Celtic Myths and Legends (Paperback)

by T. W. Rolleston (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Masterful retelling of Irish and Welsh stories and tales of the Ultonian and Ossianic cycles, the voyage of Maeldun, and the myths and tales of the Cymry (Welsh). Favorite and familiar stories of Cuchulain, King Arthur, Deirdre, the Grail, many more. First paperback edition. 58 full-page illustrations. Genealogical Tables.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (November 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486265072
• ISBN-13: 978-0486265070
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #545,097 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good analysis but not good story telling., November 4, 1999

By	June G. Fearn (Anaheim, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This book provides a good scholarly overview of the old Irish myths. However, if you are looking for a good book with which to learn the myths or to read to your children, this is not it. What it gains in analysis it loses in storytelling. A good book but only to a point.

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Actually, 4 and a half stars, December 25, 2001

By	J. S. Valdes "nemmo" (Santiago, Region Metropolitana Chile) - See all my reviews

Excellent, accurate and detailed work of research. The author has done his homework and reviewed many original sources to give us an awesome insight on the life of the celts and their mithology.

However i didn't give it 5 stars for some political reasons:

1) The author tries every once in a while to "prove" the arian lineage of the celts (it seems that his favorite image of the celts is one of tall, blonde people, when everybody knows that celts were in a rather wide range of height, hair and skin colors).

2) The author blames the druids for the decline in celtic civilization (he considers them more an anchor than the engine behind technological and geopolitical advancements).

3) His vision of the world is a Western vision, not a celtic vision. He speaks about the "menacing and horrifying world of supernatural and Nature" (i'm not sure if that's the correct phrase since i have the spanish translation), something that's opposed to the point of view within the legends.

However, if you can read the book "with a grain of salt", you'll find a treasure of knowledge, well balanced by the independent view of a great researcher.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential Text for studying Celtic Culture, April 22, 2003

By	"lilwolf22" (Central Florida) - See all my reviews

This book, written about 1911 and reproduced many times, is an important historical and mostly complete view of the Celtic people, their culture, legends, religion, and relation to their influence on the development of western civilisation. However, this is not a book for light reading or for those with limited reading capability. It was written in the scholastic style, prevalant at the time. It is somewhat like a textbook, and was probably intended for collegiate or theological education. What makes this book important to anyone wishing to learn about the Celtic peoples, is the very accurate depiction of the myths and characters that comprise the Celtic pantheon. It not only depicts the mythology, but a very accurate depiction of the historical and cultural development of the Celts throughout Europe. It is well suited to individuals engaged in learning about pagan beliefs, or undergoing study of Celtic mystical belief systems for their spiritual development. Serious readers should not be inhibited from completion of this book, due to it's somewhat difficult and scholastic prose. If you want to learn all the necessary legends that influenced the development of modern Irish, Welsh, Scottish, and (partially) British culture, this book is an essential addition to your library. For more specific information on Celtic witchcraft, Druidic lifestyle, or current adaptations of Celtic paganism, more modern and specific texts would be needed for further study.