Pygmalion and Galatea: A myth of art, beauty and love
An ancient Greek story that continues to inspire…
Category: Legends and myths
The sun gods of ancient religions
‘If I had to choose a religion, the sun as the universal giver of life would be my god.’ – Napoleon Bonaparte
The Festival of the Blooming Rose, Venice, Italy
Today, on St Mark’s Day in Venice, it’s traditional for men to give women a single red rose to symbolise their love.
A legendary love story: Abelard and Héloïse
Let me take you back in time, to the 12th century, and tell you a story that has become legend. This is a true story, and it has inspired many stories since.
Comparing Egyptian, Roman and Greek gods
Did the ancient civilisations have similar deities?
A legendary love story: Tristan and Isolde
So many of our modern-day love stories are inspired by legends, stories that have been passed down from generation to generation, and so it is with the tale of Tristan and Isolde.
From Hathor to Aphrodite: Goddesses of love
In ancient times, people turned to deities for solace and guidance. Who was devoted to matters of the heart? The goddesses of love.
Helen of Troy: The face that launched a thousand ships
Who was Helen, beautiful woman of legend? What significance does she have in Greek mythology?
The story of Isis and Osiris
Osiris and Isis were very important deities in Ancient Egyptian religion, and their story has endured to this day.
Anthony and Cleopatra: an enduring love story
In a series of blog articles, I am exploring the great love stories of Ancient Egypt. First, Anthony and Cleopatra: passionate, dramatic, epic, it is one of the most enduring stories of all time.
Modern expressions derived from Greek mythology
How’s your Ancient Greek? Better than you may imagine, for in fact plenty of modern words are derived from the language and legends of this ancient civilisation…
The romantic lace-making of Venice
Venice, setting of my novel The Echoes of Love, is famous for being the City of Love – but did you know it’s also known for lace-making? Not only is Venetian lace so intricate and beautiful that it’s a work of art, but there’s a romantic legend that tells us how this lace originated…
Birds as omens: divination the Ancient Greek way
‘The Ancient Greeks practised ornithomancy: divination based on the flights and songs of birds. In my novel Aphrodite’s Tears, I was inspired to weave in some bird symbolism of my own…’
Saint Nicholas Day traditions around the world
Happy Saint Nicholas Day!
Today is the feast day of Saint Nicholas, who lived in Myra, Asia Minor, from 270 to 342. He was a Christian bishop who is associated with various miracles, including the resurrection of children from death to life, which earned him the title Nicholas the Wonderworker. Nicholas was a kind and generous man, and he particularly enjoyed giving gifts secretly to those who needed them. Sound familiar? Saint Nicholas is, of course, the origin of our modern-day Father Christmas / Santa Claus.
From gods to nymphs to mere mortals: those whose stories have endured
Recently, I celebrated eight years of blogging here. While looking through some of my articles, it struck me that I have had a wonderful time exploring myths and legends and folklore from around the world while researching and writing about my novels.
The legendary roots of Lake Como’s mulberry trees
In England, children sing a nursery rhyme relating to the mulberry bush. The first verse is as follows: Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The three Graces of Greek mythology
This marble statue is based on one sculpted by Antonio Canova for Empress Josephine between 1813 and 1816. Called The Three Graces, it depicted the
From hippogriff to centaur: The horse-hybrids of Greek mythology
In my latest novel Aphrodite’s Tears, set on a Greek island, I draw extensively on the mythology of the Ancient Greeks. Here is my heroine’s
Fading away: the tragic tale of Echo from Greek mythology
I am fascinated by etymology: the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history. The Little
Sun, sea and sky: a scenic tour of Aphrodite’s Tears
Sun, sea and sky: in Ancient Greek mythology, each had its own god. Poseidon was the god of the sea, Apollo was the sun god,
Losing – and finding – yourself in a labyrinth
The first hedge maze I ever navigated was at Hampton Court Palace. It was planted for William III of Orange as a means of entertainment for
Love at first sight: Ancient Greek myth, or reality?
My latest novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, begins with the chance meeting of two strangers, Oriel and Damian, on a beach one evening. I write: The dark
Made in our image: The enduring humanity of the Greek gods
Are you familiar with the Image of God concept? It’s inherent in the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Sufism that human beings were created in the
Aesop: the Ancient Greek slave whose stories guide us today
‘Pride comes before a fall,’ we say. ‘Honesty is the best policy… and look before you leap.’ Have you ever considered where these little axioms
From Chaos… light, and love
At the heart of every romance novel is a love story: two people meeting and falling in love. But of course, the unfolding of that
Sacrifice and offerings: Appeasing the Ancient Greek monster Typhoeus
My novel Aphrodite’s Tears is set on a small Greek island near the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. It is an island where tradition is deeply
Inspiration for Aphrodite’s Tears at the Afqa waterfall, Lebanon
November is an exciting month for me. My novel Indiscretion, which won a Gold Medal for Romance at the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards and Best
Celebrating autumn – and Queen of the Underworld, Persephone
The leaves outside the window of my writing room are a riot of colours, and as LM Montgomery wrote in Anne of Green Gables, ‘I’m
Making beauty out of tragedy: the tears of Aphrodite
My new novel is entitled Aphrodite’s Tears. Most readers will know of Aphrodite – the Greek goddess of love. But why in my book title
Amphitrite – an overlooked Greek goddess
Imagine you are a sea nymph, one of the fifty daughters born to Nereus and Doris (the daughter of Oceanus). You are perfectly happy in your