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61st out of 123 books
—
27 voters
Celtic Myths and Legends
This is an enchantingly told collection of the stirring sagas of gods and goddesses, fabulous beasts, strange creatures, and such heroes as Cuchulain, Fingal, and King Arthur from the ancient Celtic world. Included are popular myths and legends from all six Celtic cultures of Western Europe—Irish, Scots, Manx, Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. Here for the modern reader are the...more
Paperback, 612 pages
Published
January 27th 2003
by Running Press
(first published 1998)
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Developed from an early oral storytelling tradition dating back to the dawn of European culture, this is one of the oldest and most vibrant of Europe's mythologies. From all six Celtic cultures - Irish, Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Manx and Breton - Peter Berresford Ellishas included popular myths and legends, as well as bringing to light exciting new tales which have been lying in manuscript form, untranslated and unknown to the modern general reader. The author brings not only his extensive knowledg...more
This is an enchantingly told collection of the stirring sagas of gods and goddesses, fabulous beasts, strange creatures, and such heroes as Cuchulain, Fingal, and King Arthur from the ancient Celtic world. Included are popular myths and legends from all six Celtic cultures of Western Europe—Irish, Scots, Manx, Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. Here for the modern reader are the rediscovered tales of cattle raids, tribal invasions, druids, duels, and doomed love that have been incorporated into, and so...more
Jul 27, 2011
Jessie
added it
This was a great introduction to Celtic folklore and legends. I had hoped to learn more about gods and goddesses, and in that, I was disappointed. The introduction—a long, dry, heavily researched analysis of the evolution of Celtic language and stories—took me a while to trudge through, but it was absolutely fascinating. I didn’t enjoy the Irish stories nearly as much as the Welsh and Scottish stories. It was especially interesting to see the vastly different portrayals of women in each culture....more
Peter Berresford Ellis has certainly taken on a gargantuan subject and compiled an excellent introduction into the land of Celtic folklore, a subject which he is clearly passionate about. This collection is a must for anyone looking to learn more about the traditions and cultures of the Celtic nations although the author does seem to display a certain preference for the Irish tradition. That's great but I would have liked to have seen the other nations more equally represented. Having said that,...more
I'll be honest, my knowledge of Celtic mythology is spotty, and so I am not sure how well I can judge this collection in that respect. However, I found this book to be extremely enjoyable. The stories included were spectacular and enjoyable to read, and the author's deep and intimate knowledge of the subject matter really shone through in the introductions to the various sections. As I've said, I can't really compare this book to other surveys of Celtic mythology, but I would highly recommend it...more
This is an excellent and well researched collection of re-told Celtic myths. This is a perfect read for someone who is interested in the Celtic legends but does not have time to sit down and do their research. Ellis is a top authority in Celtic legend so you can be sure these stories are authentic. The book is divided into each story as its own chapter. The stories have little or no connection with each other and therefore are easy to read and enjoy individually.
This one took me awhile to finish, mostly because mythology is harder to read than modern fiction. And the book is quite long -- almost a hundred pages longer than goodreads thinks it is. The author has a good voice for telling mythological stories. He adds enough background to the story that it makes sense to a modern audience, and his voice is conversational. He also appears to be well steeped in British mythology -- a good scholar.
I didn't know much about British mythology before reading this...more
I didn't know much about British mythology before reading this...more
Even if you aren't into mythology; this is a wonderful book filled with Princess'; Kings, Queens and odd creatures. It's filled with short stories from the Celtic countries and regions: Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Brittany.
When I have children I'll read them several stories from this collection.
When I have children I'll read them several stories from this collection.
This collection of tales is well-written, and includes ancient stories from Ireland, Wales, Brittany, Manx, and Scots. I enjoyed the stories of the Tuatha De Danaan best and was left wanting more, but overall, this is one of the better books oc Celts and their wonderful myths.
