Celtic Mythology and legends
The book is summarizing a school of thought about the mythology of Britain, in which many names and incidents in the tangled legends of the dark ages can be traced to ancient Pagan myths. The Celtic fairy faith is explained as a survival of the worship of ancient tutelary gods and goddesses. When one considers that, the other two leading theories are that the fairies are supernatural trans-dimensional entities or reclusive troglodyte pygmies, this seems to be fairly rational.
Through the ancient chronologies of Irish invasions and the heroic age of the Fenians, through the Welsh tales from the Mabinogion, and into the age of Arthur, we see similar names, themes and story elements crop up again and again. For instance, the ancient sky-God Lludd, is confused with a sea-god, Llyr, who eventually morphs into King Lear. Llud's daughter Creudylad, becomes Cordelia. The magic cauldron of ancient Celtic mythology becomes the Holy Grail. And so on.
There are many parallels to classical mythology, and Squire uses these as reference points, e.g. by calling the War of the Bull of Cualgne, 'The Irish Iliad,' Cuchulainn, 'The Irish Achilles,' and Branwen, 'The British Aphrodite.' Some of these analogies do break down on close examination, but they can aid the reader's absorption of this lesser-known branch of mythology.
Though Celtic myths was not written until eleventh century AD, after the Vikings was driven out of Ireland, their sources, mostly oral traditions, were quite old. Even ancient.
Many of the myths that come to us come mainly from Ireland and Wales. Celtic myths also included those from Scotland, Cornwall and Brittany (in France).
We have to thank the Welsh myths, and to a lesser degree to the Irish, for the legends of King Arthur. While the medieval romance of Tristan and Isolde originated in Brittany, it gained popularity in Continental Europe and the British Isles.
However, Celtic literature didn't appear until the Middle Age, Celtic people and their religions existed during the time of ancient Rome. You will find this book full of interesting characters and pictures, sit back and enjoy!
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