Wednesday 27 November 2013

The Prison


A prison on a remote rocky island. A man with long hair and
a long ragged beard is seated on the edge of a bed in a prison cell. It is night
and the moon and stars illuminate the cell. He walks to the window and grasps
the bars. Outside the sea is calm and a boat can be seen in the distance.

Next morning the man looks again through the bars at a pigeon that has landed
on the ledge outside. The prisoner hangs his head in despair. A jailer arrives
with a bowl of gruel. Leaning down he puts the bowl on the floor by the
bed but drops the keys to the cell. He leaves. The prisoner notices the keys on the floor.
He smiles.
 
 
 
 
 
Words: Giles Morgan
 
Artwork: Elizabeth Carpenter


 

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Odin's Lost Eye


A giant is seated at the roots of a massive ash tree. The giant is Mimir and the ash is the World Tree, Yggdrasil. Two ravens look down from its branches on the giant who is drinking water from a well at its base. The water from the well gives the giant great wisdom. The ravens fly to the throne of Odin in the great hall of Valhalla and tell him what they have seen. He listens and nods.

A mysterious figure in a hat and cloak with a long beard approaches Mimir who is still seated next to his magical well. He asks the giant for a drink of water, “Let me drink from your well friend for I am thirsty from travelling.”


The giant rightly guesses that the stranger is Odin. He replies, “The water from this well is precious and bears the gift of great knowledge, what will you give me in return Allfather?” Odin is impatient to drink from the well and replies, “I will give you any gift that you ask.” The giant laughs loudly and gives his answer, “The price that I ask of you is that you leave one of your far-seeing eyes in the bottom of my well. When I drink from the well I shall know all that takes place in the realms of men and gods.”



Eager for knowledge Odin agrees to the price saying, “I pledge my eye for a drink from the horn.”
Mimir hands him the horn saying, “Drink then and become wise.” Odin drinks deeply and instantly gains ultimate wisdom. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve he turns to the well and plucks out one of his eyes and cast it inside. It sinks to the bottom but shines with an unearthly fire from its dim depths.


Friday 23 August 2013

Dracula: The Origins and Influence of the Legendary Vampire Count by Giles Morgan

 
Dracula: The Origins and Influence of the Legendary Vampire Count

Few fictional characters have proven to be as enduringly popular as the legendary Count Dracula. First published in 1897, Bram Stoker's gothic masterpiece thrilled and disturbed Victorian society with its dark and compelling themes of violence, lust, cruelty and death. For many the elegant but threatening figure of Dracula has come to epitomise the concept of the vampire. However, Stoker's memorable creation arguably forms one link in a chain of fiction and legends concerning vampirism that stretches far into the past and increasingly it seems into the future. Belief in vampirism can be found amongst many ancient societies of the past and assumes a number of different guises. In Greek mythology, Empusa, the demonic daughter of the Goddess Hecate was said to transform herself into a beautiful young woman and seduced men in order to drink their blood.

It is thought that Stoker took the name Dracula from the real-life historical figure of Vlad the Impaler, a medieval Romanian prince with a dark and sinister reputation whose full title was Vlad III Dracula. The bloodthirsty legends associated with the life and times of Vlad the Impaler along with those of other frightening figures such as Elizabeth Bathory are said to have influenced the creation of Dracula.

However, Stoker was also influenced by European literary creations such as 'The Vampyre' written in 1819 by John Polidori, the personal physician of Lord Byron. Polidori based his central character on the personality of the infamous poet and in doing so did much to crystalise the modern concept of the vampire as a sophisticated and sensual aristocrat.

It is arguably within the medium of film however that the figure of Dracula has achieved its greatest fame within popular culture. The first adaptation of the Dracula story was the 1922 German silent film 'Nosferatu' directed by F.W.Murnau. The first talking version of the novel appeared in 1931 and starred the charismatic actor Bela Lugosi as the evil count and was produced by Universal studios. Christopher Lee both attracted and terrified audiences with his portrayal of the count in the 1958 Hammer production of 'Dracula'. In more recent years Francis Ford Coppola has produced an influential version of the novel with his film 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' featuring Gary Oldman in the title role.

The subject of vampirism continues to fascinate and excite modern audiences and can be found in a range of film and TV titles such as 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', the 'Twilight' series and 'Let the Right One In'. Many have argued that the character of Dracula has greatest resonance within our own times and the current iconic status that the world's most famous vampire has achieved suggests that they may be right.

In 'Dracula: The Origins and Influence of the Legendary Vampire Count', author Giles Morgan examines the roots of the vampire myth and the creation of Bram Stoker's materpiece of horror. The impact of Dracula on popular culture and film is closely examined and Giles Morgan offers a thought provoking overview of the enduring popularity of the King-Vampire.
 
Available now at Amazon.co.uk
 
Buy it here: Dracula: The Origins and Influence of the Legendary Vampire Count

Cover Art by Andrew Cieciala.