Bibliography

Texts

The following books are translations that I have read. If you are interested in reading this literature, then I would highly recommend that you read these books. These books are the main sources of information for Timeless Myths.

Most of these books are actually books that I have bought over the years. A few books listed here were books I either borrowed or read in the library.

Unknown

Lebor Gabálá Erenn: The Taking of Ireland

translated and edited by R. A. Stewart Macalister
Irish Texts Society
5 volumes (Series 34, 35, 39, 41, 44)

The Lebor Gabálá Erenn (Book of Invasions) forms part of the pseudo-history of Ireland. This work comes in five volumes, and was found at the State Library. Lebor Gabálá was preserved in a manuscript called the Book of Leinster.

Parts of the Lebor Gabálá can be found on the website called Literature and Verse at http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~bj333/verse.html.

Volume 34: Cessairians
Volume 35: Partholonians
Volume 39: Nemedians
Volume 41: Fir Bolgs; Tuatha De Dannan
Volume 44: Milesians

Lebor Gabálá Erenn: The Taking of Ireland

Unknown

Cath Maige Tuired : the Second Battle of Mag Tuired

edited by Elizabeth A. Gray
Irish Texts Society, Volume 52, 1982

The story of the Book of Invasions, particularly the battle between the Danann and the Fomorians, known as the Second Battle of Mag Tuired (Moytura). I found this book at the State Library.

There is an electronic text version of The Second Battle of Mag Tured (Moytura) found on the web site called Literature and Verse at http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~bj333/verse.html. This site also contains several other links to other Irish literature, including the Lebor Gabala Erren (Book of Invasions), and the Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne.

Unknown

Early Irish Myths and Sagas

translated by Jeffrey Gantz,
Penguin Classics, 1981

Selected stories of Irish myths (mostly from the Ulster Cycle). It includes the tales of Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel, the Birth of Cu Chulainn, the Boyhood Deeds of Cu Chulainn, Deirdre, and many others.

Unknown

Táin Bó Cúalnge from the Book of Leinster

Edited by Cecile O'Rahilly
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, volume 49, 1967.

This book contains the Irish saga of the Cattle Raid of Cooley. This comes from the manuscript known as the Book of Leinster. I first found a copy of this at the State Library. A copy of this can also be found at the website called CELT - Irish Electronic Texts: www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T301035/

The Tain

from the Irish epic Táin Bó Cúalnge
translated by Thomas Kinsella
Oxford, 1985

Originally I read this book at the State Library. It contains the story of Táin Bó Cúalnge and other Ulster tales. Just recently I managed to order and purchase my own copy.
This version of the Tain used the manuscripts from the Book of Dun Cow and the Yellow Book of Lecan as its sources, which is different from the one translated by Cecile O'Rahilly.

Unknown

Fled Bricrend: The Feast of Bricriu

an early work transcribed from an old manuscript into the Book of the Dun Cow
translated by George Henderson
Irish Texts Society, Series 2, 1899

The Irish tale of three Ulster champions vying over the Champion's Portion. This was found at the State Library.

Unknown

Oidheadh Chloinne hUisneach: The Violent Death of the Children of Uisneach

translated by Caoimhin Mac Giolla Leith
Irish Texts Society, Series 56, 1993

Tale of Deirdre and the sons of Uisnech in the Ulster Cycle. This version is one of three tales in Three Sorrows of Storytelling. It's another book I found in the State Library. There is a variant version that can also be found in P. W. Joyce's Old Celtic Romances. Both books are different from the one found in Jeffrey Gantz's Early Irish Myths and Sagas, which is titled Longes mac nUislenn in Old Irish, and in the Ancient Irish Tales by T. P. Cross and C. H. Slover.

Unknown

Duanaire Finn: The Book of the Lay of Fionn

translated by Eoin Mac Neill
Irish Texts Society, 1908
3 volumes (Series 7, 28, and 43)

Essential for those interested in the Fenian Cycle. Another set of books from the State Library, but the library has only volumes 1 and 3. They contain a number of poems, but in no specific order.

Unknown

Toruigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghrainne

edited by Nessa Ni Sheaghdha
Irish Texts Society, Series 48, 1967

Irish romance about Diamait and Grainne.

Unknown

Fianaigecht

translated by Kuno Meyer
School of Celtic Studies,
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
2nd reprint 1993

A collection of six texts concerning Finn and the Fianna.

Unknown

Ancient Irish Tales

edited by T. P. Cross and C. H. Slover
Barnes and Noble, 1969

Collection of Irish tales containing the Mythological, Ulster, Fenian and Historical cycles.

