The Book of Celtic Wisdom is a collection of the poems, proverbs, and aphorisms of the Celtic people that have been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. These are the proverbs and blessings that bring the wisdom of the ancient Celts to life. Their thoughts on charity ("Stretch out your hand in giving, and you will never stretch it out in need"), aging ("The older the fiddle, the sweeter the tune"), and work ("The lazy young man and the poor old man; two sides of the same coin") are as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago. A thoughtful and reflective...

Here, collected in one volume, are tales and legends that range from the misty dawn of Gaelic history and the triumph of St. Patrick to the Ireland of the present day--tales as beautiful, mystical, and enchanting as the ancient land itself.

What is it about Ireland' s past that so haunts the imagination? More than one answer can be found in Michael Scott's powerful new collection of 29 tales. To start with, in a newly Christianized Ireland, monks do battle with a devilish monster that has killed a river. All the water in this collection, from rivers to lakes, conceal dangers that men and women would best avoid. Ready to tempt Ireland' s new conquerors -- humankind-- supernatural forces hide beneath waves, in bogs, in the very land, waiting. With his usual inventiveness, Michael Scott juxtaposes the old and the new, the ancient...