Hero-Tales of Ireland

Jeremiah Curtin

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN:
  9780486409092
• eBook ISBN:
  9780486311333
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Irish History
• Index: Social Sciences

Once upon a time all of the legends of Fin MacCool, an ancient hero of Gaelic mythology, were written down for posterity. Saint Patrick, however, was obliged to order two-thirds of them destroyed. The tales were so entertaining, said he, that the people of Erin would do nothing but listen to them. Fortunately for us, many Fenian tales survive, as this captivating collection features 24 tales of super-human heroes and their adventures.
Compiled by an ethnographer from the Smithsonian Institution who traveled Ireland in the late nineteenth century in search of these vanishing folk tales, this volume abounds with fantastic accounts of bold warriors who battle dragons and giants, outwit sorcerers, and with the help of loyal comrades, overcome death itself. This delightful collection represents not only a valuable resource for students of anthropology and aficionados of Celtic lore but also hours of enchanting reading for lovers of folk tales.

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Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• INTRODUCTION.
• ELIN GOW, THE SWORDSMITH FROM ERIN, AND THE COW GLAS GAINACH.
• MOR’S SONS AND THE HERDER FROM UNDER THE SEA.
• SAUDAN OG AND THE DAUGHTER OF THE KING OF SPAIN; YOUNG CONAL AND THE YELLOW KING’S DAUGHTER.
• THE BLACK THIEF AND KING CONAL’S THREE HORSES.
• THE KING’S SON FROM ERIN, THE SPRISAWN, AND THE DARK KING.
• THE AMADAN MOR AND THE GRUAGACH OF THE CASTLE OF GOLD.
• THE KING’S SON AND THE WHITE-BEARDED SCOLOG.
• DYEERMUD ULTA AND THE KING IN SOUTH ERIN.
• CUD, CAD, AND MICAD, THREE SONS OF THE KING OF URHU.
• CANAL, SON OF KING CONOR, IN ERIN, AND BLOOM OF YOUTH, DAUGHTER OF THE KING OF HATHONY.
• COLDFEET AND THE QUEEN OF LONESOME ISLAND.
• LAWN DYARRIG, SON OF THE KING OF ERIN, AND THE KNIGHT OF TERRIBLE VALLEY.
• BALOR ON TORY ISLAND.
• BALOR OF THE EVIL EYE AND LUI LAVADA HIS GRANDSON.
• ART, THE KING’S SON, AND BALOR BEIMENACH, TWO SONS-IN-LAW OF KING UNDER THE WAVE.
• SHAWN MACBREOGAN AND THE KING OF THE WHITE NATION.
• THE COTTER’S SON AND THE HALF SLIM CHAMPION.
• BLAIMAN, SON OF APPLE, IN THE KINGDOM OF THE WHITE STRAND.
• FIN MACCOOL AND THE DAUGHTER OF THE KING OF THE WHITE NATION.
• FIN MACCOOL, THE THREE GIANTS, AND THE SMALL MEN.
• FIN MACCOOL, CEADACH OG, AND THE FISH-HAG.
• FIN MACCOOL, FAOLAN, AND THE MOUNTAIN OF HAPPINESS.
• FIN MACCOOL, THE HARD GILLA, AND THE HIGH KING.
• THE BATTLE OF VENTRY.
• NOTES.
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