The Lost Language of Symbolism: An Inquiry into the Origin of Certain Letters, Words, Names, Fairy-Tales, Folklore, and Mythologies (Lost Language of Symbolism)

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Summary: Life the universe and everything revealed by watermarks
Review: A weird, wonderful and cranky book. The author advises you to skip the first few chapters because they are a bit obsessive and not very interesting to most people (they are actually fascinating, but it's great to see modesty in an author). The symbolic meaning of watermarks is explained, but that's just the start, soon the book gets in full swing going off on fascinating tangents left right and centre. Ancient myths, the masons, rosicrucians & templars .Lots of highly speculative etymology of words like "cucumber" (translated as "mighty-fire-father" if I remember right). Smashing stuff. Read it and be confused

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Summary: This 2 volume set is a must for inquiring minds.
Review: Harold Bayley's work will imortalize this scholar. His global linking of myth, legend and fact is a milestone. This wreat work was written long before the word "diffusion" was outlawed from scholarly endevour. Bayley correctly points out the global scale and diffusion of myth, legend tales and symbolism. The sections concerning Lugh, Hu, Stonehenge and Avebury are must reading for every scholar of the ancients.