The Everything Celtic Wisdom Book

The Everything Celtic Wisdom Book Jennifer Emick (2009)

People of many denominations find spiritual meaning and inspiration in the wisdom of the Celtic tribes. The Celtic path of wisdom incorporates Druidism, early Christianity, and ancient Celtic myth and lore. This guide includes discussion of the following topics: The Divine Male and Female; Shamanism; Druidism; Celtic Christianity; Fairies and other creatures of nature; Celtic folklore; and more. This thoughtful look at Celtic spirituality includes Irish, Scottish, and Welsh traditions – both familiar and mysterious. With this invaluable guide, readers will walk the path to the Celtic Otherworld through traditional poetry, ritual, and prayer – on a never-ending journey of the soul.

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I found The Everything Celtic Wisdom Book to be a quick and enjoyable read, suited to someone new to the world of Celtic culture or who wants a light-hearted summary of Celtic history and mythology.  The author covers topics such as the Celtic myth cycles, the druids, Celtic religion, art and symbology, faeries, the Wheel of the Year, and Celts in the modern age.

One of the major problems I found with the book, however, was how the author took great liberties with her theories and made connections and inferences without much backup.  I would have appreciated footnotes or examples of why she was drawing connections in some instances.

If you’re looking for factual reference and an academic review of the Celtic people, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.  However if you’re looking for an enjoyable introductory read about Celtic history, culture, religion and mythology, this is a good book to have on your shelf.

© The Celtic Journey (2013)

The Mabinogion

The Mabinogion is a collection of Welsh stories, mostly mythology and folklore, including the earliest Arthurian myths.

The stories were originally found in two manuscripts, the White Book of Rhydderch (1300-1325) and the Red Book of Hergest (1375-1425), however some of the stories are thought to have been written as early as the 11^th century.  Lady Charlotte Guest was the first to translate these stories to English in the mid-19^th century.  Curiously, the name ‘The Mabinogion’ is thought to have arisen from a translation error of ‘Mabinogi’, meaning ‘tale of a hero’s boyhood’.

The Mabinogion is divided into three categories:

Four Branches of the Mabinogi (“Pedair Cainc y Mabinogi”)

• Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed (Pwyll, Prince/Lord of Dyfed)
• Branwen ferch Llŷr (Branwen, daughter of Llŷr)
• Manawydan fab Llŷr (Manawydan, son of Llŷr)
• Math fab Mathonwy (Math, son of Mathonwy)

Independent Tales from Welsh tradition and legend

• Breuddwyd Macsen Wledig (The Dream of Macsen  Wledig)
• Lludd a Llefelys  (Lludd and Llefelys)
• Culhwch ac Olwen (Culhwch and Olwen)
• Breuddwyd Rhonabwy ( The Dream of Rhonabwy)
• Hanes Taliesin (The Tale of Taliesin)

Welsh Romances

• Owain, neu Iarlles y Ffynnon (Owain, the Lady of the Fountain)
• Peredur fab Efrog (Peredur, son of Efrawg)
• Geraint ac Enid (Geraint and Enid)

The first four stories, the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, all containing a central character, Pryderi.  In the first story, Pwyll, Pryderi grows into a man.  In the second Pryderi is scarcely mentioned, however Branwen marries the King of Ireland.  In the third, Pryderi return home with Manawydan, brother of Branwen.  The fourth involves Math and Gwydion, who come into conflict with Pryderi.

In the Independent Tales, The Dream of Macsen Wledig involves an emperor marrying a maiden he saw in a dream.  Lludd and Llefelys tells the story of Britain suffering from three strange plagues.  The next two, Culhwch and Olwen  and The Dream of Rhonabwy, involve King Arthur and his companions.  A fifth story sometimes included is the Tale of Taliesin, however this story was not found in the earlier manuscripts and is thought to have been included at a later stage.

The Welsh Romances, Owain, Peredur, and Geraint and Enid, are similar to the French Arthurian romances written by Chrétien de Troyes in the 12^th century.

The entire collection is set in a magical Welsh landscape with giants, magical creatures, beautiful women, and brave heroes.  They deal with the theme of fall and redemption, loyalty, marriage, love, fidelity, the wronged wife, and incest.

Given that the fantasy fiction genre was practically unknown before its publication, The Mabinogion has had a huge cultural influence.  It introduced literary figures such as King Arthur and Merlin, and has provided a basis for European and world literature that has been published since.

Wiki – Maginogion
Timeless Myths
BBC History

© The Celtic Journey (2013)