Celtic mythology spans Ireland, Scotland, and Wales and is built upon the culture, vibrancy, and history of the region. Celtic fantasies incorporate the rich, lush, and mystical landscapes of their countries with the gods and goddesses, mythical creatures, and lore passed down through generations. Escape into ancient Ireland through the depictions of the goddess of war, the Morrigan; step foot on the fictional Welsh land of Prydain and defend it from evil; set out on a quest to avenge your family from a hateful witch. These five fantasy reads will transport you from the lull of the modern day and open your eyes to the rich, and relatively under-explored, inner workings of Celtic culture.
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
The first novel in Marillier’s The Sevenwaters Series, Daughter of the Forest, is set in ancient Ireland when Celtic chieftains and lords maintained and defended their land from the British. Sorcha, the only daughter and seventh child of Lord Colm of Sevenwaters, is set at odds against her father’s new wife, an evil enchantress, who binds her brothers with an awful spell. The spell demands Sorcha’s silence to be lifted; if she speaks before completing the quest given to her by the Fair Folk and their queen, the Lady of the Forest, she will lose her brothers forever. After being kidnapped by Sevenwaters’ enemies, Sorcha is faced with a choice between saving her brothers and a once-in-a-lifetime love.
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon is a magical saga focusing on the women behind King Arthur’s throne. The story of Camelot’s court, and the rise and fall of the King, is told through the women who helped bolster and, then, unseat him. We follow these women, primarily Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar, through their childhoods and destinies in this Arthurian epic. The mythical island, Avalon, is rooted in Celtic folklore and a pagan lifestyle. One of the novel’s themes is exploring the conflict between Celtic religion and mythology and the encroaching Christian faith.
The Morrigan by Kim Curran
Curran’s historical fantasy, The Morrigan, tells the story of Ireland’s goddess of war and fate. A tribe of gods and goddesses emerged from the sea and landed on rocky Irish shores. The Morrigan, a young red-headed girl, is different from the rest of her kind. She can change forms from bird to beast to goddess, she yearns for battle, blood, and power. An epic tale of femininity, rage, and war that grips you from the opening prologue with its fiery prose.
They called me The Morrigan. I was magnificent. I was multitudes.
– The Morrigan, Kim Curran
They twisted my story, stripped me away. But I will tell it now in my own voice.
It begins, as all the best stories do, in darkness.
The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
In this five-book children’s fantasy series, the story of a young farm boy named Taran, living on a fictional land named Prydain ideated from Welsh mythology, is explored. Taran dreams of being a great hero, but works on the farm as the newly appointed “assistant pig-keeper”. He is tasked with the protection of the clairvoyant, an oracular pig named Hen Wen. Throughout the series, Taran helps to protect the land from threats; the most pressing being the evil Arawn and his undead army. The series contains five books: The Book of Three (1964), The Black Cauldron (1965), The Castle of Llyr (1966), Taran Wanderer (1967), and The High King (1968).
The Hounds of the Morrigan by Pat O’Shea
A fantasy set on the West Coast of Ireland, The Hounds of the Morrigan follows ten-year-old Pidge and his younger sister, Brigit, who have been chosen to thwart the Great Queen, the Morrigan. The Morrigan seeks to free the snake, Olc Glas, which would bring inescapable destruction upon the world. With the aid of some friendly creatures and their steadfast drive, the siblings prepare to face the goddess of war and fate all while her hounds, who have been sent to trail them, are waiting for their chance to strike. Wonderfully written and utterly escapist, The Hounds of the Morrigan is a delight.
Celtic mythology and culture are brought to us in a fantastical form in these spectacular reads. The Morrigan, the womanly goddess of war, a clairvoyant pig, an evil enchantress: these fantasies are singular and will have you addicted from the first few pages. Leave this world behind and drift into a new one with a Celtic heart and soul.
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