Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (Hardcover)

by James MacKillop (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The full richness of Celtic mythology, with legends, sagas, and folklore, with traditions, places, and personalities, are now evocatively yet concisely conveyed in James MacKillop's dictionary. The 4,000 entries include brief descriptions (such as the short explanation of Arthen, the bear-and-river god of early Wales) as well as extended stories of bloody vengeance (following actual or supposed treachery), romantic love, and frequent adultery, plus tales of mysterious monsters on lonely hillocks. From Deirdre and Cúchulainn to leprechauns, from Galahad, cauldrons, and archaeology to druids, MacKillop provides an impressive amount of lore and research in a reliable, browsable, and enjoyable dictionary. --Stephanie Gold

From Booklist
With the possible exceptions of the Arthurian legend and the saga of Tristan and Iseult, both of which can be traced to Celtic sources, the mythological world of the ancient Celts is not as familiar to most Americans as are the classical myths of Greece and Rome. This gap in our cultural literacy is unfortunate, for, as this dictionary reveals, the Celtic peoples developed a rich and fascinating tradition of legends and myths.

In compiling this volume, MacKillop, an English professor who specializes in Celtic studies, drew not only upon texts written in Irish and Welsh but also on Breton, Cornish, Manx, and Scottish Gaelic sources and traditions. In addition to gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines, creatures, and other mythological figures, the approximately 4,000 entries cover real and imaginary places, archaeological sites, animals and plants, narrative cycles, and ideas. Entries, which frequently include variant spellings and etymologies, vary in length from a single identifying phrase to more than four pages, but the majority are one or two paragraphs. Asterisks within the text of an article indicate those terms that are treated further in separate entries, and numerous cross-references guide the user from alternate titles, names, and spellings to the forms used by MacKillop. Supplementing the dictionary portion of the work are a general guide to pronunciation of the various Celtic languages and a 13-page bibliography of selected sources pertaining to Celtic literature and culture. Especially helpful is a topical index that classifies entries under 36 broad categories, such as concepts, games, literary forms, monsters, rituals and curses, and saints.

Although a number of dictionaries pertaining to Celtic myth have appeared in the last decade, none are as extensive as this work. For example, Peter Ellis' Dictionary of Celtic Mythology [RBB Ag 92] and its companion volume, Dictionary of Irish Mythology [RBB N 1 89], were designed for lay readers and therefore have far fewer, and generally less-detailed, entries. With only about one-tenth the number of entries, Miranda Green's Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend [RBB Ap 15 92] lacks the breadth of coverage of this work, but it is important for its illustrations and its links to archaeological evidence and to literary sources. Since each of these earlier works has unique entries or features, this new compendium does not supersede them but rather complements them by offering a more comprehensive approach. Supplementing the coverage of both The Oxford Companion to Irish Literature [RBB Ap 15 96] and The Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales (Oxford, 1990), this scholarly dictionary should be a valuable addition to academic and large public libraries.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; Complete Numbers Starting with 1, 1st Ed edition (April 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198691572
• ISBN-13: 978-0198691570
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,388,273 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great in some area, but very imbalanced overall, August 19, 2005

By	N. Mcguigan (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (Oxford Paperback Reference) (Paperback)

This book is wonderfully useful for Irish and Welsh mythology. Irish and Welsh entries are generally quite comprehensive and individually mostly of a high quality.

The major flaw, and it is quite a major one, is the horrific dearth of Scottish and Breton entries, which appear quite randomly and often are only of very low quality. So for instance, Irish "kings" of minor historical or mythological importance occur in abundance, yet figures such as Macbeth, Malcolm II and Malcolm III are totally unaccounted for. Dublin has a huge entry, Glasgow has no entry (although admittedly St. Kentigern does). There may be entries for Goidel Glas and Scota, of supreme importance in medieval Scottish origin myth, but nothing is said of them in relation to Scotland or in how they were used there. Every half-significant Irish geographical feature has an entry, yet a location like Scone has nothing. Likewise, there are no entries for the "Prophecy of Berchan" or the "De Situ Albanie." I could go on and on.

22 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mostly Good, April 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (Oxford Paperback Reference) (Paperback)

There is much in this book that is useful about Celtic folklore and mythology. However, the etymologies are usually incorrect. This may not matter to some. It does to me.

The back cover claims that this book has "authoritative...etymologies for Celtic names..." when they are in fact neither authoritative nor correct.

For example, MacKillop gives for the entry Deva an etymology from Latin meaning goddess "[L. goddess]." However, the Latin for Goddess is _diva_ not _deva_. The word _Deva_ is transparently Brittonic from (Proto)-Celtic *_deiwa_.

Especially annoying for me is the etymology of English words used as headings, which are out of place in a Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (I believe).

So, while the entry for "Stag" is indeed useful, giving the etymology of 'Stag' from "[OE stagga]," (while at least correct in this instance), is just absurd.

As for careerist motivations and cut and past "druidical" names: ...

Lastly, my motivations were not careerist, but one of informing others. A book that claims to be authoritative in Celtic etymologies, I belive ought to live up to that claim. Unfortunately, this one doesn't, and others should be aware of that.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a solid reference, January 31, 2000

By	Angela Ledgerwood (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This is a scholarly reference work that had an entry for every topic I could imagine ever wanting to look up. This book is a good antidote for a lot of the poorly researched or downright fanciful material that's been published regarding Celtic religion/myths/etc. Full of references to both the original stories & other scholarly works.