Caitlin Matthews Reviews

Page One

Added November 8, 2004

Mabon and the Guardians of Celtic Britain

Author: Caitlin Matthews
Publisher: Inner Traditions
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: September 2003
Genre: Nonfiction: Spirituality/Mythology/Celtic
Format: Paperback
Price: $14.95
ISBN: 089281920-0
Reviewer: Cyndi Witkus

This is the first book of a two book series dealing with the Mabinogion, a Welsh collection of myths that aren't always easily understood. Caitlin Matthews takes the myths of the "Four Branches"- "Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed", "Branwen, Daughter of Llyr", "Manawyddan, Son of Llyr", and "Math, Son of Mathonwy", concluding with the tale of "Culhwch and Olwen" and the story of "Taliesin".

She takes the myths down to the basics and shows how various other Irish, Scottish, and British myths show various features that can help explain the meanings behind the story. Reading this along with a more current translation of the Mabinogion is one way to truly get a feel for the depth and underlying spirit of the Myths of Britain. I've found myself reading the Mabinogion with a great sense of ease, using this book as a companion guide along with the second book, King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land.

Caitlin Matthews has truly managed to capture the spirit of these myths and make them understandable to people. She outlines various features of each myth and how they fall into specific patterns that occur throughout Celtic mythology and others, thus rendering them easier to place within the realm of understanding. Some of these myths are precursors to various myths that are better known, yet having read this book, you get a deeper sense of those myths and their meanings. This book will keep you fascinated until the end and then leave you ready for the second volume. In return, you'll see things that reflect in our daily lives that relate to various myths that perhaps we've not recognized before. Truly a book that opens our eyes to history, ancient cultures, and more, it's one book to be added to the mythology books as a ready reference.

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Added November 8, 2004

King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land

Author: Caitlin Matthews
Publisher: Inner Traditions
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: December 2002
Genre: Nonfiction: Spirituality/Mythology/Celtic
Format: Paperback
Price: $16.95
ISBN: 089281921-9
Reviewer: Cyndi Witkus

This book is the second book of the Myth Book of Britain. The first book, Mabon and the Guardians of Celtic Britain, deals with the hero myths of the Mabinogion. The second book deals with the Arthurian myths and their meaning. Caitlin Matthews has outdone herself in the presentation in this book. I considered the first book to be very helpful in understanding some of the myths of Mabingion, but when I started using this book in connection with the Mabinogion, I was astounded at the depth of research, easiness in understanding and how the flows of the myths come together and show a depth that I've never recognized before.

Many times, we hear the tales of Arthur and his knights, but we really don't understand some of the tales and how they really relate to something beyond a quest. This book helps you to understand the basics of Celtic mythology, helps to understand how Sovereignty, often represented in Feminine form, as it is a King that rules, thus Sovereignty, being a creator and giver, is female, plays a huge role in these Arthurian tales. Though Arthur doesn't necessarily play a huge role in most of these myths, his tie to the land as well as others ties to Sovereignty are shown. From warnings, to gaining hallows, this book helps make sense of the meanings of the various nature of the people, lands, and magickal moments that occur.

This indepth book helps you to learn more about how these myths relate to the beliefs of Sovereignty, how it is given and taken away, and even deeper, how these basics relate to how we see things today, including dealing with the concept of Arthur not being dead, but waiting for the time when his people need him most. Truly an outstanding book that helps bring about understanding of the Mabingion, I highly recommend this book along with its counterpart to be included in your mythology reference shelf. It might take a while to go through it while reading the original myths, but your appreciation will grow as you begin to understand the world in which these myths originated.

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