The Names Upon The Harp: Irish Myths And Legends - Hardcover

Heaney, Marie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0590680528 ISBN 13: 9780590680523

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2000

Synopsis

Provides readers of all ages with an illustrated collection of Irish myths and legends, including "The Birth of Cuchulain" and "Oisin in the Land of Youth." By the illustrator of When Jessie Came Across the Sea. 35,000 first printing.

About this title

Reviews

Gr 4 Up-Heaney presents a sampling of stories from each of the three main cycles of early Irish literature: the Mythological cycle, the Ulster cycle, and the Fenian cycle. Each grouping is accompanied by a brief but pithy introduction that effectively sets the stage for the stories to come. The selections themselves cover the gamut from sentimental, passionate tales of romance to the bloody dramas of war or political power plays. While most of the stories, such as "The Children of Lir" and "Oisin in the Land of Youth," can be found in other collections, both the quality of Heaney's retellings and the systematic organization make this volume worthy of consideration. Lynch augments the power of each tale with watercolor-and-gouache illustrations that are appropriately beautiful or horrifying, depending on the theme at hand. He expertly executes both setting and characters, and there is a misty quality to his paintings that gives a true sense of the long ago and faraway. While this is not an essential purchase, those in need of a solid collection representative of Irish myth and legend cannot go wrong here.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Heaney delves into the roots of Irish lore for her collection of eight tales. Conflict, murder and magic abound as kings and chieftains fight one another over beautiful women or to win honor.The author, the wife of Seamus Heaney, divides the volume into the three accepted cycles of early Irish literature (the mythological, Ulster and Finn cycles), providing a brief explanation of the period as well as tales representative of each. Readers meet a variety of Ireland's ancient heroes and villains as they conquer lands and such peoples as the Tuatha De Danaan, who later became known as the Faery or Little Folk that live under the earth in the Land of Youth. Heaney includes all the necessary elementsAdrama, intrigue, ambition, wizardryAbut something is amiss when she strings them together. The narrative becomes mired in copious, often confusing detail (e.g., a brief mention of the character Morann in "The Birth of Cuchulainn" goes unexplained) and difficult-to-pronounce names (a key is provided at book's end). "The Children of Lir," for instance, gets bogged down in logistics and is not as musical as Malachy Doyle's version in his recent Tales from Old Ireland; the writing overall lacks spark and a smooth storytelling pace. Young readers will likely find this work more tough-going than tantalizing. Lynch (The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey) serves up a theatrical pastiche of watercolor-and-gouache, capturing kings, maidens, druids and cherubic babies in his striking portraits and creating sweeping scenes of the harsh and rugged Irish landscape (and seascape) of yore. All ages.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 6-up. That these eight stories seem to tell themselves is a tribute both to their ancient power and to the skills of Heaney, wife of the poet Seamus Heaney. She has divided them into three cycles--"Mythology Cycle," "Ulster Cycle," "Finn Cycle"--and included such traditional tales as "Children of Lir," "Deirdre of the Sorrows," and "Oisin in the Land of Youth." The themes of bravery and treachery, love lost and won, names earned and erased, are as familiar as our own hearts. Illustrations by P. J. Lynch are exquisite, both in their beauty, which rises from the page like faerie mist, and in their full-blooded horror, with severed giants' heads and great snarling beasts. Full- and double-page spreads, small vignettes, and powerful pendant pieces illuminate the tales wonderfully. In both its language and images this seems aimed at an older audience than Malachy Doyle's collection Tales from Old Ireland [BKL N 15 00]. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0590680528
• ISBN 13: 9780590680523
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 96