THE LAUGHTER of PETERKIN - a retelling of Old Tales of the Celtic Wonderworld E-Book

Anon E. Mouse

• Herausgeber: Abela Publishing
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

Herein are 4 illustrated tales retold by Fiona MacLeod and illustrated by Sunderland Rollinson. Three of them are a retelling of Old Tales of the Celtic Wonderworld  collectively known as "The Three Sorrows of Story-Telling " or Tri Thruaighe ma Scéalaigheachta. While this book may only contain four stories, they are told in their entirety and are in no way abbreviated, as so many now are, which has resulted in a not insubstantial 278 page volume.

The stories in this volume are:

• The Laughter of Peterkin
• The Four White Swans
• The Fate of the Sons of Turenn
• Darthool and the Sons of Usna

Much the most ancient of the "Three Sorrows" is the tale of the Sons of Turenn. The period of this tale belongs to mythological times. "The Children of Lir" may be taken as a connecting link between the mythological and prehistoric and Christian periods. The tale of "Deirdre," or "Darthool," is by far the best known in Gaelic Scotland, and is still one of the most favourite ancient tales throughout all Gaeldom.

In the story of "The Sons of Turenn" author’s license has been taken with the character of Lugh, or Lu-Lamfada---Lugh of the Long Hand. In this version he is represented uniformly as sternly cruel; but it must be borne in mind that his inveterate hostility to the Sons of Turenn was not due to insatiable revenge alone, but to his belief (as prophesied by his father) that any clemency in the fulfilment of the great eric demanded would result in terrible disaster to Erin itself. Throughout this ancient tale, indeed, Lu-Lamfada is an imitation of Destiny, or Nemesis. It may at the same time be added that in the story of "Darthool" Fergus is shown more obviously culpable than the old chronicles indicate, where he appears rather as a too innocent and trustful tool of King Concobar.

So, we invite you to curl up with this unique sliver of ancient Celtic culture and lore, not seen in print for many-a-year, and immerse yourself in the tales and fables which stretch back to the dawn of time itself.

10% of the profit from the sale of this book will be donated to charities by the Publisher.
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KEYWORDS/TAGS: fairy tales, folklore, myths, legends, children’s stories, children’s stories, bygone era, fairydom, fairy land, classic stories, children’s bedtime stories, Laughter of Peterkin, Four, White Swans, Fate, Sons of Turenn, Darthool, Sons of Usna, Celtic, King Concobar MacNessa, Tales, Celtic Wonderworld, Three Sorrows of Story-Telling, Tri Thruaighe ma Scéalaigheachta, Deirdre, Gaeldom, King, Prince, Queen, Princess, Fountain, Exceeding Beauty, Touch, Fionula, Children of Lir,  Fair, Young, Daughter, Beautiful, Snow-white, Swan, Turenn, Intercede, Sons, Great Raven, Glossy, Black, Burnished Sun Rays, moonbeam, counterpane, hands, awe-struck, seven stars, round eyes, shimmering green, gold, cradle, Donal McDonal, Mairgred Cameron, moonlit, De Danann, Banba, Fionula, Eilidh, Dedannans, Blackwater, Meath, Tuatha-De-Danann, Nemedia, Eire, Erin, Dagda, Ardree, High King, Aileel of Ara, Killaloe, Aev, Bove Derg, Aeifa, Shee Finnaha, Lugh, Lu-Lamfada, Long-hand, Nuadh, Silver Hand, Kian the Noble, eric, Ultonian, An Grioglachan, water-horse, Ailne, Ardan, Fergus, Three Duns, Angus of Moidart, Appin lands, Angus Mudartach, Lismore, Dunchraig, Glenmassan, Glen Orchy, Coona, Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland, Irish, Manx, Scottish

Leseprobe

The Laughter Of Peterkin

“A RETELLING Of Old TALES OfThe Celtic Wonderworld”

By

⋅ Fiona Macleod ⋅

⋅DRAWINGS⋯BY⋯

SUNDERLAND ROLLINSON

⋅London⋅

Originally Published By

⋅Archibald⋅Constable⋅&⋅Co⋅

⋅[1897]

Resurrected by

Abela Publishing, London

[2018]

The Laughter of Peterkin

Typographical arrangement of this edition

© Abela Publishing 2018

This book may not be reproduced in its current format in any manner in any media, or transmitted by any means whatsoever, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, or mechanical ( including photocopy, file or video recording, internet web sites, blogs, wikis, or any other information storage and retrieval system) except as permitted by law without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Abela Publishing,

London

United Kingdom

2018

ISBN-13: 978-X-XXXXXX-XX-X

email

[email protected]

Website

https://goo.gl/Mn2YZa

Dedication

TO

ISLA,

EILIDH,

FIONA,

AND

IVOR

The king saw a fountain of exceeding beauty

Contents

Prologue. The Laughter of Peterkin

The Four White Swans

The Fate of the Sons of Turenn

Darthool and the Sons of Usna

Notes

Illustrations

By SUNDERLAND ROLLINSON

The King saw a Fountain of Exceeding Beauty Frontispiece

As she Touched Fionula, Lir’s Fair Young Daughter Became a Beautiful Snow-white Swan

Turenn Interceding for his Sons

A Great Raven, Glossy Black, and Burnished in the Sun Rays

The Laughter of Peterkin

The Laughter of Peterkin

At the rising of the moon, Peterkin awoke, and laughed. He was in his little white bed near the open window, so that when a moonbeam wavered from amid the branches of the great poplar, falling suddenly upon his tangled curls and yellowing them with a ripple of pale gold, it was as though a living thing stole in out of the June night.

He had not awaked at first. The moonbeam seemed caught in a tangle: then it glanced along a crescent tress on the pillow: sprang back like a startled bird: flickered hither and thither above the little sleeping face: and at last played idly on the closed eyelids with their long dark eyelashes. It was then that Peterkin awoke.

When he opened his eyes he sat up, and so the moonbeam fell into the two white cups of his tiny hands. He held it, but like a yellow eel it wriggled away, and danced mockingly upon the counterpane.

With a sleepy smile he turned and looked out of the window. How dark it was out there! That white moth which wavered to and fro made the twilight like a shadowy wall. Then upon this wall Peterkin saw a great fantastic shape. It grew and grew, and spread out huge arms and innumerable little hands: and in its shadow-face it had seven shining eyes. Peterkin stared, awe-struck. Then there was a dance of moonshine, a cascade of trickling, rippling yellow, and he saw that the shape in the night was the familiar poplar, and that its arms were the big boughs and branches where the spotted mavis and the black merle sang each morning, and that the innumerable little hands were the ever-tremulous, ever-dancing, round little leaves, and that the seven glittering eyes were only seven stars that had caught among the topmost twigs.

II

Peterkin was very sleepy, but before his head sank back to the pillow he saw something which caused him to hold his breath, and made his eyes grow so round and large that they were like the little pools one sees on the hill-side.