style and the book is easy to read. But it’s not just the ability to create atmospheric art to accompany these stories but her perceptions as to the nature of them is pertinent.

‘Myths hold the echo of collective emotion whatever they reveal of events.’

How wonderful is that?

This is a book that I will treasure. I’ll dip in and out of it and explore these old stories over and over. It has me in its thrall. So much so that before I had even finished it I had sent off for a copy of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s The History of the Kings of Britain’!