Mons Culturae Press is the publishing wing of the Perennial Pyrenees project, aiming at producing high-quality research on the Pyrenees and other mountainous cultures at affordable prices, as well as some forays into fiction.

A Goodreads page has been set up for reviews, feedback etc: https://www.goodreads.com/martinlocker

To order any book(s) please email the author at mlocker@andorra.ad. All books ship directly from the printers in UK; regrettably this means that EU customers may suffer customs/handling costs upon delivery.

MCP001 – The Tears of Pyrene: Archaeology, Folklore & Traditions of the Pyrenees

The inaugural publication of Mons Culture Press, ‘The Tears of Pyrene: Archaeology, Folklore & Traditions of the Pyrenees’, is 278 pages in length and draws on a wealth of sources from across the Pyrenees in order to examine various aspects of this mountain range, many of which have never been translated in English. Aspects of Pyrenean human occupation (Palaeolithic to present day), bear cults/festivals, witchcraft (including a gazetteer of malefic and sabbath sites mentioned in the folkloric record), animal/plant lore and the traditions of the rural calendar are presented in six chapters, as well as an extensive bibliography of referenced sources. Thoroughly footnoted and researched, this is an invaluable introduction to the cultures, folklore and traditions of the Pyrenees, and the first of its kind in the English language.

Prices in Euros, excluding shipping:
Paperback – 14.99
Hardback – 24.99

A two-fold Google Map, one for the archaeological sites and one for the folkloric sites explored in the book have being developed so that all can travel the Pyrenees (both in mind and reality) and explore the various sites described. This double-layer map is available for free, here:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NX8FTSmoNxMTFM7C0HanqiEr-APkccym&usp=sharing

MCP002 – Bountiful Borderlands: A History of Pyrenean Livelihoods

Bountiful Borderlands: A History of Pyrenean Livelihoods traces the stories of herders, hunters, woodsmen, blacksmiths and smugglers in the Pyrenees. The archaeological and historical background of these practices are analysed alongside their socio-cultural importance. The various folkloric traditions that grew from these livelihoods are also addressed, with examples of associated songs, artefacts, legends and rituals often presented for the first time in English. What emerges is a rich portrait of these practices and their practitioners, using primary sources and scholarship in Spanish, Catalan, Basque, French and English from the fields of archaeology, history, social history, ethnography and folkore studies. This wide range of reference material allows the reader to grapple with the under-explored question of how Pyrenean people historically survived and thrived among their mountains, forests, pastures and lakes, and how these pursuits shaped their cultures.

Prices in Euros, excluding shipping:
Paperback – 14.99
Hardback – 24.99

285 pages, 19 B&W photographs. Nearly two years in the making, this is the first study of its kind in English.

Bountiful Borderlands – The Interview Recordings

Both in the interests of transparency and also as an audio record of the information given, recordings of the interviews conducted for the writing of and inclusion in this book are also provided as a download. My thanks to all who both consented and conducted/translated these interviews for providing such a valuable archive of information.

MCP003 – Protection & Property: Apotropaic Marks on Rural Andorran Buildings

‘Protection and Property: Apotropaic Marks on Rural Andorran Buildings’ is the first monograph from Mons Culturae Press and addresses the often-overlooked theme of apotropaic carvings on door panels and frames in Andorra. Through the analysis of data gathered across eight months and over three hundred sites in the country, these motifs are divided into various categories and variants, with their potential symbolism explored in relation to other examples in Andorra, the Pyrenees and further afield. Their examination in this unique study gives the reader a glimpse into the living tradition of superstitions and beliefs relating to pastoral life in Andorra, and also acts as an archive for the carvings which are fast-vanishing across the rural Andorran landscape. The first study of its kind in relation to Andorra, particularly in English.

Hardback only.

Price in Euros, excluding shipping – 19.99.

150+ pages, 40+ black and white photographs taken by the author.

MCP004 – Prisms of the Oneiroi [FICTION]

‘Prisms of the Oneiroi’ is an anthology of nine short stories set against detailed backdrops ranging from Tibet to Liechtenstein, Paris to Corsica, and beyond, filled with curious liminal encounters through folklore, letters, perfumes and paintings to reveal strange inner geographies. First published by Mount Abraxas Press in 2022 this paperback edition features all nine tales plus an exclusive explanatory preface which explores some of the motivations, themes and inspirations behind the tales.

Softback only.

Price in Euros, excluding shipping – 12.99.

190 pages, front and back cover photographs taken by the author.

MCP005 – Stones Beneath a White Star [FICTION]

‘Stones Beneath a White Star’ is the first full length novel by the author, the story of which surrounds three friends following the break of a neo-Cathar commune in the Ariege. Taking in detailed locations such as Lausanne, the Cote d’Azur, the Dordogne and the Ariege itself, the novel follows the friends’ attempts to forget and their call to return to the place where this heretical theology first captured their spirits, to get to the bottom of those ecstatic and esoteric experiences that so indelibly marked their lives. First published in 2022 by Mount Abraxas Press, this paperback edition features an exclusive explanatory preface which explores the historical, literary and topographical inspirations behind the novel’s settings and characters.

Softback only.

Price in Euros, excluding shipping – 14.99.

255 pages, front and back cover photographs taken by the author.

MCP006 – The Starred Fortress [FICTION]

‘The Starred Fortress’ is the original manuscript of poems, vignettes and short stories from which the selection ‘Shards from the Starred Fortress’ was taken, published by Mount Abraxas Press in 2023. Included is the short story ‘The Isis Confessional’, first published in the ‘The Dusk’ anthology published by Side Real Press in 2023. Poems both long and short are interspersed by unreal memories and concluded by three short stories, all of which reflect reflections, legends and parallel encounters in Switzerland, the Pyrenees and Britain over the period of a decade. This expanded paperback edition features an exclusive explanatory preface which explores the themes and motivations behind the poems and stories within.

Softback only.

Price in Euros, excluding shipping – 12.99.

156 pages, front and back cover photographs taken by the author.

MCP007 – The Boughs and Byways of Ytene [FICTION]

‘The Boughs and Byways of Ytene’ takes the concept of the Vagabond Trust first explored in ‘Prisms of the Oneiroi’ and presents a hidden memoire from one of this elusive network’s Settler Safes, that of Aubrey Winslade. Set in the lush surroundings of mid-twentieth-century rural England, ‘Boughs and Byways’ presents a boundless Albion with its rich histories and folklore through which Aubrey moves and lives, discovering the parallel parish which covers the country from end to end. First published in 2023 by Mount Abraxas Press, this paperback edition features an exclusive explanatory preface which explores the historical, personal, folkloric and topographical inspirations behind the novel’s settings and characters.

Softback only.

Price in Euros, excluding shipping – 17.99.

430 pages, front cover photograph taken by the author, back cover photograph taken by Natasha Edgington.