The Names Upon the Harp: Irish Myths and Legends [Hardcover]

The Mythological Cycle concerns the Tuatha Da Danaan, who were some of the early occupants of Ireland who defeated the Fomorians and were later in turn defeated by the Milesians who drove them underground. Heaney thus includes the stories that best describe these two events: "Moytura" that recounts how the Fomorian Balor of the Evil Eye was killed by his grandson Lugh, and "The Children of Lir", who were changed into swans by their stepmother and forced to live on until the peal of a bell rang in the new faith.

The Ulster Cycle concerns the doings of King Conor Mac Nessa and his court at their home of Emain Macha, including "The Birth of Cuchulainn", the strongest warrior of all, "Bricriu's Feast", who attempted to cause competition and strife between the warriors, and "Deirdre of the Sorrows" who was the Irish version of Blodewynn, Gwynevere and Helen: a beautiful woman caught between the love of two men who eventually causes their downfall.

Lastly, the Finn Cycle is of the Fianna Warriors and the bloodline of their leader Finn Mac Cumhaill: "Finn and the Salmon of Knowledge" tells of his upbringing and the gaining of his wisdom, "The Enchanted Deer" tells of his love affair with Sadb, a beautiful woman cursed in the form of a deer, and "Oisin in the Land of Youth", the story of Finn's son who travels to Ti Na N-Og with his beloved, only to return back to Ireland to find many thousands of years have past. The Finn Cycle also includes a poem "Summer", translated from the Irish by Seamus Heaney.

Therefore, the book covers a wide range of the mythology canon of Ireland, but one wishes that there had been more to fill in the blanks between each myth - often fascinating characters and plot points are introduced only to fall by the wayside, and often drastically important stories are left out entirely: Cuchulainn's death for example. Likewise, although Heaney tells the stories adequately, there is no sense of age or importance in her narrative. The people and events are told straightforwardly, but there is no mystery, no poetry, no sense of the *timelessness* of these great stories. One senses that she wrote for the benefit of introducing children to the myths, but it becomes clear early on that these stories are definitely *not* suitable for young children.

P. J. Lynch uses watercolours to capture the images of the stories, and here is where the true strength of the book lies. I have always been a huge fan of this artist, and "The Names Upon the Harp" might just be his best work. The landscapes of Ireland are just what they should be: mysterious and dark, cold and misty, rock-strewn and lake-covered. But the people: Lynch manages to catch all of them - whether strong or weak, cunning or tragic, warriors or poets, each one is realised fully. A few crowning achievements are the bitter sadness of Deirdre as she looks out upon the snow, and the pain on Oisin's face as he embraces his father farewell. As seen in other books, Lynch also enjoys creating giants: here the headless Cu Roi and the monstrous Balor are so vivid that it might be a good idea to censor this book from the little ones. This seems like a good place to say that he isn't stingy about the use of blood and violence either.

All in all, this is a rewarding book that for good measure includes a pronunciation guide and a list of sources. If you like Irish myth, then there are no real complaints here, and if you are a fan of P. J. Lynch, or want to see some of his best work (if you like Alan Lee or John Howe, you'll definitely like P. J.) then look no further. "The Names Upon the Harp" is well worth the search, and definitely worth owning.