IRISH literature(help please)

[shkelzen]

I am very interested in irish literature. I think it is marvellous.
Could anybody please recommend me any book about its history. I mean a kind of anthology or something like that.
An online text would be preferred too.
Thank you for your help from now.

[Shea]

Isn't "Dream of the Rood" and old Irish poem? It was assigned in the class I had to drop because I couldn't keep up. When I get back home, I take a look at it again. I also have a book on Irish myths and legends that's been sitting on my shelf waiting for me to look at. If I get the chance, I'll skim through it and let you know.

[shkelzen]

ok. thank you!
waiting for your answer

[Koa]

I have a book called 'Inventing Ireland- the literature of the modern nation' by some guy (I guess I shouldn't call him that cos he's probably a super-researcher) called Declan Kiberd....Not sure it's the sort of thing you're looking for and I confess I have read just a small part of it, but it has something about Irish history, and a chapter about Yeats and stuff like that. I don't think you can find it online though.

[atiguhya padma]

The Dream of the Rood is an Anglo-Saxon poem, which relates to some inscriptions on a Dumfriesshire cross, in the village of Ruthwell in South-West Scotland. These inscriptions are in runic characters and are alliterative.

I don't think it is Irish. I could be wrong though :)

[Shea]

No, your not wrong, AP. I read it right after the "The Tain Bo Cuailnge" (yes that's spelled right!:eek: ) Which is an old Irish story about a cattle raid. They tended to run together in my head. It didn't have a date, but the headnote in my text mentions the 12th century. I had to read through it real fast and really didn't get much, but it did seem like a very good story. My book says that its "the chief work in the "Ulster Cycle" of Irish heroic narratives" so you might try Ulster in a search engine.

I also have a number of early Irish verses:

To Crinog
Pangur the Cat
Writing in the Wood
The Viking Terror
The Old Woman of Beare (which I think I remember enjoying)
Findabair Remembers Froech
A Grave Marked with Ogam
The Voyage of Mael Duin

The book I had called Irish Myths and Legends was by Michael Scott. It looked more like his interpretation of the storys. There was no forward or anything so it seemed like it reads as a regular novel. He did have the Tain as one chapter, but it was definately his interpretation. I'm not really sure you want to go with that one. (My sister gave it to me.)

Hope all that helps!:D

[verybaddmom]

I sort of accidentally came across some links to information on Irish literature, and remembered seeing this thread...i hope that you can get some use out of these sites...

http://www.luminarium.org/mythology/ireland/

http://bubl.ac.uk/link/i/irishliterature.htm

http://www.islandireland.com/Pages/lit.html