Otherworld ~ Nine tales of early Irish literature by Lisa M. Bitel

I am so glad to have found this book!

Lisa Bitel includes nine stories, each of which have a connection to the ever-present Otherworld of memory and imagination. Many of these stories are not well known outside the source translations and they are also some of my favourites, all well worth the telling.

Lisa tackles the complex and convoluted Tochmarc Étaíne, the courtship of Etain. It is a great story, the only one I know, as I tell my younger class audiences, which includes not only time travel but a cloning machine!   But it is a story that does require an understanding of the ‘rules of conduct’ governed by early Irish law so I was delighted to see how decidedly Lisa restores the dignity of Fúamnach, not a wicked stepmother figure, but a seriously aggrieved first wife!

One of my favourites, Echtra Nera, is present in the book and it is also so good to see some little-known stories included. There is the Tochmarc Becfhola, The Courtship of Becfola, for instance, as well as the Táin Bó Froích, The Cattle-Raid of Fróech.  I am especially pleased at the presence of this story as I will shortly be sharing a ‘Stories in the Landscape’ conversation with Daniel Curley from the Rathcroghan Visitor, possibly even before Christmas 24.

The book contains an excellent foreword, clearly setting the stories into their early medieval context and also points readers to the sources from which these tales are drawn. It is beautifully illustrated as well. Otherworld represents a seriously good ‘find’ for both teens and adults interested in discovering what early Irish stories have to offer. I will also be recommending it to teachers of primary classes wanting to discover more of these exciting and entertaining tales to share with their classes.

I shall lose no time in recommending Otherworld ~ because…

Good retellings of early Irish stories are hard to find.   I suppose there are a number of reasons for this. For a start, these once orally shared stories were committed to writing a long time ago mostly in early Irish so the vast majority of readers today will depend on translations. The golden age for these translations was the Celtic Twilight revival in the late 19th and early 20th C but for some lesser known but wonderful stories these are still the only available versions, dense and difficult as they sometimes are. They are not exactly easy reading and may also include some out-dated linguistic interpretations. 

Some have fared better. Perhaps the stories of the Táin Bó Cúailnge are only as well-known as they are thanks to the 1969 Thomas Kinsella translation. I was also indebted, growing up, to the tellings of Lady Gregory, particularly ‘Gods and fighting men’.  I know her versions are ‘of their time’  but I would never have become so involved with Irish stories , particularly those of Finn, if I had had to struggle  with, say,  the middle Irish Acallam na Senórach.

The other difficulty is that without an appreciation of early Irish society, its structure, organisation, and law codes, but above all perhaps, the essential role  of ‘status’, many of the stories lose so much of their significance. 

I am frequently asked for recommendations of versions of, particularly, lesser-known stories, and I have done what I can to fill in gaps, especially for teachers. ‘Otherworld’ will be a very useful resource.

I will be sharing a conversation with Lisa very soon now and am looking forward to the opportunity to ‘talk Irish stories’ with such an expert and gifted writer

Lisa’s book is readily available on Amazon.uk, Amazon.com or from the publishers.