Varla Ventura

‘’Since the first stories were told, the sea has been the folklore, myth and mystery in every corner of the earth, and the life-sustaining and life-threatening centre of every coastal culture. Its sheer vastness holds a promise of power and the unknown and leagues under the surface lives a world as different from ours as another planet’s.’’

A cute and informative guide to all the secrets that are well hidden deep in the water, the realm of the mermaids and their legends. Along with stories of old, narrated by some of the most important folklore writers, we learn about the most prominent mermaid figures in World Culture.

The queens are the Irish mermaids and the selkies of the well-known myths from beautiful Orkney in Scotland. We will meet Lorelei, residing in the Rhine, Yemaya, the Queen of the World in Santeria, Nuliajuk, the vengeful spirit of the Innuit legends, the Mermaid of San Francisco Bay, the alluring temptress of Zennor, commemorated by the very real Mermaid Chair.

But there are also ‘’real’’ mermaids, women who have turned water into their natural habitat, like the amazing women in Jeju island, in Korea. And there are myths. Myths are always present to remind us how mermaid tears turn into pearls, to amaze us with strange incidents experienced by tourists in Bermuda. They are immortalized in beautiful mermaid statues (and I was delighted to see the Paros Mermaid, here, in Greece, had been included), in myths of ghost ships, seaweeds lore and nautical curiosities.

‘’Oh, then, Dunmore Castle, it is you that are the gloomy-looking tower on a gloomy day, with the gloomy hills behind you, when one has gloomy thoughts on their heart, and sees you like a ghost rising out of the smoke made by the kelp burners on the strand, there, the Lord save us! as fearful a look about you as about the Blue Man’s Lake at midnight.’’

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/… (plus d'informations)

''Nothing beats a haunted moonlit night on All Hallows'Eve...And on this fatal night, at this witching time, the starless sky laments black and unmoving. The somber hues of an ominous, dark forest are suddenly illuminated under the emerging force of the full moon.''
- Kim Elizabeth

I consider myself a rather sceptic person when it comes to the Paranormal and the Supernatural, but I'm an avid reader of every book that deals with the subject. From time to time, I even watch these funny ''ghost'' shows, if only just to see to what extent the researchers will go either to prove the spirits' existence or to disprove it. In any case, regardless whether you are a believer or not, this is a very entertaining and informative book.

Here, we find some well-known ghost stories (and plenty more obscure ones), references to haunted graveyards and urban legends, but what I enjoyed immensely was the fact that the writer didn't limit herself to the supernatural element. She also included strange -bizarre, indeed- facts of deaths, disasters and other fateful cases that have been recorded as actual events. For instance, the section devoted to starnge -and mostly lethal- coincidences is particularly chilling. It makes you contemplate on that weird and incoherent thing we call ''fate''.

The writing style is relaxed but well-composed, clear and to the point. There are snipets of information, but they are enough to attract the readers' interest and make them search for more references. Like a paranormal treasure hunt, one event leads to another. Dark quotes by well-known historical and intellectual figures are also included, dealing with the human nature.

....Human nature...perhaps, the most bizarre thing of all....… (plus d'informations)