From: bmyers@uoguelph.ca (Brendan P Myers) Newsgroups: alt.pagan Subject: Druidism FAQ Non-denominational Date: 4 Apr 1995 20:47:07 GMT The Solitary Practitioner's Basic DRUIDISM FAQ version 2 April 1995 compiled by CATHBAD Thanks be to Raven, Jaguar, JJ Kane, Kami Landy, Iarwain, Branwen Heartfire, and everyone at Nemeton-L. Special thanks to The Gods! This document is distributed on the net as a public service. It may be copied at will, provided the authorship, version, and date remains intact. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Why Druidism in the 20th Century? 3. Who were the Druids? 4. What are the Celtic Nations? 5. What are the sources by which we can know the Druids? 6. What do modern Druids believe? 7. Did the Druids practice human sacrifice? 8. Why haven't you called them "priests" yet? 9. What are the Druidic holy days? 10. What did the ancient Druids believe? 11. What Gods did the Druids worship? 12. Was Stonehenge a Druidic temple? 13. What about Glastonbury? 14. Are there any other Druidic sites? 15. Was Merlin a Druid? 16. What modern Druid organizations exist? 17. Internet Contacts 18. Reading List INTRODUCTION I am a solitary practicing Druid, or Celtic Pagan, or what-have-you; labeling myself I thought to be unnecessary. I don't belong to an order or coven, not because I feel these groups do not have merit, but because they do not always agree, and because at the moment I prefer solitary practice. I have Celtic ancestors. I like learning about the ancient Celts, specifically their beliefs and practices, and I have a desire to emulate them in a manner valid for myself and for this century. If you agree with one or more of these statements, you are probably drawn to Druidism, and this FAQ is for you. WHY DRUIDISM IN THE 20TH CENTURY? Why not? :) Actually, there are a number of good reasons for modern people to consider Druidism. Some see it as a way to reconnect, or "ground" themselves in history, or to improve their relationship with their ancestors (if they are of Celtic descent). Some are attracted by the relationship with the natural world that a Druid cultivates, or by the artistic, creative methods used to build that relationship. There are those who choose Druidism over other forms of neopaganism. Perhaps a reason for that is because Druidism is not only a branch of neopaganism, but also the subject of academic study. Druidism is often of interest to archaeologists, historians, and mythographers who don't necessarily consider themselves Druids, or even remotely pagan. Thus, there is a wealth of serious academic material available concerning the Druids, and many discover Druidism through it. Finally, there are those who choose Druidism over more conventional religions that are more accepted and widespread, such as Christianity. Christianity belongs to a middle-eastern language, culture, and mythology-set; Druidism belongs to the Indo-European set from which we in the West inherit virtually all our other cultural practices, including our languages. An exploration of Druidism is for many people a resurgence in Western Europe's indigenous spirituality. Many seek Asatru to revive Northern Europe's spirituality for much of the same reason. If mainstream religions cannot provide answers to those "deep", spiritual, and philosophical questions, Druidism or another form of neopaganism is often the only answer. WHO WERE THE DRUIDS? I suppose the main thing that can be said about the Druids is that they were members of a professional class in their culture, the Celtic Nations of Western Europe and the British Isles. (The Druids were not an ethnic group; their culture, the Celtic