Nine tales of early Irish literature beautifully retold in a modern, evocative style A mysterious woman appears nightly at the bedside of a prince and sings to him until he falls sick with love for her. A determined hero tracks his beloved through several incarnations, struggling to win her back. A young warrior seeks a woman who turns into a swan. These are the plots of little-known, anonymous tales composed over a thousand years ago in the monastic libraries of Ireland. In poetry and prose, they tell us what happens when human and supernatural lovers cross the boundaries between our world and the Otherworld (sid). Set in a lost time of heroes, demi-gods, warrior queens, and other folk of the Irish Otherworld (aes side), these stories inspired some of the earliest fairy tales of France and England. What is more, they are sexier, funnier, and bloodier than better-known medieval myths and romances. In Otherworld, historian and novelist Lisa M. Bitel offers lively retellings of these Irish original myths using her expertise in Irish history and literature to guide modern readers. She traces themes and characters that link the nine magical tales, explains customs and locations, and brings out the humor. Like all storytellers--whether medieval or modern, performers or scribes--Bitel interprets the originals as she leads her readers over the boundary of reality to the Otherworld. Drawings especially created for the book by Saba Joshaghani accompany these astonishing tales.

About the Author
Lisa M. Bitel discovered the magical literature of early Ireland while studying at Harvard University and later University College Dublin. Since then, she has written or edited six books and many articles about medieval Europe, focused on Ireland, gender, or the history of Christianity before 1000 C.E. She teaches at the University of Southern California and makes frequent trips to Ireland.


Book Information
ISBN 9780197600610
Author Lisa M. Bitel
Format Hardback
Page Count 248
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 395g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 148mm * 21mm