The Names Upon the Harp: Irish Myth and Legend

by Marie Heaney, P.J. Lynch (Illustrator)

Provides readers of all ages with an illustrated collection of Irish myths and legends, including "The Birth of Cuchulain" and "Oisin in the Land of Youth." By the illustrator of When Jessie Came Across the Sea. 35,000 first printing.

Genres: Mythology, Picture Books, Fantasy, Ireland, Childrens, Folklore, Fairy Tales

96 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2000

Reviews

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

I picked up this book for P.J. Lynch's beautiful illustrations, but I enjoyed these Irish tales as well. Most of them were familiar to me. "Deirdre of the Sorrows" is still my all-time favorite Irish folktale. I had fun trying to guess the pronunciations of the Irish names. Thankfully, there was a pronunciation guide at the end of the book. I was way off most of the time! This book serves as a nice introduction to the three cycles of Irish traditional literature. Recommended, especially around Saint Paddy's Day!

[Janelle]

Beautifully illustrated and well written retellings of Irish legends.

[Katherine]

If anything, read this for the beautiful illustrations by the ever-talented P.J. Lynch. They're absolutely gorgeous.

[Nyxie]

Beautiful stories. Love the pronunciation guide at the back, organized by story! And the art, oh the gorgeous watercolour illustrations......happy sigh.

[Shiloah]

My friend purchased this one for us to enjoy. It was a delightful experience. We averaged about one a night most nights.

[William Hiser]

Myth (3 in 1)
The Names Upon the Harp: Irish Myth and Legend, written by Marie Heaney and illustrated by P.J. Lynch, is a 96 page children’s book of magic and myths. It was written for grades 3 – 6, ages 8 – 12. This is a collection of stories of 9 mythological characters from Irish legend that use a variety of motifs: trickery, magical objects, greed, betrayal, etc. They are 5 -6 pages in length and include anecdotes, jokes, ogres, giants, religion and the supernatural. of fiercely fought battles; tender romances; spells and curses; loyalty and betrayal explain the origins of the earth and why events in nature happen the way they do. The myths are set in beautiful Ireland.

[Bethany]

So I'm not up on Irish myths and such I generally stick to Greek mythology but this wasn't a bad book. Although I feel as though everything always ended badly for the protagonists like no happy endings anywhere. although what got me is that like 300 years plus be passing and they think their family is still going to be around. Like maybe the first 100 years but seriously come on. Although I did read the inspiration of a YA book I perused recently. "The Wild Swans" or something thereabouts, sorry can't remember the author, and her book from what I understand from the reviews ended the same way as the Children of Lir story. They straight up grew old and died once their curse was lifted. And there's a lot of hardheaded people in these stories. Seriously if you'd just listened you would have been fine but nooo. Alright there were some things that irked me but then I be yelling at character decisions in pretty much every book I read to nothing new there.
Overall I enjoyed reading the stories. They're different from what I was used to but still interesting.
Recommended? Sure
Buy/Borrow? Borrow first to make sure you actually want it.

[Echo]

I love Irish myths and history, and the illustrations in the book are just stunning. (I realized, after I started reading it, that I'm familiar with the illustrator. Lynch also did the illustrations in a copy of "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry that I bought largely because of the artwork. It's one of my favorite books to dig out and re-read every Christmas season.)
Other than the stories themselves and the artwork that accompanies them, I also appreciated that:
a) There's a pronunciation guide the in the back, because Irish names can be tricky; and
b) The stories are divided into cycles, with some explanation of each cycle.

[Stephanie]

I really liked the stories and the art by PJ Lynch. It was hard to read, though. I thought it might get easier as I went along and figured out how to pronounce the Irish names, but I had to keep flipping to the pronunciation key because there were so many and I couldn't remember them, especially when there were two options given like Emain Macha: ev-in mach-a / ow-in mach-a (ow rhymes with how) ??? An audiobook to read along with would have been super helpful!

[Austria Kovalenko]

It took me so long to finish this book ... Maybe because the names are all so foreign to me. When I finally reached the end, I really didn't want the stories to be over.

