The sacred isle : belief and religion in pre-Christian Ireland

Author / Creator

Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí, 1949-

Available as

Physical

Summary

"The myths and legends of prehistoric Ireland have inspired writers through the ages, down to W.B. Yeats and Seamus Heaney in our own century, but what do we know of the realities of ancient Irish ...

"The myths and legends of prehistoric Ireland have inspired writers through the ages, down to W.B. Yeats and Seamus Heaney in our own century, but what do we know of the realities of ancient Irish belief? Daithi O hOgain's book approaches the question by studying archaeological remains such as tumuli, stone henges and circular enclosures and analysing the rich materials that have been handed down both in the great cycles of Irish heroic tales and the humble but significant survivals of modern folklore, for instance the traditions associated with wells and springs. Drawing evidence from these varies sources, he arrives at a balanced picture of a society and its beliefs which have all too often been the subject of conjecture and fancy."--BOOK JACKET.

Show More