First Edition of The Lost Language of Symbolism: An Inquiry into the Origin of Certain Letters, Words, Names, Fairy-Tales, Folklore, and Mythologies is Published

Call Numbers: 291.37 B358l v.1 and  291.37 B358l v.2, Location: Armstrong Browning Library stokes Shakespeare Collection

This rare first edition of The Lost Language of Symbolism: An Inquiry into the Origin of Certain Letters, Words, Names, Fairy-Tales, Folklore, and Mythologies was a two-volume work published in 1912. While the book itself does not give any more specifics, the author does. A letter from Harold Bayley, dated October 28th of 1912, seems to indicate that it must have taken place earlier in the same year. 

In his work, Bayley investigates the transnational evolution of both physical and metaphysical symbols in fantastic texts across time. Ranging from printer’s emblems to folkloric motifs, he attempts to demonstrate the unity of ideas across cultures, as well as the vastly different formats in which these ideas were presented to society.