Customer Reviews

Myth, Legend, and Romance: An Encyclopaedia of Irish Folk Tradition

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This is a book I find myself turning to again and again for its wealth of information on such diverse topics as ancient Celtic sites, animals, saints, gods and warriors, Grace O'Malley, druids, and Jonathan Swift. The 'Guide to Language and Pronunciation' chapter alone will be invaluable to anyone who has ever struggled with Old and Middle Irish words in other works: an international phonetic guide is used in one column and an English language orthography in a third column, allowing anyone - perhaps for the first time! - an opportunity to understand the pronunciation of all those place-names and characters that may have been intimidating and annoying in other works without such a resource. The source material listed at the end of each entry is also very useful; any subject particularly interesting to a reader has references grouped right at hand for further reading and research. Though a far-ranging work, it's never dry: each entry is a delightful, informative reading experience, even for the casual reader. A favorite in my library for "things Celtic" and "things Irish."