Celtic Books

This sumptuous and lavishly illustrated volume of 432 large pages, was published by the Smithsonian Institution in 2000 to coincide with the thousandth year, as close as we can reckon, of Leif Erikson's pioneering voyage to North America where he founded an outpost in "Vinland" that was used by subsequent expeditions until finally being abandoned after several skirmishes with the native inhabitants -- this according to the two pertinent surviving sagas.

The book is an impressive compendium of scholarship by 40 writers in 32 different articles, naturally from often different viewpoints. It gets a five-star rating not because I don't have disagreements with certain conclusions of a number of articles, but because of the wealth of information it contains on Viking/Norse life and legacies for anyone seriously interested in the topic. It's divided into seven sections, titled Viking Homelands, Viking Raiders (in Europe), Vikings in the North Atlantic (including Iceland), Viking America, Norse Greenland, and Viking Legacy. (The term "Viking" is ill-used as applied to Iceland and the farther lands -- or for that matter in Europe after about 1100 -- but the label seems irresistible to publishers in titles, even to the Smithsonian. At least Greenland gets a proper "Norse" label.)

Obviously it's not a work to be read cover to cover in one gulp. Since there are too many topics and regions covered in detail to look at closely in a review of any reasonable length, I'll focus briefly here on "Viking America," which presents eight major articles. Their topics range from Ellesmere Island in the High Arctic where Norse artifacts have been found, to, of course, Vinland in the far south (just how far south a matter of complex disputes often passionately held.) Too, it explores what the lore and the sagas tell us on one hand, to hard archeological digs on the other, both subject to interpretation. An interesting wrap-up article in this section is intriguingly titled "Unanswered Questions." The Canadian archeologist Birgitta Linderoth Wallace, who wrote two articles and collaborated on another, has been in charge of the famous L'Anse aux Meadows site at the northern tip of Newfoundland since its discoverers Helge and Anne Ingstad finished their work there in the late 1960s. With the Ingstads she believes the site is in fact the remains of Leif's settlement of Leifsbudir -- although others, including Carl Sauer, Erik Wahlgren and myself, have strong doubts on that score. But even if we're right, this in no way diminishes the importance of the site, as this is the first thoroughly, physically confirmed site of Norse occupation found in America. If I may register a guess, it might have been a strategically placed "way station" occupied for a few years by some other unrecorded Norse voyagers presumably from Greenland, which would open other intriguing questions. There's a good possibility that we'll never know.

Another engrossing article deals with the native peoples of these regions: the Innu, Dorset, and Thule Inuit in northern Canada and Greenland (it was the Thule "Eskimos" who remained after the Dorset and Norse were gone), plus the now-extinct Beothuk Indians of Newfoundland; a panel of four maps shows their respective areas of occupancy from AD 900 to 1500. Several articles in the America and Greenland sections look at contacts and relations between the Norse and "natives" (remembering that the Norse Greenlanders were no less "native" than the Thule, having lived in southwest Greenland for over 300 years before the Thule ever arrived in that region). One article includes a recounting of an Inuit folk tale as told to the Danish Greenland official H.J. Rink in 1858, of a bloody incident and reprisals between a group of Inuit and Norse hundreds of years before, complete with color illustrations drawn for Rink by an Inuit artist.

The above comments scarcely touch the surface of the riches to be found in this volume. The general tone is scholarly and carefully conservative in most respects (sometimes too conservative and one-sided in my view, as if the writers/editors were reluctant to delve much into matters subject to heated controversies except to dispose of them as quickly as possible). Nevertheless, all in all it's a most impressive compendium of fascinating information not obtainable elsewhere, and the editors and writers are to be congratulated for that.

This great book takes you from western Europe and Russia to L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland in a gigantic arc of detail and archaeology. Many areas of great intrest such as the Isle of Man and the Shetland Isles are often overlooked in OTHER books but not this one. If you want to start learning about the Vikings disembark from here.

What a complete package! Absolutely loaded with huge beautiful pictures of everything from ancient maps to medieval Scandinavian jewelry to charts of what individual experts think the Vikings dubbed "Vinland", this book has it all. Someone familiar with the subject will find it gorgeously re-introduced in this extremely professional layout, and yet anyone new to the subject will find this book to be inviting, informative, and fun to read. While this book doesn't dig quite as deep as either Jones' textbook-format "A History of The Vikings" or Haywood's geographically well-documented "The Penguin Historical Atlas of The Vikings", this is still like a huge compilation of every other Viking book I've seen yet, giving the subject the spotlight that it needs after so many recent discoveries. A very professional complete package for everyone.

