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Celtic Myths and Legends
This is an enchantingly told collection of the stirring sagas of gods and goddesses, fabulous beasts, strange creatures, and such heroes as Cuchulain, Fingal, and King Arthur from the ancient Celtic world. Included are popular myths and legends from all six Celtic cultures of Western Europe—Irish, Scots, Manx, Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. Here for the modern reader are the rediscovered tales of cattle raids, tribal invasions, druids, duels, and doomed love that have been incorporated into, and sometimes distorted by, European mythology and even Christian figures. For example, there is the story of Lugh of the Long Hand, one of the greatest gods in the Celtic pantheon, who was later transformed into the faerie craftsman Lugh-Chromain, and finally demoted to the lowly Leprechaun. Celtic Myths and Legends also retells the story of the classic tragic love story of Tristan and Iseult (probably of Cornish origin—there was a real King Mark and a real Tristan in Cornwall) and the original tale of King Arthur, a Welsh leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons. In the hands of Peter Berresford Ellis, the myths sung by long-dead Celtic bards come alive to enchant the modern reader. "The casual reader will be best entertained by ... the legends themselves ...colored with plenty of swordplay, ... quests, shape-shiftings, and druidic sorcery."—Publishers Weekly
612 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 1999
820 people are currently reading
8497 people want to read
About the author
Peter Berresford Ellis
52 books153 followersPeter Berresford Ellis is a historian, literary biographer, and novelist who has published over 90 books to date either under his own name or his pseudonyms Peter Tremayne and Peter MacAlan. He has also published 95 short stories. His non-fiction books, articles and academic papers have made him acknowledged as an authority on Celtic history and culture. Under Peter Tremayne, he is the author of the international bestselling Sister Fidelma mystery series. His work has appeared in 25 languages.
He began his career as a junior reporter on an English south coast weekly, becoming deputy editor of an Irish weekly newspaper and was then editor of a weekly trade journal in London. He first went as a feature writer to Northern Ireland in 1964 for a London daily newspaper which had a profound effect on him. His first book was published in 1968: Wales: a Nation Again, on the Welsh struggle for political independence, with a foreword by Gwynfor Evans, Plaid Cymru's first Member of Parliament. In 1975 he became a full-time writer. He used his academic background to produce many popular titles in the field of Celtic Studies and he has written numerous academic articles and papers in the field for journals ranging from The Linguist (London) to The Irish Sword: Journal of the Irish Military History Society (UCD). He is highly regarded by academics in his own field and was described by The Times Higher Education Supplement, London, (June, 1999) as one of the leading authorities on the Celts then writing. He has been International Chairman of the Celtic League 1988–1990; chairman of Scrif-Celt (The Celtic Languages Book Fair in 1985 and in 1986); chairman and vice-president of the London Association for Celtic Education 1989–1995, and now is an Hon. Life Member); He was also chairman of his local ward Labour Party in London, England, and was editorial advisor on Labour and Ireland magazine in the early 1990s. He is a member of the Society of Authors.
