Dictionary of Celtic Mythology

by Peter Berresford Ellis

The Celts were one of the great founding civilizations of Europe and the first North European people to emerge into recorded history, producing a vibrant labyrinth of mythological tales and sagas that have influenced the literary traditions of Europe and the world.
The first A-Z reference of its kind, Dictionary of Celtic Mythology is fascinating and accessible guide to the gods and goddesses, the heroes and heroines, the magical weapons, fabulous beasts, and otherworld entities that populate the myths of this rich European culture. Like A Dictionary of Irish Mythology before it, this is a who's who and what's what of the epic Celtic sagas and tales. Predated only by Greek and Latin by virtue of the fact that the Celtic languages were not written until the early Christian era, Celtic mythology is a development from a far earlier oral tradition containing voices from the dawn of European civilization. The peoples of these Celtic cultures survive today on the western seaboard of Europe--the Irish, Manx, and Scots, who make up the Goidelic- (or Gaelic) speaking branch of Celts, and the Welsh, Cornish, and Brentons, who represent the Brythonic-speaking branch. And it is in these languages that their vibrant and fascinating mythology has been
recorded and appreciated throughout the world. In his introduction, Ellis discusses the roles of these six cultures, the evolution (or demise) of the languages, and the relationship between the legends, especially the Irish and Welsh, the two major Celtic cultures. From Celtic legends have come not only the stories of Cuchulainn and Fionn MacCumhail, of Deidre of the Sorrows and the capricious Grainne, but the stories of the now world-famous Arthur, and the romantic tragedy of Tristan and Iseult.
An easy-to-read handbook, The Dictionary of Celtic Mythology presents a fascinating window to centuries of rich oral and written tradtion from the mists of Europe's origins.

Genres: Mythology, Reference, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 1992

About the author

Peter Berresford Ellis is a historian, literary biographer, and novelist who has published over 90 books to date either under his own name or his pseudonyms Peter Tremayne and Peter MacAlan. He has also published 95 short stories. His non-fiction books, articles and academic papers have made him acknowledged as an authority on Celtic history and culture. Under Peter Tremayne, he is the author of the international bestselling Sister Fidelma mystery series. His work has appeared in 25 languages.

He began his career as a junior reporter on an English south coast weekly, becoming deputy editor of an Irish weekly newspaper and was then editor of a weekly trade journal in London. He first went as a feature writer to Northern Ireland in 1964 for a London daily newspaper which had a profound effect on him. His first book was published in 1968: Wales: a Nation Again, on the Welsh struggle for political independence, with a foreword by Gwynfor Evans, Plaid Cymru's first Member of Parliament. In 1975 he became a full-time writer. He used his academic background to produce many popular titles in the field of Celtic Studies and he has written numerous academic articles and papers in the field for journals ranging from The Linguist (London) to The Irish Sword: Journal of the Irish Military History Society (UCD). He is highly regarded by academics in his own field and was described by The Times Higher Education Supplement, London, (June, 1999) as one of the leading authorities on the Celts then writing. He has been International Chairman of the Celtic League 1988–1990; chairman of Scrif-Celt (The Celtic Languages Book Fair in 1985 and in 1986); chairman and vice-president of the London Association for Celtic Education 1989–1995, and now is an Hon. Life Member); He was also chairman of his local ward Labour Party in London, England, and was editorial advisor on Labour and Ireland magazine in the early 1990s. He is a member of the Society of Authors.

Apart from his Celtic Studies interests, Ellis has always been fascinated by aspects of popular literature and has written full-length biographies on H. Rider Haggard, W. E. Johns, Talbot Mundy as well as critical essays on many more popular fiction authors. His own output in the fictional field, writing in the genre of horror fantasy and heroic fantasy, began in 1977 when the first "Peter Tremayne" book appeared. Between 1983 and 1993 he also wrote eight adventure thrillers under the name "Peter MacAlan". Ellis has published (as of January, 2009) a total of 91 books, 95 short stories, several pamphlets, and numerous academic papers and signed journalistic articles. Under his own name he wrote two long running columns: 'Anonn is Anall' (Here and There) from 1987–2008 for the Irish Democrat, and, "Anois agus Arís" (Now and Again) from 2000–2008 for The Irish Post. His books break down into 34 titles under his own name; 8 titles under the pseudonym of Peter MacAlan and 49 titles under his pseudonym of Peter Tremayne. He has lectured widely at universities in several countries, including the UK, Ireland, American, Canada, France and Italy. He has also broadcast on television and radio since 1968. With the great popularity of his 7th Century set Sister Fidelma Mysteries, in January, 2001, an International Sister Fidelma Society was formed in Charleston, South Carolina, with a website and producing a print magazine three times a year called The Brehon. In 2006 the Cashel Arts Fest established the first three-day international gathering of fans of the series which is now held bi-annually and receives the full support of the Society