For those interested in:
the history of an ancient people, the Vikings
the history of a people's travels and explorations
the history of a people's art, storytelling, and craftsmanship
the history of a people's society and everyday living

This book is for you. I constantly use references from this book in my writings, as it contains such detail that is just begging to be acknowledged. The images are fantastic, and continues to inspire! Historical enthusiasts, novice and veterans alike are sure to enjoy this book.

If you know only a little about Vikings, and want to know a lot more, this is the book to get. Lavishly illustrated, although, as another reader pointed out, a little big for bedtime reading or the train. I really liked the way the book recalls the entire Norse history -- from the 700s right up to the Minnesota Vikings. By the way, I got to sail for a couple days on the very ship depicted on the cover.

This is a great book to bring with you when you travel. It is small and yet rich. The rhythm of morning and night prayer helps to keep you centered and focused in the midst of the chaos that post 911 travel has become.

this beautiful little book is a "daily office" with a very simple order for morning, mid-day, and evening prayer. The prayers composed by J. Phillip Newell are beautiful and inspiring, as well as a good introduction to Celtic Christian Spirituality. The art work is also wonderful.

Provides a beautiful structure, with very open language, for quiet time with self and the Divine. Poetic prayer language that launches one into silence, reflection and mystery.

An absolutely lovely book. I use it daily. When connected with Centering prayer, Christian Meditation (John Main's), or some other prayer practice, it can complete your daily prayer. If one were to actually follow the outline in the book, and spend the time to "be still and aware of God's presence within and all around", what else would you need? ;^)

Sometimes just reading a beautifully worded prayer helps to jump start your own prayer life. Consider this short collection to be the mother of all Celtic Prayer jump starters.

Lyrical and lovely!

I will give four stars because this book and cards have been taking me slowly into the fantastic world of Celtic system and belief but I haven't still practice enough to be sure of their real functioning power. Certainly they have switched my curiosity and dedication on. As for every personal journey approached either in an intellectual or spiritual way it takes time to fully understand...

This amazing little set is based on the Celtic tree alphabet, the Ogham (pronounced oh-um). As one reviewer mentioned, this is not just a tarot deck with tree cards: this is a completely different divination system. The Murrays present a complex layout which I think is rather exhaustive, but gives a very clear insight. If their system is too much, though, you can use other layouts; I've had good results with the standard Celtic cross layout and the three-card spread as well. The book is well-written and informative, and each card's meaning intertwines with the history of the tree. You can also use your own associations with the trees to interpret the cards' meanings. For me, the deck is incredibly accurate, and it's the one I turn to most often for omens or other divinatory purposes. I thought the wooden box was a nice touch, too. ;)

This set has the distinction of being one of the first (if not THE first) ogham system made available to the general public. Despite 18 years passing since it's first publication, most of the scholarship is still sound and it still makes a nice first set for the ogham user. It's only flaw lies in the fact that only one spread is presented, composed of 15 cards total. Users will have to devise or use simpler layouts that they know from other systems. It also uses the 25 ogham system, which has become less traditional than the 20 ogham system most use. Overall, this project was a labor of love and many many years in the making and it shows.

When I received this pack in the mail I was not expecting what I got - but it was wonderful once I opened it up and started reading the book and looking at the cards and putting two and two together. The set is housed in a beautifully crafted wooden box with reading sets, layouts and beautiful book which lays down the history and everything that you could possibly read about the Celtic tree and Ogham. Would thoroughly recommend it to any Irish/Celtic enthusiast.....

While this is not a classic tarot configuration, it is a must for those interested in Celtic and Druidic divination systems. As a divination tool it is easy to use and amazingly intuative in it's interpretations, making it wonderful for beginners. It uses the ancient Ogham alphabet and it's corelations to the trees and other icons held dear by it's creators, the Celts. While the companion book is not long, it is very informative and concise. Background information on the history of the alphabet is researched in depth with references to many associated resources. This book is an ESSENTIAL reference to druidic symbolism. If one is not familiar with Celtic symbolism, this set will draw you in completely and inspire you to dive head first into this ancient seed of western mysticism.

But most of all, the illustrations and intuative interpretations provided are excellent. While the illustrations do not overwhelm the eye, they do impart a very profound sense of connection to the representation of the letter and it's associated icon. The interpretations are clear without being overly simplistic.

I have had this deck for years and it will always remain one of my very favorites!

Over the past 20 years, I've read several of Morgan Llewellyn's books, including "Lion of Ireland," "Bard," "Grania,""1916," "1921," and the companion novel to "The Greener Shore," the book "Druids." I have always admired her ability to weave fact and fiction, using the latter to flesh out the former into compelling reads that really make you feel as if you're there and can understand the characters, the landscape, and the times.

This novel, however, disappointed me. There is material in this that is drawn from historical, archaeological, scholarly, and literary sources. However, there's also MUCH poetic license taken. Please don't read this thinking you're getting any kind of accurate portrayal of the ancient druids. This is a fantasy story, like "Mists of Avalon" or "Lord of the Rings."

And, even as stories go, it was less a story and more a spiritual credo. It had a kind of "Celestine Prophecy" "Bridge Across Forever" quality to it, as if the novel were simply a vehicle for expressing a particular set of (very modern New Age) beliefs. The writing was saturated with repetitious talk about "the pattern," "the Source," the sanctity of nature, the experience of death, reincarnation, etc., not in a way which engaged the reader nor furthered any plot, but as an end in itself.

The novel is written in the first person, from Ainvar's point of view, and most of it takes place entirely in his head as he ruminates over past failures, current failures, possible future failures, the nature of the universe, the perfection of nature, the magic which has seemingly abandoned him, crises of belief, and the hatred he has for Caesar and the Romans. But very little actually HAPPENS. Ainvar is little more than a spectator watching as various, disconnected activities, triumphs and tragedies, swirl around him. There are characters who seem terribly important to him -- such as Red Wolf, his wife Briga, his lost daughter Maia, and the fairy spirit woman of Ireland -- but these characters are mostly absent from the novel and the promise of their importance never plays out, other than as macguffins for sparking Ainvar's metaphysical and mental meanderings.

This book kept my interest and helped me to understand the many cultures that influenced Irish life before Chrisitanity. Very interesting!

The Greener Shore, the anticipated sequel to Druids, answers questions and continues the journey. Beautifully written, Llywelyn's style captures the poetry, the music, the tragedy, the heart and the soul of this druid's journey.

Escaping from Gaul when Julius Caesar and his army conquer their homeland, the High Druid Ainvar leads his clan to a new life in Hibernia. This novel writes of the adjustments made, the learning shared between the customs and traditions of the Celts and the Gaels. Overshadowing all, are the mysterious Tuatha De Danann who ask simply to be remembered.

Ainvar finds his own magical power as a druid diminished, yet the power of others in his clan notably Briga (his senior wife) increases. Over time, members of his clan find their space and their peace in Hibernia and Ainvar himself finds his own balance between chaos and pattern.

Highly recommended to those who enjoy Ms Llewelyn's storytelling, and the magic of Celtic fantasy. This is the sequel to `Druids'.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

(WARNING: Some possible spoilers below - though I tended to try and be vague)

Druids is one of my favorite books, so I was very excited to hear of this sequel. Unfortunately, this story is disappointing on many levels.

To sum it up: Nothing happens. Period. There is no excitement in this book. It is a droll account of day to day existence for Ainvar and the survivors in his small clan of the Carnutes. There are some periods where you begin to believe that something exciting might happen, but then it either never materializes (such as a "Druid showdown" of sorts - which appears to start and then all animosity is later forgotten), or it fizzles out quickly. Basically, we just hear endlessly about how Ainvar is sad and how great Briga is. Even when there is a murder, it barely gets a few pages worth of excitement before it appears to have been completely forgotten (from what I could tell, it wasn't even mentioned to this person's son when we meet up with him again later in the book - or at least, he never showed any signs or emotions of knowing about it). We also get treated to a huge amount of "magic" that goes well beyond the suspension of disbelief we had to have with the first book - to the point that it actually annoyed me.

I love Morgan Llywelyn's work, and I will always continue to read it. This, however, was a very painful read.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3A80YKC8W7UEE New Chronology is a theory validated by astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient manuscripts that asserts: that Antiquity and Dark Ages are phantoms invented in the 16th 18th centuries. Human civilization is barely 1000 years old!

New Chronology complies with the most rigid scientific standards:

- It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know;
- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion;
- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically;

New Chronology goes by the following basic axioms:
- Chronology is the basis of history;
- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;
- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history are fantasy and hoax;
- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;
- The closer in time is a given manuscript to the events described the less distortions it contains;
- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Fomenko asserts: There was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by over two centuries of yoke and slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a trilingual state with Arabic and Turkic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that official Russian history is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scholars brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs. Their ascension to the throne was the result of conspiracy, so they charged these imported historians with the mission of making Romanov's reign look legitimate.

Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate Godunov rulers and the ambitious Romanov upstarts.

As Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, he successfully removes a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one: the Ancient Rome: the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the 14th century A. D., the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece.

The Ancient Egypt: the pyramids of Giza become dated to the 11th to 14th century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less. The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the 11th to 15th century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone, like enormous Dendera horoscope that hangs in main entrance to the Louvre museum in Paris.

