Celtic Language Resources ~ New
Ratings of the below are unavoidably subjective.
* - Pretty good
** - More than pretty good
*** - Highly Recommended !!!
This is by no means a final list of what is available -- I have purposefully omitted some books, while other books which may be good just have not come into my possession. Yet.
If y'all really want the ISBN numbers, leave me e-mail at jehana@candledark.net, and I'll get around to inserting them. As time allows, more and more will be added.
Ashe, Geoffrey. 1985. The Discovery of King Arthur. Anchor Press. ISBN 0-385-19032-8.
(The search to discover the historical Arthur.)
**Ashmore, P.J. 1996. Neolithic and Bronze Age Scotland: An Authoritative and Lively Account of an
Enigmatic Period of Scottish Prehistory. Historic Scotland (series), BT Batsford Ltd., London. ISBN 0-7134-7531-5.
(An interesting and profusely illustrated book accessible to the general reader.)
**Barber, Richard 1979. The Arthurian Legends: An Illustrated
Anthology. Littlefield, Adams and Co. ISBN 0-8226-0600-3.
(Selections from the Welsh Tradition,
Geoffrey of Monmouth, the Mabigonion, Chrétien de Troyes, von Strassburg, etc., with some commentary.)
Beare, Beryl 1999.
Scotland: Myths and Legends. Lomond Books.
ISBN 0-94778-297-4.
(Shorter and lighter than what I was hoping for, but nice photos.)
*Brengle, Richard L., ed. 1964. Arthur King of Britain: History,
Romance, Chronicle and Criticism. Appleton-Century-Crofts.
(Selections of ancient and contemporary -- to
the early 60's -- writings on Arthur. A section on "Study Questions and Topics for Investigation" rounds
out the end of what was likely intended for the academic market.)
Burl, Aubrey. 1999.
Great Stone Circles. Yale University Press
ISBN 0-300-07689-4.
(New arrival -- unread as yet.)
***Burl, Aubrey. 1995. A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany.
Yale University. ISBN 0-300-06331-8.
(B&W photographs, maps and diagrams. While some of the purpose is to guide
tourists, it is mostly to summarize what is known about each of these sites. It looks pretty
comprehensive.)
*Burl, Aubrey. 1985. Megalithic Brittany: A Guide to Over 350 Ancient Sites and
Monuments. Thames and Hudson, London.
(B&W photographs, written with the tourist of these sites in mind.)
***Castelden, Rodney. 1987. The Stonehenge People: An Exploration of Life in
Neolithic Britain 4700-2000 BC. Routledge, London and New York. ISBN 0-415-04065-5.
(An examination of the
ruins of Stonehenge, and the ruins and other legacies contemporary with Stonehenge, in order to discern
a way of life long vanished. Very well written.)
***Cope, Julian 1998. The Modern Antiquarian: A
Pre_Millennial Odyssey Through Megalithic Britain.
Thorsons, London ISBN 0-7225-3599-6.
(An excellent book for its limitations -- Julian Cope is
a musician, not a scholar, and one takes into account his inspirational flights for that
reason -- and indeed, inspirational flights are not invaluable... His goal was to record as
many of the prehistoric stone megaliths that he could on the Isle of Britain, describing and
photographing them, and presenting enough information that a traveller could go visit. Fascinating;
I can certainly understand the call of these sites!!)
***Cummins, W.A. 1995. The Age of the Picts. Alan Sutton Publishing. Phoenix Mill,
Gloucestershire.
(One of the best books on the Picts I've seen to date.)
***Dames, Michael. 1992. Mythic Ireland. Thames and Hudson,
New York. ISBN 0-500-27872-5.
(Some purists may suspect the author jumps to conclusions in
certain instances, but if one reads this with an open eye this is a very enriching,
thought-stimulating book. All
books should be read with open eyes, to begin with, anyway.)
*Dunbavin, Paul 1998. Picts and Ancient Britons:
An Exploration of Pictish Origins.
Third Millenium Publishing.
(Dunbavin's thesis is that the Picts were possibly Scythians or Finns rather than Celtic, although
they may have taken Celtic wives. My own thoughts are that there may well have been some
Finnish influence, but perhaps not to the extent that Dunbavin postulates.)
ISBN 0-9525029-1-7.
*Ellis, Peter Berresford 1992.
Dictionary of Celtic Mythology.
Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-508961-8.
(A good reference dictionary. It's major flaw is
that it is too short, but it does give a good overview for the beginner, and is a handy reference
for anyone interested in the topic. Mostly Irish and Welsh, since that's what's preserved best
over the centuries.)
***Ellis, Peter Berresford 1995. Celtic Women: Women in
Celtic Society and Literature.
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. ISBN 0-8028-3808-1.
