Ireland's Immortals - by Mark Williams (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A sweeping history of Ireland's native gods, from Iron Age cult and medieval saga to the Celtic Revival and contemporary fiction

Ireland's Immortals tells the story of one of the world's great mythologies. The first account of the gods of Irish myth to take in the whole sweep of Irish literature in both the nation's languages, the book describes how Ireland's pagan divinities were transformed into literary characters in the medieval Christian era--and how they were recast again during the Celtic Revival of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A lively narrative of supernatural beings and their fascinating and sometimes bizarre stories, Mark Williams's comprehensive history traces how these gods--known as the Túatha Dé Danann--have shifted shape across the centuries. We meet the Morrígan, crow goddess of battle; the fire goddess Brigit, who moonlights as a Christian saint; the fairies who inspired J.R.R. Tolkien's elves; and many others. Ireland's Immortals illuminates why these mythical beings have loomed so large in the world's imagination for so long.

Review Quotes

"Far too much writing on Irish mythology is disturbingly superficial, and that makes a book as comprehensive and learned as this one a welcome addition."---Juliette Wood, Folklore

"Honorable Mention for the 2017 PROSE Award in Literature, Association of American Publishers"

"Mark Williams has written a very readable and hugely informative book with novel insights."---Ephraim Nissan, Fabula

About the Author

Mark Williams is Fitzjames Fellow in Medieval English at Merton College, University of Oxford, and Lecturer in Celtic in the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages.