Hero-Tales of Ireland

by Jeremiah Curtin

Once upon a time all of the legends of Fin MacCool, an ancient hero of Gaelic mythology, were written down for posterity. Saint Patrick, however, was obliged to order two-thirds of them destroyed. The tales were so entertaining, said he, that the people of Erin would do nothing but listen to them. Fortunately for us, many Fenian tales survive, as this captivating collection features 24 tales of super-human heroes and their adventures.
Compiled by an ethnographer from the Smithsonian Institution who traveled Ireland in the late nineteenth century in search of these vanishing folk tales, this volume abounds with fantastic accounts of bold warriors who battle dragons and giants, outwit sorcerers, and with the help of loyal comrades, overcome death itself. This delightful collection represents not only a valuable resource for students of anthropology and aficionados of Celtic lore but also hours of enchanting reading for lovers of folk tales.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mythology

608 pages, Paperback

First published June 17, 1999

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very much.

[Csenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great selection of Irish wonder-tales. Curtin picked the longest, most elaborate, most entertaining hero-tales from the genre, and created a collection that is worth reading multiple times. Some of the stories are so long and complex that they need some time to digest; I was reading this book one story a day, and that probably helped a lot in taking in all the magic, and wonder, and strangeness that is very typically Irish in these tales. I loved many of the stories, especially the Fianna tales in the second half. It also contains lovely and detailed versions of my two favorite folktale types (The Robber and his Sons, and the Extraordinary Companions). Definitely a classic, it should have a place on every storyteller's shelf.