(I'm finding a lot of intruiging and informative
information in this book.)
***Ellis, Peter Berresford 1994. The Druids.
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. ISBN 0-8028-4158-9.
(The historical, unromanticized Druids, along with referenced
speculations. And a history of the Druidic revival. Well-written, engaging, and thought-provoking, this one
comes recommended. There are some quibbles with some of the conclusions and scholarship, but overall a fascinating book.)
***Ford, Patrick K., trans. & ed. 1977. The Mabinogi and Other Medieval
Welsh Tales. University of California Press, Berkeley. ISBN 0-520-03414-7.
***Gerald of Wales trans. 1978.
The Journey Through Wales / The Description of Wales. Translated by Lewis Thorpe. Penquin Classics. ISBN 0-14-044339-8.
(Gerald of Wales was a priest accompanying the Archbishop of Canterbury on a round through
Wales in the year 1188 ce, to convince men to fight for Christ in a Crusade to the Holy Lands.
Very interesting period piece of the attitudes, folklore, history, day-to-day, and commentary
on and of Wales, with plenty of Giraldus' opinions to leaven the mix. He has a similar treatment
for Ireland, which I have just ordered. The translation reads smoothly, and this book is
amply footnoted. While Giraldus was one quarter Welsh, and aspired to a higher position in an
eccelastical post in western Wales, the translator notes that he probably knew little of the
language himself, preferring Latin and French. Which in itself was a sign of that time.)
Gibson, Alex, and Derek Simpson, ed. 1998.
Prehistoric Ritual and Religion. Sutton Publishing.
ISBN 0-7509-1598-6.
(New arrival -- mostly unread as of yet, but is focused on archaeology using
scientific perspectives, and deals mostly with things pre-Celtic.)
Gilbert, Inga. 1995. The Symbolism of the Pictish Stones: A Study of Origins. Speedwell Books, Edinburgh and
Dorchester. ISBN 1-870068-03-3.
(A plentitude of line drawings of the Pictish images. The author deciphers the Pictish stones
basing her interpretations on other European and eastern Asian incisions and artwork. This is an acceptable
way to generate hypotheses as to what the depictions mean, but BUT such interpretations remain only
hypotheses as to what the Pictish stones are trying to say, not the definitive certitudes she sees them as.
A disappointment, as this could have been a much better book without that one overwhelming philosophy.)
**Green, Miranda J. 1995. Celtic Goddesses: Warriors,
Virgins and Mothers. Thames and Hudson.
(Information on goddesses and Christianized saints, material on warriors, and other prominent
early Celtic women, sometimes drawing on information from other northern European cultures.)
ISBN 0-8076-1405-X.
**Green, Miranda J. 1997. The World of the Druids. Thames and Hudson.
ISBN 0-500-05083-X.
(A profusely illustrated overview of what is currently known about the historical Druids, and their place in
Celtic culture. Modern Druidism is also covered.)
**Herm, Gerhard. 1975. The Celts. St. Martins Press, NY. ISBN
312-12705-7.
(A two-thousand year history of the Celtic people, their travels, and their cultures.)
Hope, Murry. 1987. Practical Celtic Magic. The Aquarian Press,
Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England.
(A few basics are here, but there
is a lot more depth and soul in other sources.)
***Hutton, Ronald. 1996. The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British
Isles: Their Nature and Legacy. Blackwell, Oxford, UK ISBN 9-631-18946-7.
(A readable discussion from a scholar of British
antiquities on what we know and can sumrise about ancient religions on the British Isles. While not his
prime focus, Hutton makes reference to the implications for contemporary Witchcraft and Paganism -- big
surprise, but our religions are not an unbroken thread from antiquity. A fine and thought-provoking
study.)
Hutton, Ronald. 1996. The Stations of the Sun: A History of the
Ritual Year in Britain. Oxford University Press, Oxford. ISBN 0-19-288045-4.
(New acquisition: as yet unread
and unrated...)
**James, Simon. 1993. The World of the Celts. Thames and Hudson.
ISBN 0-500-05067-8.
(A profusely illustrated overview of the historical Celts.)
**Jones, Gwyn and Thomas Jones, trans. 1982. The Mabigonion.
Dragon's Dream. ISBN 90-6332-911-3.
(I love the color artwork throughout this, by Alan Lee.)
***Jones, Prudence, and Nigel Pennick. 1997. A History of Pagan Europe. Routledge, New York. ISBN 0-415-15804-4.
(A fascinating read, and an essential book for anyone interested in a well-researched book on the history of
European Paganism. Written by Pagans, it is about time we actually did the research, and went beyond
wishful thinking. This book is an excellent start. And, there are appparently a lot more Pagan influences in the
various European cultures than we commonly credit.)
