Celtic Parables

Robert Van De Weyer has written and edited extensively in the area of Celtic literature and lore. In fact, he has two book entitled Celtic Parables, one longer one (approximately 250 pages) with full stories, arranged by categories, with an introduction and a good bibliography. The shorter one (64 pages) is more of a gift book, with brief excerpts from parables, done with an interesting graphic layout. Please check out my review on the other book, too.The longer Celtic Parables, which bears the subtitle Stories, Poems and Prayers, is laid out in the following topics as chapter groupings: - Truth and Falsehood - Love and Hate - Virtue and Sin - Faith and Doubt - Riches and Poverty - Pleasure and Pain - Peace and Conflict - Wisdom and Folly - Youth and Age - Life and Death One might get the sense that there is a dualist framework to the Celