Current troubles in the middle east have focused much international attention on Saudi Arabia. However; little has been published in English on the background to its culture and its roots in the First Saudi State that arose in 18th-century Najd (central Arabia).The Islamic reform movement that imbued it with its sense of mission; and the life and thought of its proponent Shaikh Muhammad b. 'Abd al- Wahhab (1703/4-1792); have been similarly neglected.
#8925758 in Books 1996-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 6.50 x 1.25l; #File Name: 0094723303592 pages
Review
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Dated; but a classic for good reasonBy Christopher R. TraversThis book is something of a classic; being one of the only comprehensive attempts at looking at the archaeology of Celtic mythology in Britain. The book is quite comprehensive; well-structured; and well organized; and it provides a tremendous amount of information on Celtic pagan religion both in pre-Roman and Roman times. The book does a great job of attempting to tie together the iconography and disparate literary traditions to present a picture of Celtic pagan religion supported by evidence.The book is dated in a number of key areas; including reliance on outdated archaeological and mythological theory. In particular; the mythological and iconographic analysis relies too much (IMO) on typological analysis and not enough on looking at the internal structure of the myths themselves. As a result I would not recommend this work to beginners; but rather to advanced students interested in additional information which could be used to fill in gaps.On the whole; this book is irreplaceable yet it is not something that should be read as an authoritative textbook. The author clearly intended this to be read as a set of iconographic and mythological studies rather than as an authoritative summary of the topic. In this regard it's very; very good; but not something to simply hand an inspiring student who has not yet learned enough to address the work critically. It's still a book I would highly recommend to folks who have read other materials first.Books to read first:The Druids (Ancient Peoples and Places Series)The Ancient Celts17 of 17 people found the following review helpful. A recommended read for those studying pagans and CeltsBy Siobhan Olaoghaire SannesPagan Celtic Britain is an exhaustive study of the archaeological and mythic evidence of pagan Celtic practices specifically in Britain. Filled with maps; drawings and photographs; the author charts the locations of cult sites; especially springs and wells; and then covers certain themes in pagan worship such as the veneration of heads; and explores the prominent horned and warrior gods; the various goddesses; and the significance of animals such as the boar; horse; and especially birds. Ross concludes by examining these themes as evidenced in a particular region; northern Britain.At times this is a bit of bore to read; as there are pages that can go by where you feel you are reading nothing more exciting than a museum catalog. The limited analysis at times seems hesitant; leaving me to wish that the author was less concerned about saying the wrong thing and offending academia; and instead had the courage to state bold opinions about possibilities of what some of these things mean. For instance; there is the recurring image of the ram headed serpent. It is minimally described as being a fertility symbol but this is never explained. For instance; is it because the horns are associated with the horned god who symbolizes fertility? Why do horns symbolize fertility in the first place? And why is this image combined with a serpent? I realize there are some things we can't know without getting into someone's head (obviously an impossibility) but at the same thing a lot can be inferred and more ideas can be presented; with the caveat that the theories are inferential and stated as such to give the reader food for thought.Reading this I also realized how important it is to study the Gaulish material since it equates with the insular studies and specimens are much more numerous and analyzed. I am also further reminded of the fact that the Celts have over 300 named god/desses which we know of; most of which are named only once. This is apparent in this study with the huge amount of material which is catalogued. Also included are numerous gods and goddesses for which we have names but no epic. It is curious to contemplate these and wonder what their "stories" were.However; speaking of ideas; I did like the theory that the Druids were perhaps attempting; in their last years; to codify and perhaps homogenize Celtic pagan ritual and belief. This allows for interesting speculation about what kind of networking they might have done; what institutions or systems they might have created. This impetus was stopped by the Romans; leaving you to wonder what might have happened otherwise. And; lastly; I was somewhat bothered by the author's slight contempt for the Druids. She rather looks down on the whole idea of Druids as philosophers; putting it off as classical author's romantic ideas towards the "noble savage"; and in fact savage and barbarian are terms she uses for them. I thought this was a bit of the old imperialist and colonialist attitudes of the British; still vaguely coming through.In the end though; I thought this was a very worthwhile read (despite the negatives I have written about here.) It provided depth and detail regarding the pagan Celts of Britain that would certainly be worthwhile for the student to read. A bit on the dry side; but with useful information and knowledge.2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Good for what it is.By QadriyaWhile well written this book appears to rely heavily on archaeological research and inference rather that the social history that this writer had been recommended for. I haven't finished it yet; so it may speak to me more as I go along.
