The Weirdstone of Brisingamen
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| Author | Alan Garner |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | |
| Released | 1960 |
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen is a fantasy story by the author Alan Garner, first published in 1960. It is set in and around Macclesfield and Alderley Edge, Cheshire, and tells the story of two children, Colin and Susan, who are staying there whilst their parents are overseas. Susan has a bracelet, containing the Weirdstone of the title, that makes the children hunted by the forces of evil. The novel borrows extensively from Celtic, Norse and Arthurian legends. Many of the locations in the book and in the sequel, however, are actual places which Alan Garner knew from his childhood. These include the ancient Wizard's Well and inscription, the open mine pits, and the beacon.
Its sequel is The Moon of Gomrath.
The two novels have been dramatised as a pair by BBC Radio.
[edit] List of major characters
- Susan - guardian of the 'Tear', sometimes referred to by the other characters as "Stonemaiden"
- Colin - Susan's brother
- Gowther Mossock - farmer and native of Cheshire
- Bess Mossock - Gowther's wife and former nurse to the children's mother
- Cadellin - wizard and guardian of the sleeping knights in Fundindelve
- Durathror - warrior dwarf who loves battle
- Fenodyree - also warrior dwarf but slightly more cautious than Durathror
- Selina Place - local witch, also known as The Morrigan or Shape-shifter
- Grimnir - evil magician who wishes to keep the Weirdstone or "firefrost" for himself
[edit] See also
- Brisingamen — a necklace belonging to the Norse goddess Freyja.
