Celtic Folklore and Fairy Tales
Our Celtic folklore and fairy tales books are organized roughly by category: first general celtic tales, followed by books and compendiums on fairies and other fey creatures, then Irish, Scottish and Welsh folklore and fairy tales.
Many of these books are reprints of stories originally published in the 19th century. About 100 - 150 years ago, it suddenly occurred to many scholars and folklorists that times were changing so rapidly many of the old tales would soon be forgotten.
We owe the Irish, Scots and Welsh folklorists of that time a huge debt, as they immediately went into "the field," collecting and translating as much as they could. Without their efforts, so much of our heritage and culture would have been permanently lost.
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Celtic
Fairy Tales Retold with an introduction by Neil Philip In fairy tales, as in music, the romantic artistry of the Celts is in full flower. Here, retold much as they were around Celtic peat fires a hundred years ago, are enthralling tales both new and familiar. There's the romantic tale of "Lutey and the Mermaid," "Duffy and the Devil," a comic Cornish take on "Rumpelstiltskin," and "The Black Cat," a haunting version of "Cinderella" that comes from Brittany. Twenty tales are included in all, illustrated with the ornate patterns of the Celts and in striking fifth-color gold by renowned illustrator Isabelle Brent. |
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Favorite
Celtic Fairy Tales (Dover Children's Thrift Classics) by Joseph Jacobs, Thea Kliros For young and old alike - eight captivating tales filled with whimsy, charm and magic: "The Fate of the Children of Lir," "The Shepherd of Middvai," "Beth Gellert," "The Tale of Ivan," "Morraha," "The Story of Deirdre," "The Llanfabon Changeling," and "The Sea-Maiden." Reset in large, easy-to-read type. |
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Spirits,
Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins : An Encyclopedia by Carol Rose A fantastically thorough and scholary compendium of faery creatures from around the world. This fascinating book has every mythical creature or person you can imagine. A fabulous folklore resource. |
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A
Field Guide to Irish Fairies by Bob Curran, illustrated by Andrew Whitson This popular book explains the different sorts of Irish fairy folk and tries to reconcile various tales and stories so as to achieve a cohesive overview of their names, traits and characteristics. |
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Fairy
and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry edited by William Butler Yeats Ireland's most famous poet, Yeats was deeply committed to his Irish heritage, both reflecting it in his poetry and contributing to the preservation of the old tales. In this book, he shares many wonderful Irish fairy and folk tales collected by him and his friends. |
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Traditional
Irish Fairy Tales by James Stephens, illustrated by Arthur Rackham For teens and adults, these are beautiful retellings of classic, well-known Irish fairy tales. The author does a great job and you get Rackham's illustrations, too. If you only buy one, this might be the best choice. |
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Scottish
Folk and Fairy Tales edited by Sir George Douglas Brownies, kelpies, mermen, witches and trolls - along with other interesting creatures - inhabit the stories of Scotland. This 19th century collection by Douglas includes a wide variety of scary and humorous stories. In the vernacular, so may be a bit difficult to read. |
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West
Highland Tales by Fitzroy MacLean, illustrated by John Springs In this beautifully illustrated collection, MacLean engagingly retells classic Highland tales of love and war, ghosts and faery folk. In the Highlands, the seannachie, or bard, occupied an honored place in the household of every clan chief. The stories they told, passed down over the centuries, retain their vivid sharpness to this day. Fitzroy Maclean assumes the role of storyteller in a collection of favorite stories from his native land, ranging from the thousand-year-old Dierdre of the Sorrows to tales of warriors, treacherous love, ghosts, and spirits. |
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Scottish
Wonder Tales from Myth and Legend edited by Donald Alexander MacKenzie, illustrated by John Duncan Reprint of MacKenzie's 1917 book, these sixteen simply and charmingly told folk stories include mythological tales, such as a story about Bride (Brigit), youthful goddess of spring. |
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The
Welsh Fairy Book by W. Jenkyn Thomas Definitive treasury of more than 80 traditional Welsh tales includes such favorites as "Elidyr’s Sojourn in Fairy-Land," "Pergrin and the Mermaiden," "The Cave of the Young Men of Snowdonia," "Goronwy Tudor and the Witches of Llanddona," "A Strange Otter," "Nansi Llwyd and the Dog of Darkness," "The Bride from the Red Lake," "Lowri Dafydd Earns a Purse of Gold," and many more, sure to delight fairy tale lovers of all ages. |
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Stranger
Than Fiction: Welsh Ghosts and Folklore by Mary L. Lewes The canwyll corph or corpse-candle once warned of imminent death in the Welsh countryside. But such spirits were not alone. Stranger Than Fiction, first published in 1911, explores the folklore and superstitions of Wales. Inside these pages are accounts of ghosts and hauntings, as well as the local fey folk and witches. This book remains a treasured resource on Celtic beliefs. Stranger Than Fiction is part of The Classics of Preternatural History series, which explores areas of the occult, pseudoscience, and the supernatural that have had a lasting impact upon the history and psyche of civilization. |
You can download Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs from Authorama.com - a public domain books site.