Irish Literature Vol I Author:Justin Mccarthy IRISH LITERATURE is intended to give to the reading world a comprehensive if only a rapid glance at the whole development of literary art in prose and poetry from the opening of Irelands history. I may say at once that when I use the words opening of Irelands history I do not intend to convey the idea that the survey is limited to that period of... more » Irelands story which is recognized as coming within the domain of what we call authenticated historical narrative. The real history of most countries, probably of all countries, could be but little understood or appreciated, could indeed hardly be proved to have its claim to authenticity, if me did not ta1 e into account the teachings of myth and of legend. This is especially to be borne in mind when me are dealing with the story of Ireland. Only by giving full attention to the legends ancl the poems, the memory of n-hich has been preserved for us from days long before the period when the idea of authentic history had come into mens minds, can we understand the character and the temperament of the Irish race. The Gaelic populations have ever been deeply absorbed in legendary fancies and mythical creations, and only through the study of such prehistoric literature can me understand the true national character of these peoples. The . mythical heroes which a race creates for itself, the aspirations which it embodies and illustrates, the sentiments which it immortalizes in story and in ballad, mill help us to understand the real character of the race better than it could be expounded to us by any collection of the best authenticated statistics. TVe could not really know the history of Greece without the Homeric poems, and we cannot understand the history of Ireland without studying the legends and poems vhich have preserved for our time the aspirations and the ideals of prehistoric Erin. , According to the accepted belief of prehistoric days, Ireland was occupied or colonized in the early past first by an invasion, or perhaps it might better be called a settlement, from the Far East, and afterward by an adventurous visitation from the shores of Greece....« less