He was the first one to decipher and date unambiguously all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case.

English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the book "History: Fiction or Science?" portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such ancient history. Period. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the 17th 18th century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them otherwise.

Islam with all its key figures appears as late as 15th-16th century A. D. as a branch of proto-Christianity. This is amply illustrated by imagery of Prophet Mahomet, archangel Gabriel, Heaven and Hell of this period. In today's Islam all imagery of the things living is taboo.

Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th 17th century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a proto Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian!) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.


The history of religions according to Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the 11th century and Jesus Christ ), Bacchic Christianity (11th to 12th century, before and after Jesus Christ), Jesus Christ Christianity (12th to 14th century) and its subsequent mutations (15th to 17th) into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on..

Saint Augustine was quite prescient when he said: "be wary of mathematicians,.. particularly when they speak the truth."

Henry Ford once said: "History is more or less bunk!"

Prominent mathematician Anatoly Fomenko not only proved it for a fact, but as true scientist tried to upgrade it into a rocket science.

This book will change your perception of History forever!
What if Ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt were invented during Renaissance?
What if The Old Testament was a rendition of events of the Middle Ages?
What if Jesus Christ was born in 1053 and crucified in 1086 AD?
Sounds Unbelievable?
Not after you've read "History: Fiction or Science?" by Anatoly Fomenko, the genius mathematician.
Armed with astronomy and computers Anatoly Fomenko turns History into a rocket science.

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

Like Erich von Däniken, the Creationists, and the legion of sensational conspiracy theorists, this book makes huge claims based on speculation founded on the most superficial and selective reading of the historical record.

Most insulting to one's intelligence is the claim that C14 dating could be so far off the mark. This method has been tried and tested for 50 years. It is based on the known decay rate of an unstable isotope, that occurs in fairly predictable amounts. Calibration merely raises the accuracy from around 10% to 1% error margin. Even without calibration, the measurement of various isotopes has given civilisation a history of thousands, not hundreds of years.

Tree rings are a well understood phenomenon in biology. These can be used to obtain accurately dated samples more than 4000 years old. C14 dating can be calibrated with these samples to adjust for slight variations in C14 levels due to the solar cycle. This enables us to date to within a couple of decades samples dating back to early classical times.

However, this is only a part of the evidence, there is layering of earth above sites, known geological events like volcanic eruptions, traces of natural and human activity all correlated. How do we explain Pompei? If we want to apply Occam's razor, is it really easier to believe in a huge medieval conspiracy, that was able to construct a consistent history, complete with archaeological evidence that had not yet been found? And that all of the thousands of scientists involved in dating have been misled?

I can only conclude that this book was written as a money spinner to hook the gullible, like so many other conspiracy books.

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

It is not easy to describe a culture in an average size paperback. This book does a worthy job of it. By refraining from unnecessary verbiage, the author has given a fairly comprehensive and detailed, yet readable, introduction to life in the Viking culture.

Whether you are a school student with a history project, or a Viking enthusiast, This book will give you a nicely rounded view of Viking life. Home, commerce, warfare, literature, and technology, are all covered in satisfying detail without being too academic or dry in style.

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

This book provides a solid overview of Viking history, dating from the late 8th century to the 11th century. The author covers Viking activity and culture in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Frisia (Netherlands & western coast of Germany), England, Ireland, Hebrides and surrounding islands, Iceland, Greenland as well as touching on Viking activities in some other areas (including "Vinland" and Constantinople). The book is never really exciting, but it does come across as well researched and reliable and, on the whole, is very readable. The only downsides to this edition is that it would have been much better with more pictures and the author writes with slightly more enthusiasm when discussing Danish vikings than Swedish or Norwegian vikings (possibly because I think she is Danish and because there is more verifiable information about Viking age Denmark than other parts of Scandinavia). I would have liked a more thorough discussion of the Swedes in eastern Europe/Russia and perhaps more on Viking religious beliefs. These nit-pickings aside, it really is a very good book overall and one gets a much clearer picture about what Vikings were actually like after reading it.

_The Vikings_ by Else Roesdahl was a fairly thorough if sometimes a little dry account of the Viking Age, a time that lasted about 300 years, from just before AD 800 until well into the 11th century. The Vikings were a tremendously influential people, playing a decisive role in many areas of Europe; their mark is still seen today in numerous loan-words in the English language; many place-names in Normandy and the British Isles; in Ireland, where they founded the island's major towns; and in Iceland and the Faeroe Islands, where they settled.

