Category Archives: Book Reviews

Taking Up the Runes

Author: Diana L. Paxson Publisher: Weiser Books Published: 2005 ISBN: 9781578633258 Synopsis: Although many of us first encountered runes in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, this sacred alphabet is by no means a fabrication for books or movies. Similar to Hebrew letters in the sense that each symbol contains a meaning that transcends its original …

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The Atlantic Iron Age

Author: Jon Henderson Publisher: Routldge Published: 2007 ISBN -13: 9780415436427 Synopsis: It may be surprising to learn that this book is the first ever survey of the Atlantic Iron Age: this tradition is cited in archaeology frequently enough to seem firmly established, yet has never been clearly defined.With this book, Jon Henderson provides an important …

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The Rune Primer A Down-to-Earth Guide to Runes

Author: Sweyn Plowright Publisher: Rune – Net Published: 2006 ISBN: 9781847282460 Synopsis: Historical facts about the runes in plain English. This book looks at what we really know about them and how we know it. There is also a discussion of the popular authors of esoteric runology, and a chapter exposing the myths and misconceptions …

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Runes (Reading the Past)

Series: Reading the Past Author: R.I. Page Publisher:University of California Press and the British Museum Published: 2007 (Fifth edition, Originally published in 1987) Synopsis: In Orkney, Shetland and the Scottish Islands, in Ireland, the Isle of Man and above all in Scandinavia, travelers still come upon great memorial stones, inscribed with the curious angular alphabet …

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The Anthropology of Ireland

Authors: Thomas M. Wilson and Hastings Donnan Publisher: Berg Publishers Published: 2006 ISNB-13: 9781845202392 Synopsis:Where and what is Ireland? What are the identities of the people of Ireland? How has European Union policy shaped Irish people’s lives and interests? This book argues that such questions can be answered only by understanding everyday aspects of Irish …

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A View from the West: The Neolithic of the Irish Sea Zone

Author: Vicki Cummings Publisher: Oxbow Books Published: 2009 ISBN: 9781842173626 Synopsis: At the the heart of this study are the early Neolithic chambered tombs of the Irish Sea zone, defined as west Wales, the west coast of northern Britain, coastal south and western Scotland, the western isles and the Isle of Man, and the eastern coast …

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Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom

Author: Erynn Rowan Laurie Publisher: Megalithica Books, Stafford, England Copyright: 2007 ISBN: 9781905713028 Synopsis: With two decades of experience with the ogam and more than 30 years of working with divination, the author offers insights into the many profound meanings hidden in the ogam letters and their lore. She explains each letter in context and shows …

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An Irish Literature Reader: Poetry, Prose,Drama

Author: Maureen O’Rourke Murphy and James MacKillop Publisher: Syracuse University Press Published: 2006 (first edition 1987) ISBN:9780815630463 Synopsis: In a volume that has become a standard text in Irish studies and serves as a course-friendly alternative to the Field Day anthology, editors Maureen O’Rourke Murphy and James MacKillop survey thirteen centuries of Irish literature, including …

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A Guide to Ogam

Author: Damian McManus Series: Maynooth Monographs number 4 Publisher: An Sagart, St. Patrick’s College Published: 1991 ISBN: 1870684753 Review: I read this book as part of my research into Ogam. I wanted to see what its history was and where it first began as well as where it was found. The author of this book …

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Early Irish Literature

Author: Myles Dillon Publisher: Four Courts Press Published: 1948 (University of Chicago Press), 1994, 1997 ISBN – 13: 1851821775 pbk Synopsis: Great classic of Celtic studies. Survival of pre-Christain Druid beleifs in Medieval Christian manuscript texts. Review: The author started his Preface with why he decided to write the book and what he provided the …

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