It seems I have began my journey to Celtic mythology 😊 about time, aye?

[Tessa]

This is an absolutely beautiful book in both words and illustrations. I loved every page. I only wish it were longer. Highly recommended for fans of fairy tales or myths.

I read most of it out loud to David and he really enjoyed it too.

[Garrett]

I originally read this for an Irish Lit class in college. Reread it this past year in bedtime-story installments to my two youngest daughters. They loved it. And I got to reacquaint myself with the masterful retellings and gorgeous accompanying art.

[Lillian]

An excellently illustrated compilation of Celtic folklore. The organization and writing make it simple and easy to digest, while still captivating. Perfect for the younger or less informed audience making their first steps into Celtic mythology!

[Miss Clark]

The most interesting of the legends and myths recounted were:

Children of Lir
The Birth of Cucholainn
Bricriu's Feast
Deirdre of the Sorrows (weirdly genderswapped Snow White somewhat)

They were all nicely illustrated by P. J. Lynch

[Daniel]

These stories from Ireland’s pagan past are brutal and epic, and feel adjacent to those in The Silmarillion or Westeros. The storytelling is good, but it’s P. J. Lynch’s stunning illustrations which really elevate this book.

[Aurora Dimitre]

Beautiful illustrations.

[Joy Gerbode]

Love this book, from the title, through all it's stories. Many of them are old favorites, a few were brand new to me. Wonderful legends, beautiful stories!

[Bryce Bodily]

I was able to get a hold of this for a YA class, but I went through it mostly for fun. Honestly it was very interesting to read and I loved the pictures. It added a depth to the story that made it just that much more fun to read. I liked that it had various Irish stories that ranged over quite a span of time.

It was so much fun to read this mostly because I was doing it as a stress reliever from all of my other homework. I felt like it was fun to go through these different stories of warriors. I felt like it gave very basic forms of these tales and it gave me a tastes of some of these myths. It gave me some drive to search out more. The illustrations were super interesting and I think my favorite was of Oisin and Niamh heading to Tir na n-Og. The spires of the city looked so gorgeous. There's just something about myths and fairy tales that just makes me excited.

I'd recommend this to anyone over the age of 10. This would be a perfect book for a kid that is a little bit more reluctant to read because it's plain language and has pictures. It also would be really good for a kid that is interested in different histories of people. The warrior bits could be something to get boys engaged into as well.

Warnings
Violence
Magic
Family issues (Because sometimes your Grandpa is a bad guy with an eye that can kill you instantly...)

[Charlynn]

Ireland is ripe with lush tales of bravery, honor, and magic. Divided into three cycles – Mythological, Ulster, and Finn, Heaney presents tales of the Fae, Druids, and folk heros of her native homeland. With a dark pallor cast over the stories, the figures of Irish lore suffer without complaint through death, despair, misfortune, and heartache; there are no happily-ever-afters for these characters, reflecting the tumultuous history of this island nation. Aided by Lynch's rich watercolor and gouache illustrations in ruddy, natural colors which bring to mind the pastoral nature of Ireland, the tales are given depth by the details of the characters' physical appearances. The Names Upon the Harp should appeal to male readers and their thirst for adventure. Supplemented with a pronunciation guide, a list of source notes, and further reading material, this collection of traditional Irish literature is a wealth of both knowledge and imagination.

[Kaitlin Pratt]

This was a really neat read. It was a different kind of read for me (I don't usually go for legends or myths), but I enjoyed it a lot. The stories were beautiful, and the illustrations that accompany them really added to the mood of the book--they are breathtaking. It was a little difficult for me to keep track of characters because the names are so unfamiliar to me, but other than that, I had no hiccups with the book.

Although it's short, the language is sophisticated, so I would recommend this book for those middle school-aged and older. The illustrations are a definite perk, especially for struggling and reluctant readers within this age range.