Roesdahl took great pains to show that the classic image of the Vikings as raiders, pirates, and plunderers was one-sided, a one-dimensional view that comes to us today from contemporary clerics in Western Europe (who may have been reacting more than anything to the pagan religion of the Vikings) and in tales that were elaborated on by medieval story tellers and historians, including among the Scandinavians themselves, such as with the Icelandic saga writers. Indeed in mainland Europe at least the author felt that the impact of the Viking raids have been exaggerated, and it generally made little difference if a community was plundered by the Vikings or by some other local faction. The Vikings were also farmers, merchants, poets, artists, authors, artisans, engineers, explorers (the first Europeans to discover Iceland, Greenland, and North America), and settlers as well as warlords and mercenaries (the latter notably in Ireland and in the Byzantine Empire).

The first half of the book dealt with the culture of the Scandinavians, going into great detail about their dress, jewelry, houses, cooking, food, language, writing, personal names, their use of slaves, the role of women, the role of children, rules of conduct, their politics, land transport, ships, monetary system, fortifications, warfare, religion (both the old faith and their conversion to Christianity), their art, and poetry. I would have liked more information about their ships and I found some of these sections a little tedious at times (basically like reading long lists), but there were a number of interesting things to be gleaned from it. There were many illustrations, photographs, and maps that were helpful in the text and in two inserts; I particularly liked the photos and drawings of Viking art and of their runes.

The second half of the book dealt with the Viking expansion, discussing the reasons for the expansion and their historical role in Normandy, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Ireland, England, the Baltic region, Russia, Byzantium, the Caliphate, and their settlement of Iceland, the Faeroe Islands, Greenland, and North America (for those interested in the Greenland settlement by the way I highly recommend Jared Diamond's _Collapse_ which had excellent, gripping coverage of that, much more thorough than what I found in _The Vikings_).

I found the coverage of Viking hoards intriguing. Many hoards had coins from often quite distant regions, with coins from the Caliphate and Byzantium not uncommon. Hoards were generally not found in areas where it was more common to pay with silver and coins than with goods.

Much as has been found to be the case with classic Greek and Roman statues, many Viking items were painted. Many rune stones have been found with traces of paint on them, the usual colors being black, white and red but other colors were used including blue and green. In addition the Vikings painted shields, furniture, tent poles, and building timbers, often to emphasize decoration that had been carved in low relief.

There was a small discussion of the many loan words from Old Norse, originating from the long Viking presence on English soil (indeed from 1018 to 1042 apart from a period of five years England and Denmark were ruled jointly by one king). Everyday words such as cast, knife, take, window, egg, ill, and die come from Old Norse. Some grammatical elements, such as the plural words they, them, and their also come from the Scandinavians. Some English dialects contained a great many more loan words but they are disappearing along with the dialects.

Scandinavian poetry was often quite demanding and intricate. Scaldic poetry for instance had a complicated form, using the "heroic meter," with the lines linked in alliterating pairs, the first line of each pair with two alliterating syllables, and each line required to have internal rhyme. In addition, skaldic poetry frequently referenced stories of the gods and heroes, often by using riddles or complex and subtle references that only a knowledgeable audience would appreciate. Scaldic poetry is of course well known for the kenning, examples of which include "the sweat of the sword" (blood), "the feeder of the raven" (the warrior), or more complex ones that could only be understood with reference to their mythology.

Much has been made elsewhere about the Viking raids on Irish monasteries and Roesdahl does cover that, though the reader also learns that it wasn't just Vikings that did the raiding. The abbots of several monasteries were often the only national figures in Ireland until well into the 800s, with most of Ireland divided into tiny kingdoms struggling with complex dynastic rules. Owing to the monasteries' important economic and political importance and close ties with many secular rulers, plundering and burning down monasteries was an integral part of Irish warfare; indeed monasteries sometimes fought each other in addition to being plundered by rival kings. Further complicating things, Vikings were often employed as mercenaries in the endless wars in Ireland (the Franks on the mainland of Europe did the same thing, often setting one Viking group against another). Further, some rulers exaggerated the depredations of the Vikings to enhance their own glory (one work portrayed the Viking chieftain Turgesius as a sort of "pagan super-Viking" who among other things tried to convert Ireland to the worship of Thor, the work aiming to glorify the great Irish king Brian Boru).

Not a bad book overall, it was a useful though not especially gripping overview.

This book covers just about everything about the vikings from their language, art, religion, government, ships, clothing, expiditions all over Europe, weapons and warfare, homes and other aspects of these northern people. The author opens up your eyes to the fact that the vikings were civilized just as much as other people in those times which helps give you a new respect for these people. It's just amazing how these people went all over Europe, the Middle East and all the way to North America centuries before Christopher Columbus and spread their culture and in turn took apsects from other cultures back to Scandinavia.

