Áedán of the Gaels

Lingvo: English

Eldonita je 14-a de decembro 2022 de Pen & Sword Books Limited.

ISBN:: 978-1-5267-9493-2

(1 recenzo)

This is the first full-length work devoted to Áedán mac Gabrain, 6th century king of Dal Riata in Scotland. An associate of the famous St. Columba, he was the first recorded king to be ordained in the British Isles and was the most powerful ruler in his generation. His astonishing military reach took him from Orkney, Pictland, Ireland, Northumbria and the Isle of Man. This book details his dominant career, which came to a shattering end after decades of warfare at the Battle of Degsaston in AD 603. Beyond the record of warfare, there is a unique and tantalising accumulation of legend concerning Áedán, from stories about his birth, to tales of him in battle with Irish heroes. English sources mention him and he is one of the few Gaelic kings to feature prominently in Welsh tradition, where he is remembered as a uniquely powerful player in the north of …

This is the first full-length work devoted to Áedán mac Gabrain, 6th century king of Dal Riata in Scotland. An associate of the famous St. Columba, he was the first recorded king to be ordained in the British Isles and was the most powerful ruler in his generation. His astonishing military reach took him from Orkney, Pictland, Ireland, Northumbria and the Isle of Man. This book details his dominant career, which came to a shattering end after decades of warfare at the Battle of Degsaston in AD 603. Beyond the record of warfare, there is a unique and tantalising accumulation of legend concerning Áedán, from stories about his birth, to tales of him in battle with Irish heroes. English sources mention him and he is one of the few Gaelic kings to feature prominently in Welsh tradition, where he is remembered as a uniquely powerful player in the north of Britain. Modern writers highlight Áedán as the father of a prince named Arthur, which has led to his place in Arthurian studies. Áedán's prominence in his era qualifies him as a fascinating figure, whose life and legend are accessibly explored in this exciting account of this unique ruler.

3 eldonoj

Stephanie Jane recenzis Áedán of the Gaels de Keith Coleman

Hidden history

3 steloj

I've started to learn Scottish Gaelic with Duolingo these past three months so was delighted to see Keith Coleman's new biography of the 'first' Gaelic speaking Scottish king, Áedán, for review on NetGalley. It seemed like a great opportunity to learn about the origins of Gaelic-speaking Scotland, complementing my language lessons, and I did indeed find myself able to translate, unaided, some of the descriptive names for various people and places Coleman mentions. There are, however, an awful lot of both people and places which briefly crop up without then ever being mentioned again and this made particularly the early chapters quite bewildering!

The main problem with a detailed biography of Àedàn is that very little is known for sure about the man himself or his exploits. Coleman has done a wonderful job of researching and collating myriad glimpses of him across various annals, records, epic poems and folklore. Putting …

I've started to learn Scottish Gaelic with Duolingo these past three months so was delighted to see Keith Coleman's new biography of the 'first' Gaelic speaking Scottish king, Áedán, for review on NetGalley. It seemed like a great opportunity to learn about the origins of Gaelic-speaking Scotland, complementing my language lessons, and I did indeed find myself able to translate, unaided, some of the descriptive names for various people and places Coleman mentions. There are, however, an awful lot of both people and places which briefly crop up without then ever being mentioned again and this made particularly the early chapters quite bewildering!

The main problem with a detailed biography of Àedàn is that very little is known for sure about the man himself or his exploits. Coleman has done a wonderful job of researching and collating myriad glimpses of him across various annals, records, epic poems and folklore. Putting all this together did allow me to gain a good sense of the king and the times in which he lived, but of necessity much of this book is educated guesswork. It did get frustrating to be repeatedly told how much we simply cannot know as the source material no longer - or perhaps never - existed. That said, I found Áedán of the Gaels to be a fascinating read and I am now keen to learn more of this hidden period of British history.