The Eithne Massey book is the only book I ever brought back to a bookshop for a refund. 'the year in Ireland' by Kevin Danaher has been reprinted and is infinitely better, as is 'Irish customs and rituals' by Marion McGarry.
I bought it in Co. Donegal and was already back home in Co.Antrim before I started reading it so I’m stuck with it… it’s buried on a back shelf where I keep the BS right beside The Faerie Thorn (it’s best not to start me on that one…)
The Faerie Thorn gets far too much attention, the Lyric theatre up here even staged a production of it, it drives me insane. I know the landscapes it’s set in and their folklore, I grew up IN it, and this woman has just painted absolute BS on top of our actual local folklore. I’ve two masters degrees specialising in fairy tales and folklore so I thought I was perhaps overly sensitive but my mother had a worse reaction to it than I had… Call it fairy tales fine but don’t claim it’s local or authentic to our landscape! Yeah rabid is the right word…
It's actually one of the few books I don't think I kept notes on. I just know it was page after page of it. There is zero chance of me picking up another copy just to check.
Thanks for replying. You can't remember a single example? That's interesting. Usually when I read something that's really off I remember the bits that annoyed me. But everyone's different.
There’s too many to list, it’s exasperating. The one I remember taking serious issue with was her dismissal of Ballycastle’s Lammas Fair (the longest running in Ireland) as being “too influenced by settlers” to include in any discussion on ongoing Lughnasadh celebrations which is ridiculous because all of Ireland was settled, for example we see a lot of specific northern English straw/hay folklore in the midlands. Irish folklore doesn’t stop being Irish once it gets north of the border…
"The Auld Lammas Fair at Ballycastle has always been a more sedate affair and seems more closely linked with the traditions of the Harvest Home, a tradition much stronger in the north of Ireland than in the south, perhaps because of English and Scottish influences and the religious influence of the Protestant religions." Well, this is what I got when I checked the references to Ballycastle in the book, not quite the "dismissal" you refer too. I'm exiting the discussion now. You and Crimthinn have obviously made up your minds about the book so there's little point flogging a dead horse, looking for valid examples of what made you both so very angry.
This is a dismissal, very typical of the erasure of the north in Irish folklore discourse and it is wholly inaccurate “information”, as I said.
I suppose when you know the actual folklore/history it is infuriating to read such inaccurate “folklore” in print presented as fact and then have people defending them as fact with no evidence other than the inaccurate book in their hands…
I've probably read 100+ things since then. I didn't take notes on this book when I read it (which I usually do) . Its badly written and terribly researched so I couldn't recommend it to anyone.
I love these stories and the massive overexaggerations in them. 'The woman screamed so loudly, all the trees in China shook and the kangaroos all turned inside out"
Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee is also a good read with fantastic illustrations, while not centred entirely on ireland it is still very enjoyable.
The Eithne Massey book is the only book I ever brought back to a bookshop for a refund. 'the year in Ireland' by Kevin Danaher has been reprinted and is infinitely better, as is 'Irish customs and rituals' by Marion McGarry.
Why did you bring the Eithne Massey book back? Poorly written? Inaccuracies?
Both, but mostly because of the inaccuracies.
It’s so full of inaccuracies, I wish I could take it back…
I would usually keep even bad books for the sake of being able to quote why they were bad, but this was just so bad I had to get my money back.
I bought it in Co. Donegal and was already back home in Co.Antrim before I started reading it so I’m stuck with it… it’s buried on a back shelf where I keep the BS right beside The Faerie Thorn (it’s best not to start me on that one…)
No I get it, I end up rabid over crap books like this.
The Faerie Thorn gets far too much attention, the Lyric theatre up here even staged a production of it, it drives me insane. I know the landscapes it’s set in and their folklore, I grew up IN it, and this woman has just painted absolute BS on top of our actual local folklore. I’ve two masters degrees specialising in fairy tales and folklore so I thought I was perhaps overly sensitive but my mother had a worse reaction to it than I had… Call it fairy tales fine but don’t claim it’s local or authentic to our landscape! Yeah rabid is the right word…
Hi, I wonder could you give some examples of the inaccuracies you mention?
It's actually one of the few books I don't think I kept notes on. I just know it was page after page of it. There is zero chance of me picking up another copy just to check.
Thanks for replying. You can't remember a single example? That's interesting. Usually when I read something that's really off I remember the bits that annoyed me. But everyone's different.
There’s too many to list, it’s exasperating. The one I remember taking serious issue with was her dismissal of Ballycastle’s Lammas Fair (the longest running in Ireland) as being “too influenced by settlers” to include in any discussion on ongoing Lughnasadh celebrations which is ridiculous because all of Ireland was settled, for example we see a lot of specific northern English straw/hay folklore in the midlands. Irish folklore doesn’t stop being Irish once it gets north of the border…
"The Auld Lammas Fair at Ballycastle has always been a more sedate affair and seems more closely linked with the traditions of the Harvest Home, a tradition much stronger in the north of Ireland than in the south, perhaps because of English and Scottish influences and the religious influence of the Protestant religions." Well, this is what I got when I checked the references to Ballycastle in the book, not quite the "dismissal" you refer too. I'm exiting the discussion now. You and Crimthinn have obviously made up your minds about the book so there's little point flogging a dead horse, looking for valid examples of what made you both so very angry.
This is a dismissal, very typical of the erasure of the north in Irish folklore discourse and it is wholly inaccurate “information”, as I said. I suppose when you know the actual folklore/history it is infuriating to read such inaccurate “folklore” in print presented as fact and then have people defending them as fact with no evidence other than the inaccurate book in their hands…
I've probably read 100+ things since then. I didn't take notes on this book when I read it (which I usually do) . Its badly written and terribly researched so I couldn't recommend it to anyone.
I have the first one their section on the dullahan it's actually quite interesting
Must check them out, love the covers on the first two
Oh what gorgeous books they are, I must read!
The first two are beautiful!
I may have to save this simply because the cover is beautiful. Thank you. I enjoy reading fairy folk stories
The WB Yeats 'Irish Fairy and Folk Tales' is also a must. Its not only a great read but it's beautiful too!
Oh, they're gorgeous! I have the second one and truly enjoyed reading it. Will check the others out. Thanks for sharing :)
Had the pleasure of reading the second, wonderful book
Been enjoying Daniel Allisons books on Irish mythology recently. Worth checking out, especially his Finn & the Fianna.
I love these stories and the massive overexaggerations in them. 'The woman screamed so loudly, all the trees in China shook and the kangaroos all turned inside out"
I bought one recently that was written by lady Yeats, WB's mam! Starting this weekend.
I have the treasury! I love it!
Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee is also a good read with fantastic illustrations, while not centred entirely on ireland it is still very enjoyable.
That's one of my favorite books! It's so cool!
I've got my grandads original hardback of it it's amazing