Works of the Past


This part of the library presents out of copyright texts that we've been fortunate enough to acquire. We're passing our good luck along to you in hopes that more of this time-honored information can be shared by all.

Bardic Schools is an excerpt from Douglas Hyde'sA Literary History of Ireland. It provides us with a glimpse into the training and ways of the Druids, Filidh and Scholars of Early Ireland from a nativist, traditionalist viewpoint.

Learning in Ancient Ireland is an excerpt from P. W. Joyce's A Social History of Ancient Ireland. It provides us with another glimpse into the training and ways of the Druids, Filidh and Scholars of Early Ireland from a nativist, traditionalist viewpoint.

Ogham Book of Woods is an excerpt from Auraicept na n-Éces. This is where the idea that Ogham are named after trees. The Fiilidh who were the inventors and users of Ogham wrote a treatise on it!

Barddas is a work that contains much that is true, much that is untrue and much that could be true. It has been discussed among Druids and Bards for two centuries. We are including it here in the Summerlands for your consideration so that you may be knowledgeable about it . Read and judge for yourself whether there is wisdom to be found within its pages.

We are very thankful to Mark Carter for providing us with scanned copies of the texts. He has gone on to writing an analysis and review of the White Goddess by Robert Graves that gives a new insight into the impact that work has had on modern thoughts and beliefs and many levels of understanding about why and how it can to be.

The Coligny Calendar represents what was known about this Druidic calendar at the end of the 19th century. There are plenty of modern theories about it as well.

Irish Metrics by Kuno Meyer is a summary treatise on the various forms of verse by the Filidh. It alsocontains a fairly complete list of the most famous poets among their ranks.

Education and Literature is an excerpt from Eugene O'Curry's Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish Vol. II. This was one of the seminal works in reawakening an awareness of ancient Ireland and the ways of the Druids, Filidh and Brehons. Here are presented the chapters on their schools and education.

The image reading software used here is called Slideviewer. It's a product of Ginini Technologies Limited (NZ) and Peter Sundstrom

ic32.gif (1152 bytes) A Literary History of Ireland (Bardic Schools)

ic32.gif (1152 bytes) A Social History of Ancient Ireland (Learning)

ic32.gif (1152 bytes) Auraicept na n-Éces (OghamBook of Woods)

ic32.gif (1152 bytes) Barddas Book 1 by Iolo Morganwyg

ic32.gif (1152 bytes) Barddas Book 2 by Iolo Morganwyg

ic32.gif (1152 bytes) The Coligny Calendar by John Rhys

ic32.gif (1152 bytes) Irish Metrics by Kuno Meyer

ic32.gif (1152 bytes) Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish (Education and Literature) by Eugene O'Curry

ic32.gif (1152 bytes) The Summerlands Library

 


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page last updated on 19 November 2004