Apart from his Celtic Studies interests, Ellis has always been fascinated by aspects of popular literature and has written full-length biographies on H. Rider Haggard, W. E. Johns, Talbot Mundy as well as critical essays on many more popular fiction authors. His own output in the fictional field, writing in the genre of horror fantasy and heroic fantasy, began in 1977 when the first "Peter Tremayne" book appeared. Between 1983 and 1993 he also wrote eight adventure thrillers under the name "Peter MacAlan". Ellis has published (as of January, 2009) a total of 91 books, 95 short stories, several pamphlets, and numerous academic papers and signed journalistic articles. Under his own name he wrote two long running columns: 'Anonn is Anall' (Here and There) from 1987–2008 for the Irish Democrat, and, "Anois agus Arís" (Now and Again) from 2000–2008 for The Irish Post. His books break down into 34 titles under his own name; 8 titles under the pseudonym of Peter MacAlan and 49 titles under his pseudonym of Peter Tremayne. He has lectured widely at universities in several countries, including the UK, Ireland, American, Canada, France and Italy. He has also broadcast on television and radio since 1968. With the great popularity of his 7th Century set Sister Fidelma Mysteries, in January, 2001, an International Sister Fidelma Society was formed in Charleston, South Carolina, with a website and producing a print magazine three times a year called The Brehon. In 2006 the Cashel Arts Fest established the first three-day international gathering of fans of the series which is now held bi-annually and receives the full support of the Society
He began his career as a junior reporter on an English south coast weekly, becoming deputy editor of an Irish weekly newspaper and was then editor of a weekly trade journal in London. He first went as a feature writer to Northern Ireland in 1964 for a London daily newspaper which had a profound effect on him. His first book was published in 1968: Wales: a Nation Again, on the Welsh struggle for political independence, with a foreword by Gwynfor Evans, Plaid Cymru's first Member of Parliament. In 1975 he became a full-time writer. He used his academic background to produce many popular titles in the field of Celtic Studies and he has written numerous academic articles and papers in the field for journals ranging from The Linguist (London) to The Irish Sword: Journal of the Irish Military History Society (UCD). He is highly regarded by academics in his own field and was described by The Times Higher Education Supplement, London, (June, 1999) as one of the leading authorities on the Celts then writing. He has been International Chairman of the Celtic League 1988–1990; chairman of Scrif-Celt (The Celtic Languages Book Fair in 1985 and in 1986); chairman and vice-president of the London Association for Celtic Education 1989–1995, and now is an Hon. Life Member); He was also chairman of his local ward Labour Party in London, England, and was editorial advisor on Labour and Ireland magazine in the early 1990s. He is a member of the Society of Authors.
Apart from his Celtic Studies interests, Ellis has always been fascinated by aspects of popular literature and has written full-length biographies on H. Rider Haggard, W. E. Johns, Talbot Mundy as well as critical essays on many more popular fiction authors. His own output in the fictional field, writing in the genre of horror fantasy and heroic fantasy, began in 1977 when the first "Peter Tremayne" book appeared. Between 1983 and 1993 he also wrote eight adventure thrillers under the name "Peter MacAlan". Ellis has published (as of January, 2009) a total of 91 books, 95 short stories, several pamphlets, and numerous academic papers and signed journalistic articles. Under his own name he wrote two long running columns: 'Anonn is Anall' (Here and There) from 1987–2008 for the Irish Democrat, and, "Anois agus Arís" (Now and Again) from 2000–2008 for The Irish Post. His books break down into 34 titles under his own name; 8 titles under the pseudonym of Peter MacAlan and 49 titles under his pseudonym of Peter Tremayne. He has lectured widely at universities in several countries, including the UK, Ireland, American, Canada, France and Italy. He has also broadcast on television and radio since 1968. With the great popularity of his 7th Century set Sister Fidelma Mysteries, in January, 2001, an International Sister Fidelma Society was formed in Charleston, South Carolina, with a website and producing a print magazine three times a year called The Brehon. In 2006 the Cashel Arts Fest established the first three-day international gathering of fans of the series which is now held bi-annually and receives the full support of the Society
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
March 24, 2020
4 ⭐️
I love mythology! I have mostly read all about the Greek Myths but I’m branching out and I’ve started with this book.
There is something particularly magical about myths. I feel like they contain the essence of a culture. As fictitious as they may be, there is something inherently real about them, and that is the love of storytelling that even thousands of years ago was well alive.
This book was a good introduction to Celtic myths and I’ve truly enjoyed it.
If anyone has any other recommendations of similar books they are welcome. I’m at the Celtic stage atm, but I do want to move into Norse mythology soon and like I said if you know the right titles drop them in the comments.
I love mythology! I have mostly read all about the Greek Myths but I’m branching out and I’ve started with this book.
There is something particularly magical about myths. I feel like they contain the essence of a culture. As fictitious as they may be, there is something inherently real about them, and that is the love of storytelling that even thousands of years ago was well alive.
This book was a good introduction to Celtic myths and I’ve truly enjoyed it.
If anyone has any other recommendations of similar books they are welcome. I’m at the Celtic stage atm, but I do want to move into Norse mythology soon and like I said if you know the right titles drop them in the comments.
October 25, 2020
lessons learned from this book -
- wizards are just...total assholes, man
- if you dip into a standing body of water you will probably find a wife. (we cannot guarantee a wife every time, some of them WILL be out to drown you, but honestly thats on you they caught YOU slipping)
- anything involving christians gets dull very quickly
- wizards are just...total assholes, man
- if you dip into a standing body of water you will probably find a wife. (we cannot guarantee a wife every time, some of them WILL be out to drown you, but honestly thats on you they caught YOU slipping)
- anything involving christians gets dull very quickly
June 23, 2014
I was really excited and interest to read this book...but was greatly disappointed.The collection ofbthese tales, and the information provided within are so outdated, over done, and incohesive it begs the question why bother to write it...or read it. The introduction is so redundant...it paints the same bland picture of a vast ancient culture, with the exact same reprinted information since the 70s...which has long evolved and shifted as new archaeological and anthropological finds come to light, painting a very different picture - and a more accurate & vibrant one at that. And with the first publication in 99 and a revamped edition in 08, frankly, they should have known better and provided a more recent and accurate information. As far as the tales themselves are concerned - it seems to be a disorganized clusterfuck of mix-matched interpretationd, patchworked into a vague, inconsistent, unfulfilled and contradictory storytellig experience. There are too many vague references that are not covered or explained, there are too many holes I the tales - there are references to parts of the stories that are simply 'unknown'...which is just flat out untrue - especially when he specifically sites sources in his forward to works (such as gods and fighting men) who have covered in their own works those parts of the tales he claims are 'unknown'. What? I'm sorry.
.what? Especially when there are so many vastly different versions of the tales, all from sources that claim credibility and reliability, you have to learn creative descretion and interprtation in your own right. Which I believe the author has failed at - completely. He admits that this book is an 'amalgamation' of all the tales he was exposed to as a child...and I suppose that is accurate - but it feels missmatched, he chose the wrong parts of tales to pair with the wrong parts of other tales to create a presentation that is just....unjust to what these tales, and people were and are and represent...it reads as poor, amateur storytelling and anyone who has knowledge or history in these lands, cultures or mythos will be able to pick all the horrid misinformation that has plagued our customs for generations. And is only perpetuated by collectons like this...we have come too far to start reverting back to olde biases.I would not reccomend this book to anyone looking for an accurate, current insight into the celts.
.what? Especially when there are so many vastly different versions of the tales, all from sources that claim credibility and reliability, you have to learn creative descretion and interprtation in your own right. Which I believe the author has failed at - completely. He admits that this book is an 'amalgamation' of all the tales he was exposed to as a child...and I suppose that is accurate - but it feels missmatched, he chose the wrong parts of tales to pair with the wrong parts of other tales to create a presentation that is just....unjust to what these tales, and people were and are and represent...it reads as poor, amateur storytelling and anyone who has knowledge or history in these lands, cultures or mythos will be able to pick all the horrid misinformation that has plagued our customs for generations. And is only perpetuated by collectons like this...we have come too far to start reverting back to olde biases.I would not reccomend this book to anyone looking for an accurate, current insight into the celts.
