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Legends and Sagas England Buy CD-ROM Buy Books about Celtic Folklore
Some of these books and texts are translations of Celtic legends and sagas; others are retellings of the material, folklore, or literary works based on Celtic themes. During the 19th and early 20th Century there was a resurgence of interest in the folklore of Ireland, Wales and Scotland. This was reflected in a huge amount of literature based on the rich Celtic mythopoetic heritage, most of it very faithful to the original material, some in a more modern voice. A good number of these files were originally scanned by Phillip Brown for his (now defunct) Celtic Folklore website. These are indicated by [PB]. Celtic Midi files Music to listen to while you read Celtic folklore. Ireland
The Voyage of Bran
Lady Augusta Gregory was a close collaborator with W.B. Yeats, the Irish poet
and mystic. These three books are her retellings of Irish mythology and
folklore, and are among the best of the genre.
Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry Edited and Selected by W. B. Yeats [1888] The Celtic Twilight by W.B. Yeats [1893 and 1902] This short book of essays by Yeats is a must-read. In The Seven Woods by W. B. Yeats [1903] A short book of poetry and a play by Yeats on Irish mythological themes. Later Poems by W. B. Yeats [1922] Some of Yeats' best known poetry. Legends and Stories of Ireland by Samuel Lover [1831, 1834] [PB] An early 19th century collection of comic Irish short stories. The Irish Sketch-book by William Makepeace Thackeray [1845] [PB] A travelogue of Ireland of the 1840s, not much in the way of folklore, but good background information. Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland by Lady Francesca Speranza Wilde [1887] [PB] A volumnious collection of Irish folklore, including folk magic, not all of it authoritative. Myths and Folklore of Ireland by Jeremiah Curtin [1890] [PB] Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts by Patrick Kennedy [1891] [PB] A huge collection of Irish folklore and legends, up through Christian times. The Aran Islands by John M. Synge [1907] [PB] A travelogue of the Aran Islands with beautiful woodcut illustrations. Celtic Wonder Tales by Ella Young [1910] [PB] Beside the Fire by Douglas Hyde [1910] [PB] A scholarly collection of Irish folk stories. The Preface of this book reviews many of the books included on this page. The Crock of Gold by James Stephens [1912] [PB] A novel based on Irish folklore. In Wicklow and West Kerry by John M. Synge [1912] [PB] A travelogue of rural Ireland at the turn of the 19th Century. The King of Ireland's Son by Padraic Colum [1916] [PB] The Druid Path by Marah Ellis Ryan [1917] A collection of short stories set in ancient and modern Ireland by an American author. The Candle of Vision by AE (George William Russell) [1918] Essays on Celtic mysticism. Irish Fairy Tales by James Stephens [1920] [PB] Irish lore retold by a master storyteller. The Ancient Irish Goddess of War by WM Hennessey [1870] Wales
The Mabinogion
The Barddas of Iolo Morganweg Scotland
Carmina Gadelica, by Alexander Carmicheal
Popular Tales of the West Highlands, by J. F. Campbell by J. F. Campbell and George Henderson [1911] The ur-myth of the struggle with the dragon, told in fine Celtic form with giants, mermaids and sidhe. (English and Gaelic) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child [1882-1898]. The motherlode of ballad collections, including many variations on each ballad. The Poems of Ossian by James Macpherson [1773] Scottish Fairy and Folk Tales by Sir George Douglas [1773] Wonder Tales from Scottish Myth and Legend by Donald Alexander Mackenzie [1917] Notes on the Folk-Lore of the North-East of Scotland by Walter Gregor [1881] The Prophecies of the Brahan Seer by Alexander Mackenzie, intro. by Andrew Lang [1899] The tale of the famed Scottish clarivoyant and his amazing, and very specific, predictions. Brittany
Legends and Romances of Brittany Cornwall
Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, (Volume 1) ManxThe Phynodderree and Other Legends of the Isle of Manby Edward Callow [1882] The Folk-Lore of the Isle of Man by A.W. Moore [1891] Traces of the Norse Mythology in the Isle of Man by P.M.C. Kermode [1904] Celtic FairiesThese are texts and studies about Celtic fairies, elves, and other supernatural creatures (as opposed to fairytales, which are a different matter altogether). Some of the books listed here are listed elsewhere on this page. The Secret Common-Wealth of Elves, Fauns and FairiesBy Robert Kirk, 'Comment' by Andrew Lang [1893] This monograph, originally written in 1691, is a classic of Scottish fairy folklore. This etext was scanned from a very rare first printing of the Lang edition. Fairy Legends and Traditions by Thomas Crofton Croker [1825] [PB] A Peep at the Pixies by Anna Eliza Bray; Illustrations by Hablot K. Browne [1854]. [PB] The Fairy Mythology by Thomas Keightley [1870]. [PB] British Goblins by Wirt Sikes [1881] [PB] Despite the title, this book is actually a study of Welsh fairy folklore. The Phynodderree and Other Legends of the Isle of Man by Edward Callow [1882] Tales of the Dartmoor Pixies by William Crossing [1890]. [PB] The Science of Fairy Tales by Edwin Sidney Hartland [1891]. [PB] Tales of Fairies and of the Ghost World by Jeremiah Curtin [1895] [PB] The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries by W.Y. Evans-Wentz [1911] [PB] A serious study of Fairy folklore and mythology, with an ethnographic approach. The first book by Evans-Wentz, who later went on to translate many of the books of Tibetean Buddhism. Fairies by Gertrude M. Faulding [1913]. [PB] The Coming of the Fairies by Arthur Conan Doyle [1922] A study of the famous Cottingley fairy photographs, by the creator of Sherlock Holmes. General Studies
Survivals in Belief Among the Celts LinksCELT, the Corpus of Electronic Texts [External Site] is a scholarly and very comprehensive archive of Celtic texts. |
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