There are maps which shows where the vikings travelled and there are a bunch of pictures of weapons, ships, burial mounds, artwork and rune stones. There are also two rune alphabets that they used for writing.

Some things I didn't like was that some of the subjects were rushed through and not too informative as they could have been like very little is mentioned about the military aspects of the vikings like offensive and defensive tactics whether it be about a king's army or raiding pirates. They also don't mention that much about the vikings in North America or the Middle East which I found to be very disappointing to say the least. I guess that there was so much to cover that the author couldn't fit everything in.

Overall this is a good introductory book about the vikings at a very low price. So if you want to read about the true vikings and not stereotypes about vikings being mindless, dirty heathen killers wearing horned helmets then you should get this book.

This was the firs book I have read on the subject and even though I was already familiar with some aspects of the Viking life it was very interesting and informative. The book deals with every thing in great detail, from the houses in which the Vikings lived in to the shoes the wore. Unfortunately the chapter about warfare was a little short and, in my opinion lacked many details and wasn't as comprehensive as I hoped it would be. Also, I think a few battle descriptions would have been nice.

Overall, a great book and a wonderful introduction to a fascinating culture ! 4 out of 5

I am very satisfied of this book. This book is beautiful and the service is exceptionnal.

I just finished knitting the "Sensational Shirttail" from this book, a v-neck aran cardigan. The design appears complicated and is rated intermediate, but it was truly easy to follow the very clear instructions. Everyone who has seen it loves it and is astonished that I, a novice knitter, actually did it all myself, and in less than three weeks! I am ready to begin others sweaters from this book, just trying to decide what colors and types of yarn to use. Oh, another great thing about this book is that it gives you the yarn weight used in the original pattern and the yardage, as well as the needle sizes, so you can adapt to your choice of fiber. I knitted my sweater in a chunky weight cotton, and I couldn't be happier with it. There are so many other beautiful patterns in this book, I'm sure it will appeal to just about every knitter.

What I love most about this book is that these are sweaters that are not your typical sweater (personally, I don't think it's worth knitting an average-looking sweater that you can purchase in the store for $20-$30), yet they are not trendy and dated looking by next year, either. Many of the books out there now that I've looked at contain more trendy styles that will be gone soon.

I'm an experienced knitter (15 yrs.) who's fairly new to cables and looking for a challenge. This was it. It is definitely not for the newbie knitter. If you're experience and are looking to make a timeless sweater for yourself or as a gift, this is a great book.

My mother gave me this book as a gift and at first I thought it was going to be just a nice knitting book to add to my collection. The patterns appeared complicated and I did not really believe they would work out as well as presented in the pictures. However, I have recently completed two patterns from this lovely book and there is no need to adjust any of the instructions. If you follow the patterns as written, the results will be a beautiful sweater that will receive many complements! The results were far better than expected.Arans & Celtics: The Best of Knitter's Magazine (Best of Knitter's Magazine series)

After repeatedly checking this book out from my library I am glad that I bought my own copy! I was hesistant since I've been a Knitter's subscriber since 2000 and do have a few issues from before that from Ebay. But after some research I found that 17 of the 30 patterns I did not have in my magazines, and 12 of the best were from the two oldest magazines (K16 and K40) which form this book compilation.
It is true, you will not find whatever body/armhole shaping that is currently in vogue in these designs. You WILL find cable designs varying in difficulty that are a joy to knit and large charts that pose no eye-strain with easy to understand cable symbols. In addition, for those interested in different construction techniques, there are a couple pullovers knitted in the round (one of which involves steeking), a sideways knit, and a top-down aran with saddle shoulders. There are helpful knitter's tips in the margins (such as grafting a garter stitch underarm seam) when needed. Also some gorgeous close-ups of the cable details! For those who wish to modify the boxy drop shoulder look of some of the sweaters, it looks like it would not be difficult to adjust these designs for a square inset or fitted armhole. All in all, I highly recommend this book if one does not have the original magazines.

The book and the CD are both so colorful in word and song that you can't help but enjoy it. I love the stories that come before the written music, I love the written music, and I loved the CD. Believe me, the songs are contagious! I definitely didn't think I would enjoy it this much, but I did.

This is definitely a "topic specific" book, but if it's the topic you're looking for then you're in for a treat.

The author proceeds each musical score with a brief story about which the song is based. It's not cluttered with a lot of personal yarns. Very enjoyable. The CD is a great bonus!