Koch, John T. 1997. The Gododdin of Aneirin: Text and Context from Dark-Age
North Britain. Celtic Studies Publications, Andover, MA. ISBN 0-9642446-7-5.
(A re-construction of this
very early Welsh/lower Scotland text using linguistic analysis. The idea is to come as close as possible -- considering that
there will always be severe unknowns -- to the original text, despite the fact that the earliest
surviving copy of this is Medieval in date. I'm hoping that in periphery it can shed some light on the Picts.
Ulterior motives... I've briefly skimmed, but not yet read the book, and so I have not rated
it yet.)
***Kondratiev, Alexei. 1998. The Apple Branch: A Path to Celtic
Ritual. The Collins Press, Ireland. ISBN 1-898256-42-x.
(Celtic Reconstructionism, with a goal of
re-creating forms of ritual meaningful and important in the context of a scholarly examination of the
Celtic legacy, both Pagan and Christian. This book covers mythologies and spiritual/folkloric culture from
the six Celtic nations [Alba, Cymru, Kernow, Eire, Breizh, and Mannin, to give the relevant Celtic names].
One point hammered in is that in order to truly make a Celtic path live, one should learn a Celtic language
and ways of expression in order to more fully comprehend their world-view. An excellent and inspirational
book. It has kicked me over the head to make me start learning a Celtic language or two in my copious
free time.)
***Laing, Lloyd and Jenny. 1994. The Picts and the
Scots. Sutton Publishing, Limited. ISBN 0-7509-0677-4.
(An excellent book on the topic which I don't know how
I've missed all this time. History, daily life, artifacts.)
**Laurie, Erynn Rowan. 1995. A Circle of Stones: Journeys and Meditations for Modern Celts. Eschaton
Productions, Chicago, IL ISBN 1-57353-106-5.
(A small book which explores a Celtic Pagan path, which clearly labels the
inspirational from what is more definitively known of ancient Celtic religious practices. It provides
ideas for Pagan Celtic Reconstructionist activities without falling into the faux-Witta-isms of some books
I could name, but won't.)
*Markale, Jean. 1986. Women of the Celts. Inner Traditions, Rochester, Vermont.
*Matthews, Caitlin. 1989. The Elements of the Celtic
Tradition. Element Books.
(Gives a basic overview of Celtic studies, especially as related to Celtic belief systems.)
*Matthews, Caitlin. 1987. Mabon and the Mysteries of Britain: An
Exploration of the Mabigonion. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, England.
(Handy to have at hand whilst reading the Mabigonion.)
Matthews, John, ed.. 1998. The Bardic Source Book: Inspirational
Legacy and Teachings of the Ancient Celts. Blandford Books. London. ISBN 0-7137-2785-3.
(Translations of some source material, and commentary, some of which is reputable and
some which is more of interest historically. I bought this sheerly for a translation of
Aneurin's The Gododdin, and for the commentary which follows it regarding bardic work
dating from that era. No ratings yet.)
**Matthews, John, ed.. 1991. The Celtic Reader:
Selections from Celtic Legend, Scholarship, and Story.
Thorsons, San Francisco. ISBN 1-85538-228-8.
(I bought this one purely for the reprint of an article by Eoin MacNeill, "The Pretanic Background in
Britain and Ireland.", originally published in an academic journal in 1933 ce. I need to do
more investigating into the role, if any, Picts played in Irish history -- or anywhere else, for
that matter... My overall comments for the other John Matthews-edited books stands likewise
for this one.)
**Matthews, John, ed.. 1996. The Druid Source Book.
Blandford Books. London. ISBN 9-790713727104.
(An excellent sourcebook of writings about Druidism over the centuries. Note however that much of
the material covers the "Romantic Druids", and so one is wise to regard certain of
the scholarship with suspicion, but it is interesting for the historical record on thoughts
about whom the Druids were.)
**Matthews, John. 1991. Taliesin: Shamanism and the Bardic Mysteries in
Britain and Ireland. Aquarian Press, London.
du Maurier, Daphne. 1967. Vanishing Cornwall:
The Spirit and History of Cornwall. Doubleday and Company, New York.
(Possibly out of print. Not very in-depth, but gives a feel of atmosphere, history and
folklore, without going into much detail.)
**Morris, John. 1973. The Age of Arthur: A History of the
British Isles from 350 to 650. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.
(History, some mythology. Roman Britain, Arthur, Ireland, even a bit of Pictishness, Brittany. Religion.
Society and economy. A long, well thought out book -- slow reading but worthwhile.)
*O'Brien, Christian. 1983. The Megalithic Odyssey: A search for the builders of the
Bodmin Moor astronomical complex of stone circles and giant cairns. Turnstone
Press, Wellingborough, Northhamptonshire.
(Scholarly and a bit dry -- lots of measurements and such.)
