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Chapters: Japanese Mythology in Popular Culture, Irish Mythology in Popular Culture, Celtic Mythology in Popular Culture, Classical Elements in Popular Culture, Ancient Astronauts in Popular Culture, Chinese Mythology in Popular Culture, Gilgamesh in Popular Culture, Aztec Mythology in Popular Culture, Dagon in Popular Culture, Qilin in Popular Culture. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 104. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Greek Hinduism (Tattva) andBuddhism (Mahābhūta) Chinese (Wuxing) Japanese (Godai) Tibetan (Bön) Medieval Alchemy Classical elements have been frequently used in pop culture in genres such as fantasy, literature, film, humor, television, video games, comic books, toys and even music. Typically a character or characters are linked to one or more of the four classical elements (fire, air, water and earth) common to most ancient philosophies (particularly the Greek, Hindu, Buddhist and Japanese traditions), either through special powers granted, ability to mimic the element, or other means. In some cases a fifth element is included, such as aether (also known as quintessence), void, or flora-or, as was the case in the movie The Fifth Element, something else altogether. The classical elements and their use in literary history have served as the subject of various published books. In The Elements: Earth Air Fire Water (How Artists See), Colleen Carroll examines "how the four elements have been depicted in works of art from different time periods and places." In Legends of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, Eric Hadley and Tessa Hadley provide a "collection of myths and legends from different parts of the world about the four basic elements without which life would not be possible." According to Publisher's Weekly, in Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Mary Hoffman and Jane Ray collec...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=23849940 ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent anthology!
This book is a collection of 24 fantasy stories written by Irish authors, all set in an Irish milieu. Some of the greatest names in Irish literature are represented, such as W. B. Yeats and James Joyce, but all of the authors are respected Irish authors, such as Sinead de Valera and Peter Tremayne. Here are stories of god and heroes, of angels and devils, of cruel cunning and courageous feats of arms.

In general I have found that anthologies are usually a mixed bag, with most good, but with a few stinkers included to round it out. This book surprised me with its excellence. I deeply enjoyed the stories of Cuculain and Oisin. However, the best two are also the last two. The Devil and Democracy by Brian Cleeve tells the story of the Devil dealing with a communist revolution in Hell ("I proclaim the Eternal Liberty of the Imps and Sinners Soviet Republic!"), while The Last Warrior Quest by Peter Tremayne tells the story of an aging warrior of Ui Duach on his last quest. This final story was written exclusively for this book, and will not soon be found anywhere else.

So, if you are interested in stories of Irish heroes and gods, then I can't recommend this anthology enough. It is an excellent book! ... Read more

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This volume is being published to mark the 50th anniversary of the Mercier Press. The primary aim of the selection is to offer the reader an entertaining book of stories. Along with classics of Irish literature, the book includes pieces that belong to the popular tradition of storytelling. The book brings together crucial figures such as Francis MacManus, Padraic Pearse and Daniel Corkery. The range is wide, from Pearse's mystic allegories to MacManus's realistic historical drama. A lighter note is provided by Sigerson Clifford, while the more recent generations are represented by John B. Keane and Brian Cleeve. Included also are the stories from the oral tradition. On the one hand there are pieces from storytellers whose audience would have been limited to the people of their locality, and whose art was recorded by others. Eric Cross's "The Tailor and Ansty" is a celebrated, and in its time controversial, example of this type. On the other hand, there are pieces that mirror the polished and professional art of storytelling adapted for a wider public; Eamon Kelly is the obvious choice in this area. ... Read more

