Taliesin: The Last Celtic Shaman [Paperback]

John Matthews (Author), Caitl?n Matthews (Contributor), Caitlin Matthews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2002

A new translation of the poems of sixth-century Celtic bard and shaman Taliesin that reveals the mysteries of Druidic practices.

• The first collection of Taliesin's major poetry with commentary by John Matthews, author of more than 40 books on the Celts.

• Reveals Druidic prophecy, methods of divination, and the rites, rituals, and beliefs that were essential to Celtic spiritual practice.

• Features Taliesin's works as keys to the Arthurian legends.

Taliesin, Chief Bard of Britain and Celtic shaman, was a historical figure who lived in Wales during the latter half of the sixth century. Encoded within his work are the ancestral beliefs of the Celtic and pre-Celtic peoples. In addition, his verse is established as a direct precursor to the Arthurian Legends--and Taliesin himself, shaman and shapeshifter, is said to be the direct forebear to Merlin. Though the bard's work is steeped in the rich traditions of druidic practice, few have explored the revelations of his writings--the secret poetic language of the bards, revelatory information about divination, the ancient mysteries of the Druids, and the cosmological rites that were central to Celtic worship. 

John Matthews, one of today's preeminent Celtic scholars, sheds new light on the poems of Taliesin and on the vast body of allusion, story, and myth that grew from his body of work and shamanic practice. With the help of fellow Celtic scholar Caitlin Matthews, the author presents completely new translations of Taliesin's major poems in their entirety, uncovering the meanings behind these great works for the first time.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"As with all of John and Caitlin's work, this book is well researched and has a wonderful bibliography."
(Lise Quinn, TBP Review, Winter 2003, Issue 31 )

"There is something raw and essential here, something lost in modernity."
(Robert Baldwin, The Bloomsbury Review, Sept/Oct 2003, Vol.23 Issue5 )

". . . this is a deeply intriguing book and should be on the reading lists of all seekers of the Celtic ways, especially aspiring bards."
(Belladonna's Book Shelf, Feb 2007 )

About the Author

John Matthews has spent 30 years studying the traditions of the Celts and is an internationally acknowledged authority on the Arthurian and Grail legends. His many books include The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom, The Celtic Shaman, and The Grail: Quest for Eternal Life. He teaches throughout Europe and America and currently resides in England.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Inner Traditions (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892818697
• ISBN-13: 978-0892818693
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #528,204 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I feel dreadful, but..., June 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Taliesin: The Last Celtic Shaman (Paperback)

I've long respected John and Caitlin Matthews for their elegance of expression and willingness to turn to actual Celtic sources. In fact, it's partly thanks to them that I'm studying Celtic language and literature at a graduate level. But...there's no getting around it: the evidence just doesn't support John Matthew's conclusions in this book. The translations are...imaginative, shall we say, (and yes, I do know Old Welsh) The [probably] historical Taliesin's poems are available edited by the great Sir Ifor Williams and his edition is available in English as 'The Poems of Taliesin' trans. by J Caerwyn Williams. They are a) much earlier than the material presented here, and b) not mystical or pagan. In fact, one of the best ones, the 'Marnawd Owain' begins and ends: 'The soul of Owain son of Urien, /may the Lord consider its need...' and is thoroughly Christian. Full stop.
The 'druidic/shamanic' poems Matthews presents as being earlier are AT LEAST THREE HUNDRED YEARS LATER than the poems of the historical Taliesin, and whilst it's true that they draw on common Celtic tradition about the role and power of the poet, we CANNOT draw conclusions about pre-Christian shamanic practice [if there was such a thing] from poems written between 900 and 1200. Do the maths. It's the same with the Sovereignty figure. In what sense is She the 'Goddess'? Yup, the pre-Christian Celts probably worshipped their bit of earth as a goddess. Fine. But this descends through three to four hundred years of Christianity before it appears in writing. It's a LITERARY motif, not a pagan one. To give another example, when medieval German poets referred to 'Frau Minne', Lady Love, the tradition they were drawing on could be traced back through European culture to the goddess Venus/Aphrodite. But in no meaningful sense were they worshipping a pagan Goddess! It's the same with early medieval Irish writers invoking the figure of Sovereignty, and with medieval Welsh poets concocting poems - drawing on old tradition - in the voice of a prophetic superbard, identified with a historical poet who died three hundred years or more before thy were born. such a strategy boosts their own prestige.

The saddest thing in the whole book is the introduction, in which John looks forward to the publication of Professor Patrick Ford's work on the same material. This is now out as 'Ystoria Taliesin'. It's brilliant. Get them both, compare and contrast...you'll see what i mean.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taliesin is a Legend of Mythic, Poetic Inspiration, November 14, 2002

By 

Frater V "The Truth is Absolutely Not Absolut... (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Taliesin: The Last Celtic Shaman (Paperback)

Taliesin is an epic adventure in Celtic Mythology, Legend, Oral Tradition and many other areas of interest (Ceridwen, Bardic tradition, etc.). Anyone interested in The Mysteries, History, Celtic Lore, Bardic Legend, Freemasonry & Bardic Legend will find this book extremely interesting. Also, you may want to grab a copy of "The Mabinogi And Other Welsh Tales," by Patrick K. Ford, to round-out your studies. I am surprised that this book was "out of print" for a while--it is one of my most-treasured books, and certainly a very mystical treatise on the subject. Mystics will truly appreciate this fine work! Luckily, this new edition is available and the Tradition lives on. Anyone interested in Celtic Mythology, Western Mystery schools, Freemasonry, Goddess Worship, Druids, etc. should definitely acquire this book. I have never found a more comprehensive treatise on the subject of Bardic Song, and the secret knowledge perpetuated in Oral Tradition.
This book is simply amazing.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An important if difficult work, September 29, 2006

By 

Siobhan Olaoghaire Sannes "Art Does Not Apolo... (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Taliesin: The Last Celtic Shaman (Paperback)

This is a complete study of all the poems attributed to the bard, Taliesin, and reveals the depth and wisdom of the poetry. It is well researched and meticulously translated and stands next to Fire in the Head by Tom Cowan as being important for modern practitioners of Celtic Shamanism. It is, however, a circuitous and difficult read, as all the Matthews works tend to be, and requires the reader to "stick to it" to work your way through.