Gather round, fellow Celts, we need to teach

[celticdragonfly]

Okay, I am finding out that my baby sister phoenixsinger has seriously missed out on the education in Celtic legends and mythos that is part of her heritage! I must fix this.

I mean, I just had to explain to her about the Seelie and Unseelie courts, and no the word was not the same as "unseemly".

(And what IS the proper old spelling of seelie? I forget. I can partially visualize it but I don't get it completely right.)

She wants to know where I should have her start reading. Boy, I want her to get her library card issues fixed quick so I can get her going on this. Definitely she has to read the Mabinogion. I know there's one translation that's recommended as the best, but I forget which. Help?

And what else shall I have her read early on? I've been so immersed in it for so long that it's hard for me to think what beginning points are. I'd have her post this so she'd get the comments, but there's lots more people on my flist than read her. What shall we give her as the starting reading list? I keep thinking of books, but then I think a lot of what I love depends on a basic beginners knowledge of the mythos.

Comments

[jenna-thorn.livejournal.com]

I'm coming in late to the conversation, but I'll second the Jones. It's the one I have and yes, it's a little stilted at times, but reading a tricky section aloud will compensate for any awkwardness. 8-)

The Golden Bough is the old school text, for discussion and I won't reccomend Robert Graves' The White Goddess. I know, I know, I'm a heretic, but ugh, it's unreadable in sections. Big sections. Vast tracts of land.

[jenna-thorn.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah,

are you thinking of seiligh?