On the Verge of Lunacy

This book tells us the colorful childhood days and the coming of age of the Celtic race's greatest hero. The book is divided into sixteen chapters. Each one is about the important events in Sentanta's life, who later on became known as Cuchulain, that marked the important influences and the people that shaped his life. There is also a chapter about Deirdre, whose life and misadventures indirectly influences the events the next events. Readers who are not familiar with this myth will not find this book difficult to understand. The uncommon words that are used are explained. The introduction will also provide additional information to the reader. The book tells only the story up to Cuchulain's coming of age after he was knighted. This will serve as a good introduction to the Ultonian cycle. If the reader wants to know what happens next to Cuchulain, I recommend Myths of the Norsemen by H.A. Guerber and Red Branch by Morgan Llywelyn. O'Grady's narrative is...

This book is a great introduction to Celtic culture and mythology. One of the highlights is the introduction of Celtic culture based on written accounts and archaeological evidence. Most books about myths often proceed to the recounting of the stories right after a brief introduction. Knowing about the culture and background of the people behind it will make it easier for the readers to understand the motivation and inspirations behind the tales. The book is divided into eight chapters. The ff. is the list of the titles of those sections: 1. The Celts in Ancient History 2. The Religion of the Celts 3. The Irish Invasion Myths 4. The Early Milesian Kings 5. Tales of the Ultonian Cycle 6. Tales of the Ossianic Cycle 7. The Voyage of Maeldun 8. Myths and Tales of the Cymry The second chapter discusses the possible origin of the religious practices and worship of the Celts. While the third chapter is about the first of the four main divisions of the Irish mythical and lege...