A books total score is based on multiple factors, including. Norse mythology, by neil gaiman gaimans no stranger to norse gods see. Mythological objects encompass a variety of items e. Irish mythology gae bulg, the spear of cu chulainn, made of the bone of a sea monster. Serrated edge series born to run by mercedes lackey. Scariest monsters and demons from celtic myth for halloween.
Jan 25, 2017 riordans made a name for himself with his middle grade fantasy books inspired by ancient myths. The best modern fantasy books for summer 2019 forbes. The riddlemaster trilogy blends celtic mythology, riddles, and. Often portrayed in contemporary fantasy fiction and video games, this foreteller of death is the.
Depending on the sources, the importance of gods and goddesses in irish mythology varies. Celtic mythology and irish legends books and activities for. October daye series rosemary and rue by seanan mcguire. Aug 24, 2017 the classic stories of mythology have been repeatedly mined for inspiration and reinterpreted for modern times, and have been an ongoing trend in young adult literature. We meet finn as a helpless child who loses his parents in an attack by their ancient clan enemies, the morna. Irish mythological characters and monsters have become staples of western fantasy in many ways. Theres a ridiculous number of introductory books on celtic mythology out there. At first glance, they continue reading the 10 best celtic. Celtic mythology and irish legends books, irish, celtic. Website for irish and celtic literature, mythology, and folklore, including fairy tales, mythological hero tales, and study resources.
This is a list of works of speculative fiction set wholly or partly in ireland, gleaned from the internet, from rec. Epidemics in ancient ireland and a pattern to remember. From the irish epic tain bo cuailnge by anonymous, irelands immortals. In irish mythology this was the name of the goddess of fire, poetry and wisdom, the daughter of the god dagda. The irish sidheelf legends show up in a fair number of urban fantasy books. Recommendation for a fantasy book set in ireland or based on irish.
It is common to drawn on folklore for fantasy writing. The 10 best celtic mythology books norse mythology for. Mar 17, 2016 llywelyn has set many of her books and stories in ireland, but this retelling of the fenian cycle myths is a deep dive into the story of an irish hero. See more ideas about irish mythology, mythology and irish mythology creatures. The spear of diarmuid ua duibhne, given to him by aengus. Fairy tales and stories of enchantment from ireland, scotland, brittany, and wales irish books, mythology books, adult fairy tales, celtic gifts by kate forrester aug 30, 2016 4. Figuring out which ones are the best can be a daunting task. Modern fantasy authors have often been inspired by the wealth of folklore and mythology across many cultures, both current and ancient. The winner of the goodreads 2018 readers choice awards, circe is a reimagining of homers the odyssey, though it focuses on a woman from that.
See more ideas about irish mythology, mythology and celtic mythology. In the 5th century it was borne by saint brigid, the founder of a monastery at kildare and a patron saint of ireland. The geographical tales, dindshenchas, emphasize the importance of female divinities and powerful ancestors, while the historical tradition focuses on the colonizers, inventors, or male warriors with the female characters only intervening in episodes. There are also other sources such as the book of hy maine, the great book of lecan, the yellow book of lecan and also the book of ballymote. Fascinating myths and legends of gods, goddesses, heroes and monster from the ancient irish, welsh, scottish and brittany mythology.
Mercy thompson series moon called by patricia briggs. Hounded by kevin hearne, daughter of the forest by juliet marillier, hexed by kevin hearne, the mabinogion by anonymou. This already difficult quest is further complicated by the fact that most of these books have extremely generic titles like celtic myths and legends or celtic mythology. Irish mythology gae buide yellow shaft, a yellow spear that can inflict wounds from which none could recover. Im all for celebrating irish culture, learning irish historymyths, or recognizing the strugglestriumphsstories of irish americans, but i hate all of the leprechaun kitsch, blatant inaccuracies, and general misinformation. The tales are, in the main, related in four cycles which sometimes are intertwined, the mythological cycle, the ulster cycle, the fenian cycle and the historical cycle.
Looking for fantasy with a basis in celtic mythology. Witches of ash and ruin masterfully blends together witchcraft and celtic mythology for an adrenalinepacked murder mystery. Patricks day books also includes celtic mythology and folklore. I second the recommendations for katherine kerrs deverry daggerspell is the first book series and mary stewarts merlin the crystal cave series, as well as the dark is rising book 1 is over sea, under stone. Gaiman somehow manages to faithfully recreate these ancient tales while weaving the various narratives into. A lucky list of celtic mythology and irish legends for children a list of the best irish folktales and fairy tales for kids.