culture, was.) They filled the roles of judge, doctor, diviner, mage, mystic, and clerical scholar. Though through history we have lost much, if not most, information about them, though this will be discussed later. WHAT ARE THE CELTIC NATIONS? Alba (Scotland), Breizh (Brittany), Cymru (Wales), Eire (Ireland), Kernow (Cornwall), and Mannin (Man). WHAT ARE THE SOURCES BY WHICH WE CAN KNOW THE DRUIDS? The main sources we have on what they did are Roman historians, who wrote on them as they were in the process of conquering Gaul (what is now France; a variant of Gaelic is still spoken in Brittany) so there is that political problem, and they equated Celtic deities with Roman ones as well. The main authors are Julius Caesar, Pliny, Tacitus, Strabo, and Diodorus Siculus. But in my point of view, the best sources are the mythologies. There we can read of what the Druids did, how they behaved, what some of them said, and though the medieval manuscripts that preserved them were written by Christian monks, much wisdom yet remains there. In Ireland the chief myth cycles are the Ulster Cycle, the Fionn Cycle, and the Invasion Races. In Wales, the major myths are contained in a book called The Mabinogion. In this century, a number of folklore collections were made of remaining oral-tradition stories, the best of which are W.B.Yeats' "Mythologies" and Lady Gregory's "Gods and Fighting Men". If you were to expand your search to include historical and archaeological records, you might have more luck, and may arouse less suspicion if your area is not very pagan friendly. In fact what you will be doing is precisely what the Druids did, for they had to study so many academic, legal, and spiritual subjects they became walking encyclopedias. The problem is that the Druids were the subject of a number of persecution-s and conquests, not only by the Romans, but also by later Christians. Some Druidic wisdom was censored, evolved into something unrecognizable, or just plain lost. A modern person seeking the Druid's path must attempt to reconstruct the wisdom based on the sources discussed above. The Romans never invaded Ireland, so that country became a haven for Druidic learning for a while. After St. Patrick and St. Columcille, Ireland evolved an unique and beautiful blend of Christianity and Druidism, headquartered on the Isle of Iona, which was later to be eradicated by the invading English. Catholicism eventually became a point of national identity in Ireland (and without it they may never have become independent). WHAT DO MODERN DRUIDS BELIEVE? I don't know. There are so many different ways to be a Druid nowadays....:) Actually, the reason for this is because of the problem in reconstructing any ancient religion: there are so many ways to interpret the record. Since their beliefs included concepts like balance of forces in nature, reincarnation, and the interaction of this world with the Otherworld, it is safe to say that the ancient Druids would stand for environmentalism, justice, spiritualism, etc. if they were alive today. The Druids fostered artistic (particularly poetic) innovation, and were excellent astronomers. Thus, many modern Druids are also scientists and/or artists. Druidism provides a methodology to allow one's artistic capability and scientific interest to become part of one's spirituality. DID THE DRUIDS PRACTICE HUMAN SACRIFICE? The Romans recorded that they sacrificed humans, specifically condemned criminals. Judicial executions were no different elsewhere in Europe, including Saxony. The Romans wrote that such victims were tied into huge wicker man-shaped effigies and burned alive. The archaeological record