Celtic Fantasy

[sleigh]

I'm putting together a literature class to study Celtic Fantasy. The mythic sources are pretty obvious, but I want the class to read a novel (or two) that is relatively modern and which dips into Celtic mythology. Yes, I know -- I could use my own Cloudmages series -- certainly HOLDER OF LIGHTNING would work -- but that would make me feel a little too weird and self-centered to require the class to read my own book, I think.

So what book(s) would you suggest? They have to be currently available and not out-of-print. What your favorite bit of Celtic Fantasy?

Comments

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

Good suggestions. The Lloyd Alexander and Susan Cooper ones I remember fondly myself. I know of Patricia's "Riddlemaster" but don't know that I've ever read it.

And hey, as a proper historian and all, is there a good reference book you'd suggest for Celtic mythology?

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Do you mean a collection of the texts in translation, or a commentary? The standard collections are K H Jackson, A Celtic Miscellany, which is old but sound; and Ann Dooley Tales of the Elders of Ireland. Sioned Davies, The Mabinogion is a good introduction to the Welsh tales. The MacCone book I mentioned is good for an analytical approach, and there's a new book by Brent Miles, Heroic Saga and Classical Epic in Medieval Ireland.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

I was thinking more commentary. I have a book in my collection -- "Celtic Myths and Legends" by Peter Berresford Ellis -- but don't know how that's book considered or if there would be a better similar book that's currently available.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Oh, goodness, no. That's written wholly for the popular market and not at all sound. Try C W Sullivan, The Mabinogi: a book of essays, H Fulton, Medieval Celtic Literature and Society, the MacCone book I mentiuoned plus his Progress in Irish Medieval Studies; J E Caerwyn Williams & Patrick K Ford, Irish Literary Tradition and Michael Richter, Medieval Ireland: the enduring tradition. There aren't really many general books on this -- most of the work is published in journals and so forth. The old standard is J E Caerwyn Williams, Literature in Celtic Countries -- 1971, so very dated, but still reasonable in many ways.