NEW Gaelic British Irish Celtic Epics, Myth & Legend King Arthur Conan Fenians

Description

Celtic Myth and Legend by Charles Squire.
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DESCRIPTION:
Softcover: 480 pages. Publisher: Dover; (2003).
Now back in print for the first time in many years is one of the most comprehensive studies of Celtic mythology legend and poetry ever written, presenting the entire enthralling panorama of the mythical and legendary traditions of the ancient Gaelic and British Celts. Here, in clear, compact, readable form are stories of all the chief characters of Celtic myth: the Gaelic gods and the giants they battled; the "Champions of the Red Branch" of Ulster, heroes of the great "Irish Iliad;" Finn and the Fenians; and the gods and heroes of the ancient Britons, down through the great deeds of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
You will find the original adventures of such great heroes and heroines as Cuchulainn, Diarmait, Conan, Ossian, Emer, Dierdre, Rhiannon, and Bran. These legendary figures and their epics of magic and might greatly influenced the writing of such authors as Yeats, Dunasny, Eddison, Kenneth Morris, Tolkien, and Robert E. Howard. Today, amid the revival of interest in Celtic myth and legend, many writers are again drawing heavily on these tales of ancient Britain and Ireland. Here is a book that covers the entire spectrum of this fascinating area of folklore, with numerous illustrations. It is not a book for scholars only, but for anyone who is interested in the roots of many of the world's finest plays, poems, short stories and novels.
CONDITION: NEW. New oversized softcover. Dover Publications (2003) 480 pages. Unblemished, unmarked, pristine in every respect. Pages are pristine; clean, crisp, unmarked, unmutilated, tightly bound, unambiguously unread. Satisfaction unconditionally guaranteed. In stock, ready to ship. No disappointments, no excuses. PROMPT SHIPPING! HEAVILY PADDED, DAMAGE-FREE PACKAGING! #1966.
PLEASE SEE IMAGES BELOW FOR SAMPLE PAGES FROM INSIDE OF BOOK.
PLEASE SEE PUBLISHER, PROFESSIONAL, AND READER REVIEWS BELOW.
PUBLISHER REVIEW
:
REVIEW: This splendid compilation of tales offers a perfect introduction to the colorful pageant of Celtic myth. Its wondrous stories range from the oft-told deeds of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table to the less-familiar adventures of the mighty Finn and his Fenians, Ulster's Champions of the Red Branch, and other heroic figures from the Gaelic pantheon. Tracing the exploits of kings and saints back to their earliest origins, the author reveals the pagan roots beneath medieval Christianity and follows the transformation of these stories into the fairy tales of the Victorian age. Reader-friendly, this volume makes an ideal steppingstone on the path toward the magic cauldron of Celtic myth.
PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS
:
REVIEW: Celtic Myth and Legend is one of the most comprehensive studies of Celtic myth, legend, and poetry ever written. This celebrated, classic compendium is now in a new edition. It sets the ancient tales of gods and heroes in the context of the burgeoning interest among spiritual seekers of all persuasions in the ancient Celtic mythical and legendary traditions. Included within “Celtic Myth and Legend” are stories of all the chief characters of Celtic myth. The Gaelic gods and the giants they battled. The "Champions of the Red Branch" of Ulster. The heroes of the great "Irish Iliad”. The Finn and the Fenians. The gods and heroes of the ancient Britons. The emergence of King Arthur and his great deeds, along with his Knights of the Round Table.
REVIEW: This splendid compilation of tales offers a perfect introduction to the colorful pageant of Celtic myth. Its wondrous stories range from the oft-told deeds of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table to the less-familiar adventures of mighty Finn and his Fenians, and Ulster's Champions of the Red Branch.
REVIEW: One of the most comprehensive studies of Celtic mythology, legend, and poetry ever written. Backgrounds of Celts, ancient Britons, and druids precede expert and entertaining recounting of the tales of such fascinating figures as Cuchulain. Blodeuwedd, Branwen and Fenn.
READER REVIEWS
:
REVIEW: Many of our roots run deep into Celtic Myth and Legend. The Tuatha de Dannan, their cycle of the Year and many of our holiday names are derived from the Celtic. But how much does the average pagan know about the stories from whence these things came? How many know the story of Lugh, or the men of Ulster, or even who the Gods of the Britain's were? We may know a fragment here or a passage there, but many of the really good stories go untold.
Mr. Charles Squire has collected some of these stories from the old texts and put them in one place for us to read, without us having to sort through a myriad of books to get just the right ones. I found his selection to be very deliberate in choosing the stories that epitomize Celtic Mythology. The stories of the Tuatha de Dannan are the foundation of the Celtic Traditions, and from these sprout the Fairy Trads as well. The story of the Kings of Tara is also a good choice for it is part of Gaelic/Irish traditions.
I have always liked the stories of King Cormac and Finn mac Coul. Balor and his daughter, Gwen and Gwyddneu, Manawyddan and the early stories of King Arthur all evoke pictures of heroes and heroines. If you do not have a collection of Celtic Myths and Legends, then pick this one up. The selection of stories is excellent and gives a good overall picture of the wonderful stories from the Celts. If you already have a book or two, as I do, then supplement your collection with this one. Each of the books I have contain stories that are similar, but there are always the different ones that can not be found elsewhere.
REVIEW: Charles Squire’s “Celtic Myths and Legends” reminds us of a classic truth; that being that the more we think we're different from each other, the more we are the same. The book also reminds us that certain things about human nature don't change. Using a mix of scholarly research and the retelling of ancient Celtic myths, Squire examines how ancient Celtic gods and magical beings expanded, contracted, grew, disappeared, and reappeared in popular culture from the time people arrived in the British Isles and France to the present. He suggests that with each wave of immigrants, Celts, Vikings, Germans, Romans, Christians, new beliefs mingled with old. New gods replaced old, but ancient ideas lingered.
Looking at story themes, plots, characters, and icons, Squire illustrates how these thoughts have come down to us today. I liked this book for that reason. When I finished reading it, I felt connected to ancient people. I also felt connected to modern people because the stories embodied in myth are universal. “Celtic Myth and Legend” is also a book I can read on several levels. If I want to read some neat stories, I can pull it off the shelf. If I want a good of example of how scholars compare and contrast legends and draw conclusions about their origins, I can grab this volume. If I would like to simply be reminded of my humanity, I can thumb though these pages. It is a wonderful reference book for the scholar, storyteller, or person who has more than idle curiosity about old tales.
REVIEW: This book is a classic, and is one of the best collections of Celtic myth on the market, maybe the best. Everyone who is a mythophile or a Celtophile should have a copy of this. That said, it isn't perfect, although most of the flaws in it can be traced to the time in which it was written (1912). Squire loves the Celts' stories, but tends to present the people themselves as bloodthirsty savages in dire need of Christianity to "civilize" them. Again, this may just be a product of Squire's times; he might have had to bash paganism just to get his book published in those days. I don't know. But if you can take his bias with a grain of salt, this is an excellent resource for anyone interested in Celtic myth.
REVIEW: Druids do not have a "Bible" as such but good mythology collections are a good source of similar reference detailing the various gods and semi-god/heroes of the pantheon. Squire's book is possible the oldest of these collections currently in print, dating to 1905. It's a wonderful collection covering the gamut of the Celtic experience from Irish to British and is well organized and planned. It's only faults lie in some of the suppositions of the author, but these are understandable considering he is working from scholarly sources which would now be over 100 years old. But overall the book is a treasure and a worthy addition to anyone's mythology collection.
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