It's not often that I devour nonfiction as fast as I do fiction: I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the exploration of archeological evidence. But I do feel conflicted, as Alice Roberts remains cautious and careful about all theories and conclusions (rightly so), till the end, when she falls for the 'Celtic from the West' theory. Just about every book on the Celts that was published after the 1940s cites Marie-Louise Sjoestedt’s Celtic Gods and Heroes frequently, and with good reason. This book has stood the test of time remarkably well, and remains the quintessential scholarly introduction to Celtic mythology. However, Roberts still expresses very strong cultural sentiment towards our ‘Celtic’ ancestors and that results in her focus on just one of a number of existing valid interpretations of how Celtic languages came to be. Dagda lazily swept his fingers across the strings of a harp and played a beautiful melody. The music of grief made the Fomorians stop and bow as they sniveled. Soldiers sobbed, too but drew their mantles to ensure no one could see their tears flowing. Come the subsequent wave of Anglo-Saxon invasions (or settlement), near contemporary historical records do refer to the Angles and Saxons having to fight indigenous (let's be controversial and call them Celtic) tribes ... but described by these historians when translated into modern English as 'Britons'!

The other thing they’d do was to go out in boats and look for deserted islands, and they did this in the most extraordinary fashion. In some cases they were actually dragged out into the ocean, blown by the wind, and they would interpret the wind as God’s will telling them where they should land. So it’s very probable that Columba simply stumbled upon Iona. In any case, it was a depopulated island that he could give over to himself and his monks for the service of God. Ellis is a talented and esteemed Celtic scholar as well as creative writer, and although the book is completely nontechnical, jargon-free, and reads as fiction rather than nonfiction, the reader can sense that this is the work of an accomplished professional in the field. In Wales, called Cymru by the Celts, the native tongue—Welsh—is a Celtic language, and it is still widely spoken in the region. In Cornwall (the westernmost county in England, and near Wales), some (although very few) speak Cornish, which is similar to Welsh and Breton.You’ve written your most recent book to prove the existence of the Celts. Why was there a question mark over this? Proinsias Mac Cana’s Celtic Mythology (hey, I warned you that these books all have deceptively generic names) is, like Sjoestedt’s Celtic Gods and Heroes, a book that you’ll find referenced over and over again in the scholarly literature and in the derivative, “me too” introductory books on Celtic mythology. It’s another one of the landmark works in this field.

The Celts used berries and plants to change the colour of their wool. The Celts liked bright clothes and, according to the Romans, some Celts painted patterns on their body with blue paint made from a special plant. Across Europe, the Celts have been credited with many artistic innovations, including intricate stone carving and fine metalworking. If you have studied Celtic history or mythology, there’s a good chance you recognize Peter Beresford Ellis’ name. He is one of the most well-known writers on the ancient Celts’ history and mythology. Ellis’ extensive knowledge of Celtic history, archaeology, and the stories these mysterious people left behind is clear in this wonderful resource. Continuing with the primary sources, Koch and Carey’s The Celtic Heroic Age is an anthology of texts from ancient and medieval writers on the pre-Christian mythology and religion of the Celts. Some of the writings included in this volume will be familiar to those who have already read Early Irish Myths and Sagas, The Tain, and the Mabinogion. However, many of the other pieces included here will not be. These include lesser-known but still highly relevant texts from the Celtic countries themselves, from ancient inscriptions to medieval folktales. Druids were the priests of the Celts. We know a little about the druids from reading the descriptions of Roman historians.The main centre of the druids in Britain was Anglesey. Druids were an important part of Iron Age society and were responsible for all kinds of religious ceremonies. They were capable and powerful members of the tribe and were respected by the other Celts.I hadn’t really thought of the Celts as being a Christian people. I’ve always thought of them as pagans – have I got it completely wrong? The Celts lived in round houses with thatched roofs – they were made in the shape of circles, rather than with four walls. The book explores Ireland, Brittany, Scotland, and Wales. The author, Sofia Visconti, understands that Celtic mythology inspired songwriters and poets alike. In addition, the rich ancient heritage of battles, myths, sagas, and legends cannot go undiscovered. This book was written to accompany a BBC series that I haven’t seen, but that doesn’t seem to detract from it any. I seem to be seeing a lot of people lately considering the issues of Celtic identity: how do we pin it down? Is it based on language, material culture, genetics? Is it really a thing? I’ve been to the temporary Celtic exhibit in the British Museum, as well as read this and — for contrast — Graham Robb’s The Ancient Paths, which views Celtic identity as very contiguous across Europe. (It is reassuring that most of the facts here chimed with Robb’s claims, if you’d like to believe in his theories!) Celtic mythology survived in the early centuries as the primary oral tradition. Legends and sagas were passed down to generations through storytelling. But it was after the Roman conquest that these mythological stories were recorded in writing.