FELLOWSHIP OF DRUIDISM FOR THE LATTER AGE

Reading List for Druidic Training
Compiled by Chief Druid Todd Covert

REQUIRED READING:

CELTIC HERITAGE by Alwyn and Brinsley Rees	An exploration of the tripartite society of the Indo-European world as manifested in ancient Celtic society.
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.
THE HISTORICAL ATLAS OF THE CELTIC WORLD by John Haywood	An invaluable resource, including a foreword by Barry Cunliffe.
THE DRUIDS by Peter Berresford Ellis	The best current book on what we think we know about the Druids.
THE WORLD OF THE DRUIDS by Miranda Green	A terrific introduction to the subject by a respected Celtic scholar.
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.

One of the following:

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.

OR

ANCIENT IRISH TALES, edited by Cross & Slover

Inexpensive reprint of a standard collection of tales from Irish mythology and folklore.

AND

THE MABINOGION, trans by Patrick Ford OR Jeffrey Gantz

Inexpensive reprint of a standard collection of tales from Irish mythology and folklore.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING:

THE ANCIENT CELTS by Barry Cunliffe	A thorough and widely recommended survey by one of the most respected archaeologists in Britain.
THE APPLE BRANCH (aka CELTIC RITUALS) by Alexei Kondratiev	The indispensable guide to reconstructing Celtic Paganism. Full of excellent examples of folkloric practice from throughout the Celtic world.
CATTLE LORDS AND CLANSMEN by Nerys Patterson	Outstanding survey of early Irish society, based on evidence from the surviving law codes.
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.
CARMINA GADELICA by Alexander Carmichael	Hymns, charms and prayers collected in the Scottish Highlands in the late 19th century. An invaluable sourcebook.
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.
COMPARATIVE MYTHOLOGY by Jaan Puhvel	A widely-cited survey of comparative Indo-European mythic traditions and themes.
A HISTORY OF PAGAN EUROPE by Prudence Jones & Nigel Pennick	An essential overview of the history and practice of Paganism in Europe.
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.
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.
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.

OTHER RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

CELTIC STUDIES
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).
HANDBOOK OF THE SCOTTISH GAELIC WORLD by Michael Newton	A detailed introduction to the history and culture of Gaelic Scotland.
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.
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.
PAGAN CELTIC BRITAIN by Anne Ross	A landmark survey of the evidence for ancient Celtic Pagan practices.
PAGAN CELTIC IRELAND by Barry Raftery	Sticks almost entirely to archaeology, but covers the topic thoroughly.
DRUIDISM
THE DRUIDS by Stuart Piggott	Often described as “unfriendly” to modern Druidry, but an essential read.
THE DRUID RENAISSANCE by Phillip Carr-Gomm	An excellent compendium of essays on the development and practice of modern Druidry.
CELTIC MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE
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.
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.
MYTHIC IRELAND by Michael Dames	A fascinating–if sometimes opinionated–walking tour of the sacred landscapes and folklore of Ireland.
BARDIC STUDIES
THE BARDIC SOURCE BOOK, edited by John Matthews	A collection of primary and secondary sources on the Celtic bardic traditions.
THE HIDDEN IRELAND by Daniel Corkery	A history of late bardic practice in eighteenth century Ireland.
DIVINATION AND OGHAM
THE CELTIC SEERS’ SOURCE BOOK, edited by John Matthews	An excellent compendium, including Nora Chadwick’s important essay on “Imbas Forosnai”.
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.
TREE WISDOM by Jacqueline Memory Paterson	A handsome reference to the various trees associated with the Ogham.
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.
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.
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.
THE RIG VEDA, translated by Wendy Doniger O’Flaherty	A useful paperback collection of representative hymns from the great text of ancient Indian Paganism.
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”.
PAGANISM/POLYTHEISM
DRAWING DOWN THE MOON by Margot Adler	The definitive work on Neopaganism in America
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.
GOD AGAINST THE GODS by Jonathan Kirsch	A history of the conflict between monotheism and polytheism–highly sympathetic to ancient Paganism.
THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO PAGANISM by Carl McColman	A surprisingly solid introduction (written by a former leader of a Neopagan Druid grove).