Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend

Description

Warlike, exuberant and superstitious, the ancient Celts saw divinities in every facet of life and nature, venerating deities of the sun, thunder, water, war, healing, hunting, fertility and death. They possessed a complicated array of concepts and rituals, a powerful priesthood - the Druids - and a pantheon which included the goddess-queen Medb and the Morrigan, a sinister war-goddess. This dictionary contains entries on every aspect of Celtic myth, religion and folklore in Britain and Europe between 500 BC and AD 400. In parallel with the findings of archaeological research, the testimony of Classical writers and the earliest recorded versions of the pagan oral traditions of Wales and Ireland provide us with a complete record of Celtic lore.

Miranda Aldhouse-Green is Professor Emeritus at Cardiff University. She is the author of The Celtic Myths, Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend, Exploring the World of the Druids and, with Stephen Aldhouse-Green, The Quest for the Shaman.