The bulk of what is known of Celtic mythology comes to us primarily from fragmentary texts transcribed, for the most part, between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries. These volumes, having been set to parchment and vellum after the advent of Christianity (between 4th and 5th century), contain transcriptions of much older legends and heroic tales, albeit subject to the influence of the times. The most auspicious of these is the "Book of the Dun Cow", which, tradition has it, was copied from a seventh century manuscript written upon the hide of Saint Ciaran's favorite pet.
Some folk tales survive to this day in rural Celtic towns and villages being kept alive by storytellers and singers who carry on the ancient oral tradition. Writing things down was not a trait that was strong with the Celtic people. It was not until the upcoming of monks in the Celtic world, that the wealth of history, tradition and culture was begun to be put to parchment zealously by the pious men of religious orders of Christianity. It is from the monastic libraries that we today obtain most of our written record regarding the ancient culture of the Celts.
This section will attempt to share with the visitor-reader some insight as to what has been preserved over the millenia of Celtic Mythology, as it was passed down from generation to generation through the annals of time in a -- primarily -- oral tradition...
Have a nice journey back to times of wonder, mystery, quest and enigmas!
For those of you interested in further readings about Celtic Mythology, I can highly recommend two books. One is by Arthur Cotterell: "Celtic Mythology", and the other is the following: By T.W. Rolleston: "Celtic Myths and Legends" (see below).
You can buy this book here online
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