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juushikaTitle: Magic of the Celtic Gods and Goddesses
Author: Carl McColman and Kathryn Hinds
Published: New Jersey: New Page Books (The Career Press), 2005
Page Count: 203
Total Page Count: 23,924
Text Number: 70
Read For: Celtic Reconstruction study, checked out from the library
Short review: Surprisingly, considering its length and subtitle (A Guide to Their Spiritual Power, Healing Energies, and Mystical Joy), Magic of the Celtic Gods and Goddesses is a decent, if broad, introduction to the Celtic deities. The authors provide very general introductions to a number of the "primary" (that is, popular or common) gods and goddesses in Celtic mythology, and then briefly extrapolate this information into suggestions and ideas for practice and for learning more. The descriptions of the gods and goddess are largely based on Celtic myth and legend, and the authors usually differentiate between fact and their opinions, but they fail to footnote or reference the original texts. The extrapolations have a Wiccan slant but for the most part are general and balanced. All in all, this is a good introductory text but doesn't provide much in the way of detail or authentic history or practice.
What this book does best is provide a general introduction to the goddesses, gods, and themes or trends that appear in Celtic mythology as a whole. All of these aspects are introduced in very broad terms, with little to no reference to the original texts, but they are for the most part accurate and, as stated, the authors differentiate between Celtic myth and their interpretations and understandings of those myths. As such, this text is a broad but fairly accurate introduction, and I recommend it to readers who are curious about Celtic myths and gods but don't yet want to delve into original texts or hard to read textbooks. Celtic Gods and Goddesses introduces some of the bigger ideas and characters that appear in Celtic mythology, and provides just enough information to help the reader figure out if the topic interests him. The book is also very accessable and easy to read even as an introduction to Celtic myth and gods.
If the topic does prove interesting, research shouldn't end with this book. Continued research will provide the detail that this book lacks and will allow the reader to draw his own connections, rather than depending on the connections and extrapolations of the authors. Furthermore, this book does carry a slight but present Wiccan slant, in particular emphasizing eight holidays in the wheel of the year (rather than the Celtic year) and some practices and associations that are more Wiccan than Celtic Pagan. Further research will help separate the Wiccan aspects from the historical Celtic aspects and provide a more in-depth understanding of Celtic deities and religious practices and beliefs.
I was pleasantly surprised in this book, and the straightforward introduction of the gods and some of the stories in which they appear has made it easier for me to keep my names and stories straight when doing further research. I disagree with some of the interpretations of the gods (many of the warrior/war gods and goddess in particular) and I think that the authors are to quick to default to extreme positions or revel in blood and guts without actually seeking out depth, but I appreciate the fact that myth and interpretation were generally separated and demarcated. I consider this a broad but decent introductory text, and recommend it on that basis. It's a good place to start, especially for the hesitant or new reader, but it is a starting place only.
Review posted here at Amazon.com.
Author: Carl McColman and Kathryn Hinds
Published: New Jersey: New Page Books (The Career Press), 2005
Page Count: 203
Total Page Count: 23,924
Text Number: 70
Read For: Celtic Reconstruction study, checked out from the library
Short review: Surprisingly, considering its length and subtitle (A Guide to Their Spiritual Power, Healing Energies, and Mystical Joy), Magic of the Celtic Gods and Goddesses is a decent, if broad, introduction to the Celtic deities. The authors provide very general introductions to a number of the "primary" (that is, popular or common) gods and goddesses in Celtic mythology, and then briefly extrapolate this information into suggestions and ideas for practice and for learning more. The descriptions of the gods and goddess are largely based on Celtic myth and legend, and the authors usually differentiate between fact and their opinions, but they fail to footnote or reference the original texts. The extrapolations have a Wiccan slant but for the most part are general and balanced. All in all, this is a good introductory text but doesn't provide much in the way of detail or authentic history or practice.
What this book does best is provide a general introduction to the goddesses, gods, and themes or trends that appear in Celtic mythology as a whole. All of these aspects are introduced in very broad terms, with little to no reference to the original texts, but they are for the most part accurate and, as stated, the authors differentiate between Celtic myth and their interpretations and understandings of those myths. As such, this text is a broad but fairly accurate introduction, and I recommend it to readers who are curious about Celtic myths and gods but don't yet want to delve into original texts or hard to read textbooks. Celtic Gods and Goddesses introduces some of the bigger ideas and characters that appear in Celtic mythology, and provides just enough information to help the reader figure out if the topic interests him. The book is also very accessable and easy to read even as an introduction to Celtic myth and gods.
If the topic does prove interesting, research shouldn't end with this book. Continued research will provide the detail that this book lacks and will allow the reader to draw his own connections, rather than depending on the connections and extrapolations of the authors. Furthermore, this book does carry a slight but present Wiccan slant, in particular emphasizing eight holidays in the wheel of the year (rather than the Celtic year) and some practices and associations that are more Wiccan than Celtic Pagan. Further research will help separate the Wiccan aspects from the historical Celtic aspects and provide a more in-depth understanding of Celtic deities and religious practices and beliefs.
I was pleasantly surprised in this book, and the straightforward introduction of the gods and some of the stories in which they appear has made it easier for me to keep my names and stories straight when doing further research. I disagree with some of the interpretations of the gods (many of the warrior/war gods and goddess in particular) and I think that the authors are to quick to default to extreme positions or revel in blood and guts without actually seeking out depth, but I appreciate the fact that myth and interpretation were generally separated and demarcated. I consider this a broad but decent introductory text, and recommend it on that basis. It's a good place to start, especially for the hesitant or new reader, but it is a starting place only.
Review posted here at Amazon.com.
