The Quest for the Celtic Key [Hardcover]

Karen Ralls-MacLeod (Author), Ian Robertson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2002 | Series: The Quest for

The authors argue strongly that the evidence they have uncovered within folklore, legends, the guilds, and the oral traditions of secret societies in Scotland, link together with striking similarities. They further suggest that these links are not coincidence but the last visible threads of belief systems that have been at the center of the Scottish psyche for centuries. The Celtic Key makes sense of the underlying beliefs that have contributed to, motivated, and shaped a nation through the ages.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

From Ancient Quest, the official website of Dr Karen Ralls-MacLeod:

History is a Quest, or journey, through time. Today, as never before, there is tremendous growing interest in the history of western philosophical and spiritual traditions. Since the beginning of devolution and the new Scottish Parliament, interest in Scotland is also growing tremendously.

In this ground-breaking book, medieval religious historian and Celtic scholar Ralls-MacLeod and local Scottish historian Robertson describe the people, places, and traditions associated with Scotland's past.

The authors explore the history of the origin-myth of the Scots, the Declaration of Arbroath, the Stone of Destiny, the 'missing library' of Iona, the Picts, the Druids, stone circles and megalithic sites, the Celtic saints, the Culdees, the Celtic church, the 'Word', Scottish Arthurian traditions, the Holy Grail, the Guild traditions of medieval Edinburgh, Robert the Bruce, the battle of Bannockburn, Royal Order of Scotland, William Wallace, Rosslyn Chapel, the Knights Templar, the Blue Blanket, and much more.

In addition to examining historical sources from library, government, and museum archives, or academic and rare antiquarian books, the authors also bring to light some of the lesser known, sidelined, or previously unacknowledged aspects of history from credible sources that for one reason or another, may not have made it into the history books.

The result is a riveting read of historical detective work and a 'first' of its kind... seen by some as a real Scottish tour de force.

From the Inside Flap

History is a Quest, or journey, through time. In this ground-breaking book, Medieval Religious Historian and Celtic scholar Karen Ralls-MacLeod and local Scottish historian Ian Robertson describe the people, places and traditions associated with Scotland's past.

The authors explore the legends and history about the origin-myth of the Scots, the Declaration of Arbroath, the Stone of Destiny, the 'missing library' of Iona, the Picts, the Druids, stone circles, the Celtic saints, the Culdees, Scottish Arthurian traditions, the Holy Grail, Guild traditions of medieval Edinburgh, Robert the Bruce, the battle of Bannockburn, Masonic traditions, the Royal Order of Scotland, William Wallace, Rosslyn Chapel, the Knights Templar, and much more.

In addition to examining historical sources from academic libraries, government and museum archives, and rare antiquarian books, the authors also bring to light some of the lesser known, sidelined, or previously unacknowledged aspects of history from credible sources that for one reason or another may not have made it into the history books. The result is a riveting read of historical detective work and a stunning 'first' of its kind... a real Scottish tour de force.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 411 pages
• Publisher: Luath Press Limited; First Edition edition (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0946487731
• ISBN-13: 978-0946487738
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,474,746 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Whatever our chosen paths, we are all on a quest. History, local traditions, and visiting historical sites can often enlighten and assist us on this journey. I write my books for all of you, as we mutually step back in time and explore what history has to offer us today -- "Quest on"! All best wishes, Karen

Karen M. Ralls, PhD, medieval historian and world religions and spiritualities scholar, obtained her doctorate from the University of Edinburgh, followed by six years as Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer (Univ. of Edinburgh, Celtic Dept.) and Deputy Curator of the Rosslyn Chapel Museum art exhibition (1996-2001) prior to relocating to Oxford, England, where she continues her specialist research,media/TV/film outreach, and music projects. A member of The Chalice Well, Rosslyn Chapel (Scotland), and Gatekeeper Pilgrimage Trusts (UK), the American Academy of Religion, and the British Association for the Study of Religions, Dr Ralls has appeared on major American, British and European TV documentaries for History Channel, Discovery, National Geographic, BBC Channel 4, etc., and has completed a specialist Medieval and Renaissance art history course at the renowned Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London.

Often widely recognized for her groundbreaking work, Dr Ralls is an international lecturer, conference speaker, noted author, historical and sacred sites tour guide, and workshop/retreat/events presenter. As Medieval Editor, she has also written a column for Sacred History, an American magazine for general readers whose debut issue was selected in 2006 by Library Journal as one of the "Top 30 new US periodical releases". Originally from the USA, Dr Ralls' books include The Templars and the Grail (Quest Books), The Knights Templar Encyclopedia (Career Press), Music and the Celtic Otherworld (Edinburgh University Press & Palgrave/Macmillan), Quest for the Celtic Key (Luath, Edinburgh); Indigenous Religious Music (SOAS Musicology Series, UK), and more. Also a musician (flute, Celtic harp), Karen has a Facebook Author Page and her award-winning website is http://www.ancientquest.com




*some of the TV documentaries include:

Medieval Mysteries (2010)

The Quest: The Greatest Knight of All (Vol III - part of the Knights Templar Quest DVD Series, Classic Media/Shepperton Studios, UK. "Presented by Dr Nick Barratt of the BBC TV flagship programme 'Who do you think you are', and featuring the eminent medieval Templar historian Dr Karen Ralls and others, this Volume III DVD of the series investigates the specific history, legends, and mysteries surrounding the medieval Knights Templar." 2 discs; running time 110 min.'s (2008)

