Re: [tied] Original Celtic Irish texts?

From: Christopher Gwinn
Message: 13637
Date: 2002-05-06

> > The two books mentioned above (Koch, Cross & Slover) will satisfy.
>
>I looked at those and they seem to be selected compilations. They are
>excellent compilations since they seem to contain source materials
>from many texts that I have always wanted like the Romans. But they
>seem rather sketchy with regard to the longer cycles about the Tuatha
>De Danaan and Fenians which I have read many times in many versions
>over the years.

There really _aren't_ any long cycles concerning the Tuatha De, though. Cath
Magh Tuired may be the longest, but I am not sure of this. In any case,
Elizabeth Gray has an edition of the text and translation of CMT.


>Do you know of any more comprehensive texts about these two? I seem
>to remember finding a library with Lebor gabala published by the
>Irish Texts Society many years ago but I guess its out of print.

Well, RAS Macalister edited an edition of LGE, published by the Irish Texts
Society (it may still be available from them), but it is not regarded very
highly by many scholars. I am not aware of any other editions of the LGE.
Incidentally, someone has put an English translation of LGE online (though I
don't know if this is Macalister's, offhand):
http://members.aol.com/lochlan2/lebor.htm

For Fenian material, there is so much material, ranging from old texts to
more modern folklore (both in Ireland and Scotland), it would be difficult
to assemble it all together. Cross & Slover and Koch & Carey cover the most
popular medieval tales - other good sources are:

Duanaire Finn: The Book of the Lays of Fionn (3 Vol.) Mac Neill, Eoin /
Murphy, Gerard (ed. and tr.)

Fianaigecht: Poems and Tales Relating to Finn and his Fiana Meyer, Kuno (ed.
and tr.)

T�ruigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghr�inne N� Sh�aghdha, Nessa (ed. and tr.)

The Wisdom of the Outlaw by Joseph Falaky Nagy


There is an excellent online bookstore for Celtic studies, btw:
http://www.booksforscholars.com/
They have many of the primary sources available.

- Chris Gwinn


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