Status
Available
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Genres
Collection
Publication
Oxford University Press (1960)
Description
Twenty-one stories from Ireland, including heroic sagas, ancestral tales of men and gods, stories about the Fianna, a band of warrior-athletes, and tales of fairies and leprechauns.
User reviews
LibraryThing member vboch1
I liked this chapter book for a few reasons. The first reason I liked it is because of the development of different characters throughout. In the first story the Sons of Turenn killed the father of a very powerful man. They were sorry for their murderous actions and agreed to pay back the debt of
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the father's life. They went to different lands and got the items that the powerful man demanded. The three brothers of Turenn developed throughout the story to become better people and actually paid their debt instead of escaping. The second reason I liked this book is because of the plots of each of the stories that were presented. The stories presented, gods, magic, war, kings, druids, and love. Each and every story had an unexpected twist which was very interesting. Many of the stories ended in a happy way but some of them ended with the death of important characters but it was always in a peaceful way. The third reason I like this book is because of the point of view. The book is written in third person from a narrative's perspective. I like this because the reader is able to see what each and every person is doing in the story and they can see how everyone is feeling. During many of the chapters there are twists and turns and it is interesting to see what the characters, like Cuchullin and Maeve, are feeling. During their battles against each other it is very interesting and entertaining to get both sides. The big idea of this book was to present folktales that were told throughout the past in the Ireland. Show Less
LibraryThing member JohnPhelan
'Human nature' is a controversial concept. Suggesting something mystical, beyond quantification and comprehension, social scientists of almost all stripes steer clear of it now. The result is that they see nothing immutable in the nature of men and women; nothing, in other words, that cannot be
Stories such as these should be an antidote to the idea that we can forge people as we please with an anvil and hammer. From as far back as human memory goes we see recognisable people pushed by forces we can comprehend pursuing goals we can identify and experiencing emotions we share. The story of OisÃn's desire to visit his friends after a long time away only to find that life has moved on and left him without a place is a story, beautifully told by Eileen O'Faolain, we could tell today.
So I don't know what human nature is. But I'm pretty sure it is.
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changed. In the last century or so this desire to create a 'new' person or humanity has been the cause of some of the most woeful episodes in the history of our species. Stories such as these should be an antidote to the idea that we can forge people as we please with an anvil and hammer. From as far back as human memory goes we see recognisable people pushed by forces we can comprehend pursuing goals we can identify and experiencing emotions we share. The story of OisÃn's desire to visit his friends after a long time away only to find that life has moved on and left him without a place is a story, beautifully told by Eileen O'Faolain, we could tell today.
So I don't know what human nature is. But I'm pretty sure it is.
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Language
Original publication date
1954
Local notes
Twenty-one stories from Ireland, including heroic sagas, ancestral tales of men and gods, stories about the Fianna, a band of warrior-athletes, and tales of fairies and leprechauns.
From the dawn of time. The quest of the children of Turenn (the first sorrow of story-telling) --
Midir and Etain --
The children of Lir (the second sorrow of story-telling). In the time of Cuchullin. How Conor Mac Nessa became king of Ulster --
The cattle raid of Cooley. The pillow talk ; Cuchullin keeps the gap of the north ; Cuchullin parleys with Maeve ; The fight with Ferdia ; Ulster awake ; The battle of the bulls --
The fate of the sons of Usnach (the third sorrow of story-telling) --
The death of Cuchullin --
King Fergus Mac Leide and the wee folk. In the time of Finn and the Fianna. Young Finn --
How Finn became head of the Fianna --
Finn and the Fianna --
The mother of Oisin --
The pursuit of Dermot and Grania --
Oisin in the land of the ever young. Tales for the chimney-corner. The black thief. King Conal's horses ; The three enchanted maidens ; The thirteen enchanted cats ; The faithless apprentice ; The three giants --
The palace in the rath --
The three sons of the king of Antua --
The haughty princess --
The bird of the golden land --
The enchantment of Gearoidh Iarla --
Finn Mac Cool, the giants, and the small men.
From the dawn of time. The quest of the children of Turenn (the first sorrow of story-telling) --
Midir and Etain --
The children of Lir (the second sorrow of story-telling). In the time of Cuchullin. How Conor Mac Nessa became king of Ulster --
The cattle raid of Cooley. The pillow talk ; Cuchullin keeps the gap of the north ; Cuchullin parleys with Maeve ; The fight with Ferdia ; Ulster awake ; The battle of the bulls --
The fate of the sons of Usnach (the third sorrow of story-telling) --
The death of Cuchullin --
King Fergus Mac Leide and the wee folk. In the time of Finn and the Fianna. Young Finn --
How Finn became head of the Fianna --
Finn and the Fianna --
The mother of Oisin --
The pursuit of Dermot and Grania --
Oisin in the land of the ever young. Tales for the chimney-corner. The black thief. King Conal's horses ; The three enchanted maidens ; The thirteen enchanted cats ; The faithless apprentice ; The three giants --
The palace in the rath --
The three sons of the king of Antua --
The haughty princess --
The bird of the golden land --
The enchantment of Gearoidh Iarla --
Finn Mac Cool, the giants, and the small men.