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The Poems of Ossian and Related Works
This is the first modern edition of all Macpherson's Ossianic poetry, including Fragments of Ancient Poetry, Fingal and Temora - as well as his accompanying prefaces and dissertations, and Hugh Blair's Critical Dissertation on the Poems of Ossian. Based on the 1765 text of The Works of Ossian, major variants from the other editions are included, together with a comprehensive register of Ossianic names.
608 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1765
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 5, 2025
The Poems of Ossian
James Macpherson
This collection of ancient poetry, called « The Works of Ossian”, includes the two epic poems
“Fingal” and “Temora”, as well as other fragments, were published by James Macpherson in 1765.
It is the door to Celtic Scottish heritage literature translated from the Gaelic.
“A Celtic Homer – a blind bard of the third century, whose great epic described the successful defeat of an invading army by Fingal and his band of heroes.” (Macpherson)
“Macpherson was at once an innovator and a traditionalist, his texts a curious synthesis of ancient and modern. Whatever might have been his intentions as an author, it is indeed more fruitful just to read the poems as they appeared in 1760 and enjoy them even if the pleasure of the text to the modern reader derives from other sources rather than from those inspired by Macpherson's original readers.” (Fiona Stafford)
The scenes of most of Ossian's poems are laid in Scotland, or on the coast of Ireland opposite the territories of King Fingal.
Ossian presents the tales of his country, full of ghosts and spirits; he likely believed them. He introduced them because they gave his poems that solemn and marvellous cast, which suited an epic poem and his genius.
His style is concise and crowded with imagery; the reader might at first be dazzled and fatigued, rather than pleased.
The poems are required to be taken up in intervals and frequently reviewed.
The significant characteristics of Ossian's poetry are tenderness and sublimity, at the same time grave, wild and romantic.
There is no word of God or religion throughout his work.
His fighters are warriors with only one motivation in mind: Fame and Glory.
Women are often taken away by force, and the whole tribe rise to avenge the wrong.
Many of the chief heroes are named as ‘car-borne’ although there is no other word for carriage or horses. The vocabulary is altogether concise and conforming to the time of the poems.
Beauty lies in the language:
“Dargo, the mighty, came on, like a cloud of thunder. His brows were contracted and dark. His eyes are like two caves in the rock. Bright rose their swords on each side; dire was the clang of steel.”
“They killed the mighty Dargo in the field, Dargo who never fled in war.
His daughter was fair as the morn, mild as the beam of night. Her eyes like two stars in a shower; her breath, the gale of spring; her breasts, as the new- fallen snow floating on the moving heath. The warriors saw her and loved; their souls were fixed on the maid. Each loved her as his fame; each must possess her or die. But her soul was fixed on Oscar; the son of Caruth was the youth of her love. She forgot the blood of her father, and loved the hand that slew him.”
“If fall I must in the field, raise high my grave, Vinvela. Grey stones and heaped-up earth shall mark my future times. When the hunter shall sit by the mound, and produce his food at noon, “Some warrior rests here,” he will say; and my fame shall live in his praise. Remember me, Vinvela, when low on earth I lie!”
“Alone I am, O Shilric! Alone in the winter house. With grief for thee, I expired.
Shilric, I am pale in the tomb.”
“But who comes from the dusky west, supported on a cloud? A smile is on his grey, watery face; his locks of mist fly in the wind, he bends forward on his airy spear: it is thy father, Malvina!” Why shinest thou, so soon, on our clouds, he says, O lovely light of Lutha!”
As we come under the spell of Ossian's works, we will likely reread pages for some time.
Reader-friends in love with rare, ancient poetry will be surprised by the unusual power of Ossian's words. They grow on you and need time to sink into the mind.
James Macpherson
This collection of ancient poetry, called « The Works of Ossian”, includes the two epic poems
“Fingal” and “Temora”, as well as other fragments, were published by James Macpherson in 1765.
It is the door to Celtic Scottish heritage literature translated from the Gaelic.
