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A Recommended Reading List for Dedicants

The Pagan revival has been troubled from the beginning by shoddy scholarship and indulgence in esoteric fantasy. When wishful thinking and poor science take the place of true knowledge, all of Paganism is harmed. Ár nDraíocht Féin was founded on the principle of respect for the actual old ways of Europe. We believe that by starting with the foundational remains of Iron Age Paganism we can build a modern system that will serve modern needs and be true to ancestral spirit.

We recommend you choose one or two titles at a time and begin working your way through them. This is by no means exhaustive, but is the initial list of books that ADF Dedicants must choose from, and thus consists mainly of books for a student beginning to study Paganism the first time. There is little direct mythology for each culture, because we hope to have our Dedicants understand the culture that the myths come out of before delving directly into the myths.

We've also worked hard to make sure that every book on this list is in print. Unfortunately, all the best books seem to go out of print, and sometimes libraries don't carry them. We hope this list will not only aid study, but will also be highly accessible, and we have broken the list into the following categories: Indo-European Studies; Hearth Cultures: Celtic Culture, Greek/Hellenic Culture, Norse Culture, Proto-Indo-European Culture, Roman Culture, Slavic/Baltic Culture, Vedic Culture; Pagan Revival; Nature Awareness; Additional Notes; and Other Listings.

Note: ADF will receive a referral bonus if you order from Amazon through a link on this page - thanks!

Indo-European Studies & Overview

	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

Deep Ancestors: Practicing the Religion of the Proto-Indo-Europeans Ceisiwr Serith From ADF Publishing, this book provides a solid introduction to Proto-Indo-European work and lays an excellent framework for work in "common Indo-European" formats. Included here are rituals for the turning wheel of the year, from planting to harvest to equinox rites. Additionally, there are rites for ancestors, lists of reconstructed deity names (and the functions those names imply), and domestic rituals for the family at their hearth.

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.
	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.

	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.
	Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca And Paganism in America Chas S. Clifton A book covering the basics of the Neo-Pagan movement today, starting with Wicca and exploring the varieties of Paganism from there.

Nature Awareness

Note: These books do not fulfil a requirement for the ADF Dedicant Path, 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.

(Please note that if you wish to purchase any of these titles online, we have worked in association with Amazon.com Books to make them available for easy ordering.)

Additional Notes

We recommend that the beginning student avoid any nonfiction by Robert Graves, D.J. Conway, Lewis Spense, H.P. Blavatsky, Edward Williams (aka Iolo Morganwg), or any works by others based on their writings, or those of Merlin Stone, Barbara Walker, or other revisionist ideologues. Some of the assertions made in these sources can't be supported by current scholarship on the Druids; the use of common sense and a critical eye are highly recommended in dealing with these books (and all the other books listed on this page as well). This is not to say that they don't have their own possible worth or that people shouldn't know about these books, but that an understanding of these writers should come after understanding Druidry/Neopaganism in general. One has to get a firm grounding, four walls and a roof before she can decide on what kinds of curtains to look at.

When in doubt, consult your nearest tree...

Other Recommended Reading Lists

Individual ADF Guilds will likely also have more extensive reading lists for topics relating to Guild activities (e.g., liturgy, healing, etc.). Guilds are open to ADF members only, so if you are not a member but are interested in specific Guild recommended reading, please consider joining ADF. Also, some ADF Groves have developed their own recommended reading lists so you may want to see if there is an ADF grove near you or visit various grove web sites.

Related Pages: Out of Print Books

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