A collection of myths and stories with which few are familiar. This isn't your typical, rehashed a thousand times over Greek and Roman myths. The stories are haunting, strange, and give you a good view into where both Tolkien and writers since have gotten a good deal of their material.
SOSOSOSOSOSO GOOD! If you want to know where children's fairytale writer got their ideas, this is where! I loved this book the stories are so amazing but not too too long where you can't take it anymore. SO GOOD! Read it, my favorite book of this type
I only give it two stars because Beresford-Ellis had an enjoyable style. Unfortunately, there is little accurate information here. The translations are often sketchy.
This is my type of book! I love the folklore that the Celts bring to the table. You actually get into the stories. The book reminded me of "The Mabinogion." If you're into folklore, then you'll love this. If you're a writer, then you'll love this because you'll get loads of ideas. It's a good bedside book.
Jul 13, 2010
Stephanie Reynolds
is currently reading it
Not only does this book discuss celtic myths/legends, it also provides a historic background of the Celts for context. I'm really enjoying it so far.
Not thrilled with the modernization. It reads like a bad young adult fiction novel. The story lines themselves are interesting, though. Gantz's collection was much better.
A wonderful collection of Celtic myth and lore. With some educated explanation. The stories at brown up into the different region that they originate from (Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England and Breton). A great way to get into Celtic myth out a good way to expand your story knowledge. A lot if classical story telling tropes are found here. Plenty of brave warriors, lovely princesses, evil wizards and monsters. A great book for engine but also a good book to read to a child that loves these kids...more
A very interesting collection of Celtic stories. It seemed like a pretty massive book, but all of the stories flew by.
The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Berresford Ellis (2003)
Ellis takes the guess work out of Celtic mythology, fleshing out old stories and characters, modernising language and organizing the stories by nation and chronologically. He does not get us lost in the names of gods and their feuds unless the backstory is important to know. Some tales I enjoyed more than others. The read more like folklore, stories from an oral tradition, than tales of the gods themselves. I could not imagien the readings, guesswork and paralells he had to draw to make this hap...more
His writing is very precise in explaining complex Celtic myths.
The fairy tales in this book were fun and interesting, but the introduction was fascinating. Who knew that Celtic languages have a close relationship with Sanskrit? An extra bonus for other people who loved the book Possession by A. S. Byatt: One of the legends included here is the Breton story of the City of Is, which is retold by Christabel in Possession.
This was a great collection of the Celtic Myths and Legends. Yup. :)
very wordy.
I am really enjoying this book. He knows his material and it's history well. Is true to his source. Also easy to read. Will spend alot of time taking notes and will get more books by Ellis. Reading Kalevala at the same time is an interesting comparison.
I've never read any versions of these stories before, as this book represents my first non-Arthurian venture into Celtic mythology, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing was simple and elegant, guiding the reader through the stories with ease. The introductions to each section, which some may find dry (and therefore skip) concisely provide a background for the myths of each region and give the reader more context.
Amazing book really on the collection of myths and legends of Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Breton celts. A very enjoyable book and I would be very interested in reading more by Peter Berresford Ellis.
Jan 02, 2010
Maya
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
To anyone interested in retelling of Celtic myths
Shelves:
celtic-mythology
For my full review please see my website: Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Ellis
Good general overview of some ancient Celtic lore. It's not Gods and Fighting Men, but it is easy for the reader who is not familiar with Celtic mythology to digest.
A brilliant collection of Celtic myths and legends covering all corners of the British Isles with enough background for new readers to enjoy each tale.
An excelent introduction to Celtic tradition, a mix between Mythology and forgotten lore. A great book to use as bedtime's story telling.
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Peter Berresford Ellis (born 10 March 1943) is a historian, literary biographer, and novelist who has published over 90 books to date either under his own name or his pseudonyms Peter Tremayne and Peter MacAlan. He has also published 95 short stories. His non-fiction books, articles and academic papers have made him acknowledged as an authority on Celtic history and culture. Under Peter Tremayne,...more
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Feb 23, 2013 07:46am