Celtic Tales

This retelling of legends of tall warriors and old enchantments takes its place beside the author’s two previous titles, Hero Tales of the British Isles and Tales of the British People. As in the earlier books, Miss Picard’s writing captures the magical quality so fitting for these strange tales of love and violence and heroism in which the legendary heroes of Ireland play such dramatic roles.

She writes of the people of Dana, the strange colorful gods of ancient Ireland; of Finn and the Fianna, some of the greatest heroes of all legends, and of a different King Arthur—not Malory’s pattern of chivalry nor yet the Celtic deity he may originally have been, but both a fine warrior and a more than human figure.

The varied tales include The Children of Lir—one of the Three Sorrows of storytelling; The Bride Price for Olwen, in which Kilhwch has to win countless treasures and accomplish great feats, with Arthur’s help; the light-hearted Pursuit of the Hard Man, which shows Finn and his warriors in a not-so-serious light, and many other stories to stir the imagination.

Once again, the author has written brief introductory notes relating each story to a specific background.


“This welcome companion to Tales of the British People and Hero Tales from the British Isles taps the rich but barely popularized vein of the ancient Irish mythology. These stories lack the ornamentation of the later British folklore, but are starkly stirring and forceful. The action is generally violent, but its simplicity is without morbid brutality or gothic gruesomeness. With the accompaniment of detailed notes, the group of tales indicate the interesting evolution of this body of myths as well as the complex interrelationships of the family of gods. John G. Galsworthy's heraldically stylized illustrations are fitting to the text.” KIRKUS REVIEW


Barbara Leonie Picard was born in England in 1917 of mixed German-Venezuelan and French parentage. A long time resident of Lewes, Sussex, England, she died in 2011 at the age of 93. She was known on both sides of the Atlantic for her superb writing style and authentic historical content. Her books have received special recommendation from the ALA, Kirkus, Library Journal, The New York Times, Horn Book, Child Study Association, and many others.