August 17, 2021
Yes indeed, there are parts of Peter Berresford Ellis’ Celtic Myths and Legends which I have very much enjoyed, if not in fact adored. And with that in mind and first and foremost, how Berresford Ellis has selected and then how he has retold, how the author has penned his collection of Irish, Manx, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish and Breton tales in Celtic Myths and Legends has definitely been wonderfully extensive and with in my humble opinion also just enough included description and exposition, albeit that I will also want to revisit these stories sometime in the future for a more detailed and intensive perusal, as this time around I was kind of mainly skimming through Celtic Myths and Legends (because I was under considerable time restraints). But I do have to wonder just a tiny bit why with regard to Celtic mythology in general, Peter Berresford Ellis has not at the very least listed in the introduction to Celtic Myths and Legends some of the many deities present in specifically the continental European Celtic pantheon. Because even though with regard to Celtic mythology and legends, it is of course true that it is generally the insular Celtic stories (and Breton actually originated not in France but in England) that have been preserved in writing, the continental European Celts of course also had their mythology and legends, and in my opinion, Peter Berresford Ellis should at the very least be listing some of the known from inscriptions gods and goddesses such as Belenus, Toutatis etc.
However, while for me, the text proper, the main collection of myths and legends to be encountered in Celtic Myths and Legends is definitely spectacular and highly recommended, the accompanying introduction certainly and in my humble opinion leaves quite a bit to be desired. For instead of presenting a clear and concise general portrait of Celtic history and culture, Peter Berresford Ellis falls into quite the same trap as he always does under his pseudonym of Peter Tremayne for his Sister Fidelma series of early Medieval Irish mysteries, engaging in a huge and often rather confusing amount of information dropping, rambling on and on ad nauseum instead of providing with his introductory words to Celtic Myths and Legends a clearly delineated and not too wordy text. And yes, also penned tediously and with so much at times rather superfluous seeming details upon details that after ploughing through the introduction for Celtic Myths and Legends I actually ended up needing to put the book away for some days before starting with the actual myths and legends (something that I do think might negatively affect reading pleasure and in fact, I do not really recommend Peter Berresford Ellis’ introduction, I really only recommend reading the actual collected tales found in Celtic Myths and Legends, and for secondary research on the Celts and on Celtic history and culture the detailed bibliography, although I do kind of find it presumptive and a bit arrogant how many of his own titles Peter Berresford Ellis is listing).
However, while for me, the text proper, the main collection of myths and legends to be encountered in Celtic Myths and Legends is definitely spectacular and highly recommended, the accompanying introduction certainly and in my humble opinion leaves quite a bit to be desired. For instead of presenting a clear and concise general portrait of Celtic history and culture, Peter Berresford Ellis falls into quite the same trap as he always does under his pseudonym of Peter Tremayne for his Sister Fidelma series of early Medieval Irish mysteries, engaging in a huge and often rather confusing amount of information dropping, rambling on and on ad nauseum instead of providing with his introductory words to Celtic Myths and Legends a clearly delineated and not too wordy text. And yes, also penned tediously and with so much at times rather superfluous seeming details upon details that after ploughing through the introduction for Celtic Myths and Legends I actually ended up needing to put the book away for some days before starting with the actual myths and legends (something that I do think might negatively affect reading pleasure and in fact, I do not really recommend Peter Berresford Ellis’ introduction, I really only recommend reading the actual collected tales found in Celtic Myths and Legends, and for secondary research on the Celts and on Celtic history and culture the detailed bibliography, although I do kind of find it presumptive and a bit arrogant how many of his own titles Peter Berresford Ellis is listing).
September 20, 2019
Αρκετά μεγάλο βιβλίο αν και μάλλον μου πήρε τοσο καιρό να το διαβάσω λόγω εξετασεων και γιατι μου άρεσε να διαβάζω 1 ιστορία ανά λίγα βράδια.
Περιέχει καταπληκτική συλλογή με μύθους και ιστορίες απο πολλές περιοχές.
Με εξαίρεση 1-2 , όλες οι υπόλοιπες ιστορίες ήταν πολυ ενδιαφέρουσες.
Σε πολλά σημεία ένιωθα οτι μοιάζει με ελληνική μυθολογία και μερικά έμοιαζαν παρα πολύ μρ την ιστορια για παράδειγμα της σταχτοπουτας η κάποιο άλλο γνωστό παραμύθι.
