About the Book:

When King Arthur was conveyed to Avalon they were there.

When Odin summoned warriors to Valhalla they were there.

When Apollo was worshipped on Greek mountains they were there.

When Brendan came to the Island of Women they were there.

They are the Nine Maidens – from the mothers of the Norse God Heimdall, Morgan and her sisters on Avalon, to the nine sisters at the heart of the found myth of the Gikuyu of Kenya or witches battling with the Irish St Patrick, these women stand out in history and mythology.

Triggered by a local story still told in his native Dundee, Stuart McHardy has traced what seems to be memories of groups of nine women across much of Europe and as far as Siberia, Korea, India and Africa. Whether as Pictish saints, muses, valkyries, druidesses or witches, the tales of these groups of nine women transcend a vast range of cultural and linguistic boundaries.

Reviews:

McHardy’s approach is richly rewarding because he encompasses a widening range of references to establish the rooted richness of the Nine Maidens motif in different cultural contexts. – CENCRASTUS

McHardy succeeds in demonstrating that our living culture in Scotland is older and more complex than we previously realised. Far from being an obscure side path, the Nine Maidens turns out to be remarkably pervasive. You may never look at familiar features of the Scottish landscape in the same way again. – DONALD SMITH

Praise for Stuart McHardy:

Written and arranged in a way that is both accessible and scholarly, this is an excellent addition to the growing body of work on the Picts.The Courier on A New History of the Picts

A New History is a very valuable contribution to historical debate and cultural understanding. It also serves to bring issues often reserved to specialists to a general readership.Donald Smith, Scottish Storytelling Centre on A New History of the Picts

Two of the city's leading storytellers... have sifted through the centuries to compile the remarkable guide to Edinburgh's famous landmark. Arthur's Seat: Journeys and Evocations draws on folklore tales and real life stories to create a unique walkers' guide to the famous ridges, crags and valleys that make up the hillEdinburgh Evening News, on Arthur's Seat

Inspired by the NVA’s Speed of Light, this is a salute to the ancient tradition of storytelling, guiding the reader around Edinburgh’s famous ‘Resting Giant’ with an exploration of the local folklore and customsScottish Review of Books, on Arthur's Seat

Edinburgh Old Town; Journeys and Evocations is a welcome addition to the seemingly endless explorations in print of a city which continues to fascinate and inspire citizens and visitor alike, and which will doubtless appeal to both.  Edinburgh Guide, on Edinburgh Old Town

With its captivating and often gruesome tales of heroic warriors in battle, bold heroines, deceitful aristocracy, and supernatural creatures this is a journey into the cultural heritage of a nation. Scottish Review of Books on Scotland the Brave Land

Scotland the Brave exposes the beating heart of Scottish storytelling. Edinburgh Life, on Scotland the Brave Land

Stuart McHardy’s new collection of tales beautifully renders the mythology that has flourished in the oral tradition, alongside and in response to Scotland’s awe-inspiring natural landscape. Edinburgh Life, onScotland the Brave Land

McHardy examines the Jacobite tales to create a vivid historical picture of Scotland’s Stuart past.Scottish Review of Books on Tales of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites

McHardy recasts the standard narrative in a fresh, alternative light. Edinburgh Life on Tales of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites

(Stuart McHardy's ) findings are set to shake established Arthurian thinking, which points to the West Country or possibly Wales as his likely resting place.The Scotsman, on The Quest for Arthur