Celtic Fairy Tales and Legends

by Rosalind Kerven

12 classic Celtic fairy tales and their history, from mermaids to dragons.

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 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. This book complements the stories found in English Fairy Tales & Legends.

Stories The Eagle and the Owl, King Cormac and the Golden Apples, The Hunter and the Seals, The Daughter of King Under-Wave, The Swan Princess, and The Red Etin’s Riddles.

The book also includes notes on each the history and where it came from, its development, and short summaries of many related or similar stories.

Genres: Folklore, Mythology, Fairy Tales, Spirituality, Fantasy, Folk Tales, Magic

208 pages, Hardcover

Published February 20, 2024

About the author

"Rosalind Kerven, connoisseur of myths and folktales" – THE INDEPENDENT (one of the UK's leading online news websites)

I'm the author of over 70 books published in 22 countries, with total world sales of nearly a million.
Specialising in myths, legends, folk tales and fairy tales from all over the world.

Follow me on Twitter @MythsandTales

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant!!!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up purely for the cover and illustrations, and when I read through a few pages, I was hooked! I had never read any of these Celtic fairy tales before, but they were familiar in the way they were written. The third person matter-of-fact, tongue-in-cheek writing evoked a sense of classic storytelling to me. I could imagine reading this in a fur blanket in front of a roaring fire in an old stone castle.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mooi vormgegeven en verteld boekje met een aantal extreem vreemde verhalen.

[Ronnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated and delightful collection of folklore and mythology from the British Isles, spread more or less equally between Welsh, Irish, and Scottish tales. Very easy to read, and entertaining, with a delightful lack of especially misogynistic tales, and then some extra notes and comments from Kerven at the end of the collection.

Overall a delight to read, and again, the illustrations were absolutely lovely.

[Lucía Libremente · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this storybook! As a Latin American woman, it's nice to read the tales and legends of Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, and their particular contexts. I enjoyed the Irish stories, profound and funny! The Sorceress and the Poet is a fantastic tale and a tribute to the oral and written history of these communities. The drawings are very peculiar and engaging! Plus, at the end, there is an annexe with historical and contextual explanations!

It is a book you cannot read without time! The English language is very specific and complex, which is also lovely to see and learn.

[Iqra · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay all the reading dates from my trip are fake. but so cute and charming I was expecting something terrible and dire to happen in each story and then everything was actually okay. beautiful illustrations and stories that I will daydream about and probably continue to see referenced (shout out Finn McCool Bus Tours and the Giants Causeway)

[Katie Mata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read. I loved that the stories were nice and quick so I could pick this up and read one and come back later easily. 

The author included notes at the end where she provided information about the history and versions of the story, which i found very interesting to read. 

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Andrada Scaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it could've been written more faeric

[John Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful collection of tales full of enchantment and adventure.

[iwm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, with pictures and in the end has notes on variations among the legends and sources. Though to be honest, I liked the first two legends the best.

[Emma McGilvray · Rating 3 out of 5]

great collection of stories and reading the notes at the end of the book really felt like reading emily wilde’s field notes.

[Alessia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leggendo una raccolta di leggende non è la trama quella che deve essere descritta, quanto piuttosto cosa di un luogo traspaia dalla carta.
Il mondo Celtico ha sempre esercitato grande attrazione su di me, e quando ho trovato questa raccolta in
Scozia, luogo che ho amato alla follia, non ho davvero potuto lasciarla li. Le storie che si raccontano all'interno di questo libro sono differenti l'una dall'altra; parlano di tradizioni, di abitudini di un popolo molto lontano da ciò a cui siamo abituati; un popolo che vive del contatto con la natura quanto di superstizione. Insomma, un classico libro carino di fiabe e leggende, non indimenticabile, ma certamente un ottimo esercizio linguistico e culturale.
Nonostante ognuna di queste storie fosse a se stante, non ho potuto fare a meno di notare alcuni elementi ricorrenti in ognuna delle leggende. Qualunque sia la trama, qualsiasi sia la situazione che i protagonisti si ritrovano ad affrontare, la maggior parte delle volte si ritrovano costretti a subire una trasformazione, a perdere la loro forma originale per trasmutarsi in altro (molto speso in animali); allo stesso modo, il punto di svolta sembra essere quasi sempre la costrizione al silenzio, la perdita della facoltà della parola che ne ostacola il camino. Gli insegnamenti non sono così nascosti tra le parole, quanto piuttosto evidenti e di facile comprensione; le loro leggende sono diverse dalle nostre fiabe, e trovo questa una delle cose più interessanti della loro cultura.
Trovo sempre magnifico immergermi in queste tradizioni, e penso proprio che renderò l'acquisto di un libro di fiabe e leggende in ogni luogo che visiterò, una mia tradizione personale.