Celtic Britain and Ireland, Laing, L&J. Herbert Press 1995 ISBN 1-871569-75-3
This is actually a book on Celtic art. It contains a wealth of photographs and discusses how 'Celtic' art and society in Britain developed over time, with war, religion and commerce as determining forces.

Celtic Goddesses, Green, M. British Museum Press 1997 ISBN 0-7141-2312-9
An excellent study which draws on historical and archaeological evidence for Celtic goddesses. Though the book is broad in scope, there is considerable time spent on the British goddesses. Green begins by looking at the role of women within Celtic societies, before examining goddesses under headings such as 'Mistress of the Beasts' and 'Water-Goddesses, Healers and Mothers'. This categorisation helps in drawing parallels and exploring possibilities of commonality over various localities. There is an entire chapter dedicated to 'The Divine Female in Welsh Myth', which looks at Rhiannon, Arianrhod and Olwen, among others.

The Celts, Origins, Myths and Inventions. Collis, J. Tempus 2003 ISBN 0-7524-2913-2
This fascinating book focuses on how the Celts were reinvented in the 16th and 17th centuries and of how these mistakes still affect the interpretations placed upon sources and evidence.

Dying for the Gods, Aldhouse Green, M. Tempus 2002 ISBN 0-7524-2528-5
A study of human sacrifice in Iron Age and Roman Europe. Written in an accessible style, with good notes and bibliography. Green explores the nature of sacrifice in antiquity and its importance in the relationship between this world and the Otherworld. She looks at the evidence for sacrifice, ritual murder and mutilation after death, and at the significance of place, illustrated by the positioning of finds such as the bog bodies.

Trees & Woodland in the British Landscape, Rackam, O. Phoenix 2001 (first pub 1976) ISBN 1-84212-469-2
Describes the changing character, role and history of trees from the Roman period up into modern times, destroying a few myths about our native woodlands along the way. Contains maps and footnotes.

The Black Book of Carmarthen, Trans. Pennar, M. Llanerch 1989 ISBN 0-947992-31-6
Selected translations alongside the original text. The book concentrates on the Myrddin poems and includes a useful introduction.

A Celtic Miscellany, ed. K.H. Jackson. Penguin classics 1984 (reprint) ISBN 0-14-044-247-2
Anthology of Celtic literature which includes Brythonic/Welsh material from ancient times up until the 19th century.

Early Welsh Poetry, Williams, I. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1944.
Series of lectures given by Ifor Williams to the Dublin Institute. Contains some insightful comments, the comparisons between Irish and Welsh poetry are particularly interesting. (NB, This text is planned for inclusion on the Caer Feddwyd site)

Taliesin Poems, trans Pennar, M. Llanerch 1988 ISBN 0-9479922
Translations of the Canu Taliesin poems, alongside original and facsimile text. Includes an excellent introduction.

The Triumph Tree, ed. Clancy, T.O. Canongate 1998 ISBN 0-86241-787-2
This book is subtitled 'Scotland's Earliest Poetry AD 550 - 1350'. Obviously, the earlier of these dates falls within the period that a good part of Scotland was still Brythonic speaking. Thus, this book contains translations of Y Gododdin along with nine Taliesin poems and another two possible Taliesin pieces. The excellent translations are by Joseph P Clancy, the father of the editor. They preserve a sense of the originals while being good poetry in their own right. Additionally, the book contains a wealth of Gaelic and Norse poetry.

Welsh Medieval Lyrics, trans Clancy, J.P. Macmillan 1965
The aforementioned translator of the Brythonic poetry in The Triumph Tree. This book is a treasure trove of Medieval poetry from the likes of Dafydd ap Gwilim, Gruffudd ap Adda, Iolo Goch and Sion Cent. While these translations preserve the literal meaning of the poems, they also capture the sense of the originals, the wit, the hiraeth and the passion. Highly recommended.

Celtic Rituals, Kondratiev, A. New Celtic Publishing 1999 ISBN 1-90201-218-6
Something of a bible for Celtic Reconstructionists, this book is still one of the only texts which deals with how to incorporate an ancient religion into modern life. There are some excellent ideas for both group and solitary practice. If there is one criticism, it is that the rituals suggested are quite 'Wiccan' in feel, though that was not the intention of the author. Note that this book was reprinted under the new title 'The Apple Branch.

