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). | |