- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: Thames & Hudson; New edition edition (4 Mar 1996)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0500278725
- ISBN-13: 978-0500278727
- Product Dimensions: 23.9 x 15.8 x 1.7 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
-
Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
133,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7 in Books > Mind, Body & Spirit > Mythology > Storytelling
| |||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £2.75
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in Mythic Ireland for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £2.75, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Product details |
Product Description
Product Description
The age of the myth lives on in Ireland - in folk tales and literature, in place-names and language, in ceremonies and monuments. This work explores Ireland's four provinces to discover the places at the root of Irish myth and legend. Focal mythic sites such as St Patrick's Purgatory in Ulster, Loster Gur in Munster and Dublin in Leinster, are described in detail. Finally Ireland is surveyed from a fifth province "Mide" where the entire island is seen to be held in a web of pre-historic sites aligned with solar-lunar events. Ireland's sacred locations take on contemporary relevance as the book shows that the underlying concerns of myth - conservation and recurrence - are increasingly present concerns.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It seemed like an excellent idea - to link Ireland's geography (and to some extent its history) to its mythology. And it sort of works, which is good, because I don't know of any other book that tries to do the same. (Maybe once I put this review up Amazon will find some for me!)
The problem is that it simply isn't a very good book. The writing style is unbelievably florid. The author puts in too many over-speculative suggestions, at the expense of being more encyclopaedic about the mythology itself. And the book is liberally sprinkled with indecipherable paragraphs. Much of it would grace "Pseuds' Corner" in Private Eye.
But there are some good bits. I particularly liked the map (and the chapter with the map) joining many of the key archaeological sites with "Mide" - the centre of Ireland - and how the lines link to sunset and sunrise at solstices, equinoxes and quarter days.
So a highly qualified recommendation. Buy it (or preferably borrow it), and hope that somebody writes this stuff up properly some day.
The problem is that it simply isn't a very good book. The writing style is unbelievably florid. The author puts in too many over-speculative suggestions, at the expense of being more encyclopaedic about the mythology itself. And the book is liberally sprinkled with indecipherable paragraphs. Much of it would grace "Pseuds' Corner" in Private Eye.
But there are some good bits. I particularly liked the map (and the chapter with the map) joining many of the key archaeological sites with "Mide" - the centre of Ireland - and how the lines link to sunset and sunrise at solstices, equinoxes and quarter days.
So a highly qualified recommendation. Buy it (or preferably borrow it), and hope that somebody writes this stuff up properly some day.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Michael Dames, a student of geography, archaeology and art, wrote this book as his own introduction (or perhaps explanation) of Ireland. Divided into five sections (one for each province of ancient Ireland), the book looks at the beliefs of Ireland, and its magical locations - those both ancient, and modern. As a treatise on Irish mythology this book is rather lacking, and as a travel book it is a complete disaster. But, as a book that combines the two, it is nothing short of a tour de force. It gives the reader ideas on how he or she can travel Ireland, touching the magic of its history, and the history of its magic. This is quite a fascinating book.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
One of my favorite Irish books!
23 Feb 1999
Format:Paperback
Whether you're a tourist, a researcher, or just interested in Ireland's mythic and ancient sites, this is THE book to own. Dames includes documented history and archaeology, as well as rich anecdotes that make each site come alive on the page. I read and discard many books about Ireland and its history. This one is at the top of my list, to keep and re-read often.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Absolutely a Terrific Book!
30 April 2000
Format:Paperback
I found this book to be fascinating, scholarly and helpful. It was one of two books I brought to Ireland as a pseudo-guide book. From it, I got a great tour of Lough Gur. For those interested in Celtic Ireland, it is a must read!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Quite a fascinating book
9 Feb 2003
Format:Paperback
Michael Dames, a student of geography, archaeology and art, wrote this book as his own introduction (or perhaps explanation) of Ireland. Divided into five sections (one for each province of ancient Ireland), the book looks at the beliefs of Ireland, and its magical locations - those both ancient, and modern. As a treatise on Irish mythology this book is rather lacking, and as a travel book it is a complete disaster. But, as a book that combines the two, it is nothing short of a tour de force. It gives the reader ideas on how he or she can travel Ireland, touching the magic of its history, and the history of its magic. This is quite a fascinating book.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > History > Britain & Ireland > Ireland
- Books > History > Religious History > Other Religions
- Books > Mind, Body & Spirit > Mythology > Folklore
- Books > Mind, Body & Spirit > Mythology > Storytelling
- Books > Religion & Spirituality
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Anthropology > Customs & Folklore > Folklore
- Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Europe > Ireland
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
