Where did the Red Hand, the famous symbol of Ulster, originate? It's the hand of Heremon, a chief so keen to be first to lay claim to the land that he cut his own hand off the threw it from a ship!
Not all legends from Ulster are so gory, of course, and in this collection we meet The Great Brown Bull, The Horsemen of Aileach, Paiste, The Great Black Pig, Maeve MacQuillan, Fintan, Febor and Fia and, of course, Colmcille and the Book of Movilla.
Evocatively illustrated by Conor Busuttil, this collection of myths from Ireland's northern province will enthrall readers young and old.
Not all legends from Ulster are so gory, of course, and in this collection we meet The Great Brown Bull, The Horsemen of Aileach, Paiste, The Great Black Pig, Maeve MacQuillan, Fintan, Febor and Fia and, of course, Colmcille and the Book of Movilla.
Evocatively illustrated by Conor Busuttil, this collection of myths from Ireland's northern province will enthrall readers young and old.
I've been saving this one all week. Conor's Children of Lir was one of my favourite O'Brien books of last year, and I love folktales. I read as many collections as I can. The problem with that, of course, is that it's rare to read a folktale I haven't read before. Of the seven stories in this book, I'd definitely never heard of five, might have heard of one in passing, and the last one I knew but not from this point of view.
They're brilliant stories. I really enjoyed them. One will haunt me for a while. Conor's illustrations add immeasurably, bringing the stories to life with colour and movement. His figures are all very alive. It's wonderful.
I love this book. I'll be buying copies for gifts this Christmas. It's just wonderful, and I hope the authors and illustrator create many more.
No comments:
Post a Comment