This is a wonderful book! You learn so much, not to mention its fun! My only critism is the font "A Bard's Book of Pagan Songs: Stories and Music from the Celtic World" was printed in, its kinda hard to read. Makes your eyes hurt after a bit. But, other than that, I had no problems whatsoever with this book. I reccommend it to all pagans and anyone who wants to learn more about Celtic paganism's history.

It was wonderful to hear the tales structured and set to music much like stories must have been presented in pre-literate times. The music even sounds like the old folk-song modes. Good CD to play while feasting after ritual and then good songs to play while the mead and ale are passed!

Ok, it's my fault. I didn't look at the back cover before buying. I trusted the title and other reviews. However, if your idea of bard/pagan is Pete Seeger and Country Joe McDonald, then this is the book for you. It's 60's Smothers Brothers/Clancy Brothers stuff - fine, except that's not what I was expecting. And, it's been done a million times before...hmmm...is this why this book is out of print? (And gee, couldn't they have at least performed a couple tunes in a different key?)

The author (that's me) has now made the book available on her website for the original cover price. While I do feel that the text is outdated and I've learned a lot since it was first published, I still get a lot of requests for this book and feel that the prices being asked by used book shops can be extortionate.

If you're interested in the original book on Pagan prayer beads or one of the historical documents from the early days of Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism, you will probably enjoy this book. Buying it from the author saves you money and makes her writing other books possible!

I watched part of the process of the research for this book, and have used the system for some years. In the beginning, I was curious, but I got hooked early on. The suggested exercises are very interesting and revealing (mostly of self). The work is extremely well researched. I would recommend this book (and have!) to anyone who wants to work with some beginning Celtic material, or to more advanced folk who want something to enrich their practice.

If you're fortunate enough to get a copy of this out-of-print book and you're into celtic Reconstructionism buy this book! Although I read this book in a day, I can honestly say that what I found in it was excellent to read, particularly if people choosing to work this path actually do the practices in the book.

If the practices are done you will find this book to be a slower read, one where the ideas are steeped through the practices in the text. Take your time.

In my opinion this is a good introductory text to CR. Read it, explore the ideas, and take what you can from it.

I enjoyed this book very much, but the Celtic poetry, while beautiful, didn't really resonate with me. So I took Laurie's bead arrangement and modified it to suit my own worldview (the Sacred Land for me is not Ireland but the Rocky Mountains, for example, and I think of the four treasures as being the four familiar tarot suits). I wrote my own prayers based on her ideas. I made a bracelet of small beads using her design, and I carry it with me when I go hiking. After years of doing this, I find that when I go through these prayers at home, I'm transported back to the mountain trails I love.

One thing that would have made this book better would be a summary of the prayers in once place. I loved the meditations, but when I first tried to read through the prayers with the beads, flipping through the pages was distracting. I finally ended up typing them out in order so that I could see them in one place. It was after that that I modified them. It would also have been helpful, for those who wanted to follow her suggestion of saying the prayers in Gaelic, to have a better pronunciation guide, or even a cassette to listen to. Those are the only reasons I gave this book four stars instead of five. The concept itself is wonderful.

I'm not a pagan (or a Christian either. I'm a Unitarian monotheist.) But the lovely earth-centered quality of this bead arrangement has a more universal possibility than just Celtic paganism. Anyone who is interested in prayer beads should read this book.

I read this book in a day--but don't let that fool you into thinking it's an emprty read!

Far from it. *This* is Celtic paganism for modern people. Have you been disappointed by the "Celtic WIcca" that gets tossed around? Pick up this gem.

Erynn starts with an explanation of how to create and use a devotional circle of beads tied closely to Celtic cosmology as gleaned from original myth and lore. She devotes a couple of pages to each step of the journey, explaining their origins and how to connect with them in everyday life.

She then dedicates the rest of the book to thoughts and suggestions on honoring the Celtic deities and spirits. No stone is left unturned; however, rather than spoonfeeding you, she instead gives you the tools to create your own sacred space.

The real beauty of this book is that it's genuine. Erynn's scholarship is solid, and she is careful to explain that this is the best approximation of Celtic religion that she, in this day and age and with the resources available, could create. She doesn't try to say "This is exactly how the Celts did it". In addition, she also mentions when certain facets come from a specific group of Celts, such as those on the European continent rather than Ireland. And she does her own translations from Gaelic to English, which I bet is more than most Celtic pagan authors can boast.

I think that Celtic Reconstructionism is highly needed in modern paganism; this book is a fine example of a solid scholarly foundation put to practical and spiritual use, even more than a decade after its initial publication. I can hardly wait for Erynn's book on ogam, due out in 2007!

