Saints and Animals in the Middle Ages

The originality of this book lies in its use of primarily Irish works to develop a thesis (not clearly stated at the beginning) that argues that Irish society produced a "hybrid tradition" that added folk stories involving animals to standard Christian motifs. Chapter 7, "The Holy Wilderness," is a skillful essay on the sacred space of Farne Island, and it serves as a fine introduction to chapter 8, which ties together the themes explored in the previous four chapters, making the case for the blend of folklore and patristic tradition.