 CELTIC STUDIES |
| CELTIC HERITAGE by Alwyn and Brinsley Rees
| An exploration of the tripartite society of the Indo-European world as manifested in ancient Celtic society. A must-read.
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| THE ANCIENT CELTS by Barry Cunliffe
| A thorough and widely recommended survey by one of the most respected archaeologists in Britain.
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| THE APPLE BRANCH (aka CELTIC RITUALS) by Alexei Kondratiev
| The indispensible guide to reconstructing Celtic Paganism. Full of excellent examples of folkloric practice from throughout the Celtic world.
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| THE CELTIC REALMS by Myles Dillon and Nora Chadwick
| This unique cultural history includes both general Celtic history and outstanding chapters on the literary traditions of Ireland and Wales. Highly recommended.
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| THE ATLANTIC CELTS by Simon James
| Controversial and thought-provoking, this re-examination of the notion of Celtic identity is central to much current discussion of the subject (especially taken in the broader context of the work of British scholar Barry Cunliffe).
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| HANDBOOK OF THE SCOTTISH GAELIC WORLD by Michael Newton
| A detailed introduction to the history and culture of Gaelic Scotland.
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| THE CELTIC CONSCIOUSNESS, edited by Robert O'Driscoll
| A breathtakingly diverse collection of papers on Celtic history, art, ethnology, archaeology, and much more, from a seminal conference on Celtic studies in 1978.
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| THE HISTORICAL ATLAS OF THE CELTIC WORLD by John Haywood
| An invaluable resource, including a foreward by Barry Cunliffe.
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| CATTLE LORDS AND CLANSMEN by Nerys Patterson
| Outstanding survey of early Irish society, based on evidence from the surviving law codes.
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| SEX AND MARRIAGE IN ANCIENT IRELAND by Patrick C. Power
| This slender volume represents an excellent and accessible introduction to the concepts of the Brehon Laws of Ireland, focusing on marital customs.
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| PAGAN CELTIC BRITAIN by Anne Ross
| A landmark survey of the evidence for ancient Celtic Pagan practices.
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| PAGAN CELTIC IRELAND by Barry Raftery
| Sticks almost entirely to archaeology, but covers the topic thoroughly.
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| DRUIDISM |
| THE DRUIDS by Peter Berresford Ellis
| The best current book on what we think we know about the Druids.
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| THE DRUIDS by Stuart Piggott
| Often described as "unfriendly" to modern Druidry, but an essential read.
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| THE WORLD OF THE DRUIDS by Miranda Green
| A terrific introduction to the subject by a respected Celtic scholar. Highly recommended.
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| THE DRUID RENAISSANCE by Phillip Carr-Gomm
| An excellent compendium of essays on the development and practice of modern Druidry.
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| CELTIC MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE |
| ANCIENT IRISH TALES, edited by Cross & Slover
| Inexpensive reprint of a standard collection of tales from Irish mythology and folklore.
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| THE CELTIC HEROIC AGE, edited by John T. Koch
| While it omits a couple significant tales, this sourcebook includes a fairly comprehensive collection of Gaelic, British, and continental sources.
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| CELTIC MYTHOLOGY by Proinsias Mac Cana
| Out-of-print, but findable: a definitive survey of the Gods and Goddesses of the ancient Celts, full of pictures.
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| THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CELTIC WISDOM by John and Caitlin Matthews
| Billed as a sourcebook for "Celtic Shamans," this is an excellent compendium of lore organized by topic.
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| THE FAIRY-FAITH IN CELTIC COUNTRIES by W.Y. Evans-Wentz
| A unique and seminal book: Both a collection of folklore and myth from all the Celtic lands and a theory of the nature of indigenous Celtic belief systems.
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| CARMINA GADELICA by Alexander Carmichael
| Hymns, charms and prayers collected in the Scottish Highlands in the late 19th century. An invaluable sourcebook.
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| MYTHIC IRELAND by Michael Dames
| A fascinating--if sometimes opinionated--walking tour of the sacred landscapes and folklore of Ireland.
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| BARDIC STUDIES |
| THE BARDIC SOURCE BOOK, edited by John Matthews
| A collection of primary and secondary sources on the Celtic bardic traditions.
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| MEDIEVAL IRISH LYRICS (WITH THE IRISH BARDIC POET) by James Carney
| Valuable both as a compendium of Irish and Latin poems in the original language and in translation, as well as a seminal essay on Bardic training and traditions in Ireland.
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| THE HIDDEN IRELAND by Daniel Corkery
| A history of late bardic practice in eighteenth century Ireland.
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| DIVINATION AND OGHAM |
| THE CELTIC SEERS' SOURCE BOOK, edited by John Matthews
| An excellent compendium, including Nora Chadwick's important essay on "Imbas Forosnai".
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| CELTIC TREE MYSTERIES by Steve Blamires
| The best of the popular resources on the Ogham alphabet, with a great deal of reference to the medieval textual materials.
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| TREE WISDOM by Jacqueline Memory Paterson
| A handsome reference to the various trees associated with the Ogham.
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| INDO-EUROPEAN/CROSS-CULTURAL STUDIES |
| IN SEARCH OF THE INDO-EUROPEANS by J.P. Mallory
| Popular and comprehensive survey of the Indo-Europeans and their diaspora.
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| COMPARATIVE MYTHOLOGY by Jaan Puhvel
| A widely-cited survey of comparative Indo-European mythic traditions and themes.
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| HOW TO KILL A DRAGON by Calvert Watkins
| Dense and technical, this is a unique and landmark study of poetics in the Indo-European cultures.
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| THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE by Mircea Eliade
| Brief, yet profound and important. An exploration of sacred space, sacred time and the nature of ritual and religion from a preeminent religious scholar.
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| MYTHS AND SYMBOLS IN PAGAN EUROPE by H.R. Ellis Davidson
| A useful study of the common religious practices of the Celts and the Norse.
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| THE RIG VEDA, translated by Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty
| A useful paperback collection of representative hymns from the great text of ancient Indian Paganism.
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| THE ARTFUL UNIVERSE by William K. Mahony
| Highly recommended: An analysis of the Vedic religious imagination. Provides a very insightful perspective on the traditions of priests and bards in the Indo-European world.
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| A HISTORY OF PAGAN EUROPE by Prudence Jones & Nigel Pennick
| An essential overview of the history and practice of Paganism in Europe.
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| PAGAN RELIGIONS OF THE ANCIENT BRITISH ISLES by Ronald Hutton
| Hutton has apparently disavowed this book, but it is still a worthwhile read. Soundly debunks numerous Wiccan and Neopagan "sacred cows".
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| PAGANISM/POLYTHEISM |
| DRAWING DOWN THE MOON by Margot Adler
| Absolutely a must-read: the definitive work on Neopaganism in America
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| THE TRIUMPH OF THE MOON by Ronald Hutton
| An eminent British historian's groundbreaking history of Wicca, also covering the 19th and early 20th century roots of Neopaganism.
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| WITCHES, DRUIDS AND KING ARTHUR by Ronald Hutton
| A collection of excellent essays on ancient and modern Paganism, including a history of modern British Druidism. Highly recommended!
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| PAGAN THEOLOGY by Michael York
| An informative study that argues for "Paganism" as a worldwide religious ideology and places Neopaganism in the context of such other traditions as Shinto and Afro-Caribbean practices.
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| GOD AGAINST THE GODS by Jonathan Kirsch
| A history of the conflict between monotheism and polytheism--highly sympathetic to ancient Paganism.
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