A. L. Thornfield
Short illustrated books on what insects, symbols, saints and feasts have meant across cultures, each traced back to its sources.
A. L. Thornfield writes the Codex series, a growing collection of compact illustrated books about the meanings people have given to the world around them.
Each volume starts from the sources: myths, sacred texts, folk customs and the scholars who studied them. Where a meaning is uncertain, or was added much later, the book says so.
In order of publication
Volume I
Stories, Symbols and Meanings of Insects Across World Cultures
Thirty-five insects read through the myths, religions and folk traditions of the world. Every entry names the sources it draws on.
Also in Italian: Il Codice degli Insetti
Volume II
Origins, Anatomy and Myths of the World's Most Famous Signs
Where the signs we see every day come from, what they are made of, and the meanings they have been given by mistake.
Also in Italian: Il Codice dei Simboli
Volume III
History, Symbols and Traditions of the World's Best-Loved Feast
Why Christmas is celebrated: the birth of Jesus first, then the customs of many countries, from gifts and Santa Claus to family traditions.
Also in Italian: Il Codice del Natale
The monthly letter
A short letter from A. L. Thornfield: the story behind one sign, notes from the next Codex and its release date. At most once a month.