Full Description
From mermaids to dragons, 16 ancient Celtic fairy tales retold with their histories
The Celtic cultures of the British Isles - Ireland, Scotland and Wales - have produced some of the richest traditional tales in Europe. Three words best sum up their themes and flavour: adventure, enchantment and romance.
In this book, Rosalind Kerven has revived the best Celtic fairy tales for a new generation. The stories are sourced from old folk tale collections from all three regions, alongside selected medieval Welsh and Irish texts.
• Visit mysterious Otherworlds inside the hills and below the sea - including a land where only the truth is ever spoken.
• Meet iconic characters such as the first great Welsh poet, Taliesin, and the mighty Irish hero, Fionn mac Cumhaill.
• Cheer on bold Scots lasses such as Mallie Whuppy, as she outwits a fearsome giant, and Kate Crackernuts, who rescues a prince from bewitchment.
• Encounter witches, fairies, a bogle, talking animals and strange underwater beings.
Each story is retold from the medieval texts and oral storytelling traditions of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with fascinating background notes and a long list of sources and further reading included. The background notes feature a list of source material, analyses of themes, and examples of similar legends from all over Europe.
Contents
Introduction
The Sorceress and the Poet (Wales)
The Swan Woman (Ireland)
Mally Whuppy and the Giant (Scotland)
The Devil, the Witch and the Faeries (Wales)
Fionn mac Cumhaill and The Magic Drinking Horn (Ireland)
Kate Crackernuts (Scotland)
The Red Dragon (Wales)
The Twelve Wild Geese (Ireland)
The Secret World of the Seals (Scotland)
The Most Ancient Creature in the World (Wales)
King Cormac and the Golden Apples (Ireland)
The Bogle of the Murky Well (Scotland)
The Sleeping King (Wales)
The Merrows' Song (Ireland)
The Black Bull of Norroway (Scotland)
The Daughter of King Under-Wave (Ireland and Scotland)
Notes to the Stories
Sources and Further Reading
Other books by Rosalind Kerven
