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King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land: The Divine Feminine in the Mabinogion by Caitlin Matthews
Reveals how the ancient Celtic text of the Mabinogion was the mythical predecessor to the legends of King Arthur. Revised edition of Arthur and the Sovereignty of Britain (UK) that includes the author's latest research and insights. A comprehensive reader's companion with synopsis of stories and full commentary. Written by renowned scholar Caitlín Matthews, author of The Celtic Wisdom Tarot (15,000 sold). The ancient Celtic stories of the Mabinogion have received universal recognition from scholars as both sources of the Arthurian legend and keys to insights into the ancient magic of the Celtic Otherworld. Now renowned Celtic scholar Caitlín Matthews, drawing on a full range of medieval texts and ancient Welsh writings, provides a fully revised and updated reader's guide to these rich and far-reaching tales. In King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land, Matthews sheds particular light on Sovereignty, the Goddess of the sacred land of Britain, and the spiritual principle of the Divine Feminine. Clearly revealed are the many alternate forms taken by the Goddess of the Land--including her incarnation as Morgan of Avalon, who plays a dominant role in the Arthurian cycle. Also established are links between the legendary characters of the Mabinogion and their counterparts in other living myths of the Western world. Through the marriage of the Celtic kings to the Goddess of the Land, the sacred contract between political rulership and responsibility for the land's well-being is dramatically revealed. In King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land, Matthews once again articulates definitively the continuing relevance of ancient Celtic thought and belief as illustrated in the powerful myths and legends of ancient Britain.
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First published January 1, 1990
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About the author
Caitlín Matthews
176 books185 followersCaitlín Matthews is a writer, singer and teacher whose ground-breaking work has introduced many to the riches of our western spiritual heritage.
She is acknowledged as a world authority on Celtic Wisdom, the Western Mysteries and the ancestral traditions of Britain and Europe. She is the author of over 50 books including Sophia: Goddess of Wisdom, a study of Divine Feminine in Gnostic, Jewish and Christian thought and King Arthur’s Raid on the Underworld, a new translation and study of the Welsh poet Taliesin’s extraordinary poem, itself a major cross-roads of British mythology.
Caitlín was trained in the esoteric mystery traditions through the schools founded by Dion Fortune, Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and Gareth Knight. Her shamanic vocation emerged early in her ability to sing between the worlds and to embody spirits. She has worked in many of the western traditions with companions upon the path including R.J.Stewart. Like him, she teaches the many strands of the ancestral European traditions. She specializes in teaching traditional European spirit-consultation oracles where the diviner draws directly upon the spirits of nature for answers and in the use of the voice to sound the unseen. Caitlín has been instrumental in revealing the ancestral heritage of the Western traditions through practical exploration of the mysteries as well as through scholarly research. Her teachings are couched in a firm historical and linguistic framework, with respect to the original context of the teachings, but never loses sight of the living traditions of these teachings which can be explored through direct application to their spiritual sources.
Trained as an actress, Caitlín is in demand as a storyteller and singer. She appears frequently on international radio and television, and was the song-writer and Pictish language originator for the Jerry Bruckheimer film King Arthur. With John Matthews, her partner, who was historical consultant on the film, she shared in the 2004 BAFTA award given to Film Education for the best educational CD Rom: this project introduced school-children to the life and times of King Arthur. She and John are both concerned with the oral nature of storytelling and its ability to communicate the myth at a much deeper level than of the commercial booktrade. This is apparent in their forthcoming project, The Story Box. For Caitlín, her books are merely the tip of a much bigger oral iceberg which is her teaching.
With her partner, John Matthews, and with Felicity Wombwell , she is co-founder of The Foundation for Inspirational and Oracular Studies, which is dedicated to the sacred arts that are not written down. Their FíOS shamanic training programme teaches students the healing arts as well as hosting masterclasses with exemplars of living sacred traditions. Caitlín has a shamanic practice in Oxford dedicated to addressing soul sickness and ancestral fragmentation, as well as helping clients find vocational and spiritual direction. Her soul-singing and embodiment uniquely bring the ancient healing traditions to everyday life.
Caitlín’s other books include Singing the Soul Back Home, Mabon and the Guardians of Celtic Britain, The Psychic Protection Handbook, and Celtic Devotional. She is co-author, with John Matthews, of the Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom and Encyclopaedia of Celtic Myth and Legend. Her books have been translated into more than nineteen languages from Brazil to Japan.
The author lives in Oxford with her husband and son in a kind of book-cave or library, whichever you will. They share their home with a white cat and a black cat.
She is acknowledged as a world authority on Celtic Wisdom, the Western Mysteries and the ancestral traditions of Britain and Europe. She is the author of over 50 books including Sophia: Goddess of Wisdom, a study of Divine Feminine in Gnostic, Jewish and Christian thought and King Arthur’s Raid on the Underworld, a new translation and study of the Welsh poet Taliesin’s extraordinary poem, itself a major cross-roads of British mythology.