does reveal a number of sacrificial deaths, such as "triple-deaths" where the victim was drowned, stoned, and impaled on a spear simultaneously. Some mythologies describe one person's life being sacrificed so that a terminally ill VIP would survive, thus indicating a belief in a cosmic balance of forces. However, there is some debate over this; it may have been anti-Druid propaganda. Julius Caesar had good reason to make the Druids look bad, because, after all, he was trying to conquer them. It would fuel interest in his campaign back home if he could prove that the Celts engaged in such barbaric practices. On the other hand, the Romans would kill people in gladitorial games, for the entertainment of the people. The Druids, if they did sacrifice people, could claim religious sanction. The archaeological record is ambiguous if such sacrifice was judicial or ceremonial, or even if it occurred at all. Rest assured that modern Druids do not sacrifice humans. WHY HAVEN'T YOU CALLED THEM "PRIESTS" YET? The best word for them would seem to be "priests", yet I am reluctant to use it for two reasons" The Romans never used it, and because Druids didn't preach to congregations as priests do. Rather, they had a clientele, like a mystic or a shaman would have. Caesar and his historians never referred to them as priests, but perhaps they could not recognize them as such; the Roman priesthood, officiating over an essentially political religion, were primarily teachers and judges, with less emphasis on being seers or diviners. WHAT ARE THE DRUIDIC HOLY DAYS? There was a series of fire-festivals, occurring at 12-week intervals, and spaced between the seasonal festivals of solstices and equinoxi (thus, a festival every six weeks.) These fire-festivals would last three days, beginning at sunset on the first day, and would be the best time for sacrifices and divinations. They are: Samhain (Nov. 1) Feast of the Dead, and beginning of the new year. Death came before Life in the Druidic cycle, because before new growth can occur, there must be room for it. On this day the boundary between this world and the Otherworld is thinnest, and so it is a time to remember all those who died during the year. Imbolc (Feb 1) The Return of Light. The ewes begin lactating around this time of year, and it is a sign that winter is coming to an end. Perhaps divinations were cast to determine when spring would come (from this practice we get Groundhog Day.) Beltaine (May 1) The Fires of Bel. Spring has arrived, and the people give thanks. This was a day of fertility and life, often the choice day for marriages. Lughnasad (Aug 1) The Feast of Lugh. The essential harvest festival, to give thanks to the Earth for Her bounty. The name is a reference to the Irish god Lugh of the Long Hand, son of the Sun. I have heard that Australians who practice these festivals do it in reverse order, because these dates are for northern-hemisphere seasons. It would make sense for them to celebrate Beltaine on Nov.1, for example. In Wales, there was an annual festival called the Eisteddfod, which was a bardic musical and poetry competition. It still exists, alternating between North and South Wales. Great bonfires were built on hilltops and kept burning throughout the whole of the fire festivals. By day, there would be carnival-like celebrations, and by night, serious rituals. Cattle were driven between bonfires to purify them, and couples would run and leap over the flames, often completely naked, also for purification (and it was fun!) Some sites were centers for the "perpetual chant", where Druids in rotation would chant incantations without stop; during festivals the entire community would join the chant. WHAT DID THE ANCIENT DRUIDS BELIEVE? The poetic tradition in Druidism comes from the method the Celts used to trace their lineage and history. Written records were distrusted for the most part, and though a runic writing system called Ogham did exist, it wasn't used for much beyond burial markers and landmarks. Druids in training had to learn all the Bardic poetry, in a manner we would call sensory deprivation. Poetic inspiration was an important spiritual practice, which the Welsh have focused on in their eisteddfod. In Irish myth there was a deity of poetry (Brigid). Oak was the most important symbol in druidic lore, as it is strong, tall, and very long-lived. Mistletoe was said to have healing qualities. Other important trees were the yew, for its offspring grew from the dead stump of its parent, representing perpetually-regenerating life. The Ogham alphabet was a list of tree-names. Trees are important because they are bridges between the realms of Land and Sky, they communicate Water between these realms. When the Realms of Land, Sea and Sky meet, as within a tree or at a seashore for example, great power could manifest, and such places were best for poetic composition or spell-casting. Stones could channel, store, and direct earth-energy, and thus were used for markers, set in circles, and libations were poured over them in sacrifice. Fire-worship is strong as well, but doesn't fit the Greek four-element picture. Fire is a thing unto itself, with the dual qualities of destructiveness and cleansing power. It is a spiritual principle, because it is always reaching up to the sky. This may be why they built those hilltop fires. Poetic inspiration is said to be a fire in the head, so Brigid is a fire-deity as well. WHAT GODS DID THE DRUIDS WORSHIP? This depends on the nation you look at. Ireland had different gods than Wales, who had further different gods than Gaul. Another point to consider is not only were gods known by different names, but many of the names were deemed too holy to pronounce aloud. (thus the common oath: "I swear by the god my tribe swears by".) Here is a brief, by no means authoritative, list of deities. In Ireland: the Tuatha de Danann (Tribe of the Goddess Danu) was the name of the pantheon, for the Sidhe (faeries) were descended from Her. Some names you may recognize: Lugh, the Long Handed, Son of the Sun. Dagda the Good (good not by his moral disposition but by the diversity of his skills) Morrigu, Babd, and Macha (a triple goddess of War.) Brigid (a triple goddess of Fire, Poetry, and the Forge) Diancecht, god of healing Manannan mac Lir, god of the sea and master of magic In Wales: Welsh mythology tends to focus on the actions of heroes, and their interaction with gods. Arawn, lord of the Annwyn (the underworld) Math ap Mathonwy, the quintessential wizard Pwyll, lord of Davyd Rhiannon, (wife of Pwyll) Goddess associated with horses and the Underworld. Lyr, god of the sea Manawyddan In Gaul: Gaulish deities are the focus of Caesar's records. He drew analogies between his own Roman gods and those he discovered in Gaul. Herne the Hunter Taranus, Teutates Esus, Hu'Hesu, the Dying God Cernunnos, Master of the Wild Hunt, or the Animal Lord/Green Man Epona, The Horse Goddess Not all modern Druids worship the gods by name. There is some evidence that the Druids of old believed in a kind of universal Life Force, flowing from a central place (such as the Irish Well of Wisdom or the Welsh Spiral of Annwyn), to and from all living things. Perhaps the best modern description is Obi-Wan's description of the "Force", from the famous Star Wars films. :) WAS