The Chronicles of the Celts: New Tellings of Their Myths and Legends [Hardcover]

Peter Berresford Ellis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999

The stirring sagas of gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines, enchanted weapons and fantastic beasts from all six Celtic cultures -- Irish, Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Manx, and Breton -- are retold from ancient times in a major new collection for a modern readership.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Compiling and retelling myths and legends from the six Celtic culturesAIrish, Manx, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish and BretonAis a task well suited to novelist and noted Celtic scholar Ellis (A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, etc.). Although, as Ellis explains, the Celts inhabited Britain long before the arrival of Christianity or the Anglo-Saxons, many tales came to incorporate Christian and Saxon themes: in one story here, Mac Cuil, a Celtic deity, converts to Christianity and becomes a saint. We owe to Celtic folklore the beginnings of both the classic love story of Tristan and Iseult, which is a "traditional Celtic elopement tale" (probably Cornish), and the legends of King Arthur, who was a "historical Celtic personality fighting for the independence of his people against the ravages of the Anglo-Saxons" (and who shows up mainly in the Welsh section here). Other stories tell of Lugh of the Long Hand, a preeminent Celtic god who was later demoted to a fairy craftsman called Lugh-Chromain, and finally relegated to the lowly leprechaun. The somewhat dry introduction and section prefaces examine several points of interestAfor example, the notable similarities between Celtic and Vedic mythology. The casual reader will be best entertained by diving into the legends themselves, which are colored with plenty of swordplay, hero quests, shape-shiftings and druidic sorcery. Line drawings, an index and an extensive list of further reading round out this vivid collection. BOMC and History Book Club selections. (Apr.) FYI: Ellis, under the pen name Peter Tremayne, is the author of the Sister Fidelma mystery series, set in seventh-century Ireland.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 544 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786706066
• ISBN-13: 978-0786706068
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,326,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well-presented piece of Celtic Reconstructionism!, August 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Chronicles of the Celts: New Tellings of Their Myths and Legends (Hardcover)

Peter Beresford Ellis has taken several Christianized sources for various Celtic myths and retold them as they might have sounded before the Christian influence appeared. If you're looking for translations of Celtic stories, this isn't the book for you; it is decidedly Reconstructionist in nature and not a historical retelling. The author's approach, however, is quite scholarly, and he makes a concerted effort to seperate the different Celtic cultures, each one represented by six distinct myths, which makes it easy to focus on your own family heritage. His writing has a biblical feel, a bit like a formal storyteller. For this reason, I believe The Chronicles of the Celts would be a good addition to the library of parents who are attempting to raise their children with a respect for their ancestry and their ancestor's gods. They are good stories, some of which contain references to sex and violence, but in the same inexplicit way the Bible does. (Remember "And Adam knew Eve..." And "David slew Goliath" ?) Each contains several life lessons. The women are strong and respected, the men are honorable yet with emotion, and the gods aren't petty and cruel. Their formal nature makes them good to read aloud at family celebrations of Celtic Holidays.

Note: You may want to learn to pronounce the Gaelic names before reading aloud. Some of them can be tricky the first time, but it's not necessary to enjoy the book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ellis scores well again!, June 9, 2000

By 

David Stabler "dwivian" (Marietta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Chronicles of the Celts: New Tellings of Their Myths and Legends (Hardcover)

Peter Beresford Ellis is obviously a scholar, as he collects together many stories and histories and presents them in a very readable style (though, as another reviewer has said, if you intend to read this aloud you should practice the names a few times in advance).

This text is quite different that Lady Gregory's _Of Gods and Fighting Men_, as it is less a retelling of ancient myths than an attempt to show the historical sides of the various families. Still, it is quite filled with legend, and a good read.

Share it with your children at bedtime!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, March 7, 2009

By 

Cheryl L. Boswell (Hammond, LA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Chronicles of the Celts: New Tellings of Their Myths and Legends (Hardcover)

The book, "The Chronicles of the Celts," is in perfect condition. Looks brand new. I'm very pleased. Peter Bereford Ellis is my favorite author on the Ancient Celts. The seller delivered as promised, and I will order from this store again.