This splendidly illustrated study by the distinguished Celticist T.W.
Rolleston masterfully retells the great Celtic myths and illuminates the world
that spawned them.
Focusing principally on Irish myths, the book first takes
up the history and religion of the Celts, the myths of the Irish invasion and
early Milesian kings.
What follows is the pure enchantment as you enter the timeless world of
heroic tales centered around the Ulster king Conor mac Ness and the Red Branch
Order of chivalry (Ultonian cycle). These are followed by the tales of the
Ossianic cycle, which centered on the figure of Finn mac Cumhal, whose son Oisin
(or Ossian) was a poet and warrior, and the traditional author of most of the
tales. Next comes a summary of the Voyage of Maeldun, a brilliant and curious
piece of invention that exemplifies the genre of "wonder-voyage"; adventures
purely in the region of romance, out of early space and time. Finally, the
author recounts a selection of myths and tales of the Cymry (Welsh).
In these pages, readers will delight in the favorite and familiar tales of
Cuchulain, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, the Grail, Deirdre
and many more figures that haunt the shadowy, twilight world of Celtic legend.
The magic of that world is further brought to life in more than 50 imaginative
full-page illustrations by Stephen Reid, Arthur G. Bell and the famed
illustrator J.C. Leyendecker. Reprinted here in its first paperback edition,
Celtic Myths and Legends also includes several helpful genological
tables: Gods of the House of Don, Gods of the House of Llyr, and Arthur and His
Kin, as well as a useful glossary.
