Miranda J. Green Knihy

Fascinujúci úvod do sveta keltských mýtov a legiend Detailný prehľad keltskej mytológie od druidov a svätého grálu cez čarovné kotly až po magické obludy. Autorka majstrovsky využíva dôkazy z rukopisov, artefaktov a nápisov, aby preskúmala svet Keltov a ich mytológie. Venuje sa tomu, ako a vďaka komu sa mýty šírili medzi ľuďmi, rozoberá írske a waleské mýty, ich hlavné postavy a motívy a zamýšľa sa nad témami, ako sú hrdinovia, zvieratá, ženy, prostredie a zásvetie (onen svet). V závere rozoberá, ako mýty prežili kristianizáciu Európy a ako príbehy ovplyvnili kláštorní pisári, čo zachovali a čo si prispôsobili. Na stránkach knihy sa stretnete s nadprirodzeným obsadením keltských legiend: s írskym bojovníkom Cú Chulainnom, ktorého povestná sila už v detstve predznamenala jeho hrdinský život, s waleskými milencami Culhwchom a Olwen, ktorých dlhé a šťastné manželstvo vzišlo z Culhwchových herkulovských činov, s tragickým Lleuom, ktorého zradila manželka, či s výpravou kráľa Artuša a jeho rytierov za bájnym svätým grálom. Kniha očarí čitateľov, ktorí sa s keltskou mytológiou ešte nestretli, ale vďaka detailnému a analytickému spracovaniu uspokojí aj tých, ktorí tieto príbehy už poznajú. Plusom je množstvo ilustrácií posvätných predmetov, miest a krajinných úkazov.

Starověcí Keltové mezi lety 600 p.n.l. až 400 n.l. obývali většinu Evropy. Nezanechali nám písemné památky, přesto keltské legendy a mýty přetrvaly věky. Irské a velšské mýty - vzrušující příběhy božstev, nadlidských hrdinů a magických příšer - byly zaznamenány křest'anskými písaři, kteří tak uchovali velkou část pohanské mytologie. Díky archeologii a výkladům antických autorů pře námi defiluje fascinující soubor keltských jmen, obrazů a symbolů, stejně jako doklad o obřadech a rituálech, jejichž prostřednictvím Keltové komunikovali s říší nadpřirozena.

"Green...is a superlative researcher and a clear, often eloquent writer. In this gorgeously-illustrated volume, she approaches Celtic art in terms of what it expresses about Celtic culture's spiritual beliefs and social organization. After an excellent, concise introduction...Green explores class and gender through an examination of jewelry...and reveals a Celtic world in which rich princesses enjoyed wine and song with male counterparts....A fine addition wherever interest in matters Celtic runs high."-- "Booklist. 176 pages, 118 color illus., 6 b/w illus., 6 1/2 x 9 1/4.

An examination of the religious beliefs of the people of the Roman province of Britain, from the Celtic background to the composite religion which eventually emerged.

In this authoritative account, Miranda Green unravels the truth about the Druids. Examining the archaeological evidence, Classical commentaries and early Welsh and Irish myths, she shows that the Druids were fully integrated into Celtic societyfulfilling varied and necessary roles, both secular and religious. The Roman writers are seen to reflect the double standards of an invading society: condemning as barbaric the public sacrifice of enemies by the Druids while accepting as civilized their own practice of slaughter for sport in the arena. Yet the Classical sources can be used to help reveal the real Druids. We learn of their multiple roles as judges, teachers, healers, magicians, philosophers, religious leaders and fomenters of rebellion

If you're starting to wish that your husband had a mistress rather than a mother, and your nuclear family is exploding into a war zone, can your dreams survive the fall out? "There were three of us in the marriage" Ellie can't pus Princess Diana's infamous words out of her mind, except Ellie isn't dealing with a mistress, but with a matriach, and she can't decide which is worse... The Coopers were everything Ellie had always wanted. A large, loving family, parents Linda and Michael doted on their three children, and when Ellie married Dan, their eldest son, she was thrilled when they welcomed her in and treated her as one of their own. But Linda, who starts off as the perfect mother quickly turns into the mother-in-law from hell, and once Dan and Ellie return from their honeymoon and the Coopers' dysfunctions start to reveal themselves, Ellie wonders whether she's made a terrible mistake. with the arrival of baby Tom, Ellie's sure that the constant rows with her husband and simmering fury with her new family will die down. But instead, his birth sets off a chain of events that threatens everything Ellie has always dreamed of...

This is a fascinating book about the Celts and their religion, which covers all aspects of the gods, ritual customs, cult-objects and sacred places of the ancient Celtic peoples.