STONEHENGE A DRUIDIC TEMPLE? Perhaps. The question of who build Stonehenge is one of academic debate. The theory that most people find acceptable is that since carbon-14 dating places the construction of Stonehenge before the rise of Druidism, they did not build it, however that does not rule out the probability that they knew how to use it. The solar and stellar alignments Stonehenge embodies would not have been lost on an intelligentsia so well versed in astronomy. WHAT ABOUT GLASTONBURY? Some folkloric traditions and mythographic examinations suggest that Glastonbury Tor is the mythic Isle of Avalon. If, for example, the nearby river were to flood, the Tor would be an island. A certain thorn tree is said to be the descendant of the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, which was changed into a thorn tree when he set it there (the Thorn is sacred to faeries!), when he brought the Grail to Britain. Avalon means "Isle of Apples", and apple orchards do grow there. Some archaeologists believe that, if one accounts for centuries of erosion, the sides of the Tor are terraced into the shape of a Cretan Maze pattern. Whether or not the region is Druidic, anyone who has meditated by the nearby Chalice Well knows it is a holy place. ARE THERE ANY OTHER DRUIDIC SITES? There are hundreds of stone circles dotting Britain and Ireland. The Hebrides of Scotland are famous for them. In Ireland, there are many sacred wells dedicated to St. Bridget, am obvious borrowing from the earlier goddess Brigid. There is Newgrange, a temple/tomb/center for initiation rites in Ireland, thousands of years older than the Pyramids, which is constructed to allow sunlight into the inner chamber on Midsummer sunrise only. WAS MERLIN A DRUID? Yes, he was, and one of the last in Britain before the wisdom was lost. The Arthurian legends are unique because they embody the delicate transition period between Druidism and Christianity. Christianity was well entrenched as the religion of the nobility, yet Druidism remained in the form of folk-practices. Misty islands and otherworldly hunting expeditions, which comprise much of Arthurian legend, clearly originate from the older Celtic mythologies where such encounters are signs of the presence of the Otherworld. And perhaps all those "wise hermits", that the Knights are always running into, are Druids in hiding. WHAT MODERN DRUIDIC ORGANIZATIONS EXIST? In the U.K., there is the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids. OBOD was founded in 1717, and has a correspondence course available worldwide. Write to: OBOD PO box 1333 Lewes, E. Sussex, England BN7 3ZG In the U.S.A., there is Ar nDraiocht Fein, meaning roughly "Our Own Druidism". ADF is the fastest growing Druid organization in the world. Write to: ADF PO box 516 E. Syracuse, NY 13057-0516 Keltria is a positive neo-pagan Druidic path focusing on the Celtic pantheons and the triads of Ancestors, Nature Spirits, and Gods. They offer several resources including a book of ritual, a quarterly journal and a correspondence course for members. Write to: Keltria P.O. Box 33284 Minneapolis, MN 55243 INTERNET CONTACTS: ADF: kithoward@delphi.com OBOD: oaktreepress@e-world.com Keltria: Keltria@aol.com Nemeton-L (a mailing list): majordomo@pentagon.io.com Other copies of this FAQ, and other assorted related files on Druidism: bmyers@uoguelph.ca READING LIST Attribution note: I got this list from BranwenHF@aol.com on Nemeton-L. I've left the authorship notes within it as intact as possible. from Lone Star / Val LS : [reformatted by Raven] Celtic reading list I pulled from PODSnet Wicca a couple of years ago: By: Rowan Moonstone UPDATED 6 JULY 1991 *** Marks especially good books. Read these FIRST!! Keep in mind, this is simply a listing of the books that I have found useful. Question everything. A.E.