The city of Cengarn is under siege, with armies both astral and physical massing on opposite sides of the cause of the goddess Alshandra, who seeks to prevent the birth of one fate-bound child. It falls to the dweomermaster Jill and her allies to protect Princess Carra, the child's human mother, and more important, the future foreseen for Deverry by past masters of magic. But history is built on many a foundation: as the berserker Rhodry wings his way to the battle on dragonback, he is unaware that he will soon be meeting this fight on a more personal front. Lying in wait for him is Alshandra's high priestess Raena, a dangerous sorceress and Rhodry's ancient enemy, ready to use any means to destroy him. Their confrontation could turn the tide of the siege--and change the fate of Deverry forever....

Rhodry and his new dragon ally, Arzosah, have joined forces with the dwarven axemen and are rushing to the aid of the besieged town of Cengarn. Meanwhile, within the town walls, the Princess Carra--and her precious unborn child--is under the protection of the sorcerers Jill and Dallandra who eagerly await the arrival of their allies. But Cengarn's food supplies are beginning to wand and their chances for survival look bleak. They can only survive for so long...

And as time grows ever shorter the surrounding Horsekin army, under th einstruction of the goddess Alshandra, are preparing to end the siege once and for all.Only by destroying Alshandra can there ever be peace between Horsekin and humankind. But it seems an impossible task...

Katherine Kerr's writing takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth the effort. She approaches her stories with a Celtic storytelling mindset, which means she conveys events according to their significance to the story, as opposed to chronologically. Consequently, while the stories begin in the "present" (which is an elastic concept, anyway, in a fantasy setting), the events unfold, chapter wise, both in the "present" and in the distant past. This can be frustrating, at first, but Kerr's writing is heavily steeped in Pagan and Western Mystery tradition, and the Celtic setting (and mindset) of her characters means that time, or chronological time, is not essentially relevant. To be honest, I found the first book infuriating, as I spent a lot of time trying to adjust to the writing style. However, I found the story engrossing enough that I persevered, and by the second book was so hooked I've read all ten in her three series.

Kerr's story evolves around the concept of reincarnation, and unfinished business, and "karma", and fate. The same souls recur again and again, just in new bodies, over the course of the centuries over which the story unfolds.

Kerr's world is one of High Fantasy, populated by Elves, Men, and Dwarves, as well as faeries/elementals, which she terms the "Wildfolk". However, hers is a slightly more dark, dangerous and less clear cut world than the works of other High Fantasy authors, not the least due to the fact that someone who was your friend in a former life can re-emerge in the story centuries later as a foe, and vice versa. There is a tremendous amount of magic, but it's the magic of the Western Mystery tradition (quite a bit of Golden Dawn and even Enochiana), and that of R.J. Stewarts Faery tradition. There are dragons, and giant beast men.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, who clearly influenced Kerr, will be enraptured by this series, as will fans of Kate Eliott, who Kerr, herself, clearly influenced. It's phenomenal! Devotees of the New Age, Esoteric or Occult will find themselves nodding and smiling as they read, and sincerely hoping Kerr's writing will do for the Western Mystery and Faery traditions what Bradley's has done for Wicca.

Katherine Kerr's superb descriptions and well-thought out story will always leave you hungering for more. You join all of Kerr's exquisite characters through their lives, whether it be in a far past life or their life 20 years ago. They make you wonder... what's going to happen to the characters next? The plot will make you gasp, shudder, and stay up until four thirty in the morning just... reading. I promise you -- buy this, and you won't regret it. I certainly didn't. This will make a GREAT addition to ANY book collection... even if you don't HAVE a book collection, get this one, I tell you! It's a MUST have!

This was my first book written by Katharine Kerr that I've *currently* read. Right now.. I'm clicking on almost every Kerr book on Amazon.com and putting them in my shopping cart -- does that tell you anything?

I got hooked on Kerr's novels years ago. I always find that the time between volumes is too long. Often I go back and re-read at least two or three previous volumes so I know where the new book fits in. But that's not all bad; they're great to read again and again! My one criticism is the lack of a list of complete character IDs and a timeline. Because Kerr uses lots of flashback, it's difficult sometimes to remember how the characters fit into the overall story. I read the latest (?) release: "The Red Wyvren" and was somewhat disappointed that she didn't make more progress in the most recent timeframe, but chose to emphasize a much earlier time. Does this mean that another volume will be released soon? I hope so.

Katharine Kerr's novels of Deverry and the Westlands form a Gordian Knot of love & hate, sorrow & joy, and death & rebirth. Set in a beautifully conceived fantasy world, complete with Dragons and Dweomer, these novels drew me in the same way Tolkien's Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and Silmarillion still draw me back every couple of years. Unfortuanately, there are also a few slow points , (just as with Tolkien), but they don't last for long.