A Dictionary Of Celtic Mythology (Oxford Paperbacks)

Rating:
Summary: Useful but flawed
Review: Quite frankly, if this is the best reference work on Celtic legends and culture, this only goes to show how very bad the rest are. Other reviewers have pointed out the irrelevant English items and very bad etymology; I would like to add that the book is infuriatingly uneven in its references. Some I have been able to track down; other entries have no origin listed at all, which has resulted, in one case, in a desperate and completely unavailing trawl through EVERY TITLE in the Brittany bibliography - and that for a reference which is absolutely fundamental to my research. I know this particular character and folk-tale exist; they must, because other facts I encountered confirm that they must; but because Mr. MacKillop has not given his source for his description, I am unable to proceed. And that is not the only case in which the entries let me down. It is pointless to write a reference dictionary if you are not going to give references!

Rating:
Summary: Mostly Good
Review: There is much in this book that is useful about Celtic folklore and mythology. However, the etymologies are usually incorrect. This may not matter to some. It does to me.

The back cover claims that this book has "authoritative...etymologies for Celtic names..." when they are in fact neither authoritative nor correct.

For example, MacKillop gives for the entry Deva an etymology from Latin meaning goddess "[L. goddess]." However, the Latin for Goddess is _diva_ not _deva_. The word _Deva_ is transparently Brittonic from (Proto)-Celtic *_deiwa_.

Especially annoying for me is the etymology of English words used as headings, which are out of place in a Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (I believe).

So, while the entry for "Stag" is indeed useful, giving the etymology of 'Stag' from "[OE stagga]," (while at least correct in this instance), is just absurd.

As for careerist motivations and cut and past "druidical" names: ...

Lastly, my motivations were not careerist, but one of informing others. A book that claims to be authoritative in Celtic etymologies, I belive ought to live up to that claim. Unfortunately, this one doesn't, and others should be aware of that.

Rating:
Summary: Best one out there
Review: This is the best, most comprehensive, and best researched reference of its type. There are a very few errors, but such are inevitable in any reference work. They do not detract from the book's value, or the quality of MacKillop's scholarhsip.