Customer Reviews

Celtic Legends: Irish Legends

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This 50-minute tape starts with two historical pieces, and then introduces the two major epic sagas of ancient Ireland. Liberal use is made of high-quality footage of re-enactors in a Celtic village, and in combat with Roman soldiers, and there is some beautiful scenery thrown in, too. The first bit covers the basics of the life of St. Patrick, then they go back to the known beginnings of Celtic civilization at Halstatt, and from there cover the resistances of the Celts of Gaul against the Romans, then the major revolt of British Celts against Rome under Queen Boudicca. Next they finally get to Ireland where an Irish story-teller gives short versions of stories about the legendary Cuchualinn (Ulster cycle of epic tales), and then a shorter bit about Fionn MacChumhaill. Done well for how much ground they are trying to cover in 50 minutes. The story-teller knows his stuff and pronounces all the Old Irish names right, and is backed up by commentary from professors in Ireland and Britain, but in the limited timeframe he has, he talks about the stories while giving the basic plots as much as tells them dramatically per se. Good as an introduction to who the Celts were and the epic tales of Eirinn.