Celtic Folklore

Some of these books and texts are translations of Celtic legends and sagas; others are retellings of the material, folklore, or literary works based on Celtic themes. During the 19th and early 20th Century there was a resurgence of interest in the folklore of Ireland, Wales and Scotland. This was reflected in a huge amount of literature based on the rich Celtic mythopoetic heritage, most of it very faithful to the original material, some in a more modern voice.

A good number of these files were originally scanned by Phillip Brown for his (now defunct) Celtic Folklore website. These are indicated by [PB].

Ireland

Celtic Midi files Music to listen to while you read Celtic folklore.

The Voyage of Bran

by Meyer Kuno [1895]

Old Irish saga of a voyage to the pagan Celtic otherworld, with parallel English and Gaelic.

The Second Battle of Mag Tuired (Cath Maige Tuired)

This Irish saga, from before the ninth Century A.D., is an account of the epic battle between the mythical Tuatha De Danann and Fomoire for Ireland.

It has deep roots in Indo-European mythology, told with Homeric grace and bawdy humor. There are many allusions to ancient pre-Christian Celtic traditions.

The Cattle Raid of Cualnge

by L. Winifred Faraday [1904]

The core text of the Ulster cycle: the epic tale of Cucchulain, the defender of Ireland.

The Cattle-Raid of Cooley (Táin Bó Cúailnge)

The central epic of the Ulster cycle: the great Irish hero, Cuchulain of Ulster, and his battle against the forces of Queen Medb of Connaught.

The Destruction of Dá Derga's Hostel

Translated by Whitely Stokes [1910]

Heroic Romances of Ireland (2 Vols.)

by A. H. Leahy [1905-6]

The Courtship of Etain, the Boar of Mac Datho, the Sickbed of Cuchulain, and the five "Tains" or Cattle-Forays, including the bizarre Tain bo Regamna, The Apparition of The Great Queen to Cuchulain.

This text was contributed to Project Gutenberg.



Lady Augusta Gregory was a close collaborator with W.B. Yeats, the Irish poet and mystic. These three books are her retellings of Irish mythology and folklore, and are among the best of the genre.

Cuchulain of Muirthemne

by Lady Augusta Gregory [1902] [PB]

Gods and Fighting Men

by Lady Augusta Gregory [1904] [PB]

A Book of Saints and Wonders

by Lady Augusta Gregory [1906] [PB]

Irish Christian folklore, including Brigit, Columcille, St. Patrick, and the Voyage of Brendan.

Visions and Beliefs in the West of Ireland

by Lady Augusta Gregory [1920] [PB]



Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry

Edited and Selected by W. B. Yeats [ 1888 ] Edited and Selected by

The Celtic Twilight

by W.B. Yeats [ 1893 and 1902 ]

This short book of essays by Yeats is a must-read. byand

In The Seven Woods

by W. B. Yeats [ 1903 ]

A short book of poetry and a play by Yeats on Irish mythological themes. by

Later Poems

by W. B. Yeats [ 1922 ]

Some of Yeats' best known poetry. by

Legends and Stories of Ireland

by Samuel Lover [ 1831, 1834 ] [PB]

An early 19th century collection of comic Irish short stories. by] [PB]

The Irish Sketch-book

by William Makepeace Thackeray [ 1845 ] [PB]

A travelogue of Ireland of the 1840s, not much in the way of folklore, but good background information. by] [PB]

The Ancient Irish Goddess of War

by WM Hennessey [ 1870 ] by

Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland

by Lady Francesca Speranza Wilde [ 1887 ] [PB]

A volumnious collection of Irish folklore, including folk magic, not all of it authoritative. by Lady] [PB]

Myths and Folklore of Ireland

by Jeremiah Curtin [ 1890 ] [PB] by] [PB]

Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts

by Patrick Kennedy [ 1891 ] [PB]

A huge collection of Irish folklore and legends, up through Christian times. by] [PB]

The Aran Islands

by John M. Synge [ 1907 ] [PB]

A travelogue of the Aran Islands with beautiful woodcut illustrations. by] [PB]

Celtic Wonder Tales

by Ella Young [ 1910 ] [PB] by] [PB]

Beside the Fire

by Douglas Hyde [ 1910 ] [PB]

A scholarly collection of Irish folk stories.

The Preface of this book reviews many of the books included on this page. by] [PB]The Preface of this book reviews many of the books included on this page.

The Crock of Gold

by James Stephens [ 1912 ] [PB]

A novel based on Irish folklore. by] [PB]

In Wicklow and West Kerry

by John M. Synge [ 1912 ] [PB]

A travelogue of rural Ireland at the turn of the 19th Century. by] [PB]

Irish Witchcraft and Demonology

by St. John D. Seymour [ 1913 ].

This is a fascinating study of the witch-persecutions in Ireland, along with accounts of paranormal activity. by].

True Irish Ghost Stories

by St. John D. Seymour and Harry L. Neligan [ 1914 ]

Bone-chilling tales of Irish ghosts, haunted houses, banshees, poltergeists, and more. byand

The King of Ireland's Son

by Padraic Colum [ 1916 ] [PB] by] [PB]

The Druid Path

by Marah Ellis Ryan [ 1917 ]

A collection of short stories set in ancient and modern Ireland by an American author. by

The Candle of Vision

by AE ( George William Russell ) [ 1918 ]

Essays on Celtic mysticism. by) [

Irish Fairy Tales

by James Stephens [ 1920 ] [PB]

Irish lore retold by a master storyteller. by] [PB]

The Book of Kells

by Edward Sullivan [ 1920 ]

A description of the famous manuscript with detailed color plates. by

Wales

The Mabinogion

Lady Charlotte Guest, tr. [1877]

A group of Welsh tales from the Red Book of Hergest, a 14th Century manuscript maintained at Jesus College, Oxford.

The Four Ancient Books of Wales

by William F. Skene [1868]

The only available translation of the complete corpus of Welsh Bardic poetry. Prolegomena to the Study of Old Welsh Poetry

by Edward Anwyl [1903]

The Gododdin Poems

from The Four Ancient Books of Wales by William F. Skene [1868]

British Goblins

by Wirt Sikes [1881] [PB]

Despite the title, this book is actually a study of Welsh fairy folklore.

The Welsh Fairy Book

by W. Jenkyn Thomas [1907] [PB]

A collection of Welsh legends and folktales for young readers.

Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx

By John Rhys [1900] [PB]



The Barddas of Iolo Morganweg

A visionary reconstruction of the Druidic and Bardic tradition, which had a huge influence on the modern Celtic and neo-Pagan revival. Or a notorious forgery, you decide...

The Barddas, Vol. I by Iolo Morganwg, edited by J. Williams Ab Ithel [1862]

The Barddas, Vol. II by Iolo Morganwg, edited by J. Williams Ab Ithel [1874]



Scotland

Carmina Gadelica, by Alexander Carmicheal

Prayers, invocations, blessings and charms, in English and Gaelic, from the Western Isles of Scotland.

Carmina Gadelica, Vol. I by Alexander Carmicheal [1900].

Carmina Gadelica, Vol. II by Alexander Carmicheal [1900].





Popular Tales of the West Highlands, by J. F. Campbell

A four-volume comprehensive sourcebook of Scottish folklore.

Popular Tales of the West Highlands, Vol. I [1890]

Popular Tales of the West Highlands, Vol. II [1890]

Popular Tales of the West Highlands, Vol. III [1890]

Popular Tales of the West Highlands, Vol. IV [1890]



The Feuds of the Clans

by Alexander MacGregor [ 1907 ]

The epic feuds of the Scottish Highlands. by

The Celtic Dragon Myth

by J. F. Campbell and George Henderson [ 1911 ]

The ur-myth of the struggle with the dragon, told in fine Celtic form with giants, mermaids and sidhe. (English and Gaelic) byand

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads

by Francis James Child [ 1882 - 1898 ].

The motherlode of ballad collections, including many variations on each ballad. by].