(GEORGE RUSSELL); "The Candle of Vision", Quest Books, Theosophical Pub. 1975 ALFORD, VIOLET; "The Hobbyhorse & Other Animal Masks", Merlin Press 1978 AMERICAN CONFERENCE FOR IRISH STUDIES; "Guide to Irish Studies in the U.S.A." 1987 *** ANWYL, EDWARD; "Celtic Religion in Pre-christian Times", Archibald Constable & Co. 1906 ARTOS, ALLEN; "Arthur, The King of Light", Lorien House 1986 ASHE, GEOFFREY; "The Ancient Wisdom", London 1977 BAIN, GEORGE; "Celtic Art: The Methods of Construction", Dover Pub. 1973 BARBER, CHRIS; "Mysterious Wales", Paladin Press 1983 BOASE, WENDY; "Folklore of Hampshire & the Isle of Wight", Rowman & Littlefield 1976 BONWICK, JAMES; "Irish Druids and Old Irish Religion", Arno Press 1976 *** BORD, JANET & COLIN; "The Secret Country", Grenada 1978 *** *** BORD, JANET & COLIN; "Mysterious Britain", Grenada 1974 *** *** BORD, JANET & COLIN; "Earth Rites", Grenada 1983 *** *** BORD, JANET & COLIN; "Sacred Waters", Paladin Books 1986 *** BREFFNY, BRIAN DE, ed.; "Ireland, A Cultural Encyclopaedia", Thames & Hudson 1983 BREFFNY, BRIAN DE; " The Irish World", Thames & Hudson 1986 BRIGGS, KATHERINE; "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees, & Boggarts", Pantheon 1979 BRIGGS, KATHERINE; "Nine Lives; Cats in Folklore" Rudledge & Kegen Paul 1980 BROWN, PETER, ed. & selected by; "Book of Kells", Alfred A. Knopf 1980 CAMPBELL, J.F. & GEORGE HENDERSON; "The Celtic Dragon Myth" Newcastle Pub. 1981 CARMICHAEL, ALEXANDER; "Celtic Invocations", Vineyard 1972 CASTLEDEN, RODNEY; "The Wilmington Giant", Turnstone 1983 CHADWICK, NORA; "The Celts", Pelician 1970 CHANT,JOY; "The High Kings", Bantam 1983 CHMELOVA, ELENA; "Celtic Tales", Exeter Books 1982 CLARE, T.; "Archelogical Sites of Devon & Cornwall", Moorland Pub. 1982 COGHLAN, RONAN; "Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend", Donard Press 1979 COHANE, JOHN PHILLIP; "The Key", Crown Pub. 1969 COLLUM, PADRAIG; "Treasury of Irish Folklore", Crown Pub. 1967 COLLUM, PADRAIC; "Treasury of Irish Folklore", rev. ed. Killenny Press 1967 COLLUM, PADRAIC; "The King of Ireland's Son", McMillian & sons 1933 CONWAY, D.J.; "Celtic Magic", Llewellyn Pub. 1990 COOKE, GRACE & IVAN; "The Light in Britain", White Eagle Pub. Trust 1983 COSMAN, MADELEINE, PELNER; "Medieval Holidays and Festivals", Charles Scribmer & Sons 1981 CROSSLEY-HOLLAND, KEVIN, ed.; "Mabon of the Mabinogion", Thorsen Pub. 1984 *** CUNLIFFE, BARRY; "The Celtic World", McGraw Hill MCMLXXIX *** CURTAIN, JEREMIAH; "Myths and Folk Tales of Ireland", Dover Books 1975 DAMES, MICHAEL; "The Avebury Cycle", Thames & Hudson 1977 *** *** DANAHER, KEVIN; "The Year in Ireland", (Leinster Leader, Ltd. 1972) Mercier Press 1972 *** DANIEL, GLYN & PAUL BAHN; "Ancient Places - The Prehistoric & Celtic Sites of Britian", Constable 1987 DAVIDSON, THOMAS; "Rowan Tree and Red Thread", Edinburgh 1949 DAVIES, EDWARD; "The Mythology and Rites of the British Druids", J. Booth 1809 DELANEY, FRANK; "The Celts", Little Brown & Co. 1986 DILLON, MYLES; "Early Irish Literature", U. of Chicago Press 1948 DINNENN, REV. PATRICK S.; "Irish- English Dictionary", Irish Textes Society 1927 DUGGAN, COLM; "Treasures of Irish Folklore", Mercantile Marketing Consultants, Ltd. 1983 DYER, JAMES; "The Penguin Guide To Prehistoric England & Wales", Penguin Books *** EVANS-WENTZ, W. Y.; "The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries",University Books 1966 *** FELL, BARRY; "America, B.C.", Wallaby Books 1976 FITZPATRICK, JIM; "The