18 h 3 minAudiobook15 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 18 h 3 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Beneath the hills, fairy hosts gather; in Ireland’s old tales, even a glance can carry danger.
In Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms & Superstitions of Ireland, Lady Wilde gathers stories of fairies, ghosts, saints, spells and cures. She turns to the tales of country people, fearing they will vanish with an older way of life. The result opens a door into the beliefs that give familiar hills, wells and households an unseen meaning.
The collection ranges from fairy lore and omens of death to charms, the evil eye, saints and old festivals. The banshee, the fetch and the stolen child belong to this unsettling world. Alongside them stands Lady Wilde herself: a passionate collector who sees a people’s beliefs as part of its history, though her claims about the ancient past sometimes sweep wide.
What you’ll discover
- Fairies beneath the hills Meet the fairy hosts of Irish tales, far from the image of tiny winged creatures.
- The cry of the banshee Explore stories of ghosts, the fetch and the omens that gather around death.
- Charms against unseen harm Discover beliefs about the evil eye, household danger and the work of the fairy doctor.
- Saints and holy wells See how these tales weave Christian traditions together with older beliefs and festivals.
- A collector with conviction Encounter Lady Wilde’s warm, passionate effort to preserve stories she fears may fade.
Who will love it
Readers who love plainly told fairy tales, folklore collectors, and those curious about holy wells, banshees, charms and old festivals will enjoy this book, along with anyone who likes tales by a winter fire.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- The tales come from the people and the East
- The fairy race loves beauty and wants peace
- Fairies steal the beautiful, but spells can break
- The Evil Eye is answered with a blessing
- The dead are honoured and never quite gone
- Kindness pays and greed is punished
- The year turns on fire, salt and fairy festivals
- Holy wells and saints join old and new
- Herbs and charms work through faith and secrecy
- Poets, ancient finds and a past that lasts
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 15 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
Antiche leggende, incantesimi mistici e superstizioni d’Irlanda
by Lady Wilde · 1887
A bride is carried off by the fairy king, and her husband digs through a hill to win her back.
Medium level10–20 hours to readItaliano
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
- Read or listen
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
What would you do if a stranger stared at your baby and never said a blessing? In County Galway, you would burn a piece of the stranger's cloak until its smoke made the child sneeze.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
The tales come from the people and the East
Lady Wilde opens by saying that a nation's language, myths and monuments show what lies hidden in its people. The Irish never leaned much on the written word, so ordinary people lived on inherited tradition. Pagan myth and Christian legend blended into one belief that still holds.
Her bold claim is that the legends of all nations look alike because humanity once shared one creed. The tribes carried scraps of it west from Persia, and Ireland, at the edge of the known world, is where the last wave settled.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 15 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1887
- Language
- Italiano
- Reading time
- 11 h 40 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Wilde, Jane. Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms & Superstitions of Ireland. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/ancient-legends-mystic-charms-superstitions-of-ireland.
Wilde, J. (2026). Ancient legends, mystic charms & superstitions of Ireland. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/ancient-legends-mystic-charms-superstitions-of-ireland (Original work published 1887)
Wilde, Jane. Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms & Superstitions of Ireland. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/ancient-legends-mystic-charms-superstitions-of-ireland.
@book{wilde2026ancient,
author = {Wilde, Jane},
title = {Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms \& Superstitions of Ireland},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/ancient-legends-mystic-charms-superstitions-of-ireland},
note = {First published 1887}
}
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Antiche leggende, incantesimi mistici e superstizioni d’Irlanda
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland about?
It is a collection of Irish folklore gathered from peasants and storytellers, covering fairies, the Evil Eye, charms, cures, wakes, festivals and holy wells. Lady Wilde also adds essays on bards, antiquities and Irish history.
Who are the Sidhe in Irish folklore?
The Sidhe, or fairy race, are spirits who live in hills, raths and under lakes. Wilde describes them as beautiful, music-loving and easily offended, and said by some to be angels cast out of heaven.
Are these stories true or invented?
They are folk tales and beliefs that Wilde collected, many told in Irish or Irish English by the peasants themselves. Storytellers often swear their tales are true, but the book presents them as living tradition.
The author
Lady Wilde
1821–1896 · Irish poet and folklorist
Lady Wilde was the Irish writer Jane Francesca Wilde (1821–1896). She was born in Dublin and later lived in London, where she died. She published poems under the name Speranza in the 1840s. Her Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland appeared in 1887. She was Oscar Wilde’s mother.
More like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Popular in myths & legends
See all
