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The Celts: Uncovering the Mythic and Historic Origins of Western Culture Paperback – April 1, 1993

by Jean Markale (Author)

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While historians have tended to accord the Celts a place of minor significance in comparison to the Romans, The Celts firmly aligns the Celtic peoples as the primary European precedent to the Greco-Roman hegemony, restoring this culture to its true importance in the development of European civilization. An expert in Celtic studies, Markale regards myth as a branch of history, and explores mythological material to reveal the culture that gave rise to it. The alternative historical vision that emerges is both convincing and exciting.

• One of the most comprehensive treatments of Celtic civilization ever written.

• A cornerstone of Western civilization and the major source of its social, political, and literary values, Celtic civilization occupied the whole of Western Europe for more than a millennium.

• Unlike the Middle Eastern forerunners of the Greco-Roman world, Celtic civilization is still alive today.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Inner Traditions
Publication date

April 1, 1993
Dimensions

6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

0892814136
ISBN-13

978-0892814138
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A comprehensive study of European culture that traces the shamanic, mythical, and spiritual traditions of the Western world to their roots in Celtic civilization." ― Parabola

From the Back Cover

HISTORY / MYTHOLOGY

A cornerstone of western civilization and the major source of its social, political, and literary values, Celtic civilization occupied the whole of western Europe for more than a millenium and, unlike the Middle Eastern forerunners of the Greco-Roman world, is still alive today. Historians have tended to accord the Celts a place of minor significance in comparison to the Romans when, in fact, the shamanic, mythical, and spiritual traditions of the Western world have their roots in Celtic culture. Regarding myth as an indispensable branch of history, Markale has thoroughly explored Celtic mythology to reveal the culture that gave rise to it. The Celts, one of the most comprehensive treatments of this subject ever written, firmly aligns the Celtic peoples as the primary European precursor to Greco-Roman sovereignty, restoring Celtic culture to its true importance in the development of European civilization. The new historical vision that emerges is both convincing and exciting.

Poet, philosopher, historian, and storyteller, JEAN MARKALE has spent a lifetime researching Celtic civilizations. He is the author of numerous books on pre-Christian peoples, including Women of the Celts. In his works, Markale combines the poetic and philosophical with the scholarly to offer an alternative approach to the Celtic legacy.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Inner Traditions; Reissue edition (April 1, 1993)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0892814136
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0892814138
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 0.035 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,110,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #525 in History of New Age & Mythology
- #1,826 in Shamanism (Books)
- #4,991 in History of Religions

Customer Reviews:
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just Miss

Exasperatingly Dull

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 4, 2018

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Dull , verbose , pedantic , and overbearing . Written history should be informative , enlightening , AND INTERESTING . This author was just showing off " head knowledge " . Good for him but bad for the reader .

One person found this helpful

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J. A. Frankeny

lay reader

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 16, 2012

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This book was much too technical, a good book for academics but much to technical for lay readers. I wanted a non serious history book or archeological book about the Celts.

One person found this helpful

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ANGELA TOOF

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 24, 2016

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a+

One person found this helpful

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Skot the Sanguine

Mystical and Questionable in Accuracy.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 11, 2012

Although I am not a Celtic scholar, there were numerous claims that Markale makes in the book that don't "sound" right. To give an example of one in an area that I am knowledgeable in (Germanic history), he says on pages 85-85 that "There is little doubt that the Gauls also felt some bond with the Romans. The Celtic and Italic peoples were descended from common ancestors and the Gauls probably felt much closer to the Latins than to the non-Aryan Indo-European Germans." The fact of the matter is that it is well established that the Germanics are very much Indo-European, like the Celtics and Italics. Such an outlandish claim that they are not so calls into question his knowledge on even the most basic historical facts. What more, his claim that there is little doubt about Celtics feeling closer to Italics doesn't quite fit either. Considering that the Celtics regularly fought against the Romans for centuries (pretty much at any opportunity given) and that the Germanics and Celtics obviously had heavy cultural exchange during the same period (predominantly Celtic to Germanic) it would seem that such a claim of widespread Celtic Italophilia and Germanophobia is unsubstantiated.

The book by in large is mostly about applying interpretations of myths into glimpses of Celtic history. Although some of his thoughts are interesting, they are hypothetical at best, and ultimately unsuited to base a historical text upon (as this claims to be). For a similar example, the Norse/Germanic Fimbulvetr (winter lasting several years) is commonly believed to be based in memory of either the climate change in the 500's or perhaps a millennium earlier when the Nordic Bronze Age ended (at which time Scandinavia was mild enough to grow grapes). Although there might be truth in such a idea, no one can know with certainty enough to base any finite claims upon. Now, imagine an entire book filled with such mythological ideas and drawn conclusions about the Celts and you have this book.

If you purchase this book, do not weigh what it says heavily, it is not very scholarly and rather dated (original print is in the 1970's). I have also read that Markale had interest in the occult...which would explain much in the way of his mystical viewpoints and also should call into question his logic.

10 people found this helpful

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Siobhan OLaoghaire

Good overview of Gaulish Celts

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 27, 2005

I have a strange liking for books by Jean Markale. No matter what strange tangents my spiritual/historical leads me on, Arthurian, Celtic, Cathars, Jean Markale seems to have a book on it. On some weird level, he and I must think and wonder in the same ways and so I find his books fascinating.

One thing to note about Markale that you should remember before reading him and that is he is described as a poet, philosopher, historian and storyteller and this must be kept in mind when reading him. His scholarship seems good, but his creative mind takes him places that no strict historian would travel. Nonetheless, he is a good read and a writer that makes you think with his very intelligent style of writing.

That being said, I enjoyed this book for its somewhat Gaulish focus on Celtic deities, worship and history (and the subject seems to be prioritized in that order). This book is one of many of Markale's great tomes.

26 people found this helpful

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Hallstatt Prince

Perhaps the worst book on the Celts I have ever read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 5, 2005

Overly pedantic yet having sparse foot notes the author makes many statements without backing them up with their sources and the material noted in the bibliography is woefully outdated.

It is not only overly pompous but reads as though it written by someone with their own personal ax to grind. And when the author trys to present factual material many of what is presented as fact runs contrary to other Celtic scholars whose credentials are far more extensive. (such as the reasons for the Saxon invasions, and when the author describes the Saxon invasion of Britain there is never again a mention of the Romans).

Ancient Celtic art, my humble opinion some of the most beautiful art mankind has ever created, is both barely mentioned and when it is disparaged. The Hallstatt period is barely mentioned and when it is the dates of the period are wrong! (this is both important and basic information).

And yet there are many "sins of omission" of factual material. There is too much time spent on myth while barely skimming the surface when it comes to archeological evidence as well as classical Mediterranean sources.

There is also a great amount of picking and choosing by the author such as concentrating on just several tribes and forgetting the rest.

A great amount of arcane history is detailed in some parts whereas other significant parts of the history of the Celts are totally neglected. The book is a mess as it jumps around from Freud to Jung to ancient Greek philosophers (even Cocteau is brought into the mix) and wastes much time on dubious philosophical musings and half baked psychological interpretations by the author.

It reads as both being bombastically scholarly yet smacks of New Age philosophy.

Not recommended - especially for the beginner.

34 people found this helpful

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