| Author |
Flight, Edward G. |
| Illustrator |
Cruikshank, George, 1792-1878 |
| Title |
The Horse Shoe
The True Legend of St. Dunstan and the Devil, Showing How the Horse-Shoe Came to Be a Charm against Witchcraft
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| Note |
Reading ease score: 63.3 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.
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| Credits |
E-text prepared by Clare Boothby, David Garcia, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
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| Summary |
"The True Legend of St. Dunstan and the Devil" by Edward G. Flight is a whimsical narrative poem that explores the origins of the horse-shoe as a charm against witchcraft and malevolent spirits. Written during the Victorian era, specifically in the late 19th century, the book combines elements of folklore with humorous storytelling. The likely topic centers around the character of St. Dunstan, a saint renowned for his divine encounters and, in this tale, his peculiar conflict with the devil. The story unfolds in Glastonbury, where St. Dunstan is portrayed as a cheerful and skilled blacksmith. He becomes the target of the devil, who seeks to disrupt the saint's peaceful existence. Through a series of comedic encounters, Dunstan ultimately outwits the devil by nailing a hot horse-shoe to his foot, rendering him powerless to intrude into holy spaces. The tale is rich in vivid imagery and humor, detailing the satanic figure's torment and how the horse-shoe came to symbolize protection against evil. As a result of this encounter, the devil vows to avoid any place where a horse-shoe is present, solidifying its legendary status as a safeguard against witchcraft and nefarious spirits. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
PR: Language and Literatures: English literature
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| Subject |
Dunstan, Saint, 909-988 -- Poetry
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| Subject |
Charms -- Poetry
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
13978 |
| Release Date |
Nov 8, 2004 |
| Most Recently Updated |
Dec 18, 2020 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
90 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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