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This study of Indian Mythology is one in a series of seven studies that consists of comprehensive analyses of each of the six major Indo-European mythologies.
The Indo Europeans are defined by a common group of languages that extend, as the name implies, from India to Ireland.The languages include the many Hindu and other Indian languages, that of the Persians, the Kurds, Armenians, the extinct Hittites, and the languages of Europe excluding Basque, Hungarian, and Finnish.Among these peoples extensive mythologies have survived in Indian, Persian, Greek, Norse or Germanic, Irish, and Welsh and Arthurian stories.We caution that our account is not for the faint-hearted since our studies have analyzed all of these six mythologies individually in a long and intensive study to a depth that has not even been attempted for a hundred years or more.
The key to this successful analysis of these mythologies is our discovery that all the major figures are known by many, many names.These are found linked together in Indian but only some are preserved in the other five mythologies.
We have discovered that their names, family relationships, and exploits are all to be found scattered through the mythologies of the Indo-Europeans. The mythologies that hold these stories are Indian, Welsh and Arthurian, Greek, Norse, Irish, and Persian.These histories are most completely preserved in Indian mythology and religion and in Indian terms they extend from Brahma to Krishna.We find that Indian mythology, because of its vast size, retains the names and stories of all of the six generations and so parts of all of the other five mythologies can be linked to Indian.Links between the other five also exist but are less extensive.
These accounts will surely be unfamiliar even to students of mythology since all of the principal figures were known by many names and in all cases the mythology has been transposed to the land of the teller.Different names often survive in different lands and we are led into arrays of names and genealogies that even scholars of these separate mythologies are unlikely to appreciate fully.
We recognize that individual readers are likely to be more interested in some parts than others and so we have provided separate accounts of each of the six mythologies.We have then combined the conclusions of these studies to give our best judgment of the lives of the seven principals.This last document is thus an account of the lives of “The Family of the Gods”.
... Read more

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THE TINKER'S DOGFANNY FITZ'S GAMBLETHE CONNEMARA MAREA GRAND FILLYA NINETEENTH-CENTURY MIRACLEHIGH TEA AT MCKEOWN'STHE BAGMAN'S PONYAN IRISH PROBLEMTHE DANE'S BREECHIN'"MATCHBOX""AS I WAS GOING TO BANDON FAIR" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

very entertaining, with some striking parts
This is a delightful collection of eleven short stories, though the last isn't really a story as much as a tour of the Bandon Fair.Each is about five or six thousand words.One quickly recognizes the style of this duo and their astute observations of Ireland.In one story, a couple is spoken of who hail from England, a place where two and two always come out to be four, whereas in Ireland, it can be three or five or nothing.The humor arises from the situations and the frank, although loquacious, descriptions.There are a couple of moments that are quite tragic.As with most of their work, much horse dealing occurs and hounds and fishing, not to mention the constant added ingredient of recreational spirits.These two were apparently apt to sketch out the entire story line before writing.The momentum of a couple of the tales shows this to be a success."An Irish Problem" is a great story and one can't help but think of the R.M.A couple of the stories are connected with the same characters, but mostly each stands alone.This is a great thrill for fans of their entertaining style.And the stories are "bite-sized" and can be read in a sitting. ... Read more

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This new work offers an exhaustive survey of one of the world's most fertile and exciting mythological traditions. It covers the persons, themes, concepts, places, and creatures of Celtic mythology, in all its ancient and modern traditions, in 4000 entries ranging from brief definitions to extended essays on major tale cycles. An introductory essay explains who the Celts were, explores the history of the Celtic revival, and examines the meaning and role of mythology and tradition. An invaluable pronunciation guide for the major Celtic languages, a topic index of entries, thorough cross-references within Celtic mythology and to other mythologies, such as Classical and Norse, enables the reader to see the relationship between Celtic mythology, later Irish literature, and other literary and mythological traditions.
The Dictionary of Celtic Mythology is the first place to turn for an authoritative guide to this colorful world of tragedy, revenge, honor, and heroism of Celtic myth.Amazon.com Review
The full richness of Celtic mythology, with legends, sagas,and folklore, with traditions, places, and personalities, are nowevocatively yet concisely conveyed in James MacKillop'sdictionary. The 4,000 entries include brief descriptions (such as theshort explanation of Arthen, the bear-and-river god of early Wales) aswell as extended stories of bloody vengeance (following actual orsupposed treachery), romantic love, and frequent adultery, plus talesof mysterious monsters on lonely hillocks. From Deirdre andCúchulainn to leprechauns, from Galahad, cauldrons, andarchaeology to druids, MacKillop provides an impressive amount of loreand research in a reliable, browsable, and enjoyabledictionary. --Stephanie Gold ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Must-Have for Celt-o-philes and Celtic-leaning Wiccans and Pagans!
So you listen to Loreena MacKennitt and love you a good Celtic knot. You know vaguely that Brigid is a Christian saint who started as an Irish goddess, and that Taliesin had something to do with bards. If you want to learn more, pick up this book. Sure it's a dictionary, but if you have a couple hours, you could read it cover to cover and come away with more colorful stories of heros and gods and beasts than you ever could have imagined. For being a reference book, it reads as well as most short story compendiums. Informative and a fun read!

