The Chronicles of the Celts: New Tellings of Their Myths and Legends

Compiling & retelling myths & legends from six Celtic cultures: Irish, Manx, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish & Breton, a task well suited to novelist & noted Celtic scholar Ellis (A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, etc.). Although, as Ellis explains, the Celts inhabited Britain long before the arrival of Christianity or the Anglo-Saxons, many tales came to incorporate Christian & Saxon themes: in one story here, Mac Cuil, a Celtic deity, converts to Christianity & becomes a saint.

We owe to Celtic folklore the beginnings of both the classic love story of Tristan and Iseult, which is a "traditional Celtic elopement tale" (probably Cornish), and the legends of King Arthur, who was a "historical Celtic personality fighting for the independence of his people against the ravages of the Anglo-Saxons" (and who shows up mainly in the Welsh section here). Other stories tell of Lugh of the Long Hand, a preeminent Celtic god who was later demoted to a fairy craftsman called Lugh-Chromain, & finally relegated to the lowly leprechaun.

Somewhat dry introduction & section prefaces examine several points of interest, for example, the notable similarities between Celtic & Vedic mythology. The casual reader will be best entertained by diving into the legends themselves, which are colored with plenty of swordplay, hero quests, shape-shiftings & druidic sorcery.
Line drawings, an index and an extensive list of further reading round out this vivid collection. -- Publishers Weekly