The Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom [Paperback]

Caitlin Matthews (Author), John Matthews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2000

In this stunning gift edition, Celtic experts Caitlin and John Matthews present inspirational primary material, rich in ancient wisdom, lore, and mythology. For readers who are fascinated by Celtic traditions, and spiritual heritage, this unique reference introduces several new translations of powerful Celtic literature, including stories, poems, and visionary writing-many dating from the 7th century.

Brimming with invaluable ancestral knowledge and previously unavailable texts, this invaluable sourcebook offers readers a rare insight into shamanic memory, druidic divination and prophecy, shape-shifting myths, stories about soul loss and restoration, legendary magic, and healing traditions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Caitlin and John Matthews are internationally renowned for their research into ancient Cenltic Wisdom. They have written many successful books including The Celtic Shaman and Winter Solstice. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: Element Books Ltd (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852307862
• ISBN-13: 978-1852307868
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,730,632 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Mixed Thoughts, April 9, 2006

By 

Domi O'Brien "Domi" (Manchester, NH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom (Hardcover)

John and Caitlin continue to present Celtic material out of context, and often in contradiction from one book to another of theirs. I've met John,and had lunch with him back in April of 1993 in Seattle. At that time, he acknowledged that his training is as a librarian, that he neither read or spoke any Celtic language; both he and Caitlin are occultists. When it was mentioned that he called stories "lost" in some of his books that he quoted in others, he had no explanation. He blamed previously published sources for glaring errors of translation, and seemed to see no reason to have anyone-- including Caitlin, who does have translation skills-- check his material before publication. He was accompanied by David Spangler, and many of his views seem more reflective of Spanger's New Age thought than Celtic scholarship. There is a lot of useful material in this book (all of which is avaialble elsewhere), but also a fair bit out of context and without proper attribution, including material from Erynn Darkstar and Taine Bwca's Cauldron of Poesy; they gave him a copy over lunch. Considering the Celtic obsession with intellectual property (copyright law originated in Ireland!), it would have been courtesy at the very least for the source to be cited.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As of 1/6/01, One of the Top Three Books on Celtic Tradition, January 6, 2002

By 

Frank MacEowen - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom: The Celtic Shaman's Sourcebook (Hardcover)

The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom is, hands down, required reading for anyone interested in the primal Celtic traditions, especially of the Irish and Scottish traditions. Where John Matthews' Taliesin and the Shamanic Mysteries of Britian addresses largely a Cymric (Welsh) and British leaning, The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom is, largely, rooted in the Irish, with some exploration of folk Scots beliefs and expressions of the shamanic (as in the case of the late and well-loved Scottish seer, Eliadh Watt). As of January 2002 I consider this book to be one of the top three books on Celtic tradition, especially the visionary tradition of primal Celtic spirituality and the field of contemporary Celtic spirituality. It is a priceless addition to one's library, along with Tom Cowan's Fire in the Head: Shamanism and the Celtic Spirit, Mara Freeman's Kindling the Celtic Spirit. For a more classical exploration of these same themes I recommend The Silver Bough, by F. Marian McNeill.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a book beyond most others in the field., October 26, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Supernatural British Columbia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom (Paperback)

If you never again by any books on this subject you must have this book. Reliable source document translations that are accessible to the average reader are thin on the ground and this is one of the very best. BUY THIS BOOK! I refer to it repeatedly and it never lets me down. An excellent book and an excellent value.