What is a good starting point for someone new to the Celtic polytheism? What sources should I read first? Thanks
Alrighty, so here are some sources that have helped me:
1. hearth fires and death pyres resource post which focuses on Gaelic and Irish Polytheism. It goes pretty indepth in terms of Dé Ocus Andé (Gods and Ungods), offerings, the basics of IP and GP as well as reconstructionism, what authors to avoid, and lists numerous books on folklore, mythology, etc. Overall, it is a pretty awesome source for beginners and for people who have been practicing for a while.
2. An (updated) List of Celtic Resources post. In my opinion, this is another great source for beginners. It covers history, mythology, languages, and gives a comprehensive list of websites to check out.
3. A Celtic Studies Starter Kit. I highly recommend looking through this short list. I have read most of the books listed and the books below really helped me understand which path I wanted to follow:
Gantz, Jeffrey. Early Irish Myths and Sagas. London: Penguin Books, 1981.
Thomas Kinsella. The Tain. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1970.
T. G. E. Powell. The Celts. Thames and Hudson: New York, 1980. Second ed; reprint. 1991.
Sjoestedt, M. L. Gods and Heroes of the Celts. 1949; translated by Myles Dillon. repr. Dover Publications, 2000.
Cunliffe, Barry. The Ancient Celts. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997; Penguin 2000.
The books I listed above aren’t the end all be all in things you should read first. However like I said before, these are the ones that helped me in the beginning to get a good grasp of who the Celts were. Often times, you can get a better understanding of the people you are learning about by reading about their deities and religion.
With all of the being said, the best advice I can give you is to pick a resource and if it seems too advanced, put it away for another day and choose another one. We all started somewhere and at the beginning, I depended on modern translations of myths and newer academic works to help me understand because I just couldn’t grasp the original translations of these works.
Anyhow, I hope this helps you! If you have anymore questions, let me know :)