Silver Arm", Paper Tiger Press 1981 FITZPATRICK, JIM; "The Book of Conquests", E.P. Dutton 1978 FLOWER, ROBIN; "The Irish Tradition", Clarendon Press 1947/1978 FORDE, JOHNSTON J.; "Prehistoric Britian & Ireland", W.W. Norton & Co. 1976 FRAZIER, SIR JAMES GORDON; "The Golden Bough", (The Macmillan Company, 1951) Avenel 1981 FRENCH, J.M.F.; "Prehistoric Faith and Worship", London 1912 FROUD, BRIAN & ALAN LEE; "Faeries", Harry M. Abrams 1978 GANTZ, JEFFERY; "Early Irish Myths & Sagas", Penquin 1982 GERALD OF WALES; "The History & Topography of Ireland", Penquin 1982 GLASSIE, HENRY; "Irish Folk History", U. of Pennsylvannia Press 1982 GREGORY, LADY AUGUSTA; "Visions and Beliefs in the West of Ireland", Colin Smythe 1920/1979 *** GREGORY, LADY AUGUSTA; "Gods and Fighting Men of the Celts", John Murray 1913 *** GUARD, DAVID, "Dierdre: A Celtic Legend", Celestial Arts 1977 HERM, GERHARD; "The Celts", St. Martin's Press 1975 HIGGINS, GODFREY; "Celtic Druids", Philosohpical Research Society 1977 HOPE, MURRY; "Practical Celtic Magic", Aquarian Press 1987 IRISH TEXTES SOCIETY; "Poems of Egan O'Rahilly", Rev. P.S. Dinnenn & T.O. Donough 1966 IRISH TEXTES SOCIETY; "Duanaine Finn", Vol VII, part 1, ed. & trans. Eoin MacNeil IRISH TEXTES SOCIETY; Keating, "History of Ireland, Vol 1-4, 1902/1987 IRISH TEXTES SOCIETY; "Adventures of CoSuibhne Geilt", ed. & trans. J.G. O'Keefe 1913 IRISH TEXTES SOCIETY; "Poems on the Marcher Lords", ed. Anne O'Sullivan & Padrain O'Riain 1987 *** IRISH TEXTES SOCIETY; "Labor Gabala Erenn", parts 1-4, Trans. R.A.S. MacAlister 1941 JACKSON, KENNETH HURLSTONE; "A Celtic Miscellany", Penguin 1980 JACKSON, KENNETH HURLESTONE; "The Oldest Irish Tradition; A Window on the Iron Age", Cambridge 1964 JACOBS, JOSEPH; "Celtic Fairy Tales", Dover 1963 *** JONES, GWYN & THOMAS; "The Mabinogion", Dragon's Dream 1982 *** *** JOYCE, P.W.; "Social History of Ancient Ireland", Vol 1 & 2 Benjamin Blum Pub. 1968 *** KERR, MILDRED L., HARNES, ELIZABETH & ROSS, FRANCES; "Giants & Fairies", Charles E. Merrill . 1946 *** KINSELLA, THOMAS; "The Tain", Oxford Univ. Press 1969 *** KNEIGHTLY, THOMAS; "The World Guide to Gnomes, Fairies, Elves, and Other Little People", Avenel Press 1978 KNIGHT, GARETH; "The Secret Tradition in Arthurian Legend", Aquarian Press 1983 KRUTA, VENCESLAS & VERNER FORMAN; "The Celts of the West", Orbis 1985 LEAMY, EDMUND; "Golden Spears", Desmond Fitzgerald 1911 LEHMANN, RUTH P.M.; "Early Irish Verse", University of Texas Press 1982 LOGAN, PATRICK; "The Old Gods", Apple Tree Press 1981 LONSDALE, STEVEN; "Animals & the Origin of the Dance", Thames & Hudson 1982 LUCY, SEAN; "Love Poems of the Irish", Mercier Press 1977 *** MACALISTER, R.A.S.; "Tara; A Pagan Sanctuary of Ancient Ireland", Charles Schribner & Sons 1931 *** MACCANA, PROINSIAS; "Celtic Mythology", Hamlyn Pub. 1970 MACCULLOCH, JOHN ARNOTT; "Religion of the Ancient Celts", Folcroft Library, 1977rep. MACCULLOCH, JOHN ARNOTT; "The Mythology of all Races in Thirteen volumes; Celtic, Volume III.", Cooper Square Pub. 1967 MACLENNAN, MALCOLM; "A Promouncing & Emtylogical Dictionary of the Gaelic Language", (Scots Gaelic) Aberdeen Univ. Press 1979 MACMANUS, SEUMAS; "The Story of the Irish Race", Devin-Adair Co. 1981 *** MACNEILL, MAIRE; "The Festival of Lughnasa", Oxford, 1962 *** MARKALE, JEAN; "Women of the Celts", Inner Traditions Int'l Ltd. 1986 MARRIS, RUTH; "The Singing Swans & Other Irish Stories", Fontana Lions 1978 MARSH, HENRY; "Dark Age Britain", Dorset Press 1970 MATTHEWS, CAITLIN; "The Elements of The Goddess", Element Books 1989 MATTHEWS, CAITLIN; "The Elements of The Celtic Tradition", Element Books 1989 McNEIL, F. MARTIN; "The