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The Druid Source Book
the Druids have long been misrepresented and misunderstood. The only true records that survive from when the Druids originally flourished are those of the classical writers who were completely oposed to Druids and their practices. Julius Caesar wrote disparagingly about them and sought to destroy them. since then much ill- informed and prejudiced writing about Druids has resulted in ridicle and misconception.The historical reality is that Druidism and early Christianity lived side by side for a long period, and a considerable amount of Druid philosophy was absorbed into Christianity itself. Whether Druidism is regarded as a celtic priesthood in origin and name, or a religion, it is clear that druids adn Druidism were important aspects of the life of the early European peoples, especially in Britian..........
384 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1996
3 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
John Matthews
429 books199 followersJohn Matthews is an historian, folklorist and author. He has been a full time writer since 1980 and has produced over ninety books on the Arthurian Legends and Grail Studies, as well as short stories and a volume of poetry. He has devoted much of the past thirty years to the study of Arthurian Traditions and myth in general. His best known and most widely read works are ‘Pirates’ (Carlton/Atheneum), No 1 children’s book on the New York Times Review best-seller list for 22 weeks in 2006, ‘The Grail, Quest for Eternal Life’ (Thames & Hudson, 1981) ‘The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom’ (Element, 1994) and ‘The Winter Solstice’ (Quest Books, 1999) which won the Benjamin Franklin Award for that year. His book ‘Celtic Warrior Chiefs’ was a New York Public Library recommended title for young people.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 2, 2013
The first part of the book was exactly what I was hoping for - a decent introduction followed by the earliest sources mentioning Druids and Druidry (entitled The Classical Accounts), with names and dates of authors quoted.
The next section - The Druids in Early Ireland - subtitled Extracts from the Earliest Manuscripts, is a collection of stories in which certain Druids are named and their exploits described - a useful chapter, although it's worth bearing in mind that the early manuscripts mentioned were written down long after the Druids had disappeared, and some of the extracts have been taken from books written or translated many centuries later.
From here on things become tricky for the reader seeking clarity. The authors from whose books John Matthews has selected extracts were all writing no earlier than the middle of the eighteenth century (and most much later, up to almost the present day); there are few dates and no footnotes quoting their sources, wild flights of imagination are presented as fact and many contradict one another, leaving the reader seeking actual sources (points or places from which something originates, according to the OED), more confused than before. They may be the sources of much of the misinformation regarding the Druids, but I'd hazard a guess that that is not what readers were hoping for when they bought the book.
Some chapters were interesting in spite of this, although one or two were very heavy going, and in writing the above I realized why there are no written reviews on Amazon UK for this book and few on GR - less would certainly have been more.
The next section - The Druids in Early Ireland - subtitled Extracts from the Earliest Manuscripts, is a collection of stories in which certain Druids are named and their exploits described - a useful chapter, although it's worth bearing in mind that the early manuscripts mentioned were written down long after the Druids had disappeared, and some of the extracts have been taken from books written or translated many centuries later.
From here on things become tricky for the reader seeking clarity. The authors from whose books John Matthews has selected extracts were all writing no earlier than the middle of the eighteenth century (and most much later, up to almost the present day); there are few dates and no footnotes quoting their sources, wild flights of imagination are presented as fact and many contradict one another, leaving the reader seeking actual sources (points or places from which something originates, according to the OED), more confused than before. They may be the sources of much of the misinformation regarding the Druids, but I'd hazard a guess that that is not what readers were hoping for when they bought the book.
Some chapters were interesting in spite of this, although one or two were very heavy going, and in writing the above I realized why there are no written reviews on Amazon UK for this book and few on GR - less would certainly have been more.
August 9, 2013
I had a bad feeling about this book. In a field and involving an era of which little is known, this book claims to be the source book of all things druidic. The writing, too, might seem authoritative, but not academic enough to be the product of a trained professional. So I followed my instincts. He does indeed have articles from leading scholars in the field in this and the companion edition - Daniel Corkery, Idrison, Osborn Bergin, Charlotte Guest, and Iolo Morgannwg - but they have one flaw. None wrote after 1920. In literature, such is not an issue, but the standards of writing and the demands placed on the source material have greatly increased since then, and especially since 1970. In academic circles, it is the rare scholar who is still citable from that period. To use entire articles from this period to promulgate a theory is the worst kind of scholarship. How could a person in this age think about writing of Celtic literature without making use of MacCana? How could K.H. Jackson only be used for his collection of Celtic writings? If you have any serious interest in the druids, don't read this book or believe any thing you find there. It is embarrassing that something this amateurish is allowed on the market.
