Celtic Folklore

Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx is John Rhŷs's rich, searching study of the traditions, beliefs, and oral tales of Wales and the Isle of Man. It begins as a scholarly map of local testimony, gathering stories from clergymen, farmers, antiquarians, and village storytellers, then broadens into a vivid exploration of how landscape, memory, and myth shape one another across sacred wells, haunted hills, caves, valleys, and coastal places. Rhŷs blends folklore collection with bold interpretation, tracing fairy lore to ancient myth, water spirits, older peoples, druidic survivals, and the Arthurian world. Alongside lake maidens, brownies, witches, charms, omens, treasure legends, and place-name traditions, he wrestles with the difficulty of separating history from superstition. The book also includes haunting tales such as the tragic fate of Rhyđerch, claimed by the Bendith y Mamau, and a family curse that waits generations before exacting its revenge. Expansive and atmospheric, this is both a classic Celtic folklore compendium and a meditation on the deep past hidden in story, language, and belief. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.