Celtic mythology and religion

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1885 edition. Excerpt: ... new land she arrives in ; goes to a ball, unknown to her employers, in her fairy dress; creates a sensation, so to speak; but having to leave in haste, she loses her glass slipper, whereby the enamoured prince is enabled to find her. The tale of the "Hoodie Crow," with which our discussion commenced, would appear to be a broken down myth of the solar class; and it is accordingly connected with the nocturnal life of the sun-god, who then is under the spell of the dark powers. The dawn maiden pursues him through toils and difficulties, and at last frees him from the spells. Another fruitful source of myth and worship is the change of summer into winter, when the earth has to pass from the genial rule of the " fire" powers to that of the " frost" king. The earth is spell-bound during winter, by the machinations of the frost-king; the lovely goddess of summer has been carried away, leaving her mother Earth disconsolate; " Proserpina gathering flowers, herself a fairer flower, by gloomy Dis is gathered." She becomes the wife of Pluto, god of the lower world, but is allowed to return to her mother for half of the year. Connected with this myth is the widespread tale of the imprisoned maiden. There are always three characters in the myth; the monster or giant, who performs the abduction; the maiden who is rich in treasures as well as beautiful; and the youthful hero, the young Apollo, who is destined to overcome the monster and his spells. Some minor points may briefly be noticed. Among the many names of the sun in the Veda, he is called the "goldenhanded," a very natural simile for the golden rays shooting fingerlike from him. The Hindus accordingly rationalise this, and tell how Savitri cut off his hand in a strait, and that the priests made...