“A Celtic Homer – a blind bard of the third century, whose great epic described the successful defeat of an invading army by Fingal and his band of heroes.” (Macpherson)
“Macpherson was at once an innovator and a traditionalist, his texts a curious synthesis of ancient and modern. Whatever might have been his intentions as an author, it is indeed more fruitful just to read the poems as they appeared in 1760 and enjoy them even if the pleasure of the text to the modern reader derives from other sources rather than from those inspired by Macpherson's original readers.” (Fiona Stafford)
The scenes of most of Ossian's poems are laid in Scotland, or on the coast of Ireland opposite the territories of King Fingal.
Ossian presents the tales of his country, full of ghosts and spirits; he likely believed them. He introduced them because they gave his poems that solemn and marvellous cast, which suited an epic poem and his genius.
His style is concise and crowded with imagery; the reader might at first be dazzled and fatigued, rather than pleased.
The poems are required to be taken up in intervals and frequently reviewed.
The significant characteristics of Ossian's poetry are tenderness and sublimity, at the same time grave, wild and romantic.
There is no word of God or religion throughout his work.
His fighters are warriors with only one motivation in mind: Fame and Glory.
Women are often taken away by force, and the whole tribe rise to avenge the wrong.
Many of the chief heroes are named as ‘car-borne’ although there is no other word for carriage or horses. The vocabulary is altogether concise and conforming to the time of the poems.
Beauty lies in the language:
“Dargo, the mighty, came on, like a cloud of thunder. His brows were contracted and dark. His eyes are like two caves in the rock. Bright rose their swords on each side; dire was the clang of steel.”
“They killed the mighty Dargo in the field, Dargo who never fled in war.
His daughter was fair as the morn, mild as the beam of night. Her eyes like two stars in a shower; her breath, the gale of spring; her breasts, as the new- fallen snow floating on the moving heath. The warriors saw her and loved; their souls were fixed on the maid. Each loved her as his fame; each must possess her or die. But her soul was fixed on Oscar; the son of Caruth was the youth of her love. She forgot the blood of her father, and loved the hand that slew him.”
“If fall I must in the field, raise high my grave, Vinvela. Grey stones and heaped-up earth shall mark my future times. When the hunter shall sit by the mound, and produce his food at noon, “Some warrior rests here,” he will say; and my fame shall live in his praise. Remember me, Vinvela, when low on earth I lie!”
“Alone I am, O Shilric! Alone in the winter house. With grief for thee, I expired.
Shilric, I am pale in the tomb.”
“But who comes from the dusky west, supported on a cloud? A smile is on his grey, watery face; his locks of mist fly in the wind, he bends forward on his airy spear: it is thy father, Malvina!” Why shinest thou, so soon, on our clouds, he says, O lovely light of Lutha!”
As we come under the spell of Ossian's works, we will likely reread pages for some time.
Reader-friends in love with rare, ancient poetry will be surprised by the unusual power of Ossian's words. They grow on you and need time to sink into the mind.
December 7, 2010
A beautiful piece of literature and an important edition. The controversy over Ossian's poetry (or Macpherson's forgery) is fascinating, but the importance of scholarship really ought to be in the fantastic work that was published in the 18th century. Eery, misty, heroic and tragic, the works of Ossian, whoever the author may be, are amazing pieces of art.
August 11, 2009
Great collection of works and history behind the poems. I am unfamiliar with this edition,,mine is from 1842 and is beautiful,,i highly recommend this book if your lover's of poetry.
September 10, 2017
I read the Fragments and Fingal. While there is no doubt that the prose and the images are beautiful, it js still heavy to read and to follow. That's obviously in part because English is my second language and this is written a very poetic plus old English.
February 27, 2021
Parts are incredibly poetic and beautiful, but damn, this was the most difficult work I can remember getting through. Take good notes on the character names.
January 30, 2008
truth or fiction? interesting book but I really only read the famous Fingal
July 19, 2014
As Swift has,with some reason, affirmed that all sublunary happiness consists in being well deceived
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews