The Palace Library

the series of children's novels by steven loveridge

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There is Only One Phoenix, The Bird of Fire

October 10, 2015 By Steven Loveridge

Only one Phoenix bird, the bird of fire, ever exists. Resembling both an eagle and a peacock, he lives for hundreds or thousands of years. At the end of his life, he sets fire to his nest and is consumed by flames. A young Phoenix is reborn from those same flames. The first Phoenix was present in the Garden of Eden and the Phoenix will exist for eternity, but he will be lonely, the only one of his kind.

The Phoenix, The Bird of FireThe Phoenix has been celebrated in magic and mythology and literature for all time. He may have been heard of first in Arabia or that may be where he first lived and then he appears in Egyptian mythology, closely associated with the worship of the sun.

In ancient Greece, he was a symbol of immortality and of resurrection and closely associated with Phoebus, the sun god. The Phoenix bird was believed to live in a cool well and sing so beautifully at dawn that the Sun god would stop his chariot to listen.

In Rome, they knew the story of the phoenix bird and the Roman poet, Claudian wrote about him

“The willing bird; to burn is his desire.
That he may live again; he’s proud in death,
And goes in haste to gain a better breath.”

By the ninth century, the Phoenix was known in England and features in a famous anglo-saxon poem in the Exeter Book of Leofric, which still lies in Exeter Cathedral Library. By then the Phoenix, the death and resurrection of the bird was a representation of Christianity.

One of Shakespeare’s most difficult love poems was called The Phoenix and The Turtle, but the most moving poem about the bird is in the poem The Phoenix Bird by Hans Christian Andersen, read charmingly here:

The Phoenix will live forever with us as a special and magical bird, which is why he also features quite so much in children’s books, including the forthcoming Guardians of The Scroll, sequel to The Palace Library.

Filed Under: Mythical Creatures, The Palace Library

Eight Reasons Not to Keep a Dragon as a Pet

May 15, 2015 By Steven Loveridge

Dragons do not make good pets

1. Your house is likely to burn down.

Much of your house is made of wood. The floors, the roof timbers, maybe the walls. If you live in a thatched house, the roof is made of straw. As soon as a ‘pet’ dragon breathes out, it will, of course, be breathing fire. The curtains will burn, then the walls and soon you won’t have a home any more.

2. They steal anything shiny.

You will have heard about magpies collecting shiny things and keeping them in their nests. Dragons are much, much worse. Dragons like to steal anything shiny and especially anything made of gold, like a ring on your finger. They might bite your finger off to get at the ring too. Then you’ll never get it back (the ring nor the finger). Dragons are worse hoarders than misers.

3. Even baby dragons are not cute or cuddly.

Everyone loves puppies or kittens. They are so cuddly and can be forgiven anything, as you can pick them up and stroke them. The problem with a dragon, even a baby dragon, is their skin is all tough and scaly. You can’t stroke them at all – even if you can near them. Of course, if you will not accept my advice and do keep a dragon as a pet, don’t get a puppy. It will eat it.

4. Dragons eat babies.

If you think dragons might like puppies or kittens as a tasty snack, there’s still more to worry about. Dragons eat babies the moment someone looks away. They’re not sensitive about whose baby it is, or whether he or she lives in the house with them. They’re cruel like that.

5. Dragons are huge – even little ones.

Another problem with dragons is that they are huge. If you are very lucky and live in a huge house and think that’s OK, then think again. I mean really huge. Longer than a long car. Fatter than a fat cow. That means they are heavy and as soon as they start stomping around inside (and I mean stomp as they really want to be outside), they’ll start breaking things.

6. Dragons are warriors, not domestic pets.

Dragons are fighters and warriors and are not friendly. That’s why great Kings put dragons on their flags and shields, like Uther Pendragon, father of King Arthur. In fact generally, they are downright evil, which is why King Arthur had to kill one. If you want a dragon, it’s better to have a picture of a dragon on a wall.

Three headed dragons eat more

7. Dragons need a lot to eat – especially if they have several heads.

Dragons eat a lot and want a lot of meat (quite apart from all the puppies and babies). In fact, even if you run a butcher’s shop, it’s unlikely you will be able to give them enough food. Remember, a dragon needs at least six meals a days, plus snacks. Some dragons have three or more heads. That makes them even hungrier.

