Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales

by Alwyn Rees, Brinley Rees (Primary Contributor)

In this widely acclaimed study, Alwyn and Brinley Rees reinterpret Celtic tradition in the light of advances made in the comparative study of religion, mythology and anthropology. Part One considers the distinguishing features of the various Cycle of tales and the personages who figure most prominently in them. Part Two reveals the cosmological framework within which the action of the tales takes place. Part Three consists of a discussion of the themes of certain classes of stories which tell of Conceptions and Births, Supernatural Adventures, Courtships and Marriages, Violent Deaths and Voyages to the Other World, and an attempt is made to understand their religious function and glimpse their transcendent meaning.

Genres: History, Mythology, Nonfiction, Religion, Ireland, Paganism, Folklore

430 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

Reviews

[Boreal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book at 14 and it quite literally changed my life.

In later years I came back to the book for its scholarly analysis. At 14, though, what it did was introduce me to a world of stories that never showed up in my schoolbooks. On the one hand, Gulliver's Travels; on the other hand, the Voyage of Brendan. On the one hand, excerpts from the matter of Arthur; on the other hand, the Mabinogion. That interest in the literature grew into a desire to learn about the culture, which in turn grew into an interest in serious historical study, which set the course for my life.

It's definitely not for everyone: it's a scholarly work and is dense even when skimming. As a result, though, it doesn't deal with an enormous amount of fanciful, unfounded speculation and is a solid starting point for a study of Celtic literature.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book but not a light book. Alwyn and Brinley Rees analyse and classify the ancient myths and tales of Ireland and Wales. They compare the myths to those of India and sometimes to Aztec myths. I like the fact that they speak of the Druids in their relationship to myth and story, but they do not pretend that they know their religion, as some writers do.

[Steve Cran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was terrible. It is supposed to be a classic but it clearly lacks the making of a true classic. It is neither scholarly nor entertaining. If you wish to understand Celtic Heritage I am sure there are better books out there. It is not clear where the paraphrase stories begin and end before jumping off into explanation. There needs to be a clear delineation of things in order to be fully comprehendsble. There needs to be fuller biography of the heroes and characters in the story . This book lacks that. So this book has good information but the formatting is terrible. The writing is muddled making it hard to ascertain the point.

[John Sgammato · Rating 4 out of 5]

brilliant, sometimes opaque... there's a ton of information in here, some really unexpected. you need a critical eye when reading it, but critical reading is rewarded manifold

[Kat Pitré · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a behemoth of a book, but so worth the read for anyone who has an academic interest in mythology and folklore! I love that it relates celtic myth to others (ie, the Hindu Vedas, etc), incorporates cultural nuance and history, and keeps alive a tradition lost to time; the sharing of myths and folklore amongst communities.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this probably not long after it was re-issued in 1989. I remember it as giving a deep insight into the pagan Celtic life and mind-set, relying heavily on the limited amount of Celtic literature that remains to us and within that most heavily on the Irish works as having been least Romanised/Christianised but also delving into historical and archaeological findings.

I have no idea how the scholarship stands up to current scrutiny.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only do you get most of the important mythological cycles of the Celts, you get to have them put into context with Celtic society. As a starter book, for someone with lots of Celtic knowledge looking for a way to combine it, or for someone who wants to read just one, all round, great book on Celtic myth and life, it's perfect.

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way too deep for me at times, it still offered some interesting thoughts on the Celtic mythology and how it relates to other world mythologies. The connections made between Celtic and Indian mythology I found particularly intriguing. Definitely more a book for the scholar than the moderately interested reader.

[Indu Muralidharan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am grateful to the neo-druids who recommended this book, one of the best on this topic which suggests parallels and connections between the Celtic and other ancient civilizations

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book. Alwyn Rees and his brother Brinley provided an interesting look at Irish and Welsh Celtic tales, though there was not as much about the Welsh tales as the Irish.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read this book as part of an Ancient Celtic Studies Discussion Group that I run in real life. It took a long time to get through, but it was well worth the effort. The book is chalk-full of information about the Iron-Age Celts, what little there is. Rees and Rees did a great job of analyzing the information they did have and making conclusions based upon the scholarship of the time.

[Tiamat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read it in Russian and was captivated by it. It's not strictly a connected narrative, like many other Russian retellings (we do have gorgeous editions of Cetlic myths), but it's an extensive overall review of all Irish mythological cycles. This is a desk book for any lover of Celtic myths, that's for sure.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please read my review on my blog:

Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales

[Randy Pitcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was our first book of the Celtic Book Discussion group I belong to. It took us almost a year to get through it. It is chock full of information and I learned a great deal from the book. However, it was/is a very dry read.

[Flip Wibbly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely well written and packed with information, but also very dense. Definitely NOT light reading. Still if you're into this sort of thing (and I am) it's a great read.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book with folklore, prayers, and history.

[Mark Woodland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine if you want a light, general glossing-over of the topic. Otherwise, lacks depth as well as a good bibliography.

[Steven]

Anyone interested in our Celtic Heritage should read this as it's both scolarly and easy to read. A very full account. Highly recommended

[Smallest Tiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good, and very readable! It draws heavily on parallels with Hindu mythology, and I would like to see some discussion of the arguments for and against that as well.

[❄Elsa Frost❄]

Unfinished (on page 31). Will continue reading soon.

[Tiffany Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disregard, for my notes only - own hard copy