Celtic fantasy is a genre of literature, film, and music based on Celtic folklore. While it is considered by many to be high fantasy, since the stories are usually set in a medieval or ancient world, it is different because it is inspired by famous tales from Celtic history, culture, and mythology. Many of these legends include: The Tale of Tír na nÓg, The Legend of Cúchulain, Jack and His Comrades, The Legend of Knockmany, The Tales of King Arthur, Branwen ferch Llŷr, Tristan and Iseult, Beowulf, and many, many others.
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Celtic fantasy books are usually full of mystery and magic, thrilling their audiences. Many themes in Celtic fantasy include pagan religions, fantastical creatures such as faeries, dragons, elves, and selkies, beings with supernatural powers such as druids, or simply persons from Celtic history and legends such as knights, heroes, Gwyn ap Nudd, etc. Other topics could simply be traditions valued by the ancient Celtic peoples such as honour, loyalty, respect for those in authority, and heroism.
Because Celtic Fantasy stories are based on legends, many times these stories are retellings as in the example of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green. It is his version of the famous Welsh legends written in the early medieval ages, later to be popularized by the Normans.
Many times, these legends form the inspirations for many stories written today such as Glastonbury by Donna Fletcher Crow. Another example is Caledonia: The Legend of the Celtic Stone by Michael Phillips. Other examples of fantasy include the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote The Silmarillion and L.B. Graham, who wrote The Binding of the Blade series.
However, Celtic Fantasy isn't restricted to only literary works. It has formed the inspiration for many video games, films, and music groups such as Skyrim, How To Train your Dragon, The Secret of Roan Inish, Eurielle, Leah, Plethyn, Anúna, Brunuhville, Tartalo Music, Enya, Julie Fowlis, Ceredwen, Celtic Woman, and many more.
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