Το προτείνω σε όσους θέλουν κατι απλό και διαφορετικό.
Περιέχει καταπληκτική συλλογή με μύθους και ιστορίες απο πολλές περιοχές.
Με εξαίρεση 1-2 , όλες οι υπόλοιπες ιστορίες ήταν πολυ ενδιαφέρουσες.
Σε πολλά σημεία ένιωθα οτι μοιάζει με ελληνική μυθολογία και μερικά έμοιαζαν παρα πολύ μρ την ιστορια για παράδειγμα της σταχτοπουτας η κάποιο άλλο γνωστό παραμύθι.
Το προτείνω σε όσους θέλουν κατι απλό και διαφορετικό.
September 7, 2020
I've been going through this for a few months now. I'm not nearly as familiar with Celtic myths as I am with Greek and Nordic ones, but I want to be better acquainted with them. Some are more interesting than others. Some had me hooked while others I skimmed. A couple of notes, it was interesting to see how myths differed according to different areas (the collection is ordered by geographic location). I'm also curious to read analysis on why things always seem to happen in threes so often in myths and fairy tales. This isn't unique to Celtic myth, I know. But I really noticed it here.
January 5, 2015
I’ve always loved a bit of mythology but have until now always been drawn to the Greek and the Norse, so it was high time I read a little about the myths that were formed in my own country. Being both mammoth and full of re-tellings of Celtic myths and legends, this one lived up to its title’s promise.
Split into sections covering the different Celtic regions – Ireland, Manx, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish and Brittany – each came with a preface explaining the historical context in which these tales should be placed, something I greatly appreciated. Prompted by the prefaces, it became easier to see how these tales had been shaped and influenced by the landscapes in which these storytellers lived, as well as how they started to change with the influence of Christianity (and the pens of contemporary Christian authorities as they sought to alter or suppress the beliefs native to whatever land they’d ‘converted’).
I enjoyed reintroductions to some of the beings I’ve encountered in modern paranormal stories – such as the Tuatha De Danann and the Fomorrii (thanks to Harry Dresden), early versions of stories I’ve come to know through fairytales (Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to name two) and, in my own favourite section (the Cornish, being in my part of the world), the Bukkys and piskies that can waylay unwary travellers.
If I had hoped to get a little more on the deities of the Celtic regions, I was to be ever so slightly disappointed, but in all this was a good introduction to a fascinating subject.
**Also posted at Randomly Reading and Ranting**
Split into sections covering the different Celtic regions – Ireland, Manx, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish and Brittany – each came with a preface explaining the historical context in which these tales should be placed, something I greatly appreciated. Prompted by the prefaces, it became easier to see how these tales had been shaped and influenced by the landscapes in which these storytellers lived, as well as how they started to change with the influence of Christianity (and the pens of contemporary Christian authorities as they sought to alter or suppress the beliefs native to whatever land they’d ‘converted’).
I enjoyed reintroductions to some of the beings I’ve encountered in modern paranormal stories – such as the Tuatha De Danann and the Fomorrii (thanks to Harry Dresden), early versions of stories I’ve come to know through fairytales (Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to name two) and, in my own favourite section (the Cornish, being in my part of the world), the Bukkys and piskies that can waylay unwary travellers.
If I had hoped to get a little more on the deities of the Celtic regions, I was to be ever so slightly disappointed, but in all this was a good introduction to a fascinating subject.
**Also posted at Randomly Reading and Ranting**
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July 27, 2011This was a great introduction to Celtic folklore and legends. I had hoped to learn more about gods and goddesses, and in that, I was disappointed. The introduction—a long, dry, heavily researched analysis of the evolution of Celtic language and stories—took me a while to trudge through, but it was absolutely fascinating. I didn’t enjoy the Irish stories nearly as much as the Welsh and Scottish stories. It was especially interesting to see the vastly different portrayals of women in each culture. In some, women were sent to distract noble men from their destinies, while in others, women were strong and noble heroes themselves.
