Mysterious Celtic Mythology in American Folklore

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Mythical Ireland Anthony Murphy. Celtic Mythology Philip Freeman.

Druidry Handbok John Michael Greer. Summer with the Leprechauns Tanis Ann Helliwell. The Gods of the Celts Miranda Green. Anam Cara John O'Donohue. Roswell and the Reich Joseph P. Flap copy When Celts from across Britain and Europe migrated to America in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, they brought with them religious beliefs and superstitions from the old world. These stories of spirits, fairies, demons, and other magical beings were adapted to suit the early settlers' new surroundings and transformed into what America thinks of as its earliest legends.

From lost lands and hidden wealth to witches, vampires, and unexplained dark creatures, author Bob Curran takes the reader on a mythic tour of Celtic legend and its various embodiments in America.

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The story of Sarah Tillinghast and the vampires of Rhode Island is one of nineteen regionally defined tales included in this collection. Others explore poltergeists, the so-called second sight, the strange powers of conjure man Dr. Buzzard, and the alleged gateway to hell. The origins of such lore and their development in American legend reveal how a modern society still clings to the ancient consciousness that seeks to understand the mysterious world in which we live.

Bob Curran is a prolific writer and an expert on Celtic culture and folklore. He has penned more than fifty books in eleven languages on mythology and history.

Mysterious Celtic Mythology In American Folklore

Curran teaches in Ireland and gives speeches throughout Northern Europe and the United States on folklore and education. Born in Northern Ireland, he held a series of odd jobs- including gravedigger, journalist, script writer, mortuary attendant, and radio programmer-in the United Kingdom and the Americas before returning to his native land. Curran has also worked on underground publications, including Oz, a counterculture magazine in London, and as an educational and cultural adviser for the government of Ireland.

Back cover copy Tales of vampires, headless horsemen, witches, devil dogs, and banshees can all be traced back to the ancient Celts. Their mythology included a mystic otherworld from which the souls of the dead, malevolent spirits, and fairies could influence the mortal realm and this was said to be the source of such supernatural beings.

Many legends grew from these primitive beliefs and crossed the ocean with immigrants to the New World. In the wilderness of an untamed America, old legends found new life and were adapted by settlers to explain the strange land in which they now found themselves. Bob Curran is a prolific writer and expert on Celtic culture and folklore, penning more than fifty books in eleven languages on the subject. He teaches in Ireland and gives speeches throughout Northern Europe and the United States on folklore and education. About Bob Curran Bob Curran is a prolific writer and expert on Celtic culture and folklore and has penned more than fifty books in eleven languages.

He teaches in Ireland and lectures throughout Northern Europe and the United States on folklore and education. Born in Northern Ireland, he held a series of odd jobs in the United Kingdom and the Americas before returning to his native land, including gravedigger, journalist, scriptwriter, mortuary attendant, and radio programmer. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. The darkest fears and wildest dreams of people throughout history survive in legends, fairy tales, and bedtime stories.

Mysterious Celtic Mythology in American Folklore by Bob Curran (2010, Hardcover)

A respected Celtic expert, Bob Curran explores nineteen regional tales from all over the United States and traces their origins to the ancient mythology of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Celtic Europeans brou The darkest fears and wildest dreams of people throughout history survive in legends, fairy tales, and bedtime stories.

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Celtic Europeans brought their folktales with them to America. Once they reached American soil, they adapted their stories, replacing details popular in the old country with those more relevant to the new world. Divided into chapters, these regionally distinct stories trace the beginnings of vampires, headless horsemen, witches, banshees, and other mythical creatures.

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This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Nov 03, Alison Lilly rated it really liked it. A wide-ranging collection of ghost stories and legends from America mostly eastern US , noting interesting parallels with older folklore from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, etc. Curran presents some theories about the possible influence these Celtic cultures had on how American folklore developed, in particular in rural Appalachia with the influence being less obvious in stories coming from the mid-west and western US. A lot of the negative reviews of this book seem to be based on the criticism tha A wide-ranging collection of ghost stories and legends from America mostly eastern US , noting interesting parallels with older folklore from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, etc.

This is not an academic book, and readers shouldn't expect the same narrow focus and exhaustive citations found in an academic text. This is a collection of local oral traditions and folklore, many of which are by their nature inherently retold "third or fourth hand" accounts. There is value in collecting and recounting oral storytelling traditions, even if those collections don't claim to make a definitive academic argument about the meaning or historical importance of those stories.

Curran opens each chapter by recounting older legends from Celtic cultures in Europe many of them already familiar to those who've read similar collections , then develops the themes and motifs found in these stories by presenting similar legends found across America. Some of these stories are more universal and show a mix of cultural influences, including native American Indian, while others have specific aspects unique to Celtic culture. In short, Curran's argument for cultural influence is straight-forward: For what it is -- an entertaining and well-told collection of legends that show Irish and Scottish influence on early American culture -- it's a fun book, worth the read!

Oct 09, Csenge rated it it was ok Shelves: I was expecting a book on folklore and got a book on supernatural speculation. I wish to death I could use these stories, but the book severely lacks sources for further research. Fun book, with a pinch of history!

Did you ever wonder about certain legends or superstitions? Bob Curran has some answers and even some questions. I couldn't put this book down.

Give it a read! Sep 09, Amanda rated it liked it. Not exactly what I was expecting. Some of the stories were vague; most likely, the areas that they originated from no longer remember those stories either. They were good stories, though! Jan 29, Phil rated it did not like it. Melodramatic and poorly written, this book is repetitive and sensationalist. Each chapter is supposed to correspond to a different state in the United States, and is supposed to expound upon a Celtic myth which was transported to that state by Irish, English, Welsh, or Scottish immigrants.

After the first several chapters, a pattern of repeated and rehashed background material emerges. There is little context, or detail, surrounding any of the supposed myths, supernatural encounters, or mysteriou Melodramatic and poorly written, this book is repetitive and sensationalist. There is little context, or detail, surrounding any of the supposed myths, supernatural encounters, or mysterious happenings.

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