Figures and stories from Celtic mythology appear frequently in pop culture, books, games, and films. The phrase ‘Celtic mythology’ generally refers to the pre-Christian polytheistic beliefs held by the people living in the British Isles before the Roman invasion. However, not a single primary source has survived from the Celts themselves concerning their own mythology; all we have are later Roman and Christian texts describing Celtic cultures, and these are far from objective sources of information. The prevailing picture we have of a Celtic mythology is an amalgamation of a handful of medieval texts, and a world of historical imagination. As the leading scholar Mark Williams states, popular representations of Celtic mythology are often "retellings of retellings, in which dubious 'truths' about Celtic myth are endlessly recycled."

So what can we know about the Celtic pantheon? Join me as I guide an exploration into the depths of British history and come face-to-face with Celtic mythology. This course offers a rich exploration of history and literature in conversation, designed for anyone drawn to mythology, pre-Christian belief systems, and the enduring allure of “Celtic” art and identity. Together we will uncover how and why these myths have been reshaped, misrepresented, and revived—and what that reveals about the cultures that told and retold them. Along the way, you may find not only a clearer understanding of these powerful narratives, but also fresh inspiration for your own creative and intellectual engagement with them.

Course Outline:

Week One
• Session 1: Sources: Unpicking the Evidence
• Session 2: Webs of Irish, Welsh, Germanic and Norse Mythologies
Week Two
• Session 3: Case Study: Brigid
• Session 4: Sacred Sites: Geography and Mythology
Week Three
• Session 5: Material Evidence: Visual Art and Objects that tell Celtic Stories
• Session 6: Ossian and the Eighteenth-Century
Week Four
• Session 7: The Fabulous Victorians
• Session 8: Scholarship to the Present and Beyond