Gods and Heroes of the Celts

Book excerpt: Publisher description: Sjoestedt's splendid gifts of interpretation and synthesis, together with her remarkably balanced judgements, are an essential contribution to understanding the unique balance of male and female power found in the Celtic mythology. Within her clear analysis of myth and tradition, the author explores the matriarchal world-view of early Celtic religion, as that religion was formed in careful companionship with the male-defined Heroic world of social and political order. This text is a vital part of the recovery of women's spiritual traditions, and a clear outline for future studies of Celtic mythology.