Description
This anthology includes new and approachable translations of folktales from the Scottish Highlands and Nova Scotia, providing extensive commentary on this rich storytelling tradition. Each story is annotated with information about its origins and any insights into its meaning. The original Scottish Gaelic texts, collected from a wide variety of rare and obscure sources, are provided in an appendix.
About the Author
Michael S. Newton was an assistant professor in the Celtic Studies department of St Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia from 2008 to 2013. He has written a multitude of books and articles about Gaelic culture and history and is a leading authority on Scottish Gaelic heritage in North America. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Reviews
"Michael Newton is to be commended on his new collection of Scottish Gaelic folktales, which will be a valuable resource for the general and academic reader alike. He has done a great service to the Gaelic community, not only by re-editing a sizable stock of folklore material-emending the errors and outdated orthography of editions long out of print-but also by providing fresh, accessible English translations that will enable a wide audience to enjoy these delightful stories anew."-Natasha Sumner, associate professor, Celtic languages and literatures, Harvard University
"You hold in your hands a book that is both intellectually fascinating and emotionally spellbinding. As one of today's preeminent scholars of Scottish Gaelic language and its wider culture, Michael Newton has succeeded in breathing back to life the dying embers of the 'ceilidh house' of bygone times, that humble yet far-reaching University of Life. In an era when knowledge can too often lack wisdom, where cognition can too readily lack imagination's vision, this book calls back the soul's long-ebbing tide. May these tales find new life in those who hear them shared aloud today. May they open out new depths of meaning in these troubled times. A blessing on the house and 'Peace be here!' where they find currency. And as the tradition had it, 'So be it.'"-Alastair McIntosh, honorary senior research fellow, University of Glasgow
Book Information
ISBN 9781476690025
Author Michael S. Newton
Format Paperback
Page Count 277
Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
Publisher McFarland & Co Inc
Weight(grams) 207g
Dimensions(mm) 254mm * 178mm * 14mm