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A review by shanaqui
Dragons, Heroes, Myths & Magic: The Medieval Art of Storytelling (Paperback Edition) by Chantry Westwell
informative
medium-paced
3.0
Chantry Westwell's Dragons, Heroes, Myths and Magic is all about medieval manuscripts, and specifically their illustrations and illuminations. It focuses on how they were used to illustrate stories, and each chapter explains and attempts to contextualise the famous stories.
It's unfortunate that Westwell presents some things as fact which I know to be merely theory (such as the origin of the word grail, and linking it with certainty to "Celtic" antecedents), and for some reason actually states as fact that the Arthurian legends are based around a real historical person (of which there is simply not one shred of proof). It would be hard to be an expert on all the different stories included in the manuscripts discussed here, and possibly Westwell should've stayed in her lane if she wasn't sure -- or, if these are her opinions, then she should have presented them as such. So, read with caution.
It's also notable (and gross) that she privileges English sources over Welsh ones, listing Geoffrey of Monmouth and Thomas Malory ahead of 'Culhwch ac Olwen' -- you could be forgiven for thinking that the Welsh tales came later, since she mentions them after a bunch of English ones, and gives them only a single paragraph.
That'd be all very well if she were merely confining her remarks to the illuminations, but of course she isn't. Given that I cannot evaluate her level of knowledge on all of these topics, it's difficult to know if I can recommend this book. The fact that it's clearly for "laypeople" (so to speak) doesn't excuse it; I don't consider that a reason to be sloppy. Still, it's a beautifully presented book, with full-colour illustrations, and makes for a lovely object.
It's unfortunate that Westwell presents some things as fact which I know to be merely theory (such as the origin of the word grail, and linking it with certainty to "Celtic" antecedents), and for some reason actually states as fact that the Arthurian legends are based around a real historical person (of which there is simply not one shred of proof). It would be hard to be an expert on all the different stories included in the manuscripts discussed here, and possibly Westwell should've stayed in her lane if she wasn't sure -- or, if these are her opinions, then she should have presented them as such. So, read with caution.
It's also notable (and gross) that she privileges English sources over Welsh ones, listing Geoffrey of Monmouth and Thomas Malory ahead of 'Culhwch ac Olwen' -- you could be forgiven for thinking that the Welsh tales came later, since she mentions them after a bunch of English ones, and gives them only a single paragraph.
That'd be all very well if she were merely confining her remarks to the illuminations, but of course she isn't. Given that I cannot evaluate her level of knowledge on all of these topics, it's difficult to know if I can recommend this book. The fact that it's clearly for "laypeople" (so to speak) doesn't excuse it; I don't consider that a reason to be sloppy. Still, it's a beautifully presented book, with full-colour illustrations, and makes for a lovely object.