List of giants in mythology and folklore wikipedia. Obrien aeries are not unique to ireland, however, the irish did not develop a ghost tradition until the coming of the anglonormans in 1171, or a demonology until the imposition of continental style roman catholicism circa c. American gods, highlighted below, but in his new book, hes not simply picking apart old myths and using the parts to build new storieshes actually recasting them and retelling them with a modern approach. Collected together for the first time on a unique dvdrom we are pleased to present a selection of 180 rare, vintage books on the subject of celtic mythology and culture. Folklore and mythology are strong influences in modern fantasy. Ie is an irish based online bookstore offering a wide diverse range of books, new releases, bestsellers, bargains and rare books, with worldwide delivery. Irish, scottish and welsh culture are threaded throughout the book, as is the idea that celtic travelers settled in north america. All aspects of celtic culture and mythology are covered including, for example.
Study the mythology, folklore and fairy tales from all corners of a fascinating country steeped in local history. An authority on mythology and folklore, michael scott is one of irelands most successful authors. Celtic mythology, fantasy, and historical fiction books set in ancient ireland. Whitbread childrens book award and the guardian childrens fiction. Myths express our basic need to explain and preserve the story of life. For the most part, irish mythology is a tradition of heroic tales, of kings and courts, politics and war. Ron hubbard, wellknown for his science fiction and fantasy stories, had this to say about the fantasy genre, fantasy, so far as literature is concerned, is defined in the dictionary as literary or dramatic. They are imaginative stories inspired by the remnants of an ancient culture and mythology. Oct 12, 2007 four treasures, four elements, four suits in the tarot. This trilogy is an historical fantasy story set in the ninth century ireland and britain. Like other iron age europeans, the early celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure. Dayna is a witchling waiting to become a full fledged witch. Jan 07, 2016 online shopping from a great selection at books store. By the middle ages, the tuatha themselves were less magical and godlike than legendary figures of history.
Sf and fantasy books that are either directly inspired by celtic myth and folklore, or that draw on celtic traditions, myths, and lore. Has anyone read kenneth flints irish mythology books. Llywelyn has set many of her books and stories in ireland, but this retelling of the fenian cycle myths is a deep dive into the story of an irish. As an irish american mythologyreligion major, i have a lovehate relationship with st. Overall, this is an absolute must for anyone with an interest in irish history, local legends, myths and superstitions, and the ancient folklore of. We research and explore ancient irish cultural knowledge and concepts and transfer them into a form thats more accessible and relevant for contemporary times. Another legendary irish monster is the dullahan, a name that can be translated to dark man. Bridget f irish, english, irish mythology anglicized form of the irish name brighid meaning exalted one. Formerly the name for the charioteers goad, a split piece of wood. Unhappy love triangles, humans cursed to take the form of animals as in the irish tale of the children of lir, who spend 300 years as swans due to an enchantment cast upon them by their jealous stepmother, and enchanted objects, like the cauldron of dagda which can resurrect dead warriors, are all common motifs throughout.
For centuries the myths and legends of ireland, scotland, wales, and england have carried down through stories told around firesides, in halls, and finally transcribed and adapted in the pages of booksfrom the mabinogion to the lord of the rings to the once and future king. Magnus chase is just a kida kid who happens to be the son of norse god, a fact he discovers just as ragnarok rolls around. The drama of myths are particularly wellsuited to provide the scaffolding for teenage stories, whether focused coming of age or romance and adventure. There is a lot of political turmoil, alliances, betrayals and such. Balance is important in this mythology, as in most. Mostly we do this through stories but also through associated learnings for modernday audiences.
Irish, scottish and welsh culture are threaded throughout the book, as is. See more ideas about celtic mythology, celtic and mythology. Jack vances lyonesse trilogy of fantasy novels is set in the mythical elder isles, situated southwest of cornwall and west of brittany, consisting of a large island called hybras, the hybrasil of ancient irish legend, surrounded by numerous smaller islands of various sizes. All cultures have mythologies that explain the origin of the world and the existence of good and evil, and when analyzed collectively, often these stories have more in common than difference. Llywelyn has set many of her books and stories in ireland, but this retelling of the fenian cycle myths is a deep dive into the story of an irish hero. This is a list of giants and giantesses from mythology and folklore. Doomed love and magic are closely associated with celtic mythology. Robert holdstocks mythago wood, which won the world fantasy award for best. This list will be organized according to the category of object.
Celtic fantasy stories are filled with mystery and magic. Celtic mythology is the mythology of celtic polytheism, the religion of the iron age celts. I think guy gavriel kays fionavar trilogy the first book is the summer tree is strongly based on celtic and arthurian mythology. Mar 11, 2015 fantasies inspired by mythology from the british isles. Im looking for a good fantasy book doesnt matter if it is a series or not set in ireland or based on irish myths and legends. Aug 24, 2019 why does how irish language and mythology is used in western fantasy matter.