Christopher & Heather Dunbar on Celtic Myth

Celtic Mythology for the Dunbars

Heather: I find all mythology to be fascinating.  However, Celtic mythology is my favorite.  I grew up reading a lot of classical mythology stories, and it kind of got a little boring after awhile.  My interest in anything Celtic intensified in the mid-nineties, when I spent a wonderful summer in Europe as an intern.  I worked in Epping Forest around London and then backpacked through Western Europe.  The history and mythology of the ancient peoples in Europe just inspired me unlike anything else.  I wanted to learn more.  I still love learning about it.  It’s so multifaceted, and one could become lost in examining all the stories.
The Celts seemed to love tales involving characters who could be both villainous and heroic.  Today, many authors strive for the same thing in our books.  I feel proud to have a Celtic heritage (my family is primarily Germanic and Irish).  After my travels, I went back home to Texas and began to study everything I could about the Celtic tribes of Europe.  A lot of them suffered during the Roman era due to constant invasions, and their culture faded and merged with the Romans, except in Scotland and Ireland.  Today, more people are discovering the wonderful tales within Celtic mythology and realizing that the stories still resonate with us.

Chris: Until I met Heather, my only understanding of mythology had come from classical Greek and Roman mythology, and to a much lesser extent, Viking mythology.  Celtic, Asian, African, Polynesian, and many other mythologies were not covered in school.

I feel somewhat connected with Celtic mythology, as half of my heritage is from Celtic lineage.  The Celts were a great people, and their culture, beliefs, and language spanned all of Europe, western Asia, and even eastern North America, as recent archeological evidence has demonstrated.

Much of Celtic mythology has been lost, as the Celtic races have been usurped by other races and by other faiths, yet some elements of the Celts have survived, most notably in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, the Isle of Man, and Cornwall.  Celtic languages (Irish, Scots, and Manx, for example), customs, and beliefs have seen recent revivals, and I am happy to learn of so many people who, like me, are rediscovering the Celts.

Our favorite Gods/Goddesses/Myth creatures

Heather: Hmmmm… there are so many to chose from.  Yet, I will have to admit that my favorite is The Morrigan.  I do love to read about other deities and heroes, such as Lugh, Brigid, Cernunnos, and Cu Chulainn, but The Morrigan just really spoke to me when I learned about Her.

Chris: I would have to say The Morrigan, though since the question below asks about Her, I will say that, given that they are the chief beings in our series, I would say vampires… though not the Hollywood vampires with which most people are familiar.  I like the old-world vampires, before even the name “vampire” was known.  These beings, who consumed the life essences of mortals, had many names, respective of their cultures of origin.  Deargh Du, Algul, Ekimmu Cruitne, Ekimmu, and Lamia are just a few names attributed to these blood-drinkers.

The Morrigan

Christopher & Heather Dunbar on Celtic Myth

Celtic Warriors: The Raven Queen Preview + Giveaway

As Jules Watson said in her post yesterday, Celtic has many interesting legends on its warriors. Those warriors are not only male, but also female. One of the most popular is... Maeve; wife of King Conor of Ulaid, a strong powerful woman who had the determination even greater than most men.

Title: The Raven Queen

Author: Jules Watson

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Teaser: Breathing hard, she pulled her sword free and knelt before him. "I triumphed against those who opposed me, and won the loyalty of lords and warriors. The long dark was mild, and leaf-bud early. The crops are abundant, the flocks and herds swelling. All is fertile and unfurls with life."  p218

I haven't finish read this book due to work and my country's crappy post service but I've got to tell you so far I'm enjoying it. It got the action, the romance, and all that jazz. I'm going to post my review as soon as I finish reading it.

One lucky winner will be able to obtain a signed copy of The Raven Queen by Jules Watson. All you have to do is fill this FORM et voila, you're done!

Celtic Warriors: The Raven Queen Preview + Giveaway

Jules Watson on Celtic Myth

During the writing of my five Celtic novels, I received emails from places as scattered as Panama, India, Malaysia, Germany, Spain and Romania. These readers say they always had a "thing" about Celtic legends. So I began calling us all "The Lost Tribe". Since the Celts believed in rebirth, I say maybe we lived in Celtic lands once, and now are dispersed across the globe! True or not, Celtic myths are popular worldwide. But why?

Well, perhaps it is because they celebrate nature, with divine “spirit” held in every animal, tree, and stream. They include a mysterious Otherworld that lies just beyond our fingertips. In this fast-paced, technological world, we yearn to connect to nature, to know there might be “more” out there…realms where magic exists.

Celtic legends are peopled by noble heroes and fiery maidens, and in their stories, the Celts risk everything for honor, courage, and passion. We also long to be swept away by love, to see ourselves as honorable and brave, to “live free or die”. Unlike the intellectual Romans, the Celts were all about emotion. It may have doomed them, but we react to the glory and tragedy in their stories. It’s a more stirring world than the one we often find ourselves in.

My favorite Celtic myth is about the Irish hero Cuchulainn. He is the poster boy for Celtic honor and nobility – pure of heart, despite being deadly with a sword. Although not the central character, I tell his story in my most recent novels, The Swan Maiden and The Raven Queen. As often happens in Celtic myths, Cuchulainn’s fate is sealed by the greed and selfishness of others. He ends up having to fight his best friend and soulmate, Ferdia, to the death. It is Celtic tragedy of epic proportions. I loved writing it!

