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Historical The Lore of Ireland: An Encyclopedia of Myth, Legend and Romance   by Daithi O. Hogain $47.95/The Boydell Press /2006 Encompassing thousands of years of collective memory, The Lore of Ireland is an exhaustive collection of folktales and history from the Emerald Isle. This encyclopedia provides a meticulous account of Ireland’s fantastic myths surrounding pagan deities, imaginary heroes, otherworldly beings, and historical figures. The author describes multiple tales about each topic, creating a vivid picture of Irish legends. Many entries describe the Fianna and Ulster Cycles, stories, members of the otherworldly race the Tuatha de Danann, and ancient Celtic gods and goddesses. But this book also includes folktales about actual people, such as how Aristotle frequently “tussled with his wife” and repeatedly tried to outwit his cunning spouse. Hógaín also illustrates how historical events affected myths. For example, Queen Elizabeth I’s poor treatment of the Irish during her reign resulted in her defamed reputation. A compilation of myths necessarily relies on oral history, but this encyclopedia draws upon medieval chronicles, as well as the 12th-century text Cogadh Gaedheal re Gallaibh, which detailed the negative impact of the Viking invasions. Church texts, including St. Patrick’s autobiography Confessio, provide information for the lives of saints. Hógaín examines his sources’ provenance, biases, and the time in which they were written, thereby providing an insightful glimpse into the origins of Irish folklore. Unfortunately, this book lacks a few helpful inclusions. The “List of Genres” that categorizes the entries is useful, but to clarify its vast amount of information, this book sorely needs maps and appendices detailing Ireland’s clans, dynasties, and rulers. The Irish language pronunciation guide is beneficial, but its position at the end of the book makes it difficult to find. Despite these minor shortcomings, The Lore of Ireland is an essential resource about Ireland’s legends. By providing numerous tales about an array of figures, subjects, and characters, Hógaín creates a detailed encyclopedia with scholarly qualities that synthesizes an impressive amount of information. — Rose Rankin

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