King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land: The Divine Feminine in the Mabinogion

Description

The ancient Celtic stories of the Mabinogion have received universal recognition from scholars as both sources of the Arthurian legend and keys to insights into the ancient magic of the Celtic Otherworld. Now renowned Celtic scholar Caitlin Matthews, drawing on a full range of medieaval texts and ancient Welsh writings, provides a fully revised and updated reader's guide to these rich and far-reaching tales. In KING ARTHUR AND THE GODDESS OF THE LAND, Matthews sheds particular light on Sovereignty, the Goddess of the sacred land of Britain and the spiritual principle of the Divine Feminine. Clearly revealed are the many alternate forms taken by the Goddess of the Land - including her incarnation as Morgan of Avalon, who plays a dominant role in the Arthurian cycle. Also established are links between the legendary characters of the Mabinogion and their counterparts in other living myths of the Western world. Through the marriage of the Celtic kings to the Goddess of the Land, the sacred contract between political rulership and responsibility for the land's well-being is dramatically revealed. In King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land, Matthews once again articulates definitively the continuing relevance of ancient Celtic thought and belief as illustrated in the powerful myths and legends of ancient Britain. - Revised edition of Arthur and the Sovereignty of Britain published by Arcana that includes the author's latest research and insights. - A comprehensive reader's companion with synopsis of stories and full commentary.

Caitlin Matthews is internationally renowned for her research into the Celtic and ancestral traditions. She is the author of 36 books, including The Celtic Tradition, The Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom, and Sophia: Goddess of Wisdom. She is co-founder of the Foundation for Inspirational and Oracular Studies, which is dedicated to oral, shamanic, and sacred arts. Caitlin Matthews has a shamanic practice in Oxford, England, and teaches worldwide.

"Once again Caitlin Matthews has used her tremendously rich powers of imagination and presentation to produce a personal interpretation of Celtic literature that inspires and enchants." * Ronald Hutton, Ph.D., author of The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles * "As with its companion Mabon and the Guardians of Celtic Britain, I have found King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land to be essential reading. No other study takes the reader through the Mabinogion more masterfully. This book is an indispensable guide to indigenous Celtic literature and myth." * Ari Berk, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mythology and Folklore, Central Michigan University * "The heart of the Celts beats in these tales from the ancient Welsh, interpreted by one of today's most astute and sensitive writers on mythology." * Patricia Monaghan, author of The New Book of Goddesses and Heroines *