The Chronicles of the Celts: New Tellings of Their Myths and Legends

Rating:
Summary: A well-presented piece of Celtic Reconstructionism!
Review: Peter Beresford Ellis has taken several Christianized sources for various Celtic myths and retold them as they might have sounded before the Christian influence appeared. If you're looking for translations of Celtic stories, this isn't the book for you; it is decidedly Reconstructionist in nature and not a historical retelling. The author's approach, however, is quite scholarly, and he makes a concerted effort to seperate the different Celtic cultures, each one represented by six distinct myths, which makes it easy to focus on your own family heritage. His writing has a biblical feel, a bit like a formal storyteller. For this reason, I believe The Chronicles of the Celts would be a good addition to the library of parents who are attempting to raise their children with a respect for their ancestry and their ancestor's gods. They are good stories, some of which contain references to sex and violence, but in the same inexplicit way the Bible does. (Remember "And Adam knew Eve..." And "David slew Goliath" ?) Each contains several life lessons. The women are strong and respected, the men are honorable yet with emotion, and the gods aren't petty and cruel. Their formal nature makes them good to read aloud at family celebrations of Celtic Holidays.

Note: You may want to learn to pronounce the Gaelic names before reading aloud. Some of them can be tricky the first time, but it's not necessary to enjoy the book.

Rating:
Summary: Ellis scores well again!
Review: Peter Beresford Ellis is obviously a scholar, as he collects together many stories and histories and presents them in a very readable style (though, as another reviewer has said, if you intend to read this aloud you should practice the names a few times in advance).

This text is quite different that Lady Gregory's _Of Gods and Fighting Men_, as it is less a retelling of ancient myths than an attempt to show the historical sides of the various families. Still, it is quite filled with legend, and a good read.

Share it with your children at bedtime!