Product Description

Developed from an early oral storytelling tradition dating back to the dawn of European culture, this is one of the oldest and most vibrant of Europe's mythologies. From all six Celtic cultures - Irish, Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Manx and Breton - Peter Berresford Ellishas included popular myths and legends, as well as bringing to light exciting new tales which have been lying in manuscript form, untranslated and unknown to the modern general reader. The author brings not only his extensive knowledge of source material but also his acclaimed skills of storytelling to produce an original, enthralling and definitive collection of Celtic myths and legends - tales of gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines, magical weapons, fabulous beasts, and entities from the ancient Celtic world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37989 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 536 pages

Review
"- 'Good bedtime stories for all the family.' Hilary Boyd, The Daily Express - 'Employs his skills as a storyteller, to ensure these tales remain fresh for another generation.' Grania McFadden, Belfast Telegraph - 'This book brings to life the oldest legends of these isles, in a style that will entertain young and old.' Robert Colbeck, Yorkshire Evening Post - 'This is an excellent introduction to the legends of all the Celtic traditions, treading a fine line between the accessible and the scholarly.' Linda McKee, Irish News

About the Author
Peter Berresford Ellis is a foremost authority on the Celts and the author of many books in the field including, Celt and Greek (1997), Celt and Roman (1998) and The Ancient World of the Celts (1998). Under the pseudonym Peter Tremayne he is the author of the bestselling Sister Fidelma murder mysteries set in Ireland in the 7th Century.

Customer Reviews

Fantastic read
An excellent book for those who just want something different to read at bedtime, or are seriously interested in Celtic literature. The book contains myths and legends from the six surviving Celtic cultures in the West: Breton, Manx, Scottish, Irish, Welsh and Cornish. Each section has an introduction by the author, explaining how he came across the stories he includes. The book also contains an extensive list of reading for those who wish to pursue Celtic literature. Very enjoyable and informative.

A sound, cheap introduction
I know another review blasts this book for not including as many stories are their irish mother knows, but I loved how this book was divided up into each celtic nation. If you're looking for just irish or just scottish or just welsh stories look elsewhere, if you're interested in stories outside of just a single nation this is a lovely book. It's a good starting point if you're not really sure of your interest or don't have many books of this type.

I also like the introductions to each section and story too. This book might not offer as many stories as some books but the author has obviously looked for stories that are not just from each nation but have a known historical context. As someone with an archaeological background it's nice to know I'm reading stories that are actually old rather than just folk stories. The bibliography contains lots of probably out of print books, but it is long and you're almost certain to find other books through it.

The writing style isn't the best in the world but I have honestly read much much worse. If you already have plenty of books on this subject you can probably safely give this one a miss, but if you have an interest and not lots of books I can recommend it.

What a good read!
I haven't read a stroy book this good at bedtime since I was a kid! Great stories, easy to read, suitable if you are studying history, just have an interest or want a good book to read in bed or even to the children!