Caitlín was trained in the esoteric mystery traditions through the schools founded by Dion Fortune, Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and Gareth Knight. Her shamanic vocation emerged early in her ability to sing between the worlds and to embody spirits. She has worked in many of the western traditions with companions upon the path including R.J.Stewart. Like him, she teaches the many strands of the ancestral European traditions. She specializes in teaching traditional European spirit-consultation oracles where the diviner draws directly upon the spirits of nature for answers and in the use of the voice to sound the unseen. Caitlín has been instrumental in revealing the ancestral heritage of the Western traditions through practical exploration of the mysteries as well as through scholarly research. Her teachings are couched in a firm historical and linguistic framework, with respect to the original context of the teachings, but never loses sight of the living traditions of these teachings which can be explored through direct application to their spiritual sources.
Trained as an actress, Caitlín is in demand as a storyteller and singer. She appears frequently on international radio and television, and was the song-writer and Pictish language originator for the Jerry Bruckheimer film King Arthur. With John Matthews, her partner, who was historical consultant on the film, she shared in the 2004 BAFTA award given to Film Education for the best educational CD Rom: this project introduced school-children to the life and times of King Arthur. She and John are both concerned with the oral nature of storytelling and its ability to communicate the myth at a much deeper level than of the commercial booktrade. This is apparent in their forthcoming project, The Story Box. For Caitlín, her books are merely the tip of a much bigger oral iceberg which is her teaching.
With her partner, John Matthews, and with Felicity Wombwell , she is co-founder of The Foundation for Inspirational and Oracular Studies, which is dedicated to the sacred arts that are not written down. Their FíOS shamanic training programme teaches students the healing arts as well as hosting masterclasses with exemplars of living sacred traditions. Caitlín has a shamanic practice in Oxford dedicated to addressing soul sickness and ancestral fragmentation, as well as helping clients find vocational and spiritual direction. Her soul-singing and embodiment uniquely bring the ancient healing traditions to everyday life.
Caitlín’s other books include Singing the Soul Back Home, Mabon and the Guardians of Celtic Britain, The Psychic Protection Handbook, and Celtic Devotional. She is co-author, with John Matthews, of the Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom and Encyclopaedia of Celtic Myth and Legend. Her books have been translated into more than nineteen languages from Brazil to Japan.
The author lives in Oxford with her husband and son in a kind of book-cave or library, whichever you will. They share their home with a white cat and a black cat.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 21, 2020
Every main female character in a tale is an embodiment of Sovereignty. Congratulations, you no longer have to read this as I told you everything you'll get from it.
Caitlin Matthews is grasping at straws to make her conclusions. "If they mixed up these two names that look vaguely similar and starting with the same letter then ALL the names could be mixed up!"
It's sort of like reading Ancient Aliens, watching them desperately twist information and tie together completely unrelated things to further their conspiratorial beliefs.
Unfortunately, instead of being able to laugh at 30 minutes of nonsense spouted from people with ridiculous hair, we get to read the drawling, disorganized, and repetitious ramblings dispersed over 338 pages.
Caitlin Matthews is grasping at straws to make her conclusions. "If they mixed up these two names that look vaguely similar and starting with the same letter then ALL the names could be mixed up!"
It's sort of like reading Ancient Aliens, watching them desperately twist information and tie together completely unrelated things to further their conspiratorial beliefs.
Unfortunately, instead of being able to laugh at 30 minutes of nonsense spouted from people with ridiculous hair, we get to read the drawling, disorganized, and repetitious ramblings dispersed over 338 pages.
April 22, 2023
I completely forgot I owned this book until I decided to spend the entire run up to May Day/Beltane/Calan Mai studying the sort of 'Hieros Gamos' in Celtic (particularly Welsh in my case) mythology in which the Goddess of the Land confers kingship on her chosen champion. Considering I had completely forgotten about the existence of this book until it randomly caught my eye on my shelves, it's wild that this might actually be the best book I've read in years in helping me develop a framework for practicing Celtic paganism that works for me. I especially loved the version of the Wheel of the Year at the end created to fit the Sovereignty & King framework perfectly.
June 7, 2017
A worthy sequel to "Mabon and the Guardians of Celtic Britain." Caitlin Matthews always has interesting and thought provoking insight to offer and this one was especially enjoyable because of her emphasis and interpretation of the roles of the female characters in the tales. I happened to be reading Tennyson's "Idylls of the King" at the same time and found the commentary from "The Lady of the Fountain" and "Gereint and Enid" to be helpful in understanding these stories.
June 9, 2008
I didn't like this book and couldn't make myself finish it. The writing was disjointed and I thought the author was drawing conclusions pretty much out of thin air. I was disappointed becaause the book is about 3 of my favorite subjects.
January 15, 2009
Lots of information summarizing British mythology, especially around the concept of Sovereignty. I liked reading it but have no idea how to pronounce Welsh language.
May 23, 2009
I found it to be a great interpretation of Celtic literature and mythology. I loved the fact that if focused on Welsh mythology which is near and dear to my heart.
November 26, 2012
An okay study book, but it was hard for me to keep reading. Might have been better if I had the Mabinogian to go along with it. lol.
March 29, 2021
This is a beautiful book written by one of the writers who created the incredible Arthurian Tarot! That is a deck I recommend to all tarot readers out there!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews