Tales of Languedoc - Samuel Jacques Brun

Tales of Languedoc is a collection of folk stories from southern France; set during the late Middle Ages and retold in modern English, the author takes effort to be faithful and accurate to the original tales.

The color and cultural vibrance of rural France is reflected in the stories, as is the countryside of Languedoc; a region which is today part of Occitanie. We witness the knightly and noble classes of France vying for superiority and popular renown in the region through contests of might or bravery. The toppling of the unjust, whereby young heroes rise from obscurity against the odds, is a popular recurring theme in these stories of yore.

Steeped in heroism, the stories are part of a single long narrative in which the author’s grandfather – a seasoned traveler experienced with all of France – reveals local legends. Vignettes of the old France, a country both fertile and rugged where most travel was upon horseback or on foot, set the scene. A succession of heroes and villains are revealed in this landscape; feats of physical prowess, sheer good fortune, and the efforts of companions contribute to the adventures that unfold.

As European folklore, the Tales of Languedoc are underappreciated – illustrated with over thirty drawings by Ernest C. Peixotto, this reprinting is of high quality.