'Carric-Thura',
from a 1795 edition.
from a 1795 edition.
Malvina and Ossian,
from a 1797 edition.
from a 1797 edition.
Oithona and Gaul,
from an 1819 edition.
from an 1819 edition.
The Scottish poet James Macpherson claimed to have translated the poems of Ossian, published from 1760 as 'Fragments of ancient poetry', from ancient Gaelic manuscripts.
Epic in their nature, these poems were partly based on Gaelic ballads and recounted the heroic deeds of the third-century warrior-bard Ossian.
Ossianic poems were very popular both nationally and internationally, which enforced their appeal as a subject for illustration.
Our featured editions of the poems are available to view online, along with others, in the digitised Ossian collection.