Old Celtic tales

In Short

E. M. Wilmot-Buxton gathers classic Celtic folklore from Ireland, Wales, and old British traditions into a single narrative collection. Across these pages, mortal champions navigate magical transformations, impossible royal trials, and brutal battles against giants, invaders, and dark sorcery. Legendary figures such as King Arthur, Merlin, and Olger the Dane endure long quests and bitter tragedies, ultimately carving out the ancient heroics that forged a realm. The book has endured because it strips complex medieval romances down to their pure, mythic core, preserving the magical wonder of early British storytellers.

The Story

The collection opens with profound tragedy in Ireland, where the four children of Lir are transformed into swans through the treacherous enchantments of their stepmother, Eva, and a scheming Druid. Forced away from their loving father, the siblings endure centuries of exile upon icy waters before their eventual release.

The focus then shifts to Wales and the heroic court of King Arthur, beginning with Prince Kilhugh’s desperate quest to win the hand of Olwen, daughter of the terrifying giant Thornogre Thistlehair. Knowing her marriage will bring his death, Thornogre demands a series of impossible tasks: retrieving magical cauldrons, hunting lethal boars, and gathering elusive charms. Supported by seven remarkable companions—including Kai, who can stretch to the height of trees, and Sir Bedivere—Kilhugh traverses vast wildernesses, defeats fearsome creatures, and secures the required wonders. Their journey leads them to Ireland to claim a magical cauldron and to dismal caverns to slay a dark sorceress. With every trial completed, they return to the giant’s fortress, where the giant is slain and the lovers are united.

Further Arthurian adventures explore honour and courtly duty. Sir Kynon and Sir Owain venture into mysterious lands in search of the Black Knight who guards a magical fountain. Owain mortally wounds the knight but becomes trapped inside a castle. Saved by the maiden Luned, he marries the Countess of the Fountain. Yet, after being shamed for neglecting his knightly duties, Owain wanders the wilderness in madness until he is healed by a precious balsam. Reclaiming his prowess, he rescues a loyal lion that fights by his side, slays a brutal giant, and rescues Luned from a fiery execution.

Meanwhile, King Lud defends Britain from three dismal plagues, triumphing over a giant magician who steals whole banquets in a single hamper. In the tale of Taliesin, the witch Caridwen brews a Cauldron of Knowledge for her ugly son, but the young boy Gwion Bach accidentally tastes the magical drops and receives absolute wisdom. Reborn as the child-bard Taliesin, he uses his preternatural verse to outwit four and twenty rival bards, command the winds, and free his patron Elphin from thirteen locks.

The narrative broadens to continental legend with Olger the Dane, who serves the Emperor Charles the Great. Olger earns glory at Rome, escapes imprisonment through the love of the paynim lady Gloriande, and wields the mighty sword Courtain. Overcoming grief and the loss of his beloved warhorse Broiefort, he defends the Christian world, rules Britain, and eventually sails into strange, stormy seas toward the enchanted realm of Avalon. Centuries later, he returns to a changed world, finding his old allies long buried. Finally, the rise of Merlin reveals how the elf-child confounds the usurper Fortager, saves the rightful princes Aurilis-Brosias and Uther-Pendragon, and magically transports the giant stones of Stonehenge from Ireland to Salisbury Plain.

How It Unfolds

The curse of the swans A jealous stepmother conspires with a Druid to enchant the four children of Lir, turning them into swans and sending them away from their father to live upon Lake Dairbreak.

The gathering of the champions Prince Kilhugh seeks Arthur’s aid to win Olwen, uniting six gifted knights with unique magical traits—such as Kai’s fire-kindling fingers and Bedivere’s swiftness—to form a questing band.

The giant's impossible demands The champions enter the hall of Thornogre Thistlehair, who hurls poisoned darts and demands dozens of impossible feats before he will surrender his daughter.

Seeking the lost Mabon To track down the lost infant Mabon, the knights seek out the oldest creatures in the world, beginning with the ancient Ousel of Deepdell.

The raid on Ireland King Arthur sails across stormy seas to claim the magical Cauldron of Cruseward, slaying the unyielding steward and returning home loaded with Irish gold.

The deadly hunt and triumph After chasing the fierce Burstingboar across moors and rivers into the sea, the knights fulfill the final tasks, leading to the giant's execution and Kilhugh's wedding.

Owain and the fountain knight Sir Owain slays the Black Knight of the fountain, becomes trapped in a lordly castle, and is saved from destruction by the clever maiden Luned.

The wild knight and the lion Wasting away in the wilderness from shame, Owain is restored by a widowed countess's precious balsam and earns the lifelong devotion of a mighty lion he rescues.