*O'Donohue, John 1999. Eternal Echoes: Exploring Our
Yearning to Belong. Cliff Street Books. ISBN 0-06-018280-6.
(The author explores
spirituality and yearning from a Celtic Catholic perspective.)
O'HÓgáin, Dáithí 1999.
The Sacred Isle: Belief and Religion in Pre-Christian Ireland. The Boydell Press.
ISBN 0-85115-747-5.
(New arrival -- unread as yet.)
**O'Kelly, Michael J. 1982. Newgrange: Archaeology, Art and
Legend. Thames and Hudson, New York. ISBN 0-500-27371-5.
(Excellent overview.)
**Piggot, Stuart. 1968, 1975. The Druids. Thames and Hudson, New York.
(An interesting book on what is known of the historical Druids by the time it was written.)
*Power, Patrick C. 1997. Sex and Marriage in
Ancient Ireland. Dufour Editions, Chester Springs, PA. ISBN 0-8023-1318-3.
(Based on the Irish Brehon Laws, this is a short recap of what early Irish law said in regard to
the relationship of the genders, with an indication of how things have changed upon
Christianization.)
**Rees, Alwyn and Brinley Rees. 1961. Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition
in Ireland and Wales. Thames and Hudson, London.
(Solid Celtic mythology resource. Highly recommended.)
*Ritchie, Anna. 1994. Perceptions of the Picts: from
Eumenius to John Buchan. Groam House Museum Trust, Rosemarkie, Scotland. ISBN 09515-778-4-0.
(30 pages, but very meaty reference.)
**Ritchie, Anna. 1989. Picts. HMSO, Edinburgh, Scotland.
(A book
with excellent photography and descriptions of what little is known of the Picts.)
***Ritchie, Anna. Prehistoric Orkney. Historic Scotland (series), BT Batsford, Ltd, London. ISBN 0-7134-7593-5.
(A well written and approachable book regarding the ruins left behind on the Orkney Islands of Scotland.
Excellent photos and illustrations.)
***Ross, Anne. 1996. Pagan Celtic Britain. Academy Chicago
Publishers. ISBN 0-89733-435-3.
(A study of the early Celtic religions and forms of worship, as
interpreted by the artifacts the ancient Celts left behind, as well as from folklore and some written
record.)
**Ross, Anne and Don Robins. 1989. The Life and Death of a Druid Prince: How the Discovery of Lindow Man
Revealed the Secrets of a Lost Civilization. Touchstone Books. ISBN 9-780671-741228.
***Ross, Stewart. 1991. Ancient Scotland. Lochar Publishing, Moffat,
Scotland.
(I have a fascination for this topic that bears somewhat beyond
the "reasonable". So many questions, so few answers!)
*Rutherford, Ward. 1978. The Druids: Magicians of the West. The
Aquarian Press, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England.
***FONT COLOR="#00FFFF">Smyth, Alfred P. 1984. Warlords and Holy Men:
Scotland AD 80-1000. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, Scotland.
(An excellent study
of this timeframe in Scottish history.)
**Staines, David, trans. 1990. The Complete Romances of Chrétien de Troyes.
(Some of the earliest tellings of the tales of King Arthur and related figures. I find it fascinating.)
*Stewart, R.J., ed. 1987. The Book of Merlin: Insights from the
Merlin Conference. Blandford Press, London. ISBN 0-7137-2078-6.
(Writings by Stewart, Geoffrey Ashe, John Matthews,
Gareth Knight, on Merlin and how he is revealed through history.)
Sutherland, Elizabeth 1994. In Search of the
Picts: A Celtic Dark Age Nation.
Constable, London. ISBN 0-09-475010-6.
(Not Another Pict Book!!! Not yet reviewed, but a quick scan is intriguing...)
ISBN 0-09-475010-6.
*Thomas, Charles 1997. Celtic Britain.
Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27935-7.
(An overview of early Celtic history on the isle of Britain, from Cornwall up to -- ahem --
Pictland.)
**Toulson, Shirley 1995. Celtic Journeys: in Scotland and
the North of England.
Fount Paperbacks. ISBN 0-00-627882-5.
(Outwardly this looks like a tour book. Inside, it is really an accounting -- with locations given so visitors can
find locales -- of early Christian saints who traveled around these areas. It gives a telling account of the
inevitable conflict between the Celtic Church and the Roman Church, yielding insight into the Celtic character and how it
seemed to have melded with the early Church in those regions, to produce such a Celtic-based
religious atmosphere. Hence, of relevance to Pictophiles.)
Zaczek, Iain 1996. Chronicles of the Celts: The Classic
Sagas.
Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 0-8069-9948-9.
(Not yet read, but this looks impressive. Photographs; sagas from Ireland, Wales, and Brittany.)
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