jjares reviewed Celtic Mythology: A Concise Guide to the Gods, Sagas and Beliefs on + 3296 more book reviews
I hate to pan a book that tried so hard to be informative, but this book was awful. Even the parts that sent the reader to the Internet seemed overwhelming and uninteresting. I read it, but barely. There was no art to anchor the images with the gods, druids, etc.
Most of the Celtic mythology was written by Christian monks eras after the lands were cleansed of the tribes involved. Other accounts come from the Romans who were hostile to the indigenous peoples and particularly hostile to the fierce Celts. Because the Celts did not believe in writing down their legends, etc., we have to settle for what archaeologists can tell us and the writings mentioned above. This hardly makes for unbiased reporting.
Most of the Celtic mythology was written by Christian monks eras after the lands were cleansed of the tribes involved. Other accounts come from the Romans who were hostile to the indigenous peoples and particularly hostile to the fierce Celts. Because the Celts did not believe in writing down their legends, etc., we have to settle for what archaeologists can tell us and the writings mentioned above. This hardly makes for unbiased reporting.