My books The Swan Maiden and The Raven Queen are based on Irish myths. The Swan Maiden is about the tragic heroine Deirdre, imprisoned by the ageing King Conor. She runs away with the warrior Naisi, and is chased by Conor’s knights, including Cuchulainn. Cuchulainn loves the fugitives, and his efforts to keep them safe while not betraying his honor, and Naisi’s efforts to stay free without betraying his honor, are very moving.

For The Raven Queen, I tackled the legendary warrior-queen Maeve, who was the force behind the great Irish heroic epic, the Cattle Raid of Cooley. Described in early stories as promiscuous and a brutal war-mongerer, she was too fascinating for an author to ignore!

Both these books involve the sidhe, the magical beings of the Celtic Otherworld. The sidhe appear in most Celtic myths as semi-divine warriors and maidens, kings and queens, and mischief-makers. I made them more elemental beings of spirit.

Birds and other animals are important in Irish myth. Maeve is associated with ravens. Ravens invoke prophecy and the Otherworld, a perfect totem for a warrior-queen who must call on the spirit world to defeat her enemies.

Deirdre, alone in Scotland, begins sensing the sidhe and also learns to “see” through water and fire – becoming almost a nature spirit herself. So I made her totem the swan, because in Celtic legends swans were also messengers of the Otherworld. Deirdre transforms into a spirit swan many times during her life.

My earlier historical fiction series, The Dalriada trilogy, is set in Scotland. The Romans are trying to conquer Britain, with my plucky band of Scottish Celts trying to stop them. Like in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon, I made my heroine a Celtic priestess. Although the books are adventure romances, this meant that I could weave in hints of real Celtic legends - an Otherworld of unseen powers who transform from animal to spirit; the rebirth of souls; our sixth sense; and the ability to foresee the future.

Though this trilogy is based on history, I found I could not resist the song of the Celtic Otherworld, either!

Ms. Watson had agreed to giveaway a copy of The Raven Queen to one of the lucky reader. The detail will be given tomorrow along with my preview of The Raven Queen! Visit her HERE!

Jules Watson on Celtic Myth

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Series: Divergent #1
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: Paperback 487 pages
Rating: 4 - Excellent!

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Summary:

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Review:

Chicago is divided into Five groups. The Candor (the Honest), The Amity (the Peaceful), The Dauntless (The Brave), The Abnegation (The selfless) and last but not least The Erudite (The Intelligence). Our heroine belong in The Abnegation. But not until she turned sixteen that she was able to attend the choosing day. And that means she can be part of one of the group and leave her current in where she grow up and was born to. But she found out something. Something different. Something that (can) changed her life.

Divergent is like another THG in some aspects. The story is divided into action, mystery and romance. Which I really found interesting especially how Ms. Veronica blend it. I really felt the emotions that was running through our heroines mind and so does the action. Just awhile ago I was nervous and wanted to skip that heart pounding situation and later I am happy and giddy.

As for the Characters. They were great. They put up to their role perfectly. The supporting characters was lovable. The villains are good and glad to say I hate them so much. As for heroine Tris is great. I love her guts and will. I was a bit worried about how will she be able to face the trials that will thrown at her. At first I really thought that she is weak and just like some characters in some books. A miracles will appear and someone out of no where will show up to help her. But it sure proved me wrong. Despite knowing that the trials was out of her hand to control and her opponents are way too stronger than her. She tried and tried to catch up with them if not by strength then by speed and brain. And her pride, guts and will didn't fail her. It did not only shocked everyone. But her opponents and comrades thought that she's a threat to their success.

People compares Divergent to THG and so does their characters. All I can is. Yes. THG is good, it’s remarkable. But Divergent’s characters are…real. you can see them struggle to survive their mission. The characters starts from zero as in they don't know what to do in any kind of situation they were thrown in to. They brought me to the last book because I felt them there, their situations, emotions and so does their actions. But that being said. It didn't give me contentment. I crave for more action and romance. I want to feel them more. It's like yes, I feel them. But it's still lacking.

The plot is thrilling. You can't help but guess and predict things or people and feel disappointed if your predictions was wrong. I was a bit carried by how the characters cares and acts esp. through how they stick to each other when the plot gets more entertaining or serious. There are some surprising and expected twist at the end of the story. And some shocking scenes that left me devastated. I hate and love this story.

Well as I have said above. The first book didn't give me satisfaction. So that also means that I will surely read the next book. Insurgent ?. There are a lot of things that needs improvement. Over all. It still entertain me til the end. Looking forward for the sequel.

Kay-c

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Midnight Summer Festival: My Favorite Mythology is...

Celtic Mythology

Compare to Greek, Roman, or Egypt Mythologies, Celtic Mythology could be consider as low profile due to lack of written record related to this mythology. However Celtic Mythology actually had given influences to other mythologies. It was widely believed that Roman 'stole' Lugh, the strongest God in Celt Mythology and transferred it into Jupiter. Either it's true or not, it's still debatable.
Many of us didn't aware that shapeshifter, fairy, changeling, trolls, and Tree of Life were actually part of Celtic Mythology. My interest in Celtic Mythology came from not-so-awesome background. One of my favorite RPG game in the past is Neverwinter Nights and I always use Druid as my character. I like Druid the most because not only they could fight, but they also have the power of healing and able to shapeshift.
I'm the type of person who when I'm taken interest on something, I will find information about it. So I dig info about Druid and it led me to Celtic Mythology and it fascinated me! The Ogham language, the Tree of Life, Shapeshiting ability, leprechaun, Morrigan, Danu, and of course, Druids.
So for the next 10 days let's celebrate Celtic Mythology with me! There will be authors talking about their favorite mythology and for every book I review during this event, there will be giveaways!

Midnight Summer Festival: My Favorite Mythology is...