The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain

In this fascinating, scholarly study, noted author and folklorist Lewis Spence provides a compelling and thoroughly researched account of occult beliefs and practices in Celtic Britain, including the origins of the Druids and their association with the Divine King, the Arthurian cults and the mystery of the Holy Grail, questions of second sight (the ability to envision the world of spirits), Celtic spells and charms, necromancy, prophecy, divination, the Celtic belief in reincarnation, mysticism, and many other topics.Readers will find here a wealth of information on mystical occurrences and magic feats, as well as fascinating discussions of the magical books of the Celts, Druidic spirituality and sacrificial practices, augury, the Celtic spirit world — with its populations of banshees, leprechauns, brownies, and a host of lesser spirits — and much more.Brimming with an abundance of material that illuminates how, for the Celts, the world was permeated with spirits, mystical happenings, and the power of the unseen, this erudite, painstakingly researched account will appeal to anthropologists, folklorists, and anyone interested in the beliefs, customs, and spiritual life of the ancient Celts of the British Isles.