Miranda J. Aldhouse-Green, 'Animals in Celtic Life and Myth'(repost)

Animals in Celtic Life and Myth examines the intimate relationship between humans and animals in a society in which animals were central to all aspects of life. Miranda Green refers to a variety of early Celtic documents, as well as archaeological and iconographical evidence to argue that the Celts believed many animals to be sacred, either possessing divine status or acting as mediators between gods and humans. She covers the crucial role of animals in the Celtic economy; in hunting and welfare; in Celtic art and literature; in religion and ritual. The book covers the important period between 8 BC and AD 1, during which much of Europe, ranging from Ireland to Czechoslovakia, was turning to Christianity.