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Rating: 
Summary: (3.5) Fascinating book about the myth of Melusine
Review: This book presents itself as a scholarly look at the figure of Melusine, best-known as the mysterious heroine of a medieval French fairy tale, but with ties to major goddesses of the ancient world. The author focuses mainly on Melusine's story as presented in A.S. Byatt's novel _Possession_, but also ties in earlier versions of the tale and other modern novelizations. Alban's thesis is that Melusine is a survival of the ancient Great Goddess. This book is at its best when comparing Melusine to various ancient goddesses. For example, Alban's comparison of Melusine and Medusa, both snake-ladies whom one could not gaze upon with impunity, is fascinating. Also mentioned is Melusine's similarity to Echidna, who like Melusine was a bearer of strange reptilian children. Alban also studies the figures of Eve, Lilith, Persephone, and many others. It's jaw-dropping, at least to a reader like me who is obsessed with the Melusine story, how many parallels there really are between her tale and the older myths. The downfall of this book is its unquestioning embrace of the "prehistoric matriarchy" theory. No one really knows whether people in ancient times were peaceful, feminist, "gylanic" tribes worshipping a single Great Mother. The theory has not been disproven; however, it is far from proven. No one really knows. But I think this book would have come across as more scholarly if it had presented the matriarchy ideas as theory and not as fact.
Rating:
Summary: (3.5) Fascinating book about the myth of Melusine
Review: This book presents itself as a scholarly look at the figure of Melusine, best-known as the mysterious heroine of a medieval French fairy tale, but with ties to major goddesses of the ancient world. The author focuses mainly on Melusine's story as presented in A.S. Byatt's novel _Possession_, but also ties in earlier versions of the tale and other modern novelizations. Alban's thesis is that Melusine is a survival of the ancient Great Goddess. This book is at its best when comparing Melusine to various ancient goddesses. For example, Alban's comparison of Melusine and Medusa, both snake-ladies whom one could not gaze upon with impunity, is fascinating. Also mentioned is Melusine's similarity to Echidna, who like Melusine was a bearer of strange reptilian children. Alban also studies the figures of Eve, Lilith, Persephone, and many others. It's jaw-dropping, at least to a reader like me who is obsessed with the Melusine story, how many parallels there really are between her tale and the older myths. The downfall of this book is its unquestioning embrace of the "prehistoric matriarchy" theory. No one really knows whether people in ancient times were peaceful, feminist, "gylanic" tribes worshipping a single Great Mother. The theory has not been disproven; however, it is far from proven. No one really knows. But I think this book would have come across as more scholarly if it had presented the matriarchy ideas as theory and not as fact.
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