Post by Blackbird on Mar 28, 2005 9:46:37 GMT -1
I bought this recently from Oxbow books, and would recommend it to anyone.
It's quite an academic type book, but is not a dry read by any means. The back cover sums it up: "This important book is the first ever comprehensive collection of references from primary source material in translation from early Celtic tales, folklore, ballads, place-lore, saints' lives, poetry and proverbs."
I must confess that I was a little disappointed that the book does not really look at ancient music styles, its only concerned with the written references rather than with practical music. I was also a little disappointed - though not surprised - that the book concentrates almost solely on Ireland, with Scottish and Welsh sources only used for comparitive purposes. (And no mention of Brittany or Man, lol!)
However, those niggles aside, the book is a fascinating collection of lore, with sections on performers, instruments, effects, places and times.
It's by Karen Rolls-McLeod, pub Polygon, 2000. ISBN 1-902930-09-6
It's quite an academic type book, but is not a dry read by any means. The back cover sums it up: "This important book is the first ever comprehensive collection of references from primary source material in translation from early Celtic tales, folklore, ballads, place-lore, saints' lives, poetry and proverbs."
I must confess that I was a little disappointed that the book does not really look at ancient music styles, its only concerned with the written references rather than with practical music. I was also a little disappointed - though not surprised - that the book concentrates almost solely on Ireland, with Scottish and Welsh sources only used for comparitive purposes. (And no mention of Brittany or Man, lol!)
However, those niggles aside, the book is a fascinating collection of lore, with sections on performers, instruments, effects, places and times.
It's by Karen Rolls-McLeod, pub Polygon, 2000. ISBN 1-902930-09-6