Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine - Volume 55, No. 344, June, 1844

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

23529

Title

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine - Volume 55, No. 344, June, 1844

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This 1844 issue of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine presents a rich collection of essays, tales, and reviews. Highlights include a detailed exploration of fairy folklore across Europe, a poem on Christopher Columbus, and a critical look at the Greek state. The volume also features political commentary on the Corn Laws, Irish affairs, and the slave trade, alongside literary reviews and diverse fiction.

Summary up to 500 words

Published in June 1844, Volume 55 of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine presents a rich tapestry of folklore, literature, and political discourse. The volume opens with an extensive essay on fairy traditions, which contrasts English folklore with the Breton Korrigans and Germanic wights. The author argues for a universal mythology underlying these diverse beliefs, suggesting that while specific superstitions vary by region, the core human soul's relation to the supernatural is consistent across the globe. The centerpiece of this section is 'The Fairies' Sabbath,' a tale from Upper Lusatia. It follows Maud, a beautiful maiden born on Easter Sunday who possesses the gift of seeing spirits. Living in poverty with her stone-mason father and her beloved weaver, Albert, the family struggles against a harsh winter and rising food prices. Maud's father suffers from eye inflammation caused by stone dust, forcing him to work in the quarry while Maud undertakes the dangerous daily journey over the haunted 'Sun's hill' to bring him his dinner. On Whitsun Eve, Maud encounters a dandyish fairy who offers her a silver bell and a blue glass cap. The fairy warns her to return a week later for a special purpose, hinting at supernatural intervention to aid the impoverished lovers. The narrative builds tension around Maud's fear of the hill and the fairy's mysterious offer, suggesting a resolution to their plight through otherworldly means. Beyond folklore, the magazine features a poem by B. Simmons titled 'Columbus,' followed by 'To Swallows on the Eve of Departure.' Other significant pieces include 'The Diligence,' a journal leaf; an essay investigating the authorship of Gil Blas; and a story titled 'Michael Kalliphournas.' The volume also addresses serious social issues with a treatise on the African slave trade and tropical colonies. Political articles tackle contemporary concerns such as the Corn Laws, the Irish landlord-tenant question, and the rise of Conservatism. The collection concludes with various poems, including 'The Olympic Jupiter' and 'The Snow,' alongside a review of Harris's 'Highlands of Ethiopia' and Jesse's memoirs of Beau Brummell, offering a comprehensive snapshot of mid-19th-century intellectual and cultural life.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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