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The Pack of Autolycus: Or, Strange and Terrible News of Ghosts, Apparitions, Monstrous Births, Showers of Wheat, Judgements of God and Other Prodigiou
Paperback
Mythology & FolkloreGeneral PoetryBritish History
ISBN13: 9781025892740
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 296
Weight: 0.92
Height: 0.62 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
The Pack of Autolycus is a fascinating collection of 17th-century broadside ballads that captures the sensationalist spirit of early modern popular culture. Spanning the years 1624 to 1693, this anthology presents a vivid tapestry of the era's fascinations, fears, and folklore. Through the rhythmic and often dramatic verses of these street songs, readers are introduced to a world of strange and terrible news, including detailed accounts of ghosts, apparitions, and monstrous births.
Beyond the supernatural, the work documents reported prodigies such as showers of wheat and various celestial omens, which were often interpreted by the public as direct judgments of God. These ballads served as the tabloid journalism of their day, providing profound insight into the moral landscape and societal anxieties of Stuart England. By compiling these rare ephemeral pieces, the work preserves the raw, immediate voices of the past, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of literature, news, and superstition.
This volume serves as an essential resource for those interested in English social history, the development of the popular press, and the rich tradition of vernacular poetry. It stands as a testament to the enduring human fascination with the macabre, the miraculous, and the extraordinary events that shaped the historical imagination.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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