Celtic Books

Author: R. W. Morgan

That St. Paul planted Christianity in the British Isles over five centuries before the arrival of St. Augustine is well-documented from little known sources by the Rev. R. W. Morgan, in 1860. His research determined that Christianity was first introduced into Britain by Joseph of Arimathea around 36-39 A.D.; followed by the apostle Simon Zelotes; then by Aristobulus, the first bishop of the Britons; then by St. Paul.

It's first converts were members of the royal family of Siluria...that is, Gladys, the sister of Caradoc, Gladys ( Claudia ) and Eurgen his daughters, Linus his son, converted in Britain before they were carried into captivity to Rome; then Caradoc, Bran, and the rest of the family, converted at Rome.

Two of the most rigid Roman Catholics of their period, Polydore Vergil in the reign of Henry VII, and after him Cardinal Pole ( A.D. 1555 ), affirmed in Parliament, that "Britain was the first of all countries to receive the Christian faith." Genebrard stated "The glory of Britain consists not only in this, that she was the first country which in a national capacity publicly professed herself Christian, but that she made this confession when the Roman empire itself was Pagan and a cruel persecutor of Christianity." Another example of this opinion, was well expressed by Sabellius when he said "Christianity was privately confessed elsewhere, but the first nation that proclaimed it as their religion, and called itself Christian after the name of Christ, was Britain" . . . and numerous other instances where the fact of the Christian faith being first established in England, was known and acknowledged in an official capacity, are mentioned by the author.

Morgan supplies historical facts that support the claim of the early arrival in Britain, following the crucifixion of Christ, of Joseph of Arimathea and his company, including Lazarus, Mary, Martha, Marcella, and Maximin. They came at the invitation of certain high ranking Druids from Marseilles into Britain around 38 - 39 A.D., building the first church on the Isle of Avalon.

Of particular interest to the Christian reader is the connection between St. Paul and the Royal Silurian family of Britain. Evidence abounds that Paul was on good terms with the mother of Rufus Pudens, with Pudens himself, with Claudia his wife, and Linus. The children of Claudia and Pudens were instructed in the faith by none other than Paul. The eldest was baptised Timotheus, after Timothy, Bishop of Ephesus, the apostle's "beloved son in Christ." Paul lived, according to all evidence, with the Claudian family, whenever he was in Rome, whether he was in custody at large or free. The close relationship Paul enjoyed with the Claudian family in Rome, provided him with a golden opportunity to journey to Britain, and because of the strong influences of that family in their native country, to receive a warm, and enthusiastic reception on his arrival.

Because of its vast quantity of footnotes and documentation, this book is a must as a reference tool for any library, as well as being an entertaining account of the early expansion of the Christian faith.
Paperback
128 pages

The Story of the Creation by Jane Ray combines the text of the first chapter of Genesis (King James Version) with very appealing folk art illustrations. Reading this book aloud to a child is a lovely way to introduce the majestic prose of the Bible. I recommend tracking down a copy of this book.

Outstanding! Begins to fill a gaping hole in our understanding.

I bought this book because I really enjoyed John Matthews' other book, The Winter Solstice. Like that one, this one has all sorts of great history about how cultures have celebrated the solstice, the rituals, the symbols and gods/heros,the lore. There are great photographs and artwork scattered throughout as well as some activities for celebration.

The Chapters and a little preview as to what is in them are as folllows:

Fires of the Sun: the book opens with June 22nd at Stonehenge talking about druid rituals and then goes into all sorts of history and lore - calling back the sun, festivals of fire. Myths from egypt, norse people, asia are all talked about along with great pictures, talking about the cycles of nature. Raven and the Theft of Light is in here too. The chapter concludes with creating a midsummer shrine and some wonderfulu meditations

Gods and Heros of Summer: this chapter goes through all sorts of cultures and their sun gods - really interesting to see the differences and similarities. There's a meditiation entitled "Journey of the Sun" at the end as well as a blessing.

The Games of May: Neat chapter on how May revels were celebrated, the festivities and rites, some neat talk of fairies, and how to make a may day garland.

Midsummer Nights and Days: all about the sacred spaces, symbols,even a bit of Shakespeare. I loved the section on magical ferns!! And there's a neat section on having a misummer party - complete with gifts for fairies!

Gods of the Harvest: discussion of the gods/godesses of harvest time, how to make a corn doll

Days of the Sun: A Calendar of Festivals and Celebrations: (May through September)

There are absoloutely beautiful photographs and drawings throught every page of the book.

This is an excellent book that describes the investigation into one of the most famous sites in English archaeology. The Sutton Hoo ship burial is Englands' King Tut. The book goes into great detail about the original and subsequent investigations of the burial area in eastern England.

If you are a casual reader interested in a quick read about archaeological investigations, this book may not be for you. The book goes into great detail about the construction of the site, the artifacts and how they were put back together in the laboratory. If you are interested in such things, you will be richly rewarded by this book.

I would especially recommend reading this book before you visit the British Museum in London, where the rich artifacts from this site are housed. That way you will have an even greater appreciation for this site and the artifacts on display.

"Sweeney Astray" is a masterpiece on many levels: for the complex weave of its themes to the lyrical quality of its prose--accentuated greatly, of course, by Seamus Heaney's virtuoso translation.

We follow mad Sweeney in his crazed wanderings through the forest and hills, torn within himself by his love of the wild and his incurable loneliness. The tale is presented as chunks of narrative interspersed with segments of poetry, their quiet, melancholy beauty evoking the sounds of windsong and rain.

There is an ethereal quality to this text that makes it difficult to describe. Although it would seem to have a storyline, in reality it is a song, and each "event" a new strain of music. Sweeney's longing for his lost life as a man and king, even as he is unable to stay away from his beloved wilds of Glen Bolcain, illustrate the conflict between the desire for peaceful conformity and for transcendence. This conflict is echoed in the struggle that was ensuing in Ireland even as this work was being written, the struggle between the Celtic religion and the new influx of Christianity.

In this way does "Sweeney Astray" illuminate a historic revolution, while at the same time presenting themes that span eternity.

First published in 1962, this is still the most respected text on the sword in the Anglo-Saxon period.

The book includes detailed research about the making of the swords, hilt decoration, blade inscriptions, and the weapon as mentioned in Anglo-Saxon literature.

By the end we have gained a real appreciation of these objects not only as masterpieces of art and technology, but as powerful symbols in Anglo-Saxon culture.

Sweyn
The Rune Primer: A Down to Earth Guide to the Runes

Green manages to evoke some of the beauty and mystery of these religions while maintaining a careful focus on the historical record. As a serious student of Celto-Roman religion, I find this book one of the best I have bought, and I recommend it highly.

Excellent book of classic celtic literature. I have enjoyed this book very much. Be careful removing the CD though, mine was scratched trying to get it out of the plastic, so I'm missing a lot of the "mood music" that would really compliment the stories, but for sheer reading pleasure this is a great book.

I got this book from a friend in the UK as a present and it is amazing. I always found it difficult to get a handle on what the Court Cards mean. In this book all of the Court Cards are broken down so you can see what they mean in all types of relationship situations. There is even a section on how to get rid of each of the Court Card type of people.