awesome dictionary of celtic icons
My copy of this tremendously helpful book is completely dog-eared.Interestingly enough, I bought the book not because of my interest in Celtic and Druidic studies, but because I play an online multiplayer game called Dark Age of Camelot.As I was playing I noticed a couple of "mobs" (monsters) which seemed curiously in tune with their natural meanings.I work at a bookstore and picked this book up on my break to look up a few more of the mobs and found them all in there.Over time, I found that the game was startling on target with mobs, non-player characters and mythic storyline.

I have since used it for a number of other Celtic "look ups" and just love having this book handy.It is nearly indespensible in my mind.

Great in some area, but very imbalanced overall
This book is wonderfully useful for Irish and Welsh mythology. Irish and Welsh entries are generally quite comprehensive and individually mostly of a high quality.

The major flaw, and it is quite a major one, is the horrific dearth of Scottish and Breton entries, which appear quite randomly and often are only of very low quality. So for instance, Irish "kings" of minor historical or mythological importance occur in abundance, yet figures such as Macbeth, Malcolm II and Malcolm III are totally unaccounted for. Dublin has a huge entry, Glasgow has no entry (although admittedly St. Kentigern does). There may be entries for Goidel Glas and Scota, of supreme importance in medieval Scottish origin myth, but nothing is said of them in relation to Scotland or in how they were used there. Every half-significant Irish geographical feature has an entry, yet a location like Scone has nothing. Likewise, there are no entries for the "Prophecy of Berchan" or the "De Situ Albanie." I could go on and on.

Useful but flawed
Quite frankly, if this is the best reference work on Celtic legends and culture, this only goes to show how very bad the rest are.Other reviewers have pointed out the irrelevant English items and very bad etymology; I would like to add that the book is infuriatingly uneven in its references.Some I have been able to track down; other entries have no origin listed at all, which has resulted, in one case, in a desperate and completely unavailing trawl through EVERY TITLE in the Brittany bibliography - and that for a reference which is absolutely fundamental to my research.I know this particular character and folk-tale exist; they must, because other facts I encountered confirm that they must; but because Mr. MacKillop has not given his source for his description, I am unable to proceed.And that is not the only case in which the entries let me down.It is pointless to write a reference dictionary if you are not going to give references!

Mostly Good
There is much in this book that is useful about Celtic folklore and mythology. However, the etymologies are usually incorrect. This may not matter to some. It does to me.

The back cover claims that this book has "authoritative...etymologies for Celtic names..." when they are in fact neither authoritative nor correct.

For example, MacKillop gives for the entry Deva an etymology from Latin meaning goddess "[L. goddess]." However, the Latin for Goddess is _diva_ not _deva_. The word _Deva_ is transparently Brittonic from (Proto)-Celtic *_deiwa_.

Especially annoying for me is the etymology of English words used as headings, which are out of place in a Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (I believe).

So, while the entry for "Stag" is indeed useful, giving the etymology of 'Stag' from "[OE stagga]," (while at least correct in this instance), is just absurd.

As for careerist motivations and cut and past "druidical" names: ...

