Moyra Caldecott (1927–2015)

In Celtic myth, the mixture of wise spiritual teaching and dramatic imagery creates new, potent, and disturbing visions. This selection of eleven stories, some more than 3,000 years old focuses on the women of ancient British mythology, from the formidable women warriors who trained heros to fight and kill to the beautiful companions who led them to higher realms of feminine intuition and spiritual wisdom. Caldecott goes beyond a mere recounting of female strength, providing lucid personal show more commentary that illuminates the complete myth and the culture from which it springs. These powerful stories transmit a recognition of the mystery of being and an understanding of the powerful magic of inner transformation. Source: Publisher show less

This starts out promisingly enough as a Celtic princess is out hunting with her betrothed and ends up following an enchanted stag. Unfortunately from there things seen to go in strange directions. There are also disturbing scenes that don't seem to add much to the story.

There are flashes of good reading here and some of the characters seemed promising but in the end, as there are some ideas that didn't sit well with me, I was left feeling uncomfortable.

Moyra Caldecott takes the legends and myths of Ireland, Wales and Scotland and tells some fo the stories of women from these myths, retelling the stories in her own words and then talking about some of the meanings and roots of the stories and what she can see behind the story.

It's an interesting read, if only for the stories, the interpretation is also quite interesting and does look at the myths and talk about their universality and how they would be a teaching tool.

I read this book in an attempt to learn more about the historical person I know as Aethelthrytha. She reputedly stitched a stole for St. Cuthbert, was once married to King Ecgfrith of Northumbria (who died at the battle of Nechtansmere, at the hand of the Picts), and founded an abbey at Ely.

In short, she sounded like an interesting, strong, historical Anglo-Saxon woman. This book educated me on the facts of her life, and I am pretty sure the author got her chronology correct, even though show more she never mentioned the stole for St. Cuthbert.

But it was not an engaging book. It felt like a recital of events, peppered with a large cast of characters with unfamiliar names. And in most cases, any particular name showed up only briefly. This book could have been a family history from a geneology site, but it was not an engaging story.

It is more pleasant than a timeline, but only barely. The author does not make us care particularly about Etheldreda, who is portrayed woodenly, but better than any of the supporting characters to her story.

Recommended only to those who wish to know more about the facts of her life, with a little background in the politics of England in the 600s. Not recommended to the general reader. show less