Customer Reviews

Druids, Gods & Heroes from Celtic Mythology (World Mythology Series)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved the artwork and the stories about the celtic myths. I was a little disappointed that there was so little information about the gods like Cernunnos, Epona, and others. But the book gave a very good explanation to why and I admire Anne Ross' as an author.

This volume is a fine introduction to Celtic mythology, featuring fourteen chapters of stories. Most pages are illustrated with black and white illustrations by John Sibbit, paired with occasional two-page full color spreads by Roger Garland. The double-column small type lends a textbook feel, as the book races through legend after legend, each tale punctuated by headers. The vibrant color pictures depict scenes of beauty and terror such as the great battle of the giants of Morvah, Cath Palug the monster cat, Fionn's salmon of knowledge and the Lady of the Lake from Arthurian tales. The short pronunciation guide in the back of the book is a boon for readers unfamiliar with the unconventional appearance of Irish and Welsh spelling. This book would be appropriate for middle-schoolers and up.

Ross's "Druids, Gods and Heroes from Celtic Mythology" was the first book about the Celts I ever got my hands on, and it is one I keep going back to -however, in continous Celtic study, it is getting less and less value. As a first book, it is great. Ross offers a simple glance at the Celtic world, along with a few of its gods, but it is very shallow. The stories, which are beautifully illustrated, are in short versions, leaving out much of the detail (which in itself slightly kills the Celtic spirit). As a prologue for continued study, it works just nicely, but I wouldn't reccomend it to anyone who's read a couple of books on Celtic mythology. As a camp-fire, story telling or general interest book, though, it is wonderful.