Lastly, my motivations were not careerist, but one of informing others. A book that claims to be authoritative in Celtic etymologies, I belive ought to live up to that claim. Unfortunately, this one doesn't, and others should be aware of that. ... Read more

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Emerging from a people with an absolute belief in 'the little folk', the fairy tales of Ireland are part of one of the richest folk literatures in the world. Many of Ireland's finest writers, inspired by the work of folklorists like the Brothers Grimm, have created masterly retellings of the traditional stories of their own homeland. In this wonderful collection of stories by writers like Carleton, Yeats and Lady Wilde, a legion of fairy folk - giants, leprechauns, witches and mermaids - help, hinder, charm and terrify their mortal neighbours. Much-loved tales include the story of the farmer who offends the fairies by building on their dancing ground, the king who loses his wife in a chess game and the smith who learns his skill at working brass and iron during his seven-year apprenticeship to the giant Mahon MacMahon. The heroes and saints of the Celtic sagas are here as well, in beautifully written versions of the old bardic stories of Finn, Deirdre, Cuchulain and Brigid. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A top pick
Every country has its own literature and mythology. "Irish Folk and Fairy Tales" is a collection of short stories focusing on traditional Irish mythos. These contemporary writers provide excellent stories in the style of folk tales, with a touch of modernism where needed. "Irish Folk and Fairy Tales" is a top pick. ... Read more

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This book is one of the few works that examines the roles of Manannan mac Lir, one of the most fascinating characters in Irish literature, in Gaelic, Manx and Anglo-Irish literature. The author brings together and examines the various roles Manannan plays in Irish and Anglo-Irish literature and determines both the consistency and diversity in the ways he is portrayed in these stories. These representations are presented as a literary "biography: for Manannan with emphasis on both the invariant aspects of his character and his impressive adaptability. In addition, the author also demonstrates and seeks to explain the popularity and incredible longevity of Manannan in Irish and Anglo-Irish literature from Immram Brain to Finnegan's Wake. ... Read more

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Again more fascinating tales are contained in this follow up to The First Book of Irish Myths and Legends. Included in this most readable and interesting work is The Children of Lir, a fanciful, half other-world tale that has a good deal of poignancy and considerable literary merit. There is also the great epic of teh Fenian cycle, Diarmuid and Graine which is to its time and place what Helen and Paris is to the Iliad. The third story is about the hero Cuchulain, probably the greatest symbol of heroism associated with Ireland. However in this tale his honour emerges in a doubtful light becuase of the manner in which he treats the women who love him. The exaggeratedly recognisable human traits and the sophisticated concepts of human behavour painted with such skill and acute observation are far ahead of their time in Western Europe. ... Read more

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This is a compilation of insults through the ages. Insults may be defined at their simplest as remarks and descriptions not intended as complimentary. An element of wit or justifiable rage is essential if insult is not to degenerate into mindless abuse. Ireland can number among its sons and daughters some of the wittiest insulters ever - Swift, Joyce and Myles na Gopaleen are three who come to mind - and just as many exponents of mindless abuse, who on the whole did not find their way into this collection. Sean McMahon is the author of "A Short History of Ireland" and "Rekindling the Faith". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Irish have a way with words! !
This is a greatlittle book.It would be easy to pass this book by as just another one of those little edited "gift books";but it isn't.It has something for everyone who has any intrest in Irish humor,history,poetry,culture,literature or whatever.Most of the book is more academic than I first expected while some is quite simple.It is very evident that a lot of effort went into researching and selecting the quotations chosen.I find that little books of this type gives one the impression that they were just thrown together in a couple of hours.This wasn't!
Here,s just a couple of examples:
May his pig never grunt,may his cat never hunt,
May a ghost even haunt him at the dead of the night;
May his hen never lay,may his ass never bray,
May his goat fly away like an old paper kite.
That the flies and the fleas may the wretch ever tease,
And the piercing north wind make him shiver and shake,
May a lump of a stick raise bumps fat and thick
On the monster that murdered Nell Flaherty's drake.
'Nell Flaherty's Drake'
More like a curse than an insult;but good nonetheless.

How about this one:

Here lies,praise God,a woman who
Scolded and stormed her whole life through;
Tread gently o'er her rotting form
Or else you'll raise another storm.
'Grave Humour'

Enjoy ! ! ... Read more

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An essay, two poems, and seven tales about the most famous of Ireland's "wee folk." ... Read more