Irish Myths & Legends (Oxford Myths and Legends)

ISBN: 0192745344

Author: Daly, Ita

Condition: New

Ita Daly, the popular Irish novelist, collects myths and legends from his native land in this beautifully illustrated collection. Many of these stories were told to him as a child by his mother, who learned them from her mother. The oldest myths retold here belong to the Mythological Cycle; they were copied by monks in the 11th and 12th centuries from earlier manuscripts. This cycle features the Tuatha De Danann, a handsome race descended from a goddess and endowed with many godlike qualities. The second group of stories, the Ulster Cycle, deal with the ancient Ulster king Conchubhar Mac Nessa and his bravest warrior, Cuchulainn. The Fianna Cycle dates back to about 300 AD and recount the heroics of the warrior Fionn Mac Cumhaill and his band of fighting men, the Fianna. This collection includes other stories as well, all enchantingly retold in clear prose that convincingly recaptures the beauty of language and times past.