The Bretons by Patrick Galliou and Michael Jones
0631164065
$27.16 from amazon.com
I don’t expect everyone to be as enamored of history as I am, but surely there are some of you who read a bibliography at the end of a good novel and are inspired to order one of the reference books listed. This book is listed in the bibliography at the end of Song of the White Swan, which is why I bought it. I found the reading slow but filling and it provided a good political and sociological understanding of the novel’s period.
The Breton people have inhabited a particular region for millennia, preserving their distinctive language and culture. In the ancient days of the Romans, their homeland was known as Armorica. It has given the world such rich gifts as the myth of the drowned land called Ys, and also provided sanctuary for the Templar Knights, and, up until the thirteenth century, the individualism of the native Bretons allowed for the survival of many pre-Christian beliefs.
Don’t be deceived into thinking this book is a romantic history, however. It’s a heavy, sometimes ponderous look at Brittany. If you are interested in Celtic studies, you should at least borrow it from a friend or from the library. If you are an author, historian or other researcher, find a place for it on your bookshelf.
The World of the Druids by Miranda Green
ISBN 050005083X
$30.00 US
$20.97 from Amazon.com
An informative history of the Druids from the descriptions of classical writers down to the reformation of modern Neo-Pagan Druidism. The text is illustrated with old and new photos and drawings of sites, practitioners and reconstructed ceremonies.
Green gives us a serious look at how the Druids lived and also presents historical evidence for Druidesses, a question still debated by many scholars. And while the author doesn’t try to hide any of the classical references to human and animal sacrifice, she also explores contemporary Druidic beliefs and practices, stating that today’s Druids revere the Earth, working determinedly to preserve and conserve, and believe that all life is sacred, that Druidry is a natural rather than a revealed religion and that it can be a bridge between religions. I found the book to be a very balanced treatment of the subject. The best thing about it is the factual glimpse it gives into ancient Celtic society.
The Sword and The Grail by Andrew Sinclair
0517586185
$22.50 US
Prince Henry Sinclair of Orkney, along with three hundred colonists, reached North America ninety years before Christopher Columbus did. Aided by the knowledge, skills and wealth of the Knights Templar, Prince Henry tried to help them establish the New Jerusalem, landing first in Nova Scotia and then in New England. Andrew Sinclair, a descendant of Prince Henry, writes with clarity and fervor, basing his conclusions both on family history and archaeological findings. In his quest to confirm the theories about the Prince’s voyage, the author also reveals secrets about the shadowy Knights Templar and the Masons and their connection to the Holy Grail.
Although there are many books on this subject, I was drawn to this because of the author’s Sinclair heritage. If you’ve read much of this sort of stuff, you know the basic background already. While I accept the fact that Prince Henry landed in Nova Scotia before Columbus, I’m not sure how I feel about the Holy Grail connections. Readers who demand scientific corroboration for such theories may be less than convinced by some of the speculative conclusions Andrew Sinclair presents. Although the book is persuasive in many areas and well worth the investment of time required to comprehend it, I still have reservations about whether or not the Templars tried to smuggle the Grail to North America. Their hunger for ongoing power and colonization are reasons enough for such a voyage without adding romance and myth to the stewpot. In the end, as with all things connected to spirit, it comes down to faith.
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