Ireland

Fülszöveg

F
romthe
the epic /a beauti
trations, Ireland:]! to one of the m
known.
Hundred Battles, rWdy retold in this loWaphs and illus-Mdid introduction tlie world has ever
9781901123272
IR^LAriD
its ulyths
-ahd legehds
^ he stories of the ancient Irish tell the tale of a vibrant and unique . _ society, populated by courageous heroes, bold heroines, powerful goddesses, and perfect yet vulnerable kings. The epic tales and tragedies of this fascinating culture have left an indelible imprint on the Irish people, inspiring a resurgence of the Irish language, sparking the imaginations of revolutionaries, and fueling the poetic fires of the great Irish writers. Some of the greatest tragedies in Western literature trace their roots to Irish mythology, from King Arthur to King Lear.
The great Irish stories are about brave warriors and star-crossed lovers, betrayal and duty, rights and responsibilities. The heroes and villains of these myths are boastful, bawdy, and—bound by duty and... Tovább

Fülszöveg

F
romthe
the epic /a beauti
trations, Ireland:]! to one of the m
known.
Hundred Battles, rWdy retold in this loWaphs and illus-Mdid introduction tlie world has ever
9781901123272
IR^LAriD
its ulyths
-ahd legehds
^ he stories of the ancient Irish tell the tale of a vibrant and unique . _ society, populated by courageous heroes, bold heroines, powerful goddesses, and perfect yet vulnerable kings. The epic tales and tragedies of this fascinating culture have left an indelible imprint on the Irish people, inspiring a resurgence of the Irish language, sparking the imaginations of revolutionaries, and fueling the poetic fires of the great Irish writers. Some of the greatest tragedies in Western literature trace their roots to Irish mythology, from King Arthur to King Lear.
The great Irish stories are about brave warriors and star-crossed lovers, betrayal and duty, rights and responsibilities. The heroes and villains of these myths are boastful, bawdy, and—bound by duty and taboo—often tragic. These multidimensional characters, so different from those of ancient Greece and Rome, continue to resonate in modern Irish literature.
What we know of Irish mythology comes from stories contained in manuscripts that date from the twelfth century. But the language of the written myths reflects a much older reality: some scholars ascribe the details of the Tain bo Cuailnge
Continued on back flap
(the Cattle Raid of Cooley), for example, to the eighth century or earlier. The stories, like those of Greece's Homer, have the flavor of oral compositions. And like Homer's great works, they are timeless.
The epic stories of ancient Ireland come to vivid life in Ireland: Its Myths and Legends. Author Kay Retzlaff presents selected stories from each of the four cycles of ancient Ireland, detailing the legends of such valiant Irish heroes as CúChulainn and Finn mac Cumhail, and such self-assured heroines as Derdriu and Gráinne. This splendid introduction to one of the most fescinating mythologies the world has known is sure to be a favorite source of both entertainment and enhghtenment for the entire family.
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Kay Retzlaff is a writer and a longtime student of Irish oilture and literature. She is the author of numerous articles pubhshed in a wide variety of national magazines, and of one novel, Nebraska Blues. She lives and works in Belfast, Maine.
Front jacket photograph: FPG International: ©Telegraph Colour Library Back Jacket photograph: ©Tim Thompson Jacket Design: Milagros Sensat Vissza