8. Dragons live a long time.

Dragons can live for hundreds or thousands of years. Even if you are one of those one-in-ten-million people who can actually befriend a dragon, it will live far longer than you. And even an evil dragon can be lonely, so it’s no fair on the poor thing.
 
 
 

So, in short, “DON’T KEEP A DRAGON AS A PET!”

Do you have any suggestions why you shouldn’t keep a dragon?

Filed Under: Mythical Creatures, The Palace Library

Fiction or Fact? St George and the Dragon

April 23, 2015 By Steven Loveridge

St-George-and-dragon

Here in England, we all know that St George is our Patron Saint.  The Flag of St George (the red cross on a white background) is the flag of England and his story is embedded in our national psyche. To celebrate St George’s Day (23rd April), here are some facts you may not know about St George and the Dragon. Or are they just myth?

St George and The Dragon with his lance, Ascalon1. St George’s sword was called Ascalon

St George’s sword was one of those special swords with a name – Ascalon.  It’s also possible that this could have been the name of his lance, as one story says the dragon’s blood melted St George’s sword and so he killed the dragon with his lance. Churchill’s personal aircraft in during the Second World War was called Ascalon.

2.  St George is Patron saint of other countries and regions

Aragon, Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Germany and Greece are some of the regions of which he is Patron Saint. He is also Patron Saint of Moscow, the capital of Russia. Moscow’s coat of arms has a picture of St George slaying the Dragon

3.  St George was probably born in Turkey

St George was probably born in Cappadocia, which is now part of Turkey.

4.  St George was a Christian Martyr

He was tortured and imprisoned in protest at Rome’s persecution of Christians and then probably beheaded at Lydda in Palestine in the 3rd Century AD, on the orders of Dicoletian, the Roman Emperor. He is celebrated throughout the Christian world as an early Martyr.

5.  The Story of St George and the Dragon may date from the 12th century

The Golden Legend, printed by Caxton in 1483 was the first mass circulation of the legend which may have emerged centuries after St George’s death. The story is based in Libya near a town called Silene. S. Baring-Gould, a Devon priest in the nineteenth century with an interest in folklore and magical creatures, reproduced it here 500 years later.

6.  There is an English Legend too

The  English village of Wormingford in Essex was renamed from Withermunford after Sir George Marney killed a dragon on the banks of the River Stour in the reign of Richard I. ‘Worm’ was an early medieval word for dragon.  In fact this dragon was probably a crocodile that had escaped from the Tower of London!

7.  St George’s Day became a Feast Day in the thirteenth century

St George’s Day became a Feast Day for all of England in 1222.  St George replaced the Saxon Patron Saint of England, St Edmund, in the reign of Edward III a century later. Edward III also founded the Order of the Garter, based at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

8.  Fact or Fiction?

The myth of St George and the Dragon is widespread and it is unclear whether it actually has anything to do with the Christian matryr. What is clear is that history, fiction and faith have merged the stories to create the image we know today.

9.  The “True” Story of St George and the Dragon

The true story of St George and the Dragon emerged in the publication of The Palace Library in 2012.  It is told to three children by Edwin of Axmouth in January 1164.

 

Filed Under: Mythical Creatures, The Palace Library Tagged With: St George

Video about St George and the Dragon

April 22, 2013 By Steven Loveridge

The myth of St George and the Dragon is embedded in the history of not only England but also many other parts of the world. In the most recorded version of the story, an evil dragon demands a sheep from a kingdom every day to feed. Once all the sheep have been killed, the dragon demands the sacrifice of a child every day, drawn by lot from all the households of the kingdom. One day, the princess is chosen to be the victim. By chance, St George arrives and bravely subdues the dragon before killing it and saving the kingdom from this evil. In many versions of the story, he also falls in love with, and marries, the princess.

Watch a video about St George and the Dragon, charmingly portrayed in Lego for children:

“The True Story of St George and the Dragon,” an extract from The Palace Library, can be downloaded for free here.

Filed Under: Mythical Creatures, The Palace Library Tagged With: St George, Video

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