The Druids, Kendrick, TD. Senate 1996 (first pub 1927) ISBN 1-85958-036-X
Very much a book of its time. However, the text is firmly rooted in historical and archaeological sources, and is still a level headed and useful account, despite the different interpretation which we might place upon these sources as our understanding has increased.

The Book of Druidry, Nichols, R. Thorsons 1990 ISBN 1-85538-167-2
While this book is certainly not recommended as a history of the ancient Britons and the Druids, it casts a great deal of light upon the philosophies behind the OBOD, which Ross Nichols founded. This is stuff based heavily on Fraser and Graves and upon the now outdated ideas of the likes of Margaret Murray and Violet Alford. Prehistoric survivals are seen everywhere, leaps of logic form the basis of the book. Invaluable as a window upon the creation of modern Druidry.

The Triumph of the Moon, Hutton, R. OUP 1999 ISBN 0-19-820744-1
Focussed on modern witchcraft practices rather than druidry, nevertheless, this book has a great deal of information regarding the rise and spread of modern paganisms.

Witches, Druids and King Arthur, Hutton, R. Hambledon and London 2003 ISBN 1-85285-397-2
An excellent collection of essays covering a wide range of topics. The articles on the Glastonbury myths and how the academic world views King Arthur are of particular interest. The book also contains studies of modern Druidry and other paganisms.

Celtic Heritage, Rees A&B. Thames and Hudson 1961 ISBN 0-500-27039-2
Though this book is now relatively old, it still deserves a place on any bookshelf. It was one of the first texts to thoroughly explore the similarities between 'Celtic' and Indian mythologies. The book discusses cosmology within Irish and Brythonic myth, and then goes on to devote whole chapters to various mythological themes such as births, deaths, marriages etc. A criticism is that it is very much founded on the ideas of Georges Dumezil, whose rather simplistic view of ancient societies is now rejected by most anthropologists.

Chronicle of Celtic Folk Customs, Day, B. Hamlyn 2000 ISBN 0-600-59837-3
Relatively useful though quite hard to navigate, this book contains a list, plus short descriptions, of folk customs from the six 'Celtic Nations'. The lists themselves are worth having, though he includes many customs which are by no means 'Celtic' in origin. Worth looking out for second hand, but not worth the full hardback price.

The Death of Merlin (Arthurian Myth and Alchemy), WJ Stein. Floris Books, 1990. ISBN 0-86315-113-2
Very much in the Jungian vein, and the text is problematic in many areas. However, some of the concepts explored are interesting enough to merit reading this book. Although this book was published recently, it is based upon lectures given in the 1930s and this is reflected in the nature of the text.

Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, MacKillop, J. OUP1998 ISBN 0-19-869157-2
Highly recommended. This comprehensive and scholarly book has a wealth of information on all aspects of Celtic mythology.

Myths and Legends of Wales, Roberts, T. Abercastle Publications 2000 ISBN 1-872887-02-3
Useful little book, which explains some of the basic figures of Welsh myth. It summarises the Mabinogion tales (though these seem to be derived from the Guest translation) and then more interestingly, gives some lesser known local legends from around Wales.

The Physicians of Myddfai, Trans Pughe, J. Llanerch 1993 ISBN 1-897853-15-7
Facsimile reproduction of the English text first published in 1861. Contains the legend of Llyn Y Fan Fach and translations of two of the ancient texts of remedies.

Sacred Waters, Bord, J&C. Paladin 1986 ISBN 0-586-08524-6
Exploration of holy wells in Britain and Ireland, which includes discussion on water lore and a useful gazetteer of surviving sites.

Stations of the Sun, Hutton, R. OUP 2001 (Reprint) ISBN 0-19-285448-8
Comprehensive study of seasonal celebrations in Britain from a historical perspective.

Tales of the Celtic Bards, Hamilton, C. O Books 2003 ISBN 1-903816-54-8
Nice retelling of Irish, Scottish and Welsh legends, along with a CD that can be used to enhance the experience.

