Friday, September 22, 2006

Feni Fennid Fo Fum

Before getting to Fennid and The Wisdom of the Outlaw, here is a marvelous article about deep-fried abominations served at county fairs, from yesterday's Los Angeles Times.

Now, WOTO. I wasn't joking when I said I had to go back and reread Chapter 1 after reading Chapter 2. The book is dense with medieval cross-references and comparisons to different versions of the same story. I am disappointed that there was no summing up of the information gleaned about Ireland's early social structure or an outlaw class. Nagy simply got to the end of the last story he wished to discuss ("Finn and the Big Men," all five versions, given in English and Gaelic), and signed off.

I had high expectations; I'd been told that this book was the best at getting at ancient Irish spirituality. If it is, it went right over my mael blonde head.

Anyone care to enlighten me? I did learn a little about an obscure outlaw class, and a character who may have been the basis of Peter Pan (am I joking?) but spirituality--no.

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