Celtic Gods and Heroes [Paperback]

Marie-Louise Sjoestedt's 1940 classic "Celtic Gods and Heroes" (2000 English language edition) is a must read for every student of pre medieval western European folklore, religion, and mythology. This brief study (only 95 pages) concludes with a thorough 4-page bibliography and precision 4-page index.

Sjoestedt's central point with this original study is that students should not project contemporary understandings on ancient narrative. Indeed, much of her work simply wants to report on the pre Roman Celtic cultures of Ireland, Britain, and Gaul.

Early on admitting that Celtic sources are few Professor Sjoestedt reviews Celtic primary source narratives. She adeptly proves that Irish, British and Gallic gods and heroes found their origins in tribal life.

These primordial beings were born, fought epic battles, gave birth, caroused in huge banquets, founded kingly dynasties, and died from intrigue and war. Unlike immortal Greco-roman deities the Celtic divine ones were never their counter-parts. The Celtic pantheon maintained warrior gods and goddesses who could also double as fertility and agrarian divines.

For war the Celts had, at least, 59 different tribal deities, a fact that seemed to confuse the conquering Romans (who gave the name "Mars" to each Gallic war-god). Rome's Mercury had 19 such Gallic synonymous monikers. Sjoestedt finds, curiously, the Celts had no specific love god or goddess.

Perhaps most interesting is Celtic divinity's fascinating with "threes". The Gauls worshiped three great gods. Early Irish believed in six (apparently a profound derivative of three) ancient races prior to the current population. Three principal festivals (spring, fall, and winter) blanket other lesser annual celebrations. Their threes fixation made early Trinitarian Christian missionaries more acceptable among the Celts.

Sjoestedt is impressive and informative. She is recommended to students of European pre-history, connoisseurs of mythological studies, and Celtic aficionados.

God and Heroes of the Celts is an excellent, approachable, rich text that provides a wonderful introduction to ancient Celtic myth, religion, and culture. Sjoestedt discusses the traits of Celtic mythology, the Gods of the Continental Celts, the Mother-Goddess concept (in Ireland specifically), the concept of the Chieftain God, the relationship between the physical and mythical/spiritual world, and the role of the hero within and the hero outside of the tribe. These topic selections cover a great deal of important concepts in ancient Celtic mythology and society, and while the chapters aren't very long, Sjoestedt makes clear and important arguments that are easy to read without being innately obvious or insignificant. My only regret about this book was the length: I wish it had been longer, covered more subjects, and contained more depth (such as contradictions within the myths and more information of the various Gods and Goddess [or God/Goddess types]). Nonetheless, this is a readable, accurate, useful introduction to ancient Celtic religion, and I highly recommend it to the curious reader both as a good read and as a lead-in to further study.

Perhaps the best part about this book is its approachability. The shortness of the text and strength of the arguments could make for a dense, difficult text, but instead Gods and Heroes of the Celts is easy to follow while still containing well-reasoned, strong arguments about the nature of Celtic belief and mythology. The best books on ancient Celtic religion are generally academic texts that can make for difficult reading, and so this text serves a necessary function by introducing the topic and indicating key themes in a way that is accessible to even the newest readers. Despite its place as an introductory text, Gods and Heroes of the Celts isn't basic or obvious: rather, Sjoestedt digs through popular misconceptions and Mediterraneans/Greco-Roman interpretations of Celtic religion in order to make arguments that are informed, accurate, and based in Celtic mythology and culture.

The arguments themselves make up some of the underlying features of an academic, uncontaminated approach to ancient Celtic religion. The concept of the Mother-Goddess is related to the earth and so to natural earth cycles, both creative and destructive; the Chieftain God is related to the Tribe, which must both overcome and work in tandem with the Earth; the heroes are divided into opposing but non-contradictory concepts of of intra- and extra-tribalism; etc. These arguments draw connections between and help make sense of the wide breadth of Celtic myth. Sjoestedt also explains the danger of some previous, popular, faulty interpretations of Celtic myth which interpret Celtic gods from a Greco-Roman viewpoint by either misinterpreting or simplifying gods and goddesses into roles such a sun gods and moon goddesses or else which interpret contradictions as errors and try to reconcile and simplify concepts such as this world v. the Otherworld and the tribal hero v. the non-tribal hero. As such, Sjoestedt's arguments are helpful both by introducing useful, accurate interpretation and by warning the reader away from inaccurate interpretations.

All in all, I very highly recommend this book. I enjoyed reading it and, at such a manageable length, expect to reread it at a later date for a refresher on Sjoestedt's arguments. It is approachable, enjoyable to read, a good introduction and useful guidance (both towards accurate arguments and away from inaccurate ones) and well researched. The translation that I read (the Turtle Island Foundation edition translated by Myles Dillon) seemed to me to be very good: easy to read, and the language felt natural. If ancient Celtic religion interests you, definitely pick up a copy of this book: it's inexpensive, useful, and very easy to read. Your research shouldn't stop here, because the length prevents Sjoestedt from covering a wide breadth of topics or going into great depth, but it is a good read and a great introduction.

This little book packs a whallop! Despite it's small size, it is packed with information on Celtic mythology and culture. It is an easy read, too, which is rare for books with scholarly heft and cred. Buy multiple copies, so you can loan this out to friends who are interested in actual Celtic paganism.

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