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linglynz's review
4.0
A good introductory read for anyone interested in the Celtic gods and goddesses. I especially appreciated the bit at the beginning covering the history of the ancient Celtics, before diving fully into the deities themselves.
granite's review
3.0
I enjoyed reading this very much, and especially enjoyed the line drawings (one of which I recognized as a stone I'd leaned against quite casually in a churchyard in Ireland, so that was delightful) but Stewart has some odd quirks of writing -- his insistence on using "therapy" as a stand-in for any reference to healing or medicine is... very disarming, and he abandons a subject nearly as soon as he brings it up only to return to it some thirty pages later without warning. I had trouble following some of his assertions about Greco-Roman parallels with Celtic deities (I remain thoroughly unconvinced that Brigit and Athena have anything to do with each other, likewise Lugh and Apollo), and while he clearly had some Ideas about serpents and goddesses, I never actually figured out what he was talking about. His non-separation of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and other Celtic territories also made it pretty difficult to follow.
...I know it sounds like I didn't actually enjoy this but I promise I did. I learned a lot of stories I didn't know and got context for the ones I did, and I'm planning to check out his source works.
...I know it sounds like I didn't actually enjoy this but I promise I did. I learned a lot of stories I didn't know and got context for the ones I did, and I'm planning to check out his source works.
annettewolf's review
4.0
This is a great introduction to the gods and goddesses of the Celts. Stewart doesn't shy away from mentioning that historical evidence cannot completely confirm our suspicions when it comes to these gods. So much of what we "know" about them is second-hand, passed through the Romans and monks seeking to preserve some aspect of the older culture. I appreciate the extra step that Stewart takes in his analysis, speaking of the cycles of life as the Celts would have seen them, and what the worship of these gods *means*, what it says about the people and their culture and their land.
This book hit the right balance for me between historical reference, critical analysis, and theoretical musings. I'm curious to read more of Stewart's work, as the writing is approachable and easy to take in.
This and other reviews by me can be found at www.annaimber.com
This book hit the right balance for me between historical reference, critical analysis, and theoretical musings. I'm curious to read more of Stewart's work, as the writing is approachable and easy to take in.
This and other reviews by me can be found at www.annaimber.com
rainydaywriter217b2's review
4.0
This is a great introduction to the gods and goddesses of the Celts. Stewart doesn't shy away from mentioning that historical evidence cannot completely confirm our suspicions when it comes to these gods. So much of what we "know" about them is second-hand, passed through the Romans and monks seeking to preserve some aspect of the older culture. I appreciate the extra step that Stewart takes in his analysis, speaking of the cycles of life as the Celts would have seen them, and what the worship of these gods *means*, what it says about the people and their culture and their land.
This book hit the right balance for me between historical reference, critical analysis, and theoretical musings. I'm curious to read more of Stewart's work, as the writing is approachable and easy to take in.
This and other reviews by me can be found at www.annaimber.com
This book hit the right balance for me between historical reference, critical analysis, and theoretical musings. I'm curious to read more of Stewart's work, as the writing is approachable and easy to take in.
This and other reviews by me can be found at www.annaimber.com
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