The mythology of the ancient Celts is a rich and complex one. Celtic myths relate epic stories of heroic ancestors, when the divine and mortal realms were intimately intertwined and gods and goddesses inhabited the natural world. The exploits of Cúchulainn and Fionn mac Cumhaill, of Deirdre and Rhiannon, and of other heroes and heroines may have their roots in the distant past but they continue to thrill and enchant readers today.Celtic Myths is a fascinating survey of these myths and of the history behind them. Preserved in the monasteries of early Christian Ireland and in stories first written down in medieval Wales, their origins lie much deeper in the largely lost world of the Celts. Only on the Atlantic coast of Western Europe have aspects of the oral culture of the ancient Celts resisted the tide of history. The languages and traditions of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Cornwall and Brittany still resonate with the mythology of a pre-Christian world.For all those who want to understand the Celts and the way in which they perceived their world, and for all those who simply enjoy the narrative power of ancient myths, this Pocket Essential provides the ideal introduction.

By Bill Price