January 5, 2017
Beautifully composed, this book brought to life the Myths and Legends of the Celts. There are many books out there that deal with Celtic myths, and I have read a lot of them, but this one is something special. A real pleasure to read, and one I will be coming back to it time and again. My life is richer after reading this book. I Highly Recommend.
July 3, 2009
"I would have liked liked your poem if you hadn't mentioned my magical pigskin!"
December 15, 2016
Love this collection. I used many of this stories when I taught Celtic Mythology to high school students. These kind of fairytales are my favorite.
May 9, 2025
THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF CELTIC MYTHS AND LEGENDS-PETER BERRESFORD ELLIS
📖Stvarno je mamutska-obimna i sveobuhvatna
📖37 priča podeljenih u šest grupa s kratkim uvodom pre svake oblasti-Irska, Ostrvo Man, Škotska,Vels,Kornvol, Britanija
📖Čitalo se mesecima, s pauzama, najviše zbog mnoštva imena junaka i mesta- kako su se nekada zvali, kako se ime menjalo kroz vekove, gde se nalaze neke lokacije.
📖I mitovi i istorija u jednom.
📖Od junačkih priča (keltski bogovi i junaci, arturske legende) preko Halloween i Otherworld mitova,do nekih koje umnogome podsećaju na svima nam poznate bajke.
📖Omiljeni su mi baš ti bajkoviti, a najviše ih ima u poglavlju Cornwall, zbog mešanja uticaja. Za neupućene,Cornwall vam je šlep na haljini gospođe Britanije koji se vuče za njom kroz Atlantski okean 😁
📖Zanimljivo, ali očekujte mnogo podataka i spremite se na sporo čitanje
📖Stvarno je mamutska-obimna i sveobuhvatna
📖37 priča podeljenih u šest grupa s kratkim uvodom pre svake oblasti-Irska, Ostrvo Man, Škotska,Vels,Kornvol, Britanija
📖Čitalo se mesecima, s pauzama, najviše zbog mnoštva imena junaka i mesta- kako su se nekada zvali, kako se ime menjalo kroz vekove, gde se nalaze neke lokacije.
📖I mitovi i istorija u jednom.
📖Od junačkih priča (keltski bogovi i junaci, arturske legende) preko Halloween i Otherworld mitova,do nekih koje umnogome podsećaju na svima nam poznate bajke.
📖Omiljeni su mi baš ti bajkoviti, a najviše ih ima u poglavlju Cornwall, zbog mešanja uticaja. Za neupućene,Cornwall vam je šlep na haljini gospođe Britanije koji se vuče za njom kroz Atlantski okean 😁
📖Zanimljivo, ali očekujte mnogo podataka i spremite se na sporo čitanje
December 23, 2020
I have to admit that I found several of these myths very heavy to read, and at times, utterly dull. Still, the insight that this collection gives with regards to Celtic mythology cannot be understated. The stories are plentiful and important, historically speaking.
July 31, 2021
Wonderful collection of tales (some stories better than others), highly recommended for mythology fans.
I wish I had an audio for this, I could not pronounce about 97% of the names...
I wish I had an audio for this, I could not pronounce about 97% of the names...
November 26, 2015
Celtic Myths by Peter Ellis is a fascinating read for two main reasons. One, it introduces us to a less known but immensely rich folklore or mythology of the Celts. Second, he writes the book well and gives informative prefaces for us to better understand the stories that we read.
The book is full of short stories about the gods and monsters of he Celtic Lore. For people who are unfamiliar with the Celts and their mythology this book is a wonderful source of information. The author has divided the books geographically into six sections, each dealing with a particular branch of Celtic regions.
Since most fantasy books are based on either Greek or Norse mythology, all the stories are fresh and interesting. Recommended to fantasy fans and people who love to read about mythology.
The book is full of short stories about the gods and monsters of he Celtic Lore. For people who are unfamiliar with the Celts and their mythology this book is a wonderful source of information. The author has divided the books geographically into six sections, each dealing with a particular branch of Celtic regions.
Since most fantasy books are based on either Greek or Norse mythology, all the stories are fresh and interesting. Recommended to fantasy fans and people who love to read about mythology.
April 27, 2020
At first, I wondered why there were so few reviews on this book. Then, I realized why. The mammoth 'extremely-long-title' book is just that. Extremely long. The author, though aiming for a linguistic and literary complex vocabulary, fails to keep the reader (me) hooked. It gives an explanatory introduction of Celtic myths, legends, and traditions. But it goes too far for my taste. The flashbacks were at times completely confusing and the constant change of names of the heroes made me have troubles to keep track of every character in each short story. Pity. I like ancient stories a lot. I am a huge fan of Ancient Egypt and Greece so I expected a lot from Celtic stories. However, I have not enjoyed it as much as I wanted to.
September 30, 2011
This is my type of book! I love the folklore that the Celts bring to the table. You actually get into the stories. The book reminded me of "The Mabinogion." If you're into folklore, then you'll love this. If you're a writer, then you'll love this because you'll get loads of ideas. It's a good bedside book.
April 13, 2013
Amazing book really on the collection of myths and legends of Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Breton celts. A very enjoyable book and I would be very interested in reading more by Peter Berresford Ellis.
November 19, 2020
Took me a while to read, but the tales are quite interesting, filled with mighty warriors, fair maidens, witches, and such
October 6, 2014
Nice read with entertaining stories. I loved the introduction on the development of language and Celtic culture. I also really enjoyed the preface to each chapter which detailed the particular culture and it's own quirks and history. I also enjoyed reading lesser known tails, being Irish I am familiar with the Irish tales but not those from Brittany or the Isle of Man.
Only negative was that the stories were repetitive but that is the nature of the stories themselves, rather than the fault of the book I feel.
Only negative was that the stories were repetitive but that is the nature of the stories themselves, rather than the fault of the book I feel.
August 17, 2011
This is an excellent and well researched collection of re-told Celtic myths. This is a perfect read for someone who is interested in the Celtic legends but does not have time to sit down and do their research. Ellis is a top authority in Celtic legend so you can be sure these stories are authentic. The book is divided into each story as its own chapter. The stories have little or no connection with each other and therefore are easy to read and enjoy individually.
June 3, 2015
Clear, image focused writing which makes for pleasant reading at any time. Ellis captures the repetitive and name centered aspects of oral tradition quite well; however, sometimes this can become tedious, and some of the tales drag on longer than others. I found the sections on Ireland and the Isle of Man to be particularly entertaining and well told. I would recommend this book to anyone with a general interest in Celtic legend, and to anyone looking for an aesthetically pleasing read.
February 21, 2016
This is an excellent resource of Celtic Mythology! It can be a bit much to read in content and the spacing is really tight all through the book. My eyes had some trouble keeping track of where I was due to this design choice, but the short stories were well chosen and written. This includes a huge range of stories with a lot of important Celtic characters. A very good place to start or return to for an overview of important Celtic elements.
December 11, 2014
Mostly pleasurable to read, if a bit repetitive by the end. Some of Beresford's writing habits become less endearing as the book progresses (and it is quite long). Also, almost all the stories he has selected blend together by the end--I wouldn't be able to tell you the differences between them if I tried. Still, as bedtime reading it was adequate and not without enjoyment.
June 9, 2020
I really enjoyed myself with this book. It's been so long since I sat down with a good book of mythology -- not since I was a child, in fact -- and I really forgot how much I love such tales.
This is a wonderful collection of stories, varying widely and encompassing all different lengths; each section is accompanied with a short introduction that outlines the history of the folklore and a little about how the stories have survived and been translated. The stories themselves are told exactly how you would expect to read a fairy tale -- conversational and enthusiastic, with all the grand language and magic you'd want. There's just something really delightful about this book; it has some of the wonder of childhood in it.
Of course this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the folklore from these cultures, and there's an extensive list of recommended further reading at the end. It's a wonderful introduction, though, and I found it so enjoyable that I'll definitely be checking out some of the books listed. Even if you're already familiar with the folklore of the countries included, it would be worth a read. The stories are so detailed and the writing is quick and energetic and whimsical.
This is a wonderful collection of stories, varying widely and encompassing all different lengths; each section is accompanied with a short introduction that outlines the history of the folklore and a little about how the stories have survived and been translated. The stories themselves are told exactly how you would expect to read a fairy tale -- conversational and enthusiastic, with all the grand language and magic you'd want. There's just something really delightful about this book; it has some of the wonder of childhood in it.
Of course this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the folklore from these cultures, and there's an extensive list of recommended further reading at the end. It's a wonderful introduction, though, and I found it so enjoyable that I'll definitely be checking out some of the books listed. Even if you're already familiar with the folklore of the countries included, it would be worth a read. The stories are so detailed and the writing is quick and energetic and whimsical.
March 24, 2020
DNF at 16%
The Love of Fand was just a goddamn mess of a story and it wasn't even compellingly written. I read a few of the other stories, none of which were especially entertaining or well-written, so I'm just gonna take the L on this one.
I'm really disappointed, I love mythology and really enjoyed the episodes about Cu Chulainn in the podcast Myths & Legends (highly recommend that podcast by the way) and decided to try reading this as I had seen it floating around in the past when I was looking for Celtic mythology recs. Ironic that it's the Cu Chulainn story in this book that made me decide to put it down.
I appreciate the authors efforts, and Celtic mythology definitely deserves to share some of the spotlight with the more popular myths out there, but... I'm not going to put myself through reading something I'm not enjoying.
Maybe I'll eventually continue, but for now I'm putting it down.
The Love of Fand was just a goddamn mess of a story and it wasn't even compellingly written. I read a few of the other stories, none of which were especially entertaining or well-written, so I'm just gonna take the L on this one.
I'm really disappointed, I love mythology and really enjoyed the episodes about Cu Chulainn in the podcast Myths & Legends (highly recommend that podcast by the way) and decided to try reading this as I had seen it floating around in the past when I was looking for Celtic mythology recs. Ironic that it's the Cu Chulainn story in this book that made me decide to put it down.
I appreciate the authors efforts, and Celtic mythology definitely deserves to share some of the spotlight with the more popular myths out there, but... I'm not going to put myself through reading something I'm not enjoying.
Maybe I'll eventually continue, but for now I'm putting it down.
February 20, 2021
Enjoyable and well-researched. I didn't quite finish it as it drifted off into the myths and legends of ALL the celtic tribes, I was only really interested in the Irish ones. But for those, it gave a great overview.
I also really enjoyed the academic introduction and the basing of the various myths within a larger context of celtic language, history, social movements and its roots back to a shared central indo-european cultural heritage. I, for one, didn't know there was such overlap between the language and culture of the Celts in Ireland and the Hindus of India...
I also really enjoyed the academic introduction and the basing of the various myths within a larger context of celtic language, history, social movements and its roots back to a shared central indo-european cultural heritage. I, for one, didn't know there was such overlap between the language and culture of the Celts in Ireland and the Hindus of India...
September 23, 2023
I read this book to gain more knowledge of Celtic myths and legends. I did so because much of modern fantasy has figures from these areas in it and I wanted to understand those characters more completely. I accomplished this and also enjoyed reading this book very much. I recommend it to anybody interested in Celtic myths and legends.
November 23, 2019
Anticlimactic tales. Failed allegories. A disappointment.
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December 30, 2024Final book for the year!
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