On this week’s Secret Library Heritage Blog, we hear from Librarian Josh Flint who will be exploring a few of his favourite special collection items from the Leeds Central Library’s Fantasy exhibition which was inspired by The British Library’s Fantasy: Realms of Imagination. The exhibition will be ending on the 17th January so make sure you see these brilliant items before then.
Having worked for Leeds Libraries for the past six years, one of my most enjoyable experiences has been helping to create the Fantasy Realms of Imagination at the Leeds Central Library. The positioning of the exhibition all around the building encouraging people to see areas of the library they would not have normally gone to has been brilliant. The incredible dragons have been such an excellent attraction and the brilliant work from our Art department to create more fantastical displays have been excellent.
However, as a librarian, my passion will always be to see the items from our Special Collections, which are now scattered throughout the Central Library to celebrate the history of fantasy. I’ll be discussing a few of these items, including The Whole Works of Homer, The Prince of Poetts including the Iliad and The Odyssey, (1616), The Collected Works of William Morris, The Tale of Beawulf(1911), The Morte d’Arthur. The most ancient and famous history of the renowned Prince Arthur and his knights of the Round Table, Sir Thomas Malory (1816),and where else can you finish than finally exploring modern fantasy of Buffy The Vampire Slayer on VHS and CD (1997-2003)
The Whole Works of Homer, The Prince of Poetts including the Iliad and The Odyssey,Homer (1616)
This 1616 edition collects The Iliad and The Odyssey, two epic poems attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer. These ancient literary masterpieces have had a significant impact on Western literature and storytelling. The Iliad recounts the Siege of Troy and the epic battle between the heroes Achilles and Hector. The Odyssey depicts Odysseus’ ten-year journey home after the Trojan War, including his encounters with sirens, cyclops. This edition has both the original Greek and the translated English included.
Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad contains twenty-four books to tell the story of the Greek siege of Troy. The Iliad ends with the rage of Achilles after the death of his close confidant Patroclus leading to his epic battle with the Trojan hero Hector. After Achilles defeats and kills Hector, The Iliad ends with the burial of Hector and the mourning of Troy. Here we see the battle between Achilles and Hector in Book twenty two.
Homer continues the story of Troy in The Odyssey, including the death of Achilles, fall of Troy and the trials and tribulations of the main protagonist Odysseus’ attempt to travel home. Odysseys is portrayed as cunning, intelligent, brave and at times lucky during the Odyssey and this passage from his attempted escape from the cyclops typifies all of these qualities in Odysseus.
The Collected Works of William Morris, The Tale of Beowulf, William Morris (1911)
The Tales of Beowulf is a heroic poem that is regarded as the pinnacle of Old English literature and the first European epic. It is thought to have been written between 700 and 750CE and deals with events in the early sixth century. Beowulf, a Geat hero from Scandinavia, comes to the aid of Hrothgar, King of the Danes, who is under attack by the giant monster Grendel and his mother. After a long and vicious battle, the victorious Beowulf returns home to become King of the Geats. Here we have all of the adventures of Beowulf included in the Collected Works of William Morris, 1911. Here we have the first chapter of the epic of Beowulf, The Story of Gunnlaug The Worm-Tongue and Raven The Skald, which sets the scene for the heroic rise of Beowulf.
The Morte d’Arthur was first printed by William Caxton in 1485 and was followed with editions in 1498, 1557 and 1634. Owing to the rise of the Commonwealth, stories of kings were generally suppressed; no further editions of the Morte d’Arthur was printed until 1816, which saw two editions printed, of which this was one telling the epic story of King Arthur. Arthur, a hero who was said to lead the Britons in battle against Saxon invaders, first appeared in Welsh poetry in the late sixth and early seventh centuries. Since then, there has been many adaptations of the exciting medieval tale including this famous Morte d’Arthur.
It is so difficult to decide which Arthurian myths to share from the Morte d’Arthur but these two to me show the magic and wonder that encompass every Arthurian tale. The first being Arthur pulling the sword from the stone to become the newly appointed king. This is followed by the King Arthur with Merlin’s assistance being given the magical sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake. If you have time the Morte d’Arthur is a must to see.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1 and Season 2 VHS and CD (1997 – 2003)
One of the most exciting sections of the Fantasy exhibition is the modern fantasy exhibition cabinet in the Central Lending Department, the items included are from Game of Thrones, Xena: Warrior Princess, Dungeons and Dragons and my personal favourite Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
From 1997 until 2003, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a global sensation and has continued to be a cult classic. The iconic Sarah Michelle Gellar portrays Buffy Summers, an American high school student and vampire slayer. Buffy battles vampires, demons, huge insects, werewolves, and even a god while juggling all the expectations of adolescence, and nearly always survives. Current female action heroes carry on Buffy’s legacy, we think this quotation perfectly captures the spirit of the show:
“I would love to be upstairs watching TV or gossiping about boys or, god, even studying! But I have to save the world. Again.” Buffy Summers, Season 2 Episode 22.
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer VHS’s were donated from a private collection with the following story,
“I’ve always loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer and remember using my Christmas money to purchase these videos from Woolworths when they had a buy one get one free sale. They have been a treasured keepsake ever since.”
If you would like to see the Fantasy Realms of Imagination at the Leeds Central Library make sure you visit us before the 17th January, you will not regret it.
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