Irish fairy stories and folk tales ireland has a rich heritage of folk tales and fairy stories dating back over thousands of years. Faeries exist in some form in mythology all over the world but hold a special importance. Synge 1912 pb a travelogue of rural ireland at the turn of the 19th century. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone. Folklore and the fantastic in twelve modern irish ireland has a rich mythological tradition that stretches back for centuries, and much of this folklore tells tales of the fantastic. The crock of gold by james stephens 1912 pb a novel based on irish folklore. Sidhe faerie folk find out what sidhe means and the different beliefs that can be found in ireland. Posted by in irish bestseller lists as the coronavirus covid19 hits europe this week, our thoughts go out to all those affected by the illness, directly or indirectly. In short, if you want an introduction to the irish character, what makes the irish what they are, you can do far worse than this volume of authentic irish folklore by perhaps one of the last of the great shenaches, padraic colum.
Many of them concern great heroes like the legendary warrior cuchulain, or the mythical giant fin mccool. From folklore to fairy tales, storytelling is a staple of irish cultureso its no surprise that those rugged green hills are the birthplace of gifted writers. You might be thinking, should we really lump celtic myths with irish tales. The story of the irish race history of ireland the archaeology of ancient ireland irish timeline and history irish historical maps chronology of irish history. The irish leprechaun or wee folk the most famous legends to come from ireland. Four famous irish folklore stories claddagh design. The stories in this manuscript are a part of the ulster cycle of irish mythology. The leprechaun is likely the most widely known type of fairy living in ireland. Edmund leamy, a famous folklorist, published his first collection of irish fairy tales in 1889. Hilda roderick ellis davidson was one of the giants of the scholarly study of the mythology and religion of the norse and other germanic peoples. Stories of fairies playing pranks, warriors with ultimate knowledge and a lot other irish myths and legends are strange. Irish folklore has been best preserved in rural areas for example the irish wake traditions of whiskey, snuff and music illustrated here. In short, if you want an introduction to the irish character, what makes the irish what they are, you can do far worse than this volume of authentic irish folklore by perhaps one of.
Traditional irish folklore a central aspect of irish folklore is the wealth of traditional beliefs and superstitions which have been held by irish people over the centuries. So take a look below at the scariest beings from irish folklore, and hope that you dont run into any of them on your way to the pub this march 17th. Can anyone recommend a really good collection of irish fairy tales, legends and. Theres no questioning that the leprechaun is irelands most prolific myth. Website for irish and celtic literature, mythology, and folklore, including fairy tales, mythological hero tales, and study resources. This book is a lot of fun in learning the folklore, but its also educational because learning the folklore history helps with understanding the people. Discover book depositorys huge selection of childrens books online. A beautifully illustrated work which brings together the myths, legends and folklore associated with native irish trees.
Irish folklore contains many magical stories of gods, warriors and even leprechauns. Here are just some of our favourite folklore stories and legends from ireland. The following mysteries deliver fast paced action coupled with commentary on contemporary irish. Weve picked out a few of our favourite irish folklore stories that have been passed down for centuries. Top ten stories and figures from irish mythology 1. The low sunlight, when it does appear through clouded skies, casts long shadows. The best irish books arent necessarily confined to the literary fiction shelves. Top 10 irish myths and legends famous irish folklore. Weve picked out a few of our favourite irish folklore. Eddie lenihan is a well know irish story teller and has many books published including childrens tales. The collection of celtic folktales consists of nine books with 249 stories. Yvonne carroll, robin lawrie folklore stories, celtic mythology.
As a superstitious nation folklore has captured the imagination of many magical irish folklore stories of gods, warriors and even leprechauns. The collection of irish stories is, by itself, worth the price of the book. Ie is an irish based online bookstore offering a wide diverse range of books, new releases, bestsellers, bargains and rare books, with worldwide delivery. The darkening atmosphere has influenced folk superstitions, ghost stories and many famous irish gothic writers, revealing tales of vampires, malevolent ghosts. The 10 best celtic mythology books norse mythology for. Contains the legends of king arthur and his knights, told to.