The duel of the bards The miraculous child Taliesin uses his poetic spellwork to humiliate four and twenty arrogant court bards, forcing them to babble uselessly before their king.

Olger’s return from the unknown After centuries spent in mysterious lands, Sir Olger the Dane returns to France, only to discover that King Charles, his wife, and all his ancient companions have been dead for two hundred years.

The magic of Stonehenge The elf-child Merlin thwarts the treacherous King Fortager, saves Prince Uther-Pendragon from assassins, and uses magic to transport the giant stones of Stonehenge from Ireland.

The People

• Prince Kilhugh: A determined young noble who refuses to abandon his quest for Olwen. Driven by love and pride, he relies on Arthur’s court to accomplish tasks no single mortal could survive.
• Thornogre Thistlehair: The colossal, bushy-eyebrowed Chief of the Giants. Knowing that his daughter’s marriage heralds his own death, he sets lethal traps and impossibly difficult quests to destroy her suitors.
• Sir Kai: A formidable knight of Arthur’s court whose body generates intense heat, who can stay under water for nine days, and whose size can match the tallest trees. His cunning and sharp blade clear a path through treacherous castle halls.
• Sir Owain: A brave but fallible knight who defeats the Black Knight, wins a noble lady, and then loses his way to grief and madness. He redeems himself through loyalty, courage, and his bond with a wild lion.
• Luned: A quick-witted maiden in the castle of the Fountain. She uses her intelligence and resourcefulness to protect Owain from angry mobs and secure his freedom.
• Taliesin: A miraculous child born with total wisdom after tasting drops from a witch’s Cauldron of Knowledge. He uses his poetic brilliance and elemental magic to confound tyrants and free the innocent.
• Sir Olger the Dane: A noble, giant of a warrior who loyally serves Emperor Charles. He suffers deep personal losses, survives enchanted captivity, and battles invaders across decades, eventually outliving his own era.
• Merlin: An elf-child born with the power to read the past and future. He mocks foolish monarchs, guides rightful kings to victory, and shapes the physical landscape of Britain through magic.

In Its Own Voice

"First came Kai, whose offer had but just been spoken. An excellent spy and sentinel was he, for he could make himself as tall as the tallest tree in the forest, and so scan all the country round."

This line captures the surreal, mythic abilities granted to Arthur’s knights as they prepare for Prince Kilhugh’s dangerous quest.

"And when he reached the spot, he found a great fire kindled, and two youths with curling auburn hair were leading the maiden forth to cast her in the fire."

Here, Sir Owain stumbles upon the dire plight of the maiden Luned, illustrating the high-stakes peril that constantly tests the heroism of the knights.

"Directly he realised that this was the work of the mysterious child-bard he sent for Elphin from the prison, and implored Taliesin to stay the wind-storm, which he accordingly did."

This passage displays the immense, elemental power wielded by the young bard Taliesin, whose magic easily humbles crowned kings.

What It's Really About

Beneath its surface of magic and martial triumph, the book explores the tension between destiny and mortal will. The characters frequently find themselves bound by prophecies, ancient oaths, or magical curses that they cannot escape. Thornogre cannot prevent his death once his daughter marries; the children of Lir cannot break their long avian exile through brute force.

Yet, the stories argue that loyalty, cleverness, and fellowship are humanity's true weapons against a chaotic world. Victory rarely belongs to a single isolated hero. Instead, it requires the combined, eccentric talents of a group—whether it is Kai's elemental heat, Uriel's understanding of beast languages, or Luned's clever trickery. At its heart, the text reflects on the passage of time, showing how kingdoms crumble and heroes like Olger outlive their world, leaving only their legends behind.

Why Read It Today

This collection is a delightful find for readers who want to experience the raw, unpolished wonder of ancient British and Irish mythology without slogging through archaic academic translations. Ethel Mary Wilmot-Buxton adapts these traditional tales with absolute clarity and swift narrative momentum, making the ancient prose accessible while preserving its eerie, magical atmosphere.

Reading it feels like sitting beside a hearth while an ancient storyteller weaves yarns of wild shape-shifters and towering monsters. The book does present a few minor hurdles for modern readers: the narrative episodic structure can feel abrupt, characters frequently act on sudden mythic logic rather than modern psychological motivation, and the sheer density of strange names and impossible tasks requires an open, imaginative mindset.

However, what stays with you is the sheer inventiveness of the folklore. The image of giant eyebrows needing to be propped up with forks, or a loyal lion leaping over castle walls to protect its master, lingers long after the book is closed. It is an ideal read for fantasy lovers, mythology enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the foundational tales of Britain.