Quest for the Lost Ark (History Channel, BBC 4) (2008)

Looking for a Grail Legend (DVD); with Dr Karen Ralls (at Rosslyn Chapel), Prof. Ronald Hutton, John Matthews, Jude Currivan, Maddy Prior, etc. (UK production, 2007)

Mysteries of the Freemasons (National Geographic, 2006)

Medieval Pilgrimage - A Sacred Journey (2006)

Secret History of Religion: Knights Templar (Curtis Productions, Chicago; National Geographic) - a 'special Thank You' to Dr Karen Ralls (2006)

Decoding the Past: The Templar Code (History Channel; 2005)

Beyond the Da Vinci Code (History Channel; 2005); The Da Vinci Code Decoded (History Channel; 2004)

Quest for the Holy Grail (UK); filmed at Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland; (Discovery Channel, 2003)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A general synopsis of this book:, March 13, 2002

By 

Dr Karen Ralls-MacLeod & Mr Ian Robertson (Edinburgh, Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quest for the Celtic Key (Hardcover)

Discusses some of the various underlying factors that have influenced Scotland through the centuries that, for one reason or another, may not have made it into the history books. These subjects include Knights Templar, Rosicrucian, and Masonic history and traditions, early Celtic history, Arthurian legends, the Stone of Destiny, Rosslyn Chapel, Prince Henry Sinclair's 1398 voyage to Nova Scotia, Robert the Bruce, Declaration of Arbroath, the early Celtic church, and the Scottish 'origin-myth'. Well-referenced, from credible sources, it also includes illustrations and photographs. We sincerely hope that this book will contribute to the overall picture of Scotland's history and also tell more about its important contribution to aspects of American history as well. Enjoy!

[Please forgive us for the apparent '5-star' review of our own book. The online review form will not accept any information without a rating!]

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Celtic research, very intriguing, February 11, 2004

By 

Alastair MacDonald (Edinburgh, Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quest for the Celtic Key (Hardcover)

A great combination of reliable, documented sources yet still managing to remain readable and fun, this book was a sheer delight. This book must have taken years to research. Packed with fascinating information (some little known, but true) about the history of Scotland--ranging from the Declaration of Arbroath, Robert the Bruce, the Druids and the Picts, to the Celtic saints, the Stone of Destiny, Masonic and guild traditions and Rosslyn Chapel, it delivers well. The sources and notes 'checked out'--and as I live in Edinburgh, I can say that their knowledge of Scottish history is very good. But they got the mix right, as this book still manages to be readable and fun --perhaps a bit rare for a history book! Would have liked to have seen a bit more on the specific battle strategies of Bannockburn, some descriptions of early Highland weaponry and even more on the Templars or the guilds, but overall this was a fantastic read about so many different aspects of Scotland's past. The Bibliography alone is worth the price of the book. I also thought the Rosslyn Chapel chapter was particularily interesting, as it was also featured in the novel, The Da Vinci Code---but here, you get the FACTS about the place!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling Odyssey!, January 16, 2004

By 

"toni_smith04" (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quest for the Celtic Key (Hardcover)

A real breath of fresh air--This book is a fascinating compendium of chapters on various aspects of Scottish and Celtic history, each of which could easily stand on their own. Looking for a good read you can also "dip into"? Bored? Intrigued by Scotland, but beyond just clans or "tartan and shortbread"? Want the actual historical facts about Scottish places or people? Read this book!

Everything from the usual subjects like the Declaration of Arbroath, Robert the Bruce, or the Stone of Destiny are included, but here, we also have the occasional topic or subject that has (for whatever reasons) often been "left out" or ignored in previous works on Scottish history. So as readers, we are treated to "the whole story", it seems, but when this is done in this work, the sources do check out and often end up coming from more conventional sources!---but were simply not included in previous books on Scotland. Each chapter is its own separate 'world' and the notes for them are extensive, which I found very helpful

One has to wonder why it took so long for some of these interesting facts about Scottish history to finally come to light. This book offers an especially fresh outlook and the authors should be commended for even attempting a work that combines both the usual and the more unusual factual aspects of history. It is accurate, yet stimulating; academic yet readable--a rather rare combination these days.

Yet most refreshing of all, the authors never make any sensational claims, nor do they exploit what might be called the "Braveheart" factor to sell their work. The reader is ultimately left to decide for themselves, but after having read a great variety of sources. This is a solidly researched book from one end to the other. The footnotes are detailed and the Bibliography is extensive; the Index also had helpful cross-references, in my view. The Introduction is even interesting as well, especially about early printing by Scots in the American colonies.

Throughout this book, the sources come from the usual academic and official records, yet there are also selected, reliable sources from lesser known places, private archives, and so on. Yet when they use sources from legends or folklore, they clearly say so--again, a real breath of fresh air.

The chaper on Rosslyn Chapel is particularily fascinating and detailed, as well as the unusual information about Scottish guilds and masonic history. As Rosslyn is featured in the last two chapters of the Da Vinci Code novel, it was really good to get the actual facts about this site, too. Other interesting tidbits occur throughout this book--for example, I didn't know that some of the very oldest rocks in the world --perhaps the oldest -- are in the Hebrides islands of Scotland, i.e., Lewis! Things like that.

Read this book--highly recommended! A fantastic work--and a much-needed one in today's world of 'hype' and 'sensationalism', especially about Celtic subjects.