Welcome to the Druid's Grove Reccomended Reading List. Our main list of reccomended books comes from the ADF but feel free to suggest titles in this thread that inspired you.
Indo European
In Search of the Indo-Europeans: Language, Archaeology, and Myth
J.P. Mallory
A summary of known scholarship on the peoples from whom the Celts, Germans, Greco-Roman, and Baltic cultures descended. This book is fairly dense and reads on an advanced level. It could also be classed as Proto-Indo-European. (We have a short review of this book.)
Comparative Mythology
Jaan Puhvel
A good discussion of Indo-European myth. It covers the entire spectrum of Indo-European myth.
A History of Pagan Europe
Nigel Pennick and Prudence Jones
A simpler review of the history of Pagan peoples and their beliefs.
The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory: Why an Invented Past Will Not Give Women a Future
Cynthia Eller
This book takes a hard look at what evidence there is or is not for the Gimbutas assertion of a matriarchal goddess-worshipping, pan-European Neolithic society.
Hearth Cultures
Celtic Culture
There is no definitive collection of Celtic myth, but there are many good sources on who the Celts were, including a few mythical cycles:
The Celtic Heroic Age: Literary Sources for Ancient Celtic Europe and Early Ireland and Wales
John T. Koch (Editor)
This book includes a large number of sources on the Celts, all included in a single place. Many of the translations are updated, and it includes many obscure texts.
Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales
Alwyn and Brinley Rees
The very best study of pattern and meaning in Celtic myth, with special reference to Vedic lore.
Pagan Celtic Britain
Anne Ross
An exhaustive survey of known archaeology and lore about Celtic remains in
England, Scotland and Wales.
The Mabinogi, and Other Medieval Welsh Tales
Patrick K. Ford
The most academically accepted translation, it also includes the Battle of the Trees, a pronunciation guide, and an index of names.
The Tain: Translated from the Irish Epic Tain Bo Cuailnge
Thomas Kinsella, Trans.
One of the main Irish Myths, the Ulster Cycle is key to understanding Irish mythology. This translation is considered standard among academics.
A Brief History of the Druids
Peter Beresford Ellis
The best modern survey of what we know and don't know about the Celtic Druids.
(previously/also marketed as "The Druids")
The Druids
Stuart Piggott
Previously the best survey. Somewhat unfriendly to the culture it describes, but full of good data about the archeology and facts about the Druids.
Greek/Hellenic Culture
Hellenic Pagan lore is contained in a number of books, available in inexpensive student editions:
Greek Religion
Walter Burkett
An overall survey of Cult and practice in Greek Paganism, and is a basic text book of beliefs.
Religion in the Ancient Greek City
Louise Bruit Zaidman, Pauline Schmitt Pantel; Paul Cartledge (Trans.)
Another good overall summary of Greek religious practice.
Theogony and Works and Days
Hesiod, with M. L. West, ed.
Descriptions of both myths and religious practices. The introduction to Norman O. Brown's translation is considered to be one of the best, though his translation is somewhat dated.
The Iliad and The Odyssey or The Homeric Hymns
Homer
These tales embody much important lore about Hellenic Paganism. The Hymns make the powers and nature of each of the deities clear.
Norse Culture
The Poetic Edda
Lee M. Hollander, Edda Saemundar, eds.
The Eddas, in addition to the Sagas, make up many of our primary sources for the Norse traditions. Hollander's translation is currently regarded as the best in academic circles, but it is more difficult to read than some others.
Edda
Snorri Sturluson, Anthony Faulkes, eds.
This is also known as "The Prose Edda", because it is related but different from the Poetic Edda above. While the Prose Edda was discovered before the Poetic Edda, scholars have come to date the former as historically later than the latter. However, both Eddas are useful, interesting, and widely cited in Norse scholarship. The Everyman edition (linked here) is the complete Prose Edda - some editions leave out valuable material.
Gods and Myths of Northern Europe
H.R. Ellis-Davidson
Davidson is one of the best writers on northern European Paganism. All her books are worth reading.
The Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer
Jesse L. Byock
Akin to the Nibelungenlied, this book more accurately reflects the Pagan ideals in the literature, rather than the courtly nature of the Ring Saga, and is preferred for DP work. The introduction here is almost as valuble as the Saga itself.
Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe:
Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions
H.R. Ellis-Davidson
A good shore compilation of what is really known and what can be surmised of the religions of the ancient Celts and Germans.
Proto-Indo-European Culture
Heaven, Heroes and Happiness
Shan M. M. Winn
Winn is primarily interested in ideology and its expression. Quite a bit of time is devoted to patterns and themes in IE cultures.
Roman Culture
Romans and Their Gods in the Age of Augustus
R.M. Ogilvie
Ogilvie's brief text on this subject has been the definitive text on Roman religion for decades. He demonstrates his thorough understanding of how the Romans worshipped, as well as how they thought about their religion during the Age of Augustus.
Fasti
Ovid
A poetic description of the festivals of the Roman year which unfortunately breaks off at the end of June. This classic work is available from many publishers. Try searching at Amazon.com to find the price range or book style that you prefer.
The Gods of Ancient Rome: Religion in Everyday Life from Archaic to Imperial Times.
Robert Turcan; Antonia Nevell, trans.
A good source for Roman religion. It seems that his books are being translated slowly, so keep an eye out for them.
An Introduction to Roman Religion
John Scheid; Janet Lloyd, trans.
This book comes highly recommended as an intro to the religion of this culture.
Search at BookFinder.com Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome
Lesley Adkins, Roy A. Adkins
Focuses mainly on culture, but there is also some information on Roman religion.
Slavic/Baltic Culture
The Bath House at Midnight: Magic in Russia (Magic in History)
W.F. Ryan
A collection of scholarly literature on the history of magic and divination in Russia. Information was gathered by the author for over 30 years.
The Early Slavs: Culture & Society in Early Medieval Eastern Europe
P.M. Barford
And easy to read and nicely objective introduction to early Slavic culture.
Vedic Culture
Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads (2 Volumes)
A.B. Keith
This is the must have book for anyone interested in Vedism. While Keith does not focus on much of the material that should be dealt with for a practitioner of Vedism, he does introduce those new to Vedism with strong facts and a wonderful starting point.
Religion of the Veda
Hermann Oldenberg; Shridhar B. Shrotri (Trans.)
Oldenberg does often get confused on some Vedic concepts, as pointed out by out noted scholars such as Keith and Macdonell, but this is a must read for further understanding the ancient Vedics.
The Origins and Development of Classical Hinduism
A. L. Basham
This book focuses primarily on Classical Hinduism but it does cover the Vedic period and it's disintegration into Hinduism. This is a wonderful introduction which allows the individual to see the differences between the Indo-European Vedism and the non Indo-European Hinduism.
Vedic Mythology
Arthur Anthony Macdonell
This book is a must have for anyone serious about Vedism. It describes a large group of the Gods, complete with references from the Vedas and just where to find these references yourself.
Modern Paganism & the Pagan Revival
Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today
Margot Adler
The classic survey of American Neopaganism, including plenty on ADF, our origins and growth.
The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft
Ronald Hutton
A detailed book, discussing the origins of Wicca, the source of most of Neo-Paganism. It serves as a counter-balance to much of the information and theories that are likely to be encountered when reviewing Neo-Paganism in general. It is recommended that, due to its focus on Wicca, Dedicants supplement this reading with more sources.
Being a Pagan: Druids, Wiccans, and Witches Today
Ellen Evert Hopman, Lawrence Bond
This book is a set of interviews from modern Neo-Pagans. Some ADF members are interviewed for this book, as well.
(Also marketed as: People of the Earth: The New Pagans Speak Out)
The Idiot's Guide to Paganism
Carl McColman
A book that covers the basic forms of modern Paganism.
Nature Awareness
Note: These books do not fulfil a requirement for the ADF Dedicant Program, but are provided to help Dedicants work through the Nature Awareness section of the DP.
Landscape and Memory
Simon Schama
An extraordinary survey of European attitudes to and conceptualizations of nature over the course of the last 500 years or so, and how our ideas of nature have shaped how we interact with it. Spans Europe from Poland to the Atlantic and from England to the Mediterranean, as well as (the European experience of) America and Australia. Reasonably scholarly but still quite readable.
Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You
Clare Walker Leslie; Charles E. Roth
A very popular book with homeschoolers and teachers.
