The Eagle and The Butterfly

The Eagle and The Butterfly tells the story of a person who passes through a thin place into the mythical world of Berren and becomes the butterfly Eregendal. To atone for the past, Eregendal must face hell and death in a quest to save Berren from Zoust and the forces of evil at the Last Battle. Eregendal's sacrifice helps the child-goddess Zana ascend to her throne. The novel was written in in two weeks during the long hot summer of 1976, when the author was twenty-one. The story was pieced together from a series of poems she had written over several years. It is steeped in folklore and includes many symbols drawn from North European myths and legends. Its themes include personal development, the battle between good and evil, and death and resurrection. The story is an allegory about the author's struggles as a young writer to find acceptance and recognition beyond West Cumberland, where she lived then. The story also proved to be prophetic for her. Just as the butterfly, Eregendal, had to die to become the powerful eagle Ladnegere, she too had to die to her old self and be reborn through recovery to establish herself and find success. The abridged version also in this volume, has a reading age of about 9 years and up. It follows the original story but omits much of the violence and reflection.