Celtic Druids

by Godfrey Higgins

Or, An Attempt to show, that The Druids were the Priests of Oriental Colonies Who Emigrated from India; and were the Introducers of the First or Cadmean System of Letters, and the Builders of Stonehenge, of Carnac, and of Other Cyclopean Works, in Asia and Europe. Complete with many informative prints and maps. Partial Contents: Necessity of Etymology; Alphabets; Changes in Language; Druids acquainted with Letters; Irish, Greek, and Hebrew Letters the same; Hieroglyphics; Ciphering invented before Letters; Virgil a Druid; Genesis; Persia, India, and China, the Depositaries, not the Inventors of Science; Who the Celtæ were; Affinity between the Latin, Sanscrit, and Celtic; Term Barbarian; Arrival of Phoenician Colonies in Ireland; Origin of Irish Fables; Derivation of the word Britain; Hero Gods; Derivation of the words: Albion, Druid, Vates and Bards; Britain known to Aristotle; Road to Britain lost, like that to America and Australia; magnetic Needle; Ancient Oracles founded by Celtæ; Druids probably Pythagoreans; Cross common to Greeks, Egyptians, and Indians; Monograms of Christ; Druids admitted the Creation of Matter; Festivals removed by the precession of the Equinoxes; Druid Festival of Christmas; Mother of the Gods; Baal; Gods of India and Ireland the same; Chaldees of the Jews; St. Patrick; A single Plain Stone the Origin of Idolatry; Rocking-Stones or Logan Stones; Circular Temples, Stonehenge and Abury; Stonehenge not a Roman, Saxon, or Danish Work; Ancient Superstitions respecting Numbers; Observations on Hebrew Chronology; Hierarchy of the Druids; Druids Assertors of their Country's Liberty; Immortality of the Soul and Metempsychosis; Druids had an excellent System of Morals; Mistletoe and other Sacred Plants; Institution of Priesthoods an Evil.

Genres: History

500 pages, Paperback

Published February 24, 1993

About the author

Godfrey Higgins was an English magistrate and landowner, a prominent advocate for social reform, historian, and antiquarian.
He is now known best for his writings concerning ancient myths, especially his book Anacalypsis, published posthumously, in which he asserts a commonality among various religious myths, which he traces back to the supposed lost religion of Atlantis.
He has been termed a "political radical, reforming county magistrate and idiosyncratic historian of religions" (Wiki)

Reviews

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 1 out of 5]

Återigen har jag läst en utgåva med annorlunda sidnummerering. Jag halverade dessa i mina anteckningar för att ge en ungefärlig mängd text.

Detta är ett utmärkt exempel på hur fel det blir när en historisk skrift fångas i en religiös eller doktrinär kronologi/idesystem. Författaren har som hypotes att det keltiska prästerskapet praktiserade ungefär samma religion som man gjorde i det gamla Indien. Så långt gott och väl. Problemet är att han inte kan få det att fungera med den bibliska kronologin - och att det i sin tur får honom att försöka härleda stonehenge till det gamla israel m.m.

Boken är vetenskapligt skriven, i det att dess källor och argument är tydligt redovisade. Detta sagt är den sensationalistisk, och har argument som förefaller en modern läsare illa underbyggda.

Jag rekommenderar den inte. Det är en pannkaka av illa underbyggda hypoteser och försök att tillrättalägga fakta för att passa dem. De mest intressanta, och kanske till och med värdefulla, styckena rör engelsk folksed. Om detta är av intresse, kanske övriga 400 sidor är värda att ta sig igenom.

[Mick Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic illustrations - though his theories and ideas are very much 'of their time'!

[Naomi Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tome runs dry at some times but is a very good addition to your library. It touches on not just European history but also biblical history. This is a must read if you are planning on reading Anacalypsis.