Women of the Celts [Paperback]

Jean Markale (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1986

Historian Markale takes us deep into a mythical world where both man and woman become whole by realizing the feminine principle in its entirety. The author explores the rich heritage of Celtic women in history, myth, and ritual, showing how these traditions compare to modern attitudes toward women.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation)

About the Author

Poet, philosopher, historian, and storyteller, Jean Markale has spent a lifetime researching pre-Christian and medieval culture and spirituality. He is the author of more than 40 books, including Montségur and the Mystery of the Cathars, The Church of Mary Magdalene, The Druids, The Celts, and Merlin. A former specialist in Celtic studies at the Sorbonne, he lives in the Brittany region of France.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Inner Traditions (October 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892811501
• ISBN-13: 978-0892811502
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #424,118 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Earth-Based Religions > Celtic

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Celtic myth meets social theory, July 6, 2001

By 

Kelly (Fantasy Literature) (Columbia, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Women of the Celts (Paperback)

This book was a surprise to me--I expected a book of mythology, and instead it was a book of psychological, sociological, and philosophical theory with Celtic mythological overtones. Its structure reminded me of Simone de Beauvoir's _The Second Sex_, a book which Markale quotes often. _Women of the Celts_ begins with a historical discourse on the role of women in ancient Celtic society, and then studies myths centered around female characters in a search for subconscious attitudes about women. Reading _The Second Sex_ may be helpful to understanding _Women of the Celts_; having read De Beauvoir's book first gives the reader a sense of "OK, I know where this is going."

Markale discusses the role of women in the various Celtic societies without generalizing or idealizing; he spends many pages on each of the Celtic lands, and focuses on specific legal codes that concerned women's rights and limitations. His studies reveal a people caught somewhere between equality and sexism; women still held nearly equal rights with men but were losing ground.

He then launches into several chapters of comparative mythology, seeking common archetypes that can be found in many Celtic stories, such as "The Submerged Princess", "The Great Queen", "Our Lady of the Night", "The Rebellion of the Flower-Daughter", and "The Lady of the Orchard." He draws parallels between the various stories and looks for the psychological undertones. The conclusion he finally draws is that men both desire and fear a deep union with a woman; and that this union leads to a true understanding of what is truly important in life. When a person is truly in love, the workaday world loses the meaning it formerly held.

In the third section of the book, Markale outlines his new vision for a more sexually equal society, based on some of the ideas held by the ancient Celts. His theory would take too long to explain here, but it is interesting and thought-provoking.

I give this book four stars for its scholarship, the interesting nature of the Celtic stories, and for the very thought-provoking social theories suggested at the end. I have only two gripes. (1)Markale can get very long-winded and "high-falutin" at times, leaving the reader wondering, "Where is he going with this?" (2)I think Markale may be overgenerous in his application of Freudian "Oedipal complex" theory. After a while, the reader also wonders, "Can every last Celtic myth really be about man's desire for sexual union with his mother?" But, in the end, the focus is not on incest, but on the union-in-love that returns the lover to a state of bliss and understanding.

52 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books on Celtic History and gender issues, August 29, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Kansas, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women of the Celts (Paperback)

I highly reccomend this book to anyone interested in Celtic History, gender issues, or feminism. The work is factually accurate and detailed (highly unusual for this newly popluar field) AS WELL AS entertaining and readable. For the Celtic enthusiast, I also reccomend Markale's other books..whether you are just beginning your journey to know the Celts or know a great deal on the subject, his books are excellent! ENJOY!!!!

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ancient Celt Women come out of the mists, April 27, 2005

By 

Didier DuPont "Wal'iyacinpi Caske" (SD, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women of the Celts (Paperback)

In his study, Jean Markale did not give us here the usual accepted history, which makes the past suitable to our present by representing it in the male dominated perspective of our society, nor in the light of a judeo-christian ideology. The ancient Celtic culture is one of the few "natural" societies in which women and men had balanced statuses. Like in the ancient Sarmatian culture, Celtic women could be warriors,chieftains even, as so many tombs of both societies revealed. The ancient Goddess, the female Divine, was gradually pushed aside by the male gods, and eventually eliminated with the spread of the foreign christian religion. Yet, even in the medieval times, reminiscence of the women as they were in ancient times, are to be found in folk lores, in literature [think of the role of the women in the Arthurian cycle], and in paintings.
It's on this highly interesting journey that Jean Markale's book will take you. Be ready to walk off the beaten path. Be ready to meet the different and the radical "other", and to read this book that, unlike so many others, never gives in to ethnocentrism nor "gender centrism" for that matter (Jean Markale is a male scholar). You will learn about the women of the Celts, and whehther man or woman, you may learn a little bit more about who you are... or are not. [Note: I read the book in its original French version.}