Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales (Paperback)

by Alwyn Rees (Author), Brinley Rees (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 428 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; Revised edition (May 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500270392
• ISBN-13: 978-0500270394
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #222,654 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #77 in

  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Earth-Based Religions > Celtic

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The cultural background that gave rise to the Celtic legends, December 21, 1999

By	John E. Carroll (Funchal, Madeira) - See all my reviews

Celtic Heritage is not intended as a collection of the ancient myths and legends of Ireland and Wales, a simple glance at the cover copy and the introduction should make that clear, nor is it one of those currently faddish, cobbled together New Age warm fuzzy spirituality entertainments supposedly based on secret Celtic lore.

It is a book that explains the ancient cultural traditions that gave birth to and passed on a literature that continues to interest and inspire the average reader as well as writers and artists. The Rees are experts in their field, not popularizers, however their book is not an arcane tome intended for Ph.D candidates. If after you have read the stories of the Red Branch and Finn and the Fianna elsewhere you want to know more about their world, this may well be the book for you. Anyone of moderate intelligence and a serious curiosity about the subject will have no problem dealing with the writing style.

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "Bible" of Celtic Research, February 12, 2000

By	Vicki M. Copeland "Rowan Moonstone" (Colorado Springs, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you only buy one book on Celtic culture, make it this one. I've already worn out two copies. Indespensible material on the background and basis of Celtic mythology. Absolutely necessary to understanding the Celtic world view. Definitely not New Age fluffy bunny by a LONG shot. Advanced work and well worth the reading.

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid reading for those who want to explore the culture, February 15, 2000

By	Francine Nicholson (New England) - See all my reviews

If you have already read some of the medieval sagas of Ireland and Wales (like the Tain or the Mabinogi) and you want to know more about the cultures that gave birth to those tales, then this is the book for you. Although this classic volume is not recent, its content remains factual, reliable, and fascinating. This is not a book to be read at one sitting. Give yourself time to consider each chapter carefully. Perhaps you'll want to read or reread some of the tales before going on. For those who follow this approach, this book can be a source of inspiration as well as information.