Unknown

Tales of the Elders of Ireland (Agallamh na Seanórach)

translated by Ann Dooley andd Harry Roe
Oxford University Press, 1999

Also called "The Colloquy of the Ancients". This work comes from the manuscript known as the Book of Dean Lismore (16th century). Two aging heroes recalled the adventure of Finn and his band of warriors, the Fianna.

Unknown

Cath Maige Mucrama: The Battle of Mag Mucrama

edited by Mairin O Daly
Irish Texts Society, Series 50, 1975

Tales that form part of the Cycle of Kings, set during the time of the Fenian Cycle.

Unknown

Old Celtic Romances

translated by Patrick Weston Joyce
introduction by Dr. Juliette Wood
Wordsworth, 2000

Collection of Celtic myths from Ireland and northwest Scotland. The translation by Joyce was actually first published in 1879. The collection includes tales about the Children of Lir, the Fate of the Children of Tuireann, the Pursuit of Diamait and Grania, Oisin in Tir na Nog, and many others.

Unknown

The Voyage of Bran

translated by Kuno Meyer (1890)
website compiled by Wayne E. Hilt Jr.
http://www.as.wvu.edu/~whilt/braneng.html

Another translation found in electronic format.

Unknown

Buile Suibhne: being the adventure of Subhne Geilt

translated by J. G. O'Keeffe
Irish Texts Society, Volume 12, 1913

Known usually in English as the Frenzy of Suibhne or Madness of Sweeny.

Unknown

The Mabinogion

translated by Jeffrey Gantz
Penguin Classics, 1976

This is my main source for the Welsh myths. The Mabinogion (c. 1400) comprises of a collection of 11 Welsh tales. The Mabinogion has the Four Branches of Mabinogi (Cycle of Pryderi) and some Arthurian tales, including Culhwch and Olwen, which was composed about 1100. See Mabinogion.

The Mabinogion

translated by Lady Charlotte Guest
introduction and illustration by Alan Lee
HarperCollins Publishers, 2000

Here is an early English translation by Lady Charlotte Guest. This version has a fifth section called Independent Tales (the other translation only had four), which includes the story of Taliesin. This book was borrowed from my local library.

Taliesin

The Text of the Book of Taliesin

Translated text of Welsh poems from the Book of Taliesin (Llyfr Taliesin, c. 1275). This is another book found at the State Library. This contains some stories of Arthur from the early Welsh traditions.

Aneirin

Y Gododdin : Britain's oldest heroic poem

edited and translated by A.O.H. Jarman
Llandysul, Gomer, c 1988

This may be the oldest reference to Arthur in literature. It has just one line about Arthur, as being a great warrior.

Unknown

The Black Book of Carmarthen

edited by J. G. Evans

Translated from a 13th century manuscript called the Black Book of Carmarthen (Llyfr Du Caerfyrnddin, c. 1250). Another book found in the State Library. It contains a collection of Welsh poems dating from between the 9th and 11th centuries AD, including some poems about Arthur and Myrddin (Merlin).

William F. Skene

Four Ancient Books of Wales: The Cymric Poems Attributed to the Bard

translated and edited by William F. Skene
Edmonston & Douglas, 1968
2 volumes

This wonderful two-volume book was found in the State Library. Unfortunately, it is not in good condition, with bindings cracked and pages dried. It threatened to crumble in my hands. The first volume contains the English translation, while the second volume contains the Welsh texts, plus notes. It contains the following texts from these books:

The Black Book of Carmarthen
The Book of Taliesin
The Book of Anuerin
Red Book of Hengest

Quite a number of these texts are available on line at Ty Feirdd: The Hall of Bards

Julius Caesar

The Conquest of Gaul

translated by S. A. Handford and Jane Gardner.
Penguin Classics, 1951.

Julius Caesar wrote his memoir of his campaigns in Gaul. It contains some descriptions of the Celtic tribes who lived in Gaul and Britain.

The Civil War

translated by Jane Gardner.
Penguin Classics, 1967.

Julius Caesar wrote his memoir of the civil war. This had nothing of value on myths or legends, but I thought I should list this book anyway.

Strabo

The Geography

translated by Horace Leonard Jones
LacusCurtius: Strabo's Geography

This electronic text format was extracted from the original printed Loeb Classical Library book (1917-1932), of which there are 8 volumes. It would be too expensive to buy, so it is lucky that they have this available on the net. Strabo was a Greek geographer (63 BC-AD 23). It not only contains the geography and history of the Greeks and Romans, but also some extensive descriptions of the Celts living in Gaul, Spain and northern Italy. It is even a guide to India.

Lucan

Pharsalia (The Civil War)

translated by Sir Edward Ridley, 1896
Online Medieval and Classical Library (OMCL)

This Latin work by Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (died in AD 65) was actually written about the Civil War between Julius Caesar and Pompey Magus, the two great Roman generals in the 1st century BC. Once again, I read this from the electronic edition from OMCL, rather than buying the book. Lucan wrote about three Celtic gods and the blood sacrifices made to these gods. This can be found in Book I.

William Butler Yeats

Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry

1888
At Sacred Texts

This was the first extensive commentary on fairies from Irish folklore.

The Celtic Twilight

1893
At Sacred Texts

Thomas Crofton Croker

Fairy Legends and Traditions

1825
At Sacred Texts

Lady Francesca Speranza Wilde

Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland

1887
At Sacred Texts

More literature on Irish folklore.

J. F. Campbell

Popular Tales of the West Highlands

1890
At Sacred Texts

Wirt Sikes

British Goblins

1880
At Sacred Texts

This text provides extensive information on Welsh folklore, fairy mythology, legends and traditions.

John Rhys

Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx

1900
At Sacred Texts

This is the only work that I know of that has Manx folklore. Most of it is Welsh folklore.

Lewis Spence

Legends and Romances of Brittany

1917
At Sacred Texts

This is the best source I could find about Breton folklore.

Elsie Masson

Folk Tales of Brittany

1929
At Sacred Texts

This has one version of the legend of Dahut or Ahes (but Ahez in this text) and the city of Ys.

Charles Guyot

The Legend of the City of Ys

translated by Deirdre Cavanagh, 1979
University of Massachusetts Press

Other Texts

The following works are translations that I have not yet read, but I do suggest that you give these a try.... Well, if you can find them.

There are several reasons why I haven't read these works yet.

There is no English translation available yet.
The original is either fragmented or damaged, and probably not yet published.
It's out of publication (OUT OF PRINT).
I couldn't afford it (please, donate?).
It was available but I did not want to buy it.

However, if you do happen to find English translations of any of these works (preferably in paperback) that are affordable, please e-mail me the details (title, author, name of the translator, ISBN, and the publisher, etc).

Unknown

The Book of Leinster

The Book of Leinster (Lebor Laighneach) is a rather large manuscript which contains numerous tales from Celtic myths. The Book of Leinster was possibly written in 1160. I have found the Leinster version of the Tain Bo Cuilagne in the State Library. Couldn't find this in an English translation at the State Library. Found it on one of the on-line bookstores, but it was too expensive. The manuscript contains tales from the Mythological Cycle, Ulster Cycle and Fenian Cycle.

Unknown

The Book of the Dun Cow

Like the Book of Leinster, the Book of the Dun Cow (Lebor na h-Uidre, late 11th century) contains a collection of numerous tales from Irish myths. The Tain Bo Cuilagne was fragmented; there is a translation of this work by Thomas Kinsella. The manuscript contains tales from the Mythological Cycle, Ulster Cycle and Fenian Cycle.

Unknown

Yellow Book of Lecan

The Yellow Book of Lecan (Lebor Buide Lecáin) (c. 1390) was another manuscript containing a large collection of Irish myths.

Unknown

Book of Lecan

The Book of Lecan (Leabhar Mór Mhic Fhir Bhisigh Leacain) or sometimes called the Great Book of Lecan (c. 1400) was another manuscript from Lecan containing the Book of Rights. This manuscript is less interesting than the Yellow Book of Lecan in terms of Irish myth and legend.

Unknown

Book of Ballymote

The Book of Ballymote (Leabhar Bhaile an Mhóta) is a manuscript of c. 1390. It contains tales of Cormac.

Unknown

White Book of Rhydderch

The White Book of Rhydderch (Llyr Gwyn Rhydderch) is a medieval Welsh manuscript containing 10 of the eleven tales of the Mabinogion (The Dream of Rhonabwy is the only one missing in the manuscript.)

Unknown

Red Book of Hergest

The Red Book of Hergest (Llyfr Coch Hergest) is a medieval Welsh manuscript, containing all eleven tales of the Mabinogion.

References

The following books I have read and used for my research and for general reference. These works are dictionaries, encyclopedias, critical essays or analyses on myths, etc.

Some of these books provide history and background to the myths and legends.