Tales of the elders of Ireland =

"This is the first complete translation of the largest literary text surviving from twelfth-century Ireland, the most comprehensive early collection of Fenian stories and poetry." "Three parallel worlds interact in the Tales: the contemporary Christian world of Saint Patrick, with his scribes, clerics, occasional angels, and souls rescued from Hell; the earlier pagan world of the ancient, giant Fenians and an array of Irish kings; and the timeless Otherworld, peopled by ever-young, shape-shifting fairies. The Tales dwell in detail on the inhabitants of the Irish Otherworld and provide an extensive account of their music and magic, their internecine wars and their malice toward, and infatuation with, humankind - themes that still feature in the story-telling of present-day Ireland." "This new translation is based on existing manuscript sources and is richly annotated, looking at the Acallam's place in Irish tradition and its wider literary impact."--Jacket.