"druids" By Morgan Llwyln

[Aithne]

Say, has anyone read the novel "Druids" by Morgan Llwelyn?

It is a must-read! It's an excellent telling (I don't want to say "story") of how the Celtic tribes of Free Gaul actually rallied together under one leader to try and fight back Caesar's intruding forces. The book is told from the point of view of Ainvar, from his childhood, his man-making with the young Vercingetorix, to him riding to battle with Vercingetorix as his soul friend and Chief Druid.

Beside the fact that it is told so passionately, you've got to love the insight it gives you on the Druids, life in a Celtic tribe, and the Celts' side of the story. How they saw the Roman invasion. And you'll actually make sense of Druidic rituals. Even the human sacrafices seem perfectly logical.

Yes, we do know the ending of the story becasue it's history.. but when I read the book, I just felt that, maybe, just maybe, the Celts will really drive Caesar back. It's like you know they won't but you just hope...

Anyway, great book.


Cheers,
Aithne

P.S.- WARNING: There is a Druidic ritual preformed in the book and it's called "Sex magic". So you might want to be reconsider if you think you'll get uneasy reading about that. But hey, it's an important Druidic ritual.

[celtica]

Oh wahou ! It seems VERY interesting !!
I hope this book can be found in France...(not sure, the books come always later here... ).
Thanks for telling

[Madadh]

If you mean Morgan Llywelyn, she also wrote "Red Branch", "The Lion of Ireland", and "The Horse Goddess" all about the celts.

[greenldydragon]

Gotta check it out. Thanx for the info!

[Aithne]

You're welcome.

Anytime!

Aithne

[Madadh]

Morgan's book are very good. "Red Branch" and "Lion of Ireland" are great books for Guys. Her book "Horse Goddess" is about the early celts.

[ImmortalAvalon]

I love Morgan's Celtic novels, though I'm sorry to say I've never read "Horse Goddess". However, I have read "The Druids" and thought it was very good. My favorite, though, is Lion of Ireland. It's a marvelous books. I thought it was a shame that its sequel, Pride of Lions, didn't match its greatness as a story.

[Oenghus MacOg]

Morgan Llywelyn is my favorite fiction author. I love anything I read from her. I am especially fond of "Bard", "Finn MacCool", and, of course, "The Druids" which, as all her work, kept me in tears. I cry for my memory of generations past. I really enjoy her ability to convey the deep significance of seemingly mundane daily activities.

[Mailagnas maqqas Dunaidonas]

Thanks to this thread, I've been reading "Red Branch," a re-telling of the story of Cuchulain, the Hound of Ulster. His story ranks with the works of Homer as epics of Western civilization, albeit not nearly as well known.
As the Hound of Ulster, Cuchulain was a champion with the responsibility for protecting Ulster from invaders from the south. Given the current situation in Ulster, I can't help wondering whether the Ulster Scots, who are likely the descendants of the Ulaid who emigrated to Dal Riada (Scotland) from Ulster, then back to Ulster, could use the assistance of Cuchulain today.