The Battle of the Birds and Other Celtic Tales

by Marion Lochhead, Pat Hannah (Illustrator)

Celtic mythology goes very far back in time. Gods and heroes are near each other, as in classical mythology. The heroes die, the gods are conquered by the new faith, though they are never wholly banished, nor are the heroes forgotten.

Here we are led into a magic country, and we must accept people and events as they come, and not ask too many questions. All the people in this book live on the borders of magic - king and fisherman, prince, farmer, and miller. Birds and animals are man’s friends, and no one ever thinks to question the mutual understanding in language.

The feminist element in these stories is surprisingly strong. The hero plays his part very well - up to a point. But he is often just a little stupid, or is set some impossible task, and has to be rescued or helped by the faithful girl.

This is a magic world where it is easy to suspend disbelief. Marion Lochhead leads us into this world, and we are quite happy to lose ourselves in it.

Genres: Mythology

148 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1983

About the author

Born in Lanarkshire and educated at Glasgow University, Marion Lochhead worked as a freelance journalist and writer, she contributed to many journals including the Glasgow Herald and the Scotsman, and has given talks and interviews on BBC Scotland. She is the author of several books on Celtic legends and Scottish history. Her works span historiography and biography, poetry and fiction, children's writing, journalism, and broadcasting. She was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and she lived in Edinburgh.

Reviews

[Sandra Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of Celtic folk tales from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Brittany.