Fantastical Feats of Finn MacCoul by Norah Montgomerie

Fantastical Feats of Finn MacCoul by Norah Montgomerie

This collection of mystical folk tales about the Celtic hero Finn MacCoul is magical and bloodthirsty compendium full of humour, love and heroism. The legend of Finn exists in several cultures, but most notably in Scotland and Ireland, where he and the Fian, his band of loyal followers, are still important cultural figures. Many place names that grace the Celtic lands have their basis in these tales. Kyle Rhea, for example, between the Isle of Skye and the mainland is so called because of the terrible fate that befell one of the Fian while trying to save his wife - these warriors valued honour above all else. Justice was dispensed decisively to evil-doers and members of the Fian alike. Finn himself was more of a king than the kings he often met, for he alone was the arbiter of all conflicts. His was a life of constant risk combined with a simple belief in the power of good over evil. Finn travelled and fought wherever he was most needed. His dealings with the Lochlanners (Scandinavians) give us a stirring insight into a time where men risked their lives in pursuit of something more than mere wealth. This fabulous and evoking collection of heroic tales conjures a time and place where giants and magic were commonplace and danger was everywhere, where kings ruled over kingdoms, not countries.

Companion to the best selling Folk Tales of ScotlandOnly collection available of the Fenian cycle of stories. Stunningly illustrated by Paul Rumsey.

Norah Montgomerie was born in London but spent most of her life in Scotland with her husband William Montgomerie, the Scottish poet. Together they collected and published many collections of nursery rhymes and Scottish folk tales and independently she was well known for her compilations of children's stories (To Read and to Tell, More Stories to Read and to Tell). Her interest in Finn MacCoul spanned many years and she was disappointed that it never found a wider audience in her lifetime. She died in 1998. Julian Brooks is Norah's grandson. He is a film-maker and photographer from Tackley in Oxfordshire. Trained as a wildlife cameraman he now works mainly in the field of arts and commercial video as well as high-speed photography. He and his wife Ingunn Haugen from Hornindal in Norway have reassembled this collection of tales from a box of Norah's original manuscripts.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781841588179
ISBN 10	1841588172
Title	Fantastical Feats of Finn MacCoul
Author	Norah Montgomerie
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Birlinn General
Year published	2009-04-07
Number of pages	272
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.