As it drifts into winter ireland often becomes a place of twilight with its quickly shortening days and long dark nights. Make sure to add these irish classics to your reading list. Storytelling is the worlds oldest form of entertainment and our storytellers are passionate about sharing their art with you. The scariest creatures from irish folklore comet tv. That must be why in rural ireland today, you can still hear oldtimers tell stories about ghosts, fairies, and sea monsters, making the emerald isle out to be a pretty terrifying place. My regret is that they have not published more and that some of their folklore books seem out of print. I enjoyed this book and i am happy to recommend it.
Irish folklore books ireland folklore books mercier press. The long history of ireland is replete with ancient folklore and mythology. The irish cinderlad by shirley climo, darling jim by christian mork, the seven tales of trinket by shelley moore thomas. The scotch irish in america tells the story of how the hardy breed of men and women, who in america came to be known as the scotch irish, was forged in the north of ireland during the seventeenth century. Free delivery worldwide on over 20 million books we use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Browse bestsellers, new releases and the most talked about books. Cu chulainn was the most prominent of hero of ulster and his story is told largely in within the ulster cycle of irish mythology. Irish fairy stories and folk tales ireland calling. Irish folk tales have a simplistic beauty in the way they capture the spirit and pulse of the people.
If you are arriving in dublin i would recommend visiting hodges figgis they have an excellent collection of folklore books. Search the worlds most comprehensive index of fulltext books. Book depository is the worlds most international online bookstore offering over 20 million books with free delivery worldwide. Fairy tales and stories of enchantment from ireland, scotland, brittany, and wales irish books, mythology books, adult fairy tales, celtic gifts. Kids stories irish culture and customs world cultures. A collection of the most famous irish myths and legends, simply retold and beautifully illustrated.
Online shopping from a great selection at books store. A lucky list of celtic mythology and irish legends for. Other important sources include a group of four manuscripts originating in the west of ireland in the late 14th or early 15th century. Although definitely geared towards children, and god blessed the irish can teach even adults. Most of her books, such as gods and myths of northern europe and the lost beliefs of northern europe, were written for a general audience, and theyve delighted. Irelands ancient societies, the celtics, and the druids believed in magical powers and these beliefs have been carried forward to this day. Finn maccool fionn mac cumhaill finn mccool was the. See more ideas about irish, books and childrens books. What could be better than a day dedicated to encouraging folks to pick up a book. Its full and parttime collectors, its special collection initiatives such as the schools scheme 19378, 6 and its extensive network of questionnaire correspondents, enabled a vast amount of folklore to be amassed over the decades. Its history of bloodshed and tragedy features in tarquin blakes book haunted ireland 2015, which debunks many popular irish ghost stories and illuminates the more reliable ones. From james joyce to edna obrien, many of literatures finest claim ireland as their homeland.
Both brave warriors were undefeatable in battle and both were demigods. The great irish hero cu chulainn is to irish mythology, what achilles is to greek mythology. Legends and stories of ireland, to which is added illustrations of national proverbs and irish sketches. The irish folklore commission was a remarkably successful institution. Jeremiah curtin and william henry frost also researched irish folk tales and authored fairy tale books, which were well received by the public. The children of lir is a well known legend that can be recounted by ay irish school child and most adults too. Irish authors have also put murder at the center of their moody family dramas. The yellow book of lecan, the great book of lecan, and the book of ballymote. Patrick, including legends and folklore about the saint along with his actual history. The irish word for storyteller is seanchai, meaning a bearer of old lore or old thoughts the storyteller provides the words to engage your imagination, creating your own personal experience of irish history and irish folklore. Fairies are the embodiment of something mystical and are strongly rooted in celtic. For many years stories were not written down, instead they were passed down through the generations by word of mouth. Even today, children still hear of some of these stories in school or in irish fairytale books. Preorder titles at great prices from your favorite authors.
129 266 1371 171 257 1585 1562 1334 1443 461 548 1076 760 885 34 369 984 1205 773 118 1467 1106 175 892 423 191 1281 1473 1465 122 1027 1268 838 460 1105 1356 1486 1411 1127 1353 609 1327 1377 320