Reviewed by Jeanne
Subtitled “The ultimate a-z of the symbols, history, and
spirituality of the legendary Celts,” this book does take on a lot of
territory. Author Castleden, a former
teacher, divides the book up into six sections: Celtic people and lifestyles;
Celtic places; Celtic religion; myths, legends, and stories; symbols, ideas,
and archetypes; and Celtic twilight and revival. Each section has an a-z listing of terms
under that topic, with many “see” references for alternate terms and spellings.
The length of entries varies from a couple of sentences to
several pages, depending on the topic.
The tone is conversational but not casual; and the author tries to be
very even-handed on some controversial topics, such as King Arthur. (Castleden
does believe there was a historical Arthur but also explains why others don’t
believe he existed.)
To be honest, I got much more than I expected from this
book. I like the detailed explanations
and that some things are put in historical context: as in, this is what was thought about the
item when first discovered, this is what other evidence showed, and this is the
current thought. I like that it is very browseable, and that I found all the
entries both interesting and entertaining.
Under “Bean Si,” I learned that this is the term for a Celtic fairy
woman who is often seen washing the bloody clothes of those about to die. It’s pronounced “banshee”—and that certainly
explains a lot. Another term I looked up
was “Claddagh,” the popular symbol of clasped hands and a heart. Castleden says
it dates to the sixteenth century and seems to have originated in Galway,
though it may have been inspired by a Roman design. The section on “Fairies”
was quite enlightening, and certainly explained some references I had come
across as to their origin and dress.
There are entries on Druids, Samhain, Celtic Cross, and many
more. There aren’t a lot of
illustrations but the information more than makes up for it. As mentioned
before, I like that the author is up-front about his biases and beliefs rather
than just presenting them as fact; it leaves room for disagreement. I do wish there was an index, but otherwise I
found this a very enjoyable and informative book.