Warnings: Violence; sexual innuendo (nothing explicit)

[Sydney]

This compilation of short stories and myths based on the Celtic culture was fantastic! The illustrations were absolutely breathtaking and it made me want to go back to Ireland. The stories were very informative about the myths that have built the Celtic culture and the way that the Irish behave themselves, based on ancient myths and legends.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys mythology as well as legends. I would also recommend this to anyone who loves hero stories. This would be a very good book for a reader that still struggles with novels and needs some shorter stories. The illustrations are a plus for any reader.

WARNINGS
Language: none
Violence: some fighting
Sex: none
Drugs: none

[October]

I've owned this book for quite some time now, and I still remember when I ordered it from the Scholastic book order pamphlets many years ago. To be frank, I was a bit disappointed by how scanty a volume this was! As many stories as there are in Irish folklore,I feel a few more could've been added. However, the ones that are here are the most common ones, and definitely a good starter--especially for the younger crowd (as in my age group when I first read it). Given the absolutely beautiful illustrations, it would make great reading material for children who like the occasional fairy tale (and adults who don't like Disney-fied Brothers Grimm).

[Andrea Grantham]

I loved the illustrations of this book, they are gorgeous and detailed. I also really loved how each myth interconnected with the other folklore, it was so fun that I was kind of giddy after I read it. It was kind of like a picture book for adults. I would love to read this book to my kids someday. I would recommend it to young kids, I didn't feel like it was intended for older teenagers, but art students or students interested in myths and culture would probably get a kick out of this book.
Warnings: You might want to steal this book.
War in the stories, more innocent than even Disney movies.

[Ms. Biesecker]

Category: Folklore (multicultural, international)
Author: Marie Heaney
Illustrator: P.J. Lynch
Title: The Names Upon The Harp: Irish Myth and Legend
Publication date: 2000
Brief annotation: A collection of tales from Irish folkloric traditions
Themes: Fantasy, mythology, Ireland, fairy tales, legends
Ways to use the book with children: introduction to Irish mythology, examining ways the illustrations compliment/enhance the stories

[Barbaramccoy88]

Nearly thirty years ago I had the wonderful privilege of visiting Ireland and I have never forgotten that isle's 'magic.' It is indescribable. Marie Heaney, however, wife of the eminent poet Seamus Heaney, and artist P. J. Lynch have managed to capture the beauty and enchantment I felt there in this wonderful book. These stories have been like oxygen to so many creative minds, and mine as well. They are simply breathtaking. Curl up with it and a spot of tea and you will feel transformed!

[Cass]

Absolutely, stunningly gorgeous illustrations, but the storytelling was a bit disappointing. One cannot tell these stories in a dry academic recitation--they need the taste of Irish gusto and heart in order to be magical, and Marie Heaney seems to have missed this somehow. The tales themselves, though, are lovely enough to pique this myth-lover's interest. I'll read them again in more detail elsewhere, and treasure this copy's masterful artwork.

[Sean Mcguire]

Wow! Just wow! The art was just amazing. The style is so different than others that I have seen. And the stories in it! I am very celtic. I have great pride in my heritage. I just loved these stories. They were just so amazing. I especially loved the story of the swans. It was very touching the love of the siblings.

I would recommend this book to anyone with celtic heritage, or anyone who likes mythology.

Warnings: violence

[Caitlin]

My favorite part about this book were the illustrations. So beautiful and vibrant! I was surprised that it was so graphic for a children's book, considering there was quite a bit of blood, violence, and nudity (not extremely revealing but you could tell that they weren't wearing clothes) I don't have a problem with it at all, but I'm sure there are some parents out there that would throw a fit.
The stories were good, I would like to read them again but maybe in a more adult form.

[Asma]

I consider this book to be one of the treasures I brought back from my trip to Ireland. I mean, the land is rife with historical and mythical stories, including faeries, which is a genre that dominates books now. To read the rest of this review, please visit A Reading Kabocha @ http://areadingkabocha.blogspot.com

[Monique Boodram]

I love this book so much, thinking about it makes me want to cry. I would read it constantly as a young lassie, but now that I've lost my copy, I mourn.

Edit 2026: I found my copy in some ruble, finally. The illustrations are profound. The sources that Heaney used to rewrite the stories open an entire new world for exploring the rich history and legends of Ireland. 🇮🇪