December 24, 2014
Excerpts from the written sources of what we know (or think we know) about the ancient druids.
It is interesting to see what was written by the classicists who were around in the time of the druids and how the more modern authors supposed or outright created so much out of so little. However, while I appreciate the introduction saying to take the sources with large grains of salt, this book would have been better with a lot more commentary.
Why were these particular excerpts chosen? Why was the rest of the material from the source cut? How much was left out? What was important about these sources that modern druids used for their reconstruction efforts or contributed to popular misconceptions? What do we know about the validity of these sources and how they came to their conclusions, or what was purely made up?
As it is, this reads as a raw info dump of seemly random bits and pieces of untrustworthy lore. The lack of context left me with more questions than answers.
It is interesting to see what was written by the classicists who were around in the time of the druids and how the more modern authors supposed or outright created so much out of so little. However, while I appreciate the introduction saying to take the sources with large grains of salt, this book would have been better with a lot more commentary.
Why were these particular excerpts chosen? Why was the rest of the material from the source cut? How much was left out? What was important about these sources that modern druids used for their reconstruction efforts or contributed to popular misconceptions? What do we know about the validity of these sources and how they came to their conclusions, or what was purely made up?
As it is, this reads as a raw info dump of seemly random bits and pieces of untrustworthy lore. The lack of context left me with more questions than answers.
November 16, 2010
This is an advanced tome on Celtic Druidry which took me a few years to get through. It's not something that I could read in one sitting because it's more of a reference work or textbook rather than an overview. But overall, I respect the work of John & Caitlin Matthews. John does have a very good writing style, even on subjects as involved as this.
This should definitely be in the reference section of everyone's library... or that of folks interested in comparative religious studies!
This should definitely be in the reference section of everyone's library... or that of folks interested in comparative religious studies!
May 28, 2012
If you are truly drawn to the study of Druids, the Celts, and the Gauls, then this book is one you will take down from the shelf again and again. This is not one of those easy to digest Llewellyn books for wanna-be Wiccans (not that all of their books are terrible)but one that requires a little more engagement from the reader. While it is a comprehensive introduction to the past, present and future of the Druids, this is not a beginner book.
August 4, 2011
I'm still reading it off and on. Very comprehensive.
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September 29, 2024Very thorough. Made the topic clear and make sense to understand the who, what, where, how, why of Druidism for easy comprehension.
January 7, 2016
I could rate this a three considering how much content I either skipped or scanned, but even from the parts I carefully read I obtained pages and pages of notes. Notes on information that is hard to locate online, or if it is online, it's a zillionth-hand down the line and reinterpreted just as many times. This book allowed me to read translations of second hand accounts as well as interpretations of those direct accounts--so just third hand information.
The first section has excerpts from Caesar when he was conquering Gaul, from Strabo and other philosophers, and lesser known, ancient sources who observed the Druid societies. The second section is lore-based content found by enthusiasts during and after the Renaissance. The third second, surprisingly the most useful section for me, is about recovering Druid practices. This means this section excerpts and interprets details on what is known about the 20 years of schooling Druids endured and more day-to-day practices that would be relevant to someone, say, either wanting to join the Neodruid movement or write a novel with characters and settings that strongly reflect both the lore and the history of the Druids.
The first section has excerpts from Caesar when he was conquering Gaul, from Strabo and other philosophers, and lesser known, ancient sources who observed the Druid societies. The second section is lore-based content found by enthusiasts during and after the Renaissance. The third second, surprisingly the most useful section for me, is about recovering Druid practices. This means this section excerpts and interprets details on what is known about the 20 years of schooling Druids endured and more day-to-day practices that would be relevant to someone, say, either wanting to join the Neodruid movement or write a novel with characters and settings that strongly reflect both the lore and the history of the Druids.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews