Many American legends have Celtic origins. Each chapter in this fascinating book presents a Celtic myth and a similar American one. Celtic immigrants brought these legends to all regions of the U.S. Old-world mythology morphs into New World folklore. Curran recounts America's oldest legends and traces their origins to the Celtic mythology of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, presenting a similar old-world tale alongside each American version. Once transported to America, the original Celtic tales evolved to assimilate the new population's geographic, social, and religious customs, weaving their way into the fabric of American folk history.
Mysterious Celtic Mythology in American Folklore
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Given the continuing interest in all things Celtic, this absorbing book on American folklore should find an eager readership. An expert in Celtic myth, Curran examines stories of spooky places and people, finding themes and figures possibly brought over from Ireland and Scotland during the great migrations from those lands, especially to the southern and border states where many of the stories are set. In Tidewater County, South Carolina, for instance, a “gray man” walks the shores, either to protect those who see him or to indicate their coming deaths. A similar figure haunts shores in the ancient Celtic lands, appearing as Yan-an-Ord (John of the Dunes) in Brittany. One of the most interesting chapters deals with American vampire lore, tracing it back to the home of the original vampire writer, Dubliner Bram Stoker. Curran’s retelling of the famous American vampire tale of Sarah Tillinghast, who drank the blood of her siblings until they died, is masterfully chilling. A good choice for collections where readers fancy good storytelling about mysterious forces. --Patricia Monaghan
From the Inside Flap
When Celts from across Britain and Europe migrated to America in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, they brought with them religious beliefs and superstitions from the old world. These stories of spirits, fairies, demons, and other magical beings were adapted to suit the early settlers' new surroundings and transformed into what America thinks of as its earliest legends. From lost lands and hidden wealth to witches, vampires, and unexplained dark creatures, author Bob Curran takes the reader on a mythic tour of Celtic legend and its various embodiments in America. The story of Sarah Tillinghast and the vampires of Rhode Island is one of nineteen regionally defined tales included in this collection. Others explore poltergeists, the so-called second sight, the strange powers of conjure man Dr. Buzzard, and the alleged gateway to hell. The origins of such lore and their development in American legend reveal how a modern society still clings to the ancient consciousness that seeks to understand the mysterious world in which we live. Bob Curran is a prolific writer and an expert on Celtic culture and folklore. He has penned more than fifty books in eleven languages on mythology and history. Curran teaches in Ireland and gives speeches throughout Northern Europe and the United States on folklore and education. Born in Northern Ireland, he held a series of odd jobs- including gravedigger, journalist, script writer, mortuary attendant, and radio programmer-in the United Kingdom and the Americas before returning to his native land. Curran has also worked on underground publications, including Oz, a counterculture magazine in London, and as an educational and cultural adviser for the government of Ireland. He lives with his wife and family in Coleraine, County Derry, Northern Ireland.
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More About the Author
Bob Curran is a broadcaster, writer, teacher, and researcher he has written a number of books including Vampires, Encyclopedia of the Undead, Walking with the Green Man, Celtic Lore and Legend, and Lost Lands, Forgotten Realms, all published by New Page Books. Bob was born in a remote area of Northern Ireland and has held a number of jobs--grave-digger, journalist, musician, and hospital porter among them. He travelled in many parts of the world, exploring the cultures and traditions of other peoples before returning to Northern Ireland to take several University degrees. He currently lives in Northern Ireland with his wife and young family.
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