The Mysteries of Stonehenge: Myth and Ritual at the Sacred Centre [Hardcover]

Uncover the ancient secrets of Stonehenge and its connection to Celtic mythology.

Nikolai Tolstoy's magisterial study explores the human story behind the stones, enlivening our understanding through surviving fragments of British oral tradition. He reconstructs significant aspects of pre-Roman British pagan ideology, revealing Stonehenge as the sacred center where profound beliefs were celebrated.

Delve into the myths and rituals that shaped the ancient world, and discover how they illuminate Stonehenge's enduring mysteries. Perfect for readers seeking to bridge the gap between archaeology and literature, thisinsightful explorationreveals:

• Thedeep-rooted cosmological beliefsof early Britons
• Thesacred functionof Stonehenge as the island's omphalos
• Howancient traditionswere preserved in medieval Welsh texts

The mythic foundations of the world's greatest archaeological mystery.Count Nikolai Tolstoy is the author of several books on Celtic mythology, including bestseller 'The Quest for Merlin' (Hamish Hamilton, 1985; Little, Brown, 1986). A graduate of Trinity College, Dublin in Modern History & Political Theory, he also pursued a course in Celtic languages & culture. His book, 'The Oldest British Prose Literature', was Wales Book of the Year runner-up 2010. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and an Honorary Associate Member of St Anthony's College, Oxford.John Waddell is the former Professor of Archaeology and Head of the Department at NUI, Galway. He studied at the University of Glasgow and worked in the National Museum of Ireland before returning to Galway in 1970. Appointed Professor of Archaeology in 1998, he is a member of the Royal Irish Academy. His research interests lie mainly in the archaeology of prehistoric Ireland and in the prehistoric relationships between the island and Britain and Continental Europe.