Old Celtic Romances

Old Celtic Romances by P. W. Joyce is a collection of legendary Celtic stories passed down by word of mouth. Excerpt: «Among the Celtic people of Ireland and the north-west of Scotland, story-telling has always been a favorite amusement. In the olden time, they had professional story-tellers, variously designated according to rank—ollaves, shanachies, filès, bards, etc.—whose duty it was to know by heart several old tales, poems, and historical pieces, and to recite them at festive gatherings, for the entertainment of the chiefs and their guests.»