Silver Bough, Vol 1.: Scottish Folklore & Beliefs", Cannon Gate Classic 1956/1989 O'BRIEN, CHRISTIAN; "The Megalithic Odyssey", Turnstone 1983 O'CONNOR, FRANK; "Short History of Irish Literature", Capricorn Books 1967 O'CONNOR, NORREYS; "Battles & Enchantments", Books for Libraries Press 1922/1970 O'DRISCOLL, ROBERT; "The Celtic Consciousness", George Braziller 1982 O'SULLIVAN, DONALD; "Carolan: The Life & Times & Music of an Irish Harper", Vol 1 & 2, Celtic Music 1983 PEPPERS & WILCOCK; "A Guide to Magical & Mystical Sites - Europe & the British Isles", Harper Colophon Books 1977 POWELL, T.G.E.; "The Celts", Thames & Hudson 1980 QUILLER, PETER & COURTNEY DAVIS; "Merlin, The Immortal", Spirit of Celtia 1984 *** REES, ALWEN & BRINLEY; "Celtic Heritage", Oxford 1971 *** RHYS, JOHN; "Celtic Folklore, Welsh & Manx, Vol.I" ROLLESTON, T.W.; "Myths & Legends - Celtic", Avenel Press 1985 *** ROSS, ANNE; "Pagan Celtic Britian", Rudledge & Kegen Paul 1967 *** *** ROSS, ANNE, & DON ROBBINS; "The Life & Death of A Druid Prince", Summit 1989 *** RUTHERFORD, WARD; "Celtic Mythology", Aquarian Press 1987 *** RUTHERFORD, WARD; "The Druids, Magicians of the West", Aquarian Press 1978 *** SEYMOUR, ST. JOHN; "Irish Witchcraft and Demonology", 1913 SHARKEY, JOHN; "Celtic Mysteries", Thames & Hudson 1975/1987 *** SJOESTEDT, MARIE-LOUISE; "Gods and Heroes of the Celts", Methven & Co. Ltd. 1949 *** SMITH, LESLEY M.; "The Dark Age: The Making of Britian", Schocker Books 1984 SPENCE, LEWIS; "The Minor Traditions of British Mythology", Rider & Co. 1948 SPENCE, LEWIS; "The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain", Anchor Press SPENCE, LEWIS; "British Fairy Origins", Aquarian Press 1946 *** SQUIRE, CHARLES; "Celtic Myth & Legend, Poetry & Romance", Newcastle 1975 *** STEWART, R.J.; "Book of Merlin", Blandford Press 1988 STEWART, R.J., ed.; "Merlin & Woman", Blandford Press 1988 STEWART, R.J.; "Mystic Life of Merlin", Arcana Press 1986 STEWART, R.J.; "The Underworld Tradition", Aquarian Press 1985 *** SUTHERLAND, ELISABETH; "Ravens & Black Rain", Corgi Books 1985 *** THURNEYSON; "Old Irish Reader", Dublin Institut for Advanced Studies 1968 *** TOULSON, SHIRLEY; "The Winter Solstice", Jill Norman & Hobhouse 1981 *** *** WHITE, CAROLYN; "A History of Irish Fairies", Mercier Press 1976 *** WHITLOCK, RALPH; "In Search of Lost Gods", Phaidon Press 1979 WILDE, LADY; "Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, & Superstitions of Ireland With Sketches of the Irish Past" Chatto & Windus 1925 WILLIAMS, GWYNN A.; "Madoc, The Legend of the Welsh Discovery of America", Oxford Univ. Press 1987 *** WILLIAMSON, JOHN; "The Oak King, the Holly King & the Unicorn", Harper & Row 1974 *** *** WOOD-MARTIN, W. G.; "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland, Vols 1 & 2", Kennicat Pub.1902/1970 *** YEATS, W.B.; "Fairy & Folktales of Ireland", Pan Books 1882 & 1882/1973 YEATS, W.B. & LADY GREGORY; "Irish Myth, Legend, & Folklore", Avenel Press 1986 YOUNG, ELLA; "The Wondersmith and His Son", David McKay Co. 1927 You might start with the bibliography in the back of Pattalee's book. Also check out Anwyn & Brinley Rees's "Celtic Heritage", Lewis Spence's "Magick Arts in Celtic Britain" is also a good one as is his "Minor Traditions of British Mythology." Happy Hunting. -- Raven (JSingle@Music.Lib.MATC.Edu). [All standard disclaimers apply]" Branwen Heartfire na Dalriada ===End of file=== Cathbad, the Rambling Gael University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada ____________________||||_|_|||_|___|_||_____________________________________ bmyers@uoguelph.ca | | | ntalk: bmyers@ccshst01.cs.uoguelph.ca