Celtic Lore: The History of the Druids and Their Timeless Traditions [Paperback]

Ward Rutherford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1993

An exploration of the history of the Druids, their origin among the Indo-European shamans, and the metamorphosis of their culture through the centuries.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

An exploration of the history of the Druids, their origin among the Indo-European shamans, and the metamorphosis of their culture through the centuries.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Thorsons Pub; First Thus edition (May 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855381346
• ISBN-13: 978-1855381346
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,223,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars If this is "scholarly," the world's in a sad state., March 29, 2005

By 

M. Wallace "lutewoman" (Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Celtic Lore: The History of the Druids and Their Timeless Traditions (Paperback)

If this was written in the 1920s, I could understand it. But 1993? Well, basically, don't take a book seriously if it uses "The Golden Bough" as support. Or Loomis and Tolstoy, for that matter. It's not that they didn't contribute some important things, but that was 70 years before this book was written, and let's just say scholarship has gone beyond them.

This is a book that actually suggests that the incident of the Joy of the Court in the Erec and Enid tales is evidence of a secret, druidic cult which, naturally, is linked to the Knights Templar. Apparently, the "inexplicable" Joy of the Court is code put in by Chretien de Troyes because...well, Rutherford doesn't really say why. Royal connections to witchcraft, maybe. Now that's some cracking good literary analysis right there. I had just thought it was to illustrate retroactively why Erec and Enide should not stay isolated, but no. Vast underground conspiracy for unknown purposes.

He works way too hard to come up with these bizarre, tortured arguments, and never really bothers to explain them. One of my favorite passages is "Bran is not only defeated, he has been wounded with a poisoned spear. Though, according to the text, this was in the foot, it was more probably in the testicles." I know last time my boyfriend was wounded in the testicles he totally thought it was his foot. Seriously, what? The author wants him to be the Fisher King so he magically is? Is this in a hypothetical earlier version, or is Rutherford arguing that the REAL Bran was wounded in the testicles? I'd look to the text for the answer, but dang it, it's just not there.

This book has all the coherence and scholarship of a manifesto found in the basement of a spree shooter, and a little more paranoia. Don't waste your money on it. If you want to read about the Celts, try some Berresford Ellis or Tymczko.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, scholarly, eminently readable, May 10, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Celtic Lore: The History of the Druids and Their Timeless Traditions (Paperback)

Apart from one or two obvious publisher (rather than author) errors (like AD for an obvious BCE date) I could rarely find fault with this volume. For a short, readable, well-organised book on the Druids and their effects upon Celtic, Greek and Roman civilisations, this is hard to beat

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent history without being dry!, January 18, 1999

By 

Ruhani ([e-mail]) (Central Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celtic Lore: The History of the Druids and Their Timeless Traditions (Paperback)

This book is a good read and gives wonderful background information on the Celts and Druids. One of the first books I have read that actually gives more history on where the Celts came from and how they impacted others.