Bebilderungen

Admont Abbey Library

Thatch roofed cottages of the English countryside.

Illustration for the tale "Nine pheasants" or "The Golden apple" (Devet Paunova) *Author unknown* Serbian/slavic mythology/fairytale

The Lady Of The Fountain from the Mabinongion

French artist **Gustave Doré **is famous for his illustrations of literary works he made in the second half of the 19th century. Here is an example of his talent: __Merlin et Vivianne__ (Merlin and Vivien), for Alfred Tennyson's __Idylls of the King__, a cycle of twelve narrative poems retelling Arthurian legends. These myths are both shared by Britain and France, probably due to the common **Welsh** and **Breton** lore.

The Damsel of the Lake by Frank Cadogan Cowper, 1924

Old **May Day** greeting cards from **France**. In France and surrounding countries the **lily of the valley** (__muguet__) has been associated with spring for a long time. It's been customary for centuries to offer them on May Day (__premier mai__, usually shortened as __1er mai__) as a **good luck charm** (__porte-bonheur__). This tradition may have its roots in ancient customs of this time of the year, **Celtic **festivities (linked to the Gallic deities of fire and light, Belisama and Belenos) or the **Roman Floralia** festival. In the language of flowers, the lily of the valley signifies the **return of happiness**.