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

In many ways, Peter Berresford Ellis’ 1992 Dictionary of Celtic Mythology has been a both interesting and very much enlightening personal reading experience (and while I did read Dictionary of Celtic Mythology on Open Library, I am seriously considering obtaining a paper copy for my own bookshelves). Because yes, the author definitely and generally presents a thorough and alphabetically organised (from A to Z) introduction to Celtic mythology, with both an academically inclined introduction as well as an extensive bibliography of almost eight pages in length. And while the factual information presented in Dictionary of Celtic Mythology regarding the gods and goddesses of the continental European Celts prior to their conquest by the Romans is certainly rather majorly sparse and lacking in detail compared to what Peter Berresford Ellis features about the pantheons of the Irish, the Scots, the Welsh, the Manx, the Cornish and the Bretons, this does unfortunately also make sense, since aside from a few inscriptions, there is really not all that much available in direct written form about the Celtic tribes of Gaul, Galatia etc., whereas for the so-called Insular Celtic mythologies, there actually exists an extensive literary tradition (and particular so for Ireland).

However, even with my enjoyment of Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (and that I have definitely learned a great deal), my rating for Dictionary of Celtic Mythology will still only be three stars. For one, and first and foremost, although Peter Berresford Ellis’ introduction to Dictionary of Celtic Mythology has certainly been massively informative, there also is a textual hint of a more than a bit frustrating attitude of political propaganda to be encountered in Berresford Ellis’ tone of narrative voice, and kind of an author perspective that the insular Celtic mythologies, languages and literatures are all rapidly becoming extinct and that we all should furthermore collectively be blaming modern English, which even if perhaps not altogether false, is to and for me really quite annoyingly inflammatory, unacademic and really not having all that much to do with Celtic mythology per se.

And equally, since there have over the past decades been more than a few speculations (both by lay readers and by serious academics) that the seemingly lost and vanished mythologies and cultures of the continental European Celts might have some remnants present in the folktales and folk traditions of Northern France, Southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria, I am definitely rather disappointed that this is not even once considered and mentioned by Peter Berresford Ellis in either the introduction or in the dictionary section of Dictionary of Celtic Mythology), and not to mention that in my humble opinion, a main part of Peter Berresford Ellis’ introduction should also be a detailed and meticulous comparison of Celtic mythology to at the very least Roman, Greek, Norse/Germanic and Hindu mythology (considering that the Celtic languages are Indo-European tongues and the mythologies and lore of the Gaulish tribes, of the Galatians, the Irish, the Cornish, the Welsh etc. are thus and of course also related both linguistically and often also very much culturally to the mythological attributes of the Indo-Europeans n general and to the specific examples mentioned above).

And for two, considering that Dictionary of Celtic Mythology features ALL Celtic mythology in general and not just information from one county, from one area, personally, I really do think the presented information could be a bit less confusing and more easy to look up if the author, if Peter Berresford Ellis were to divide his information into country and area specific sections. I mean, you could still have the specific chapters appearing in an alphabetical format, but for actual reference ease, having the specific mythological details appear in book areas pertaining to continental Europe, to Ireland, Wales and so on and so on, this would definitely and in my humble opinion make using Dictionary of Celtic Mythology for actual and bona fide study and research easier and less time consuming (which definitely I would welcome, as the general A to Z format of an all encompassing Celtic mythology in Dictionary of Celtic Mythology does in my opinion make it a bit frustratingly tedious if you have to for example research and find specific information on say Wales or Scotland).

[J.M. (Joe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

For such a small volume, the DICTIONARY OF CELTIC MYTHOLOGY by Peter Beresford Ellis is incredibly thorough and an excellent starting point for further research into topics of Celtic mythology, sagas, and tales.

Here's a random entry from a page I have bookmarked (so you can get a feel for the book):

Scenmed. [I] Sister of Forgall Manach. Following his death, when Cúchulainn eloped with Forgall's daughter, Emer, Scenmed raised an army and followed the Ulster champion to exact vengeance. Cúchulainn defeated and slew her.

Have you heard of Scenmed? No? Well then, the book has already proven valuable. Thank you, Mr. Ellis, for taking the time.

This is one of those research books I pick up time and again, either for research or for inspirado. As a writer, I can open up this volume and take a small entry such as the one above about poor Scenmed and begin to conceive a plot. Very helpful resource to have on my bookshelf. And I got this handy tome used for just five bones. It was five bones well spent.

--
Four out of five stars. Conceivably 4.5 stars.

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expansive introduction to the many different myths/pantheon of Celtic Mythology, though there are notable omissions (better covered by Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore by Patricia Monaghan). Considering how slim this book is, it includes a lengthy bibliography and cross-references. I would have preferred a different format, with each Celtic culture subdivided by location (Irish, Welsh, Breton, etc.). Overall a handy guide and basis for research.

[Suzana Glisovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very educational.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first author who described the famine in Ireland of the 1840s as artificially made.

[Nathaniel Nemeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only negative to this book is that while I learned a lot, it focused too much on the Celts in general and not on their actual mythology.

[John]

mythology,reference,nonfiction

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative but I could've used more information on certain things and places. Maybe subsections as well breaking down monsters and such.

Still worth investing in if you are, like me, a writer.

[Regina Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the books you will have fun with even if you read it ten times before.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise, portable and indispensable reference to the richness of Celtic mythology. Love it!