Ireland's immortals: a history of the gods of irish myth, paperback/mark williams

Description Irelands Immortals tells the story of one of the worlds great mythologies.

The first account of the gods of Irish myth to take in the whole sweep of Irish literature in both the nations languages, the book describes how Irelands pagan divinities were transformed into literary characters in the medieval Christian era--and how they were recast again during the Celtic Revival of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

A lively narrative of supernatural beings and their fascinating and sometimes bizarre stories, Mark Williamss comprehensive history traces how these gods--known as the T atha D Danann --have shifted shape across the centuries.

We meet the Morr gan, crow goddess of battle; the fire goddess Brigit, who moonlights as a Christian saint; the fairies who inspired J.

Tolkiens elves; and many others.

Irelands Immortals illuminates why these mythical beings have loomed so large in the worlds imagination for so long.

About the Author Mark Williams is Fitzjames Fellow in Medieval English at Merton College, University of Oxford, and Lecturer in Celtic in the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages.