Decoding the Celts: Revealing the legacy of the celtic tradition

by Claire Hamilton, Steve Eddy

great book at the celts. get your knowledge about your heritage here

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Mythology, British Literature

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Laurel Bradshaw]

3 green stars.

Can't give more than 3 stars because it is SO hard to read. Tiny print, especially in the side columns, printed over somewhat dark backgrounds of Celtic spirals and other patterns. You'll need a good light directly overhead. Otherwise, the art is quite creative. Well-organized in 2-4 page segments. Fun to dip into a little at a time. Definitely has a neo-Celtic slant with some dubious assertions, but as a look at the influence of Celtic mythology, literature, music, etc. on the thinking of neo-Celtic groups like modern day "druids" I think it has value. Lots of information here, but take some of their assertions with a grain of salt.

Description (from back cover): Celtic culture and wisdom have fascinated observers from the ancient Greeks onward. In modern times, those with Celtic antecedents are keen to reconnect with their origins and discover the ancient traditions of the Celts. This is a beautifully illustrated volume that reveals these traditions and how their influence has survived into the present day. It investigates the Celts' relationship with the natural world, their sense of community, their myths, and their art, music, and poetry.

[Paul De Belder]

Wat een onzinnig boek. Het had als titel moeten hebben: « Een rommeltje bijeengesprokkeld uit oude mythen en verhalen, waarvan de schrijfster gelooft dat ze allemaal echt gebeurd zijn », inclusief mensen die veranderen in dieren, druïden die magische krachten demonstreren en 300 jaar oude helden die hun verhaal doen bij St-Patrick. De weinige historische vermeldingen in het boek zijn verdacht, meer op het magisch geloof van de schrijfster gebaseerd dan op feiten.

Ik ben fan van mythologie en heldenverhalen, maar zonder New Age onzin saus. De schrijfster slaagt erin om ze ontdoen van hun pracht door ze in stukjes te kappen en voor te stellen als bewijzen voor dikwijls uit de duim gezogen « feiten ».

[K.S. Thompson]

I am very thankful to have picked this up from the bargain table at my local bookshop a few years ago. What a great find! This was a really enjoyable read and easily accessible for those who are quite new to the subject. The artwork and photos were fantastic, as well.

My only complaint is that I wish there had been more info on the Cailleach, though. I was so excited to see Her included but it was a really short writeup. But that's a personal thing and has not diminished my enjoyment of the book at all.

[Natasha 4E]

While I knew most of what was written from the fiction books I had read that were about or based on the culture of the Celtic peoples, I liked this book. It is an easy yet informative read. A lot of myths are described and the illustrations are very nice.

[Nathalie]

Whenever I'd like to know something about the celts, this is the book I'd open first.

[MeriBeth]

Decoding the Celts is a very quick light read regarding the history and mythic tradition of the Celts. The book keeps a narrow focus on the Anglo-British Celts of Ireland, Wales, Scotland with small remarks about the Isle of Man. It makes no attempt to cover the entirety of Celtic culture in Europe. This book is almost encyclopedic in style and scope with short two to four page chapters on each topic discussed. Short text is greatly enhanced by the photographs and drawings included in the book. Enjoyable but light and very much an introductory book though it suffers from a lack of source notes and a very short bibliography of mostly secondary works. I would recommend this to someone just beginning to investigate the Celts as a culture in order to discover what areas the reader would like to explore further or to middle school students seeking information without overwhelming academic details.

[Kendra]

A bit repetitive, since I had just finished another Celtic history book, but it focused more on the Celts of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and some mention of the Isle of Man, which was nice. Short chapters, good information, covered a wide variety of the different facets of life in this book. Spiritual, basic living, fighting, men, women, etc. Enjoyable read, gorgeous photos.

[Abigail]

Very readable with information split into short sections that cover a wide range of topics and the book contains a lot of images to illustrate what is being discussed in the text. I'd definitely recommend this as a good, gentle introduction.

[Nicole]

I am truly glad I own a copy. Lots of information

[Ali]

decent read. not really what I was looking for.