Spellbound: Tales of enchantment from ancient Ireland by Siobhan Parkinson and Olwyn Whelan
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2012. ISBN 9781847801401
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Myths and legends. Irish myths. I haven't
often come across ancient Irish folk tales so this was most
interesting to read and so acquaint myself with those stories from
their past. Beautifully illustrated in that flat patchwork style of
illustrations peculiar to books of myths and fairy tales, full of
rich colour and often with borders, the book kept me reading until
the end.
The eight stories contain magic and mystery, telling of the ancient
times, and will intrigue readers. Some reveal a man who by his own
hand, destroys or upsets the love shown by a beautiful woman. In
Butterfly girl a young very beautiful girl called Etain, is buffeted
by those who both love and hate her. Beloved by a local lord she
marries him only to find he already has a wife, who takes serious
revenge upon the girl. From then on many things happen to her, but
eventually she and her husband are reunited as swans. It's an
amazing story of love (particularly the woman's) and retribution, of
overcoming evil, of finding your way in the end.
Another, The enchanted deer, has a young woman found in the forest
as a deer by day. She marries her rescuer only to be left alone for
too long, so returns to the forest where her husband later finds
their son. In Lord under wave, again, the man marries a woman who
initially appeared as an old ugly hag, only to find in the night she
changes to a beautiful young woman. They marry and all he has to do
to keep her is not remind her of her past. He does! She flees! And
then he spends time looking for her. Another odd mixture of love and
magic, around a man's ability to see only what he wants and not the
needs of his wife. The stories are all unusual and will make a great
treat for students wanting to hear different stories read aloud or
study as part of a different culture. For older readers, these may
form the basis of a study of folk tales and their presentation of
male and female roles. Each would be superb read aloud and set up a
neat platform for discussion.
Fran Knight