Irish poet and mythologist Ella Young recounts 14 age-old yarns of ghosts, banshees, haunted castles, and mischievous sprites. Imaginatively illustrated by noted Irish artist and patriot Maud Gonne, these exciting narratives of magical doings in the twilit world of Celtic legend will enchant readers of all ages. The tales include "The Earth-Shapers," "The Spear of Victory," "The Cow of Plenty," "The Great Battle," "The Golden Fly," "The Children of Lir," and eight others, all abounding in the sly charm, whimsy, and flights of fancy that give Celtic folklore its special appeal.
Brigit ceased to sing, and there was silence for a little space in Tir-na-Moe. Then Angus said: "Strange are the words of your song, and strange the music: it swept me down steeps of air--down--down--always further down. Tir-na-Moe was like a dream half-remembered. I felt the breath of strange worlds on my face, and always your song grew louder and louder, but you were not singing it. Who was singing it?" "The Earth was singing it." "The Earth!" said the Dagda. "Is not the Earth in the pit of chaos? Who has ever looked into that pit or stayed to listen where there is neither silence nor song? " "O Shepherd of the Star-Flocks, I have stayed to listen. I have shuddered in the darkness that is round the Earth. I have seen the black hissing waters and the monsters that devour each other--I have looked into the groping writhing adder-pit of hell." The light that pulsed about the De Danaan lords grew troubled at the thought of that pit, and they cried out: "Tell us no more about the Earth, O Flame of the Two Eternities, and let the thought of it slip from yourself as a dream slips from the memory." "O Silver Branches that no Sorrow has Shaken," said Brigit, "hear one thing more! The Earth wails all night because it has dreamed of beauty."
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Sixteen lively tales tell of giants rumbling down mountainsides, of a magic wand that turns stone pillars into warriors, of gods and goddesses, evil hags, powerful forces, and more.
Fairy tales are a rich element of childhood in many cultures around the world. But in Ireland, where they are known as wonder tales, these stories of magic and enchantment are not restricted to young audiences; Irish wonder tales are told to adults. So that the modern reader can fully appreciate them, Gose provides an interdisciplinary overview. He identifies a number of approaches – psychological, anthropological, structural, comparative, and typological.
An enchanting compilation of 14 folk stories of Celtic magic and legend. Includes "The Earth Shapers," "The Cow of Plenty," "The Golden Fly," "The Children of Lir," and ten more authentic tales.
Within this little volume you will find 10 unique folk tales and children's stories from the African mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. Here you will find the story of Takane, who, despite having an arranged marriage, became a happy and devoted wife. The tale of how Khosi chooses Polomahache (Crocodile Child) to be his wife and of Mokete and Morongoe the Snake and many more. Included in these tales are stories of the Sun Chief, evil Witchdoctors, or Ngaka, the equivalent of an Evil Wizard, spells being cast and broken and beautiful maidens being set free. There are also tales of malevolent chiefs who rule their people with a fist of iron, not caring how much innocent blood they shed - and how their comeuppance is delivered by the hero of the day. These tales were collected by Minnie Martin, wife of a Government Official, who came to South Africa and Basutoland, from England, in 1891. To enable a better understanding of the people and their customs, she began to study the language, collected these tales and became fairly fluent in the language. Because the Bantu peoples of Southern Africa had no written language, it must be noted that the first people to record the various languages (the Boers and the British) did so phonetically, writing the language as they heard it being spoken. Unlike most European languages, there has been no influence of Latin, Greek or Arabic, which makes the learning of those languages that little more difficult. Here you speak the word the way it is written e.g. Ngaka is read as In-gaa-kah, Takane as Tak-aan-eh, Khosi as Koh-see etc So sit back and enjoy this unique collection of tales, customs and lore from a little known place, unseen or heard in the West for many generations. 33% of the net profit will be donated to SENTEBALE - a charity supporting children in Lesotho orphaned by AIDS.
This book provides a comprehensive and field-defining examination of the study of religions in Ireland. By bringing together some of the foremost experts on religions in an Irish context, it critically traces the development of an important field of study and evaluates the thematic threads that have emerged as significant. It thereby offers an assessment of contemporary religions in Ireland and their relationships to society, culture, economics, politics and the State. Contributors make connections between topics as diverse as Ireland's Revolutionary Period, the formation of the Irish State, the decline of Catholicism, the rise of migrant religions and New Religious Movements and the effects of secularisation on religions and society. This book emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of the study of religions whilst illustrating the coherent themes that have shaped the development of the field in Ireland, making it unique.
Even the most elaborate Celtic pattern boils down to a few basic motifs (including spirals, swastikas, circles, "s" curves, knots, tau crosses, sun signs, etc.). This lavishly illustrated handbook of over 600 designs offers a key to the intricacies of Celtic decoration, showing how the judicious use of these simple symbols, motifs, or ideographs can be used to develop newer and more ambitious patterns to meet the requirements of modern decorative art. Over 600 black-and-white illus.
