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.

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

The first 50 copies of each format are signed and hand-numbered, available from the author. All initial numbered, signed and inscribed copies are now sold out. However regular orders can still be fulfilled by the author via a print on demand service. Write to martindavidlocker@hotmail.com for details.

Copies are currently also available from: Cyclic Law, Signal Rex and Occvlta Crafts.

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

Email martindavidlocker@hotmail.com for inquiries, with ‘Borderlands’ as the subject line.

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

Copies will be shipped directly from the printers in the UK at joyously low postage rates worldwide.

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.

All inquiries to: martindavidlocker@hotmail.com

A limited amount of signed copies are available from myself for those living in France, Spain and Portugal (restricted due to high Andorran postage costs). All other copies will be dispatched direct from the printers.