Welsh Legends and Folk Tales. Jones, G. OUP 1955.
The bulk of this book is taken up with the Mabinogion stories, but there are also some lesser known tales. The author is one half of the Jones brothers who produced one of the best known Mabinogion translations.

Alawon John Thomas, Ed. Cass Meurig. National Library of Wales 2004 ISBN 1-86225-042-1
A fiddlers tune book from 18th century Wales. Cass Meurig, the well known cwrth and fiddle player introduces the collection with information on the history of instrumental music and song in Wales and the context of the manuscript. She also provides notes on the the pieces. Notation is very clear, and the book is very well formatted for practical use, having card covers and ring binding.

Two Hundred and Fifty Welsh Airs for a Shilling, Davidson's Musical Miracles. Llanerch facsimile of 1859 edition.
ISBN 1-86143-084-1
Sadly costs slightly more than a shilling these days, but this little book is still good value. It is literally just a tune book, (no lyrics) but has a fantastic range of pieces from dance tunes to slow airs. An invaluable book for harpers and fiddlers.

Welsh National Music and Dance, Gwynn Williams, WS. J Curwen and Sons 1963(?) No ISBN.
Interesting and wide ranging study in two parts. The first is a history of music in Wales from the earliest times up until 1282. The second part is a look at the traditional dances, songs, harp tunes and Penillion singing that have come down to us.

Jones, G&T. Everyman 1992 (First pub 1949) ISBN 0-460-87066-1
Classic and popular translation, which remains close to the original texts and contains a useful introduction plus some footnotes.

Names from the dawn of British Legend, Griffen, TD. Llanerch 1994 ISBN 1-897853-65-3
Examines the names of Taliesin, Aneirin, Myrddin and Arthur to see what can be gleaned from linguistic analysis. The book also looks in some depth at the structure of surviving literature in an attempt to shed light on the date of writing. Some unconventional conclusions, but an interesting and worthwhile read.

Celtic Women P.B. Ellis. Constable 1995 ISBN 0-009-472460-1
Covers the history of women in Celtic-speaking societies from the earliest times onwards. Concentrates mostly on the Irish evidence. While this book is very readable and informative, Ellis is not beyond presenting mythic truths or speculation as historic fact. The book contains no footnotes nor references.

The Celts, Chadwick, N. Penguin 1971 ISBN 0-14-013607-X
Although scholarship has moved on a great deal since this book was first published, it still stands as a good introduction to the 'Celtic' tribes of Britain and Europe.

Source Book series, Matthews, J. Blandford, 1998.
This series comprises The Bardic Source Book (ISBN 0-7137-2664-4), The Druid Source book (ISBN 0-7137-2572-9) and The Celtic Seers Source book (ISBN 0-7137-2780-2) While most books by both John and Caitlinn Matthews are best approached with caution, this series is very good. They are basically a collection of various out of print writings, which are otherwise hard to come by. A wonderful collection for reference.

The Coming of the King, Tolstoy, N. Bantam Press 1988 ISBN 0-552-13221-7
Evocative fiction, telling of the legend of Myrddin. Written in a rich, poetic style in which layers of meaning are skilfully woven.

The Crow Goddess, Finney, P. Fontana, 1980 ISBN 0-00-615773-4
This is a well paced, compelling adventure set in Roman Britain. However, if you want historical accuracy, look elsewhere...

The Life and Death of a Druid Prince, Ross A. and Robins, D. Rider, 1989 ISBN 0-7126-5081-4
Truly dreadful. The book sets out with a premise which it then seeks to validate by selective and misleading use of evidence and dubious speculation. The redeeming features are the appendices, which contain some useful information and insight. But generally, don't bother.

The 21 Lessons of Merlyn, Monroe, D. Llewellyn 1994 ISBN 0-87542-496-1
This book is unaccountably popular among newcomers to the Druid scene. Perhaps because of its mystical language and the authors claim that this is authentic ancient Druid lore. Of course, it is not. Quite how the author managed to cram so many inaccuracies between its pages is almost beyond me. It would be hysterically funny were it not for the fact that it also contains advice on herbal medicine which could be lethal if followed. This book is dangerous, irresponsible dross.