Customer Reviews

Celtic Tales, Told to the Children

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There are three tales in this short volume, none really fit for children, for all are sad stories, as the author himself recognizes. The number three occurs in each of the tales frequently. Each is filled with magic. Each has some resemblance to biblical tales. Each has a woman who is wise or very decisive, who precipitates the events. Each concerns a woman who focuses foolishly on who she loves. Each ends with the death of the tale's hero.

In the first legend, The Star-eyed Deirdre, a wise man predicts to the king that a female child will be born who would be more beautiful than any other girl, but she would bring ruin the his kingdom. The king is unafraid. When the child is born, he orders that she be raised in a hut far from other people, especially men, because, he says, he intends to marry the beauty. But Deirdre, for such is her name, hears about a very handsome man, desires him, and finds a way to marry him. The king is outraged and is determined to get Deirdre for himself.

The second tale The Four White Swans concerns a step-mother who feels that her husband is neglecting her because of his love for his four children. She transforms her husband's children into swans and curses them to live three cycles of three hundred years, the last two in terrible conditions. They will only be delivered when certain events occur at the end of the nine hundred years.

The third story Dermat and Grania is about a king's daughter who rejects all suitors. But one day messengers bring her a marriage proposal from another king. She accepts the messenger's suit without thinking, as if she spoke in her sleep. When the king comes to claim her, she realizes her mistake and falls in love with one of his heroes. The two race together from the palace, and the king is determined to get her back.

simply horrid. any kind of editing would have been a boost. it is badly written, badly typset, making reading a painful chore, and the dry writing is simply terrible. skip it.

I just ordered this book on my kindle and it is NOT a book of celtic tales... It is a book of western campfire stories. Since this is not at all what i wanted to get I'm not thrilled.

This book has three celtic tales, I wouldn't tell these tales to children if are easily upset. Every story ends in a happiness right before they die. Other then these wounderful stories.

First, I would have no problem reading these stories to my children. The are somewhat along the lines of the original way Western storytelling was done, sometimes by troubadour or strolling minstrel. Then again we are getting ready to study the Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid. These works do not warp the mind but require it to stretch.

I enjoyed the stories and found plenty of moral teachings within or meat to serve as a moral thought. One example is in the first with the brothers three who decide they were raise as one group and would die as one group. No brother sacrificing another for the sake of his own skin. Family loyalty and responsibility, duty to each other as a priority, coming to the aid even when stupid mistakes are made as we all might do.

The second lesson from the first story is that life is a journey and we have some choices made for us and some we make ourselves. It is how we make the ones given to us that matters. Where do we get grounding for making our choices. Is it for good? Those qualities of self sacrifice, duty, love, honor, etc or are they born of selfishness, greed, conceit, or lust for vengeance? The idea is that it is not always the outcome or results that count. The results of our choices may not be within our capability to change but the choices themselves are where the true soul rests.

Okay, so if you have a mind to see the lessons within the reading you will enjoy the stories. If you want a happy ending for all your children's stories, don't tell them about real life, even though they inevitably will have to live one, stick with Disney. Then prepare for the depression in adulthood that strikes when lo and behold they can't figure out what life is all about and why it is so hard to make it day to day.

Life is deeper than a Hamburger.

I would have to say that I have no claim to the authenticity of whether or not these are really celtic fairy tales. The stories themselves are pretty good. The lessons one should learn from them are not very apparent if indeed they exist. the main reason I say that this is not for kids is that the archaic language will be hard for adults to even understand.

Haven't read it was given to my brother as a gift. I dont have the book. I dont plan on reading

Good book, but I got it because it is free, and am not qualified to give a review.