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- Herausgeber: The O'Brien Press
- Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
- Sprache: Englisch
Four magical legends from Ireland's Celtic past vividly told - heroic quests, great deeds, fantasy and fun.
Das E-Book Celtic Magic Tales wird angeboten von The O'Brien Press und wurde mit folgenden Begriffen kategorisiert:
Das E-Book können Sie in Legimi-Apps oder einer beliebigen App lesen, die das folgende Format unterstützen:
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015
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‘A magical read’
IRISH INDEPENDENT
‘A collection to stir any heart’
SUNDAY PRESS
‘Magical stuff and a perfect gift’
EDUCATION MATTERS
Contents
Prologue
For centuries the Celts were the greatest people in Europe. When their power was at its height their territory stretched from Ireland to Asia. Their world was rich in mythology and belief in magic and the supernatural. These myths and stories form a vivid colourful realm of the imagination. People in Mediterranean lands spoke of the Celts and their traditions as ‘beyond the setting sun, remote from our world’.
Of all the Celtic countries Ireland has preserved the richest store of stories from that mythology. These were passed on in Gaelic from one generation to another. Later, with the coming of Christianity, they were written down by the scribes in the monasteries.
The stories also tell us how the Celtic people were as subject as any human beings to love, hate, jealousy, honour, betrayal, joy and sorrow.
But above all they show how important the other world of magic and superstition was in the ancient Celtic culture. In that other world magic can be used for good or evil. Thus in ‘The Quest for Aideen’ magical powers are used to get people into and out of trouble.
This story of Mir and Aideen is one of the oldest and loveliest of the traditional stories. ‘The Fabulous Deeds of the Sons of Tuireann’ is one of the three stories known in the Gaelic tradition as Trí Trua na Scéalaíochta, or ‘The Three Sorrows of Storytelling’. The story of Deirdre is one of the other two.
‘Cuchulainn and the Feast of Bricriu’ is part of the Ulster cycle of storytelling known in Gaelic as An Rúraíocht. In that story Cuchulainn, Conor mac Nessa, Queen Maeve and others who played prominent roles in the Táin reappear. On this occasion, however, instead of being at one another’s throats they are involved in the humorous events connected with the contest for the curad-mír or hero’s portion at the feast organised by the devious Bricriu.
One of the grander themes of traditional Gaelic storytelling is the notion of love that brings tragedy to the lovers. This theme is fully explored in ‘Deirdre and the Sons of Usnach’ which is one of the earliest examples of tragic love in European literature. It is an epic story of bravery, loyalty and honour intermingled with jealousy, betrayal and death.
As in my telling of the Táin, my aim in these stories is to make them accessible and enjoyable to the reader while remaining faithful to the original Gaelic material on which they are based.
Liam Mac Uistin
The Quest for Aideen
‘This is a beautiful land,’ Aideen whispered to Mir as they stood in the valley and admired the waterfall tumbling down over glistening rocks into the river below.
‘Yes,’ Mir nodded. ‘It was great good fortune that led our people here.’
On they walked along a sunlit path that curved up the side of a hill. All at once a dark shadow fell over them and they heard a sudden sharp scream. Looking up, they saw an eagle plummeting towards them, its great menacing talons spread open and its cruel beak thrust forward.
Frightened, Mir and Aideen fell to their knees. The eagle swooped close over their heads and glided away into the distance.
Mir and Aideen rose to their feet, trembling. Mir’s face was ashen and his eyes had a haunted look.
‘Aideen, I have seen that bird before,’ he said in a low strained voice.
‘When?’ she asked.
‘In a terrible dream I had. A dream that still frightens me.’
‘Tell me,’ Aideen said, taking his hand in hers.
‘I dreamt that a fierce bloodthirsty race came over the sea and tried to destroy our people, the Tuatha de Dannan. The sails of their ships bore the emblem of that eagle. Our people were driven underground to live in the Otherworld where there is no spring or summer or singing of birds.’
Mir shivered and tightened his grip on Aideen’s hand. ‘But the worst part of the dream was that you and I were separated and I never saw you again.’
The colour ebbed from Aideen’s lovely face. ‘That can never be!’ she cried. ‘I shall never leave you, Mir. Never!’
‘Perhaps this dream is a warning,’ she declared, after a moment’s anxious thought. ‘The Tuatha de Dannan must be in danger. We must return to the palace and tell the king.’
‘It may be too late, Aideen. Look!’ Mir pointed out to sea.
A long line of ships stood out on the horizon. There were close to fifty ships in all and as the sails drew nearer Mir and Aideen saw that each bore the image of a huge eagle with outstretched talons and beak. The sun glinted on the swords and spears of a host of fierce-looking warriors on the decks.
‘Those are the warriors I saw in my dream!’ Mir exclaimed.
‘Quick!’ Aideen said. ‘We must warn the king.’
They ran back to the gleaming white palace of the Tuatha de Dannan and burst into the throne room where King Cormac was in council.
‘What is the meaning of this?’ he demanded angrily.
But the anger faded from his eyes as Mir and Aideen told him of the warlike strangers approaching their shores. He heaved a deep sigh and stroked his beard.
‘I was afraid that this might happen someday,’ he said. ‘Many years ago it was foretold that a race called the Milesians would come over the sea, take this beautiful land of Banba away from us and force us to live underground.’
‘We shall drive them back into the sea!’ Mir declared in a voice that echoed round the room.
The old king sighed again. ‘We have been so long at peace that I fear we may not possess the skill to defeat them in battle.’
Cormac shook himself then and said with determination: ‘But I have other ways of dealing with them. Bring me my staff. It was given to our people by the great Lug of the Long Arm and has magical powers.’ He rose to his feet. ‘And tell my soldiers to prepare for battle.’
The Tuatha de Dannan watched from the hilltop as the strange ships approached the shore. On the boats the long-haired warriors roared defiantly and waved their weapons.
‘They are a fierce race of people indeed,’ King Cormac murmured, ‘but perhaps this will persuade them to leave us in peace.’
He raised the magic staff and cast a spell. Huge waves rose up on the sea and tossed the ships like corks. On the boats the warriors cried out in alarm as they were pitched violently from side to side. Some prepared to jump into the sea, fearing their ships were about to sink.
Suddenly a tall white-haired man appeared in the prow of the leading ship. He spread his arms and uttered a loud incantation and the sea became calm again.
King Cormac looked puzzled. He raised his staff to stir up the waves once more, but nothing happened. The sea remained calm and unruffled.
