Tales of the Elders of Ireland

Author: Harry Roe
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780192839183
Category : Folk literature, Irish
Languages : en
Pages : 308

Book Description
Tales of the Elders of Irelandis the first complete translation of the late Middle-IrishAcallam na Sen rach, the largest literary text surviving from twelfth-century Ireland. It contains the earliest and most comprehensive collection of Fenian stories and poetry, intermingling the contemporary Christian world of Saint Patrick with his scribes; clerics; occasional angels and souls rescued from Hell; the earlier pagan world of the ancient, giant Fenians and Irish kings; and the parallel, timeless Otherworld (peopled by ever-young, shape-shifting fairies). This readable, lucid new translation is based on existing manuscript sources and is richly annotated, complete with an Introduction discussing the place of theAcallamin Irish tradition and the impact of the Fenian or Ossianic tradition on English and European literature. About the Series:For over 100 yearsOxford World's Classicshas made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

The King of Ireland's Son

Author: Padraic Colum
Publisher: Library of Alexandria
ISBN: 1613102844
Category : Fairy tales
Languages : en
Pages : 275

Book Description
Chronicles the adventures of the King of Ireland's eldest and wildest son, describing how he encounters an enchanter's daughter, the king of the cats, Gilly of the goat-skin, and numerous others.

The Colloquy with the Ancients

Author: translated by Standish Hayes O'Grady
Publisher: Library of Alexandria
ISBN: 1613107714
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 470

Book Description

Ireland's Immortals

Author: Mark Williams
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 069118304X
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 608

Book Description
A sweeping history of Ireland's native gods, from Iron Age cult and medieval saga to the Celtic Revival and contemporary fiction Ireland’s Immortals tells the story of one of the world’s great mythologies. The first account of the gods of Irish myth to take in the whole sweep of Irish literature in both the nation’s languages, the book describes how Ireland’s pagan divinities were transformed into literary characters in the medieval Christian era—and how they were recast again during the Celtic Revival of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A lively narrative of supernatural beings and their fascinating and sometimes bizarre stories, Mark Williams’s comprehensive history traces how these gods—known as the Túatha Dé Danann—have shifted shape across the centuries. We meet the Morrígan, crow goddess of battle; the fire goddess Brigit, who moonlights as a Christian saint; the fairies who inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s elves; and many others. Ireland’s Immortals illuminates why these mythical beings have loomed so large in the world’s imagination for so long.

On Another Man's Wound

Author: Ernie O'Malley
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1589790049
Category : Ireland
Languages : en
Pages : 384

Book Description
Captures the feel of Ireland more than any other book.

The History and Topography of Ireland

Author: Gerald of Wales
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141915560
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 144

Book Description
Gerald of Wales was among the most dynamic and fascinating churchmen of the twelfth century. A member of one of the leading Norman families involved in the invasion of Ireland, he first visited there in 1183 and later returned in the entourage of Henry II. The resulting Topographia Hiberniae is an extraordinary account of his travels. Here he describes landscapes, fish, birds and animals; recounts the history of Ireland's rulers; and tells fantastical stories of magic wells and deadly whirlpools, strange creatures and evil spirits. Written from the point of view of an invader and reformer, this work has been rightly criticized for its portrait of a primitive land, yet it is also one of the most important sources for what is known of Ireland during the Middle Ages.

An Introduction to Early Irish Literature

Author: Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 244

Book Description
A discussion of the rich written heritage of the Old and Middle Irish period, 600-1200. Chapters deal with such topics as druids, monks, poets, the beginnings of writing manuscripts, saga cycles, and stories about kings, kingship and sovereignty goddesses.

In Search of the Irish Dreamtime: Archaeology and Early Irish Literature

Author: J. P. Mallory
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 0500773351
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 359

Book Description
Ireland's oldest traditions excavated via archaeological, genetic, and linguistic research, culminating in atruly groundbreaking publication Following his account of Irish origins drawing on archaeology, genetics, and linguistics, J. P. Mallory returns to the subject to investigate what he calls the Irish Dreamtime: the native Irish retelling of their own origins, as related by medieval manuscripts. He explores the historical backbone of this version of the earliest history of Ireland, which places apparently mythological events on a concrete timeline of invasions, colonization, and royal reigns that extends even further back in time than the history of classical Greece. The juxtaposition of traditional Dreamtime tales and scientific facts expands on what we already know about the way of life in Iron Age Ireland. By comparing the world depicted in the earliest Irish literary tradition with the archaeological evidence available on the ground, Mallory explores Ireland’s rich mythological tradition and tests its claims to represent reality.

Meeting the Other Crowd

Author: Eddie Lenihan
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101167335
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 353

Book Description
"The Other Crowd," "The Good People," "The Wee Folk," and "Them" are a few of the names given to the fairies by the people of Ireland. Honored for their gifts and feared for their wrath, the fairies remind us to respect the world we live in and the forces we cannot see. In these tales of fairy forts, fairy trees, ancient histories, and modern true-life encounters with The Other Crowd, Eddie Lenihan opens our eyes to this invisible world with the passion and bluntness of a seanchai, a true Irish storyteller.

Early Irish Myths and Sagas

Author:
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141934816
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 321

Book Description
First written down in the eighth century AD, these early Irish stories depict a far older world - part myth, part legend and part history. Rich with magic and achingly beautiful, they speak of a land of heroic battles, intense love and warrior ideals, in which the otherworld is explored and men mingle freely with the gods. From the vivid adventures of the great Celtic hero Cu Chulaind, to the stunning 'Exile of the Sons of Uisliu' - a tale of treachery, honour and romance - these are masterpieces of passion and vitality, and form the foundation for the Irish literary tradition: a mythic legacy that was a powerful influence on the work of Yeats, Synge and Joyce.