Trinity College Dublin celebrates mystery of myths in its children’s books collection

A new exhibition of children’s books celebrating the wondrous ways in which writers and illustrators have used myth to engage and excite young readers was launched in the Long Room, Trinity College Library Dublin, last Thursday. The exhibition is open to the public and runs until April 2015.

Entitled Upon the Wild Waves: A Journey through Myth In Children's Books, the exhibition presents material from the 17th century to the present day and was prepared by Dr Pádraic Whyte, assistant professor in English and co-director of the masters programme in children's literature at the School of English, Trinity College Dublin.

From Walter Crane's superb images of Greek heroes battling monsters in Nathaniel Hawthorne's A wonder book for girls and boys, through to Beatrice Elvery's enchanting depiction of Niamh riding out from Tír na nÓg in Violet Russell's Heroes of the Dawn, the exhibition brings visitors on a magical journey through a diverse range of fascinating children's books. The display, which is primarily aimed at adult visitors, features myths from around the world, with a particular emphasis on English-language books and on tales by Irish authors and illustrators. All the texts are drawn from Trinity College Library which holds more than 150,000 children's books – approximately 10,500 of which are from the Pollard Collection of Children's Books.

The texts are organised into several sections, each exploring a different genre of myth. Categories include: biblical myths, classical myths, Norse myths, Arthurian myths and Irish myths. In addition, the exhibition presents traditional versions of myths alongside contemporary re-writes, such as placing Mrs Trimmer's account of the creation story and the Garden of Eden next to Philip Pullman's fantastic re-writing of the Judeo-Christian tale of paradise in His Dark Materials. This offers audiences an introduction to the many complex and imaginative ways in which children's literature can explore what it means to be human.

Commenting on the significance of the exhibition, Dr Whyte said: “Children’s literature is a central and vital part of our cultural heritage and this exhibition reveals the sophisticated ways in which myth in children’s books can be used to explore everything from gender and same-sex relationships through to historical revisionism and 1916. I’m delighted that we have the opportunity to display for visitors many of the treasures held at the Trinity College Library, and to highlight some of the research in children’s literature taking place at the School of English.”

An online version of the exhibition is available at tcd.ie/Library/about/exhibitions/wild-waves/

Upon the Wild Waves is arranged in the following sections:

Biblical Myths

Early children’s literature is heavily influenced by biblical tales, with many authors – such as Mrs (Sarah) Trimmer – using these stories to write didactic and instructive narratives. As can be seen in the fantasy writing of Philip Pullman, other authors rewrite such narratives and challenge the ways in which bible stories were often used to present an apparent truth.

Classical Myths

Classical myths provide us with numerous archetypal heroes including Jason, Helen of Troy, Odysseus and Theseus, who are called to an exciting life of adventure and experience various rites of passage. These tales were made accessible to children in educational environments throughout the centuries, as is evident in the writings of Oliver Goldsmith and John Hayden, with popular versions produced by Charles Kingsley and Nathaniel Hawthorne (with Walter Crane) in the 19th century.

Norse Myths

These Scandinavian tales engage with complex ideas of creation, death and renewal, presenting the reader with nine worlds inhabited by strange and awesome beings. One of the first versions written for children was Anna and Eliza Keary's Heroes of Asgard (1857). As can be seen in the work of JRR Tolkien, Norse myths had a major influence on the development of literature for children in the middle and latter part of the 20th century – a period that saw a remarkable range of fantasy texts produced for younger readers.

Arthurian Myths

In the latter part of the 19th century, at the height of the British Empire, writers such as Alfred W Pollard, with illustrator Arthur Rackham, drew upon Arthurian myths to create books of valour and adventure, targeting boy readers in particular. This was also the period that became known as the Golden Age of children’s books, when developments in printing technologies coincided with the emergence of brilliant illustrators and authors.

Irish Myths

Versions of Irish myths and legends, created specifically for children, first appeared during Ireland’s cultural revival of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Illustrators and writers of the period include Beatrice Elvery, Maud Gonne, Violet Russell and James Stephens. The 12th-century Book of Leinster, held at Trinity College Library, was a source text for many retellings. Contemporary Irish authors, including Children’s Laureate/Laureate na nÓg, Eoin Colfer, continue to incorporate elements of myth into their narratives.