Additional information
by James Macdougall (Author)
A treasury of Gaelic tales, given back their voice from hearth and hill. Magic survives in whispering Highlands. This Gaelic folk tales collection gathers oral tradition stories in both Gaelic and English, presented as a bilingual fairy tales book that honours cadence as much as content. The collection reads like a compact Celtic folklore anthology: short domestic yarns, mournful ballads reframed as narrative, and longer traditional Scottish legends rooted in Highlands and Islands folklore. Its recurrent moods move from wry domestic humour to the eerie and uncanny; supernatural folklore themes are realised through encounters with otherworldly visitors, tests of wit, and transformations that reflect communal belief. The editor's attention to dialect and phrasing keeps the teller's rhythm audible without alienating modern readers, making the work equally suited to unhurried evening reading and to bedtime stories for families. Collected and arranged by James Macdougall from communities across nineteenth century Scotland, these narratives function as entertainment and as ethnography - an ear to speech, custom and social memory at a decisive moment in cultural history. The bilingual presentation lets readers compare Gaelic phrasing with its English renderings, so language students, translators and anyone curious about idiom will find sustained value. Casual readers will find brisk plots and atmospheric detail; scholars and collectors of classic literature will prize the book's documentary weight as folklore for cultural studies. Readers fond of the Andrew Lang fairy books and Joseph Jacobs fairy tales will discover familiar motifs, yet here the Gaelic voice remains distinct and often haunting. It complements other Victorian collections while offering a rarer bilingual record. Its blend of accessibility and archival worth makes it a welcome addition to libraries of Celtic studies and to family bookshelves. Republished by Alpha Editions in a careful modern edition, this volume preserves the spirit of the original while making it effortless to enjoy today - a heritage title prepared for readers and collectors alike.