The Poems of Ossian

by James Macpherson [ 1773 ] by

Scottish Fairy and Folk Tales

by Sir George Douglas [ 1773 ] by

Wonder Tales from Scottish Myth and Legend Donald Alexander Mackenzie [ 1917 ] by

Notes on the Folk-Lore of the North-East of Scotland

by Walter Gregor [ 1881 ] by

The Prophecies of the Brahan Seer

by Alexander Mackenzie , intro. by Andrew Lang [ 1899 ]

The tale of the famed Scottish clarivoyant and his amazing, and very specific, predictions. by, intro. by

Brittany

Legends and Romances of Brittany

by Lewis Spence [1917]

Folk Tales of Brittany

by Elsie Masson [1929]

Cornwall

Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, (Volume 1)

by William Bottrell [1870]

Tales of Cornish Giants, Mermaids, Witches and Fairies; an essential source for the folklore of Cornwall.

Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, (Volume 2)

by William Bottrell [1873]

The second volume in Bottrell's collection of Cornish lore and legend.

Manx

The Phynodderree and Other Legends of the Isle of Man

by Edward Callow [ 1882 ] by

The Folk-Lore of the Isle of Man

by A.W. Moore [ 1891 ]

Classic Manx folklore by

Traces of the Norse Mythology in the Isle of Man

by P.M.C. Kermode [ 1904 ] by

Celtic Fairies

These are texts and studies about Celtic fairies, elves, and other supernatural creatures (as opposed to fairytales, which are a different matter altogether). Some of the books listed here are listed elsewhere on this page.

The Secret Common-Wealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies

By Robert Kirk , 'Comment' by Andrew Lang [ 1893 ]

This monograph, originally written in 1691, is a classic of Scottish fairy folklore.

This etext was scanned from a very rare first printing of the Lang edition. By, 'Comment' byThis etext was scanned from a very rare first printing of the Lang edition.

Fairy Legends and Traditions

by Thomas Crofton Croker [ 1825 ] [PB] by] [PB]

A Peep at the Pixies

by Anna Eliza Bray ; Illustrations by Hablot K. Browne [ 1854 ]. [PB] by; Illustrations by]. [PB]

The Fairy Mythology

by Thomas Keightley [ 1870 ]. [PB] by]. [PB]

British Goblins

by Wirt Sikes [ 1881 ] [PB]

Despite the title, this book is actually a study of Welsh fairy folklore. by] [PB]

The Phynodderree and Other Legends of the Isle of Man

by Edward Callow [ 1882 ] by

Tales of the Dartmoor Pixies

by William Crossing [ 1890 ]. [PB] by]. [PB]

The Science of Fairy Tales

by Edwin Sidney Hartland [ 1891 ]. [PB] by]. [PB]

Tales of Fairies and of the Ghost World

by Jeremiah Curtin [ 1895 ] [PB] by] [PB]

The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries

by W.Y. Evans-Wentz [ 1911 ] [PB]

A serious study of Fairy folklore and mythology, with an ethnographic approach.

The first book by Evans-Wentz, who later went on to translate many of the books of Tibetean Buddhism. by] [PB]The first book by Evans-Wentz, who later went on to translate many of the books of Tibetean Buddhism.

Fairies

by Gertrude M. Faulding [ 1913 ]. [PB] by]. [PB]

The Coming of the Fairies

by Arthur Conan Doyle [ 1922 ]

A study of the famous Cottingley fairy photographs, by the creator of Sherlock Holmes. by

General Studies

Survivals in Belief Among the Celts

by George Henderson [1911]

An extensive review of evidence of pre-Christian beliefs in Celtic culture.

Celtic Myth and Legend

by Charles Squire [1905]

A comprehensive treatment of Irish, Welsh, and British mythology, from the ancient pagan pantheons up to the Arthurian legends.

The Religion of the Ancient Celts

by J. A. MacCulloch [1911]

An in-depth study of the pre-Christian Celtic religion.

Celtic Fairy Tales

by Joseph Jacobs [1892] [PB]

More Celtic Fairy Tales

by Joseph Jacobs [1894] [PB]

Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race

by Thomas Rolleston [1911] [PB]

A recounting of the Irish Mythological Chronicles

On the Study of Celtic Literature

by Matthew Arnold [1867] [PB]

A Book of Folklore

by Sabine Baring-Gould [1913] [PB]

Tom Tit Tot, An Essay on Savage Philosophy in Folk-Tale

by Edward Clodd [1898] [PB]



Links

CELT, the Corpus of Electronic Texts [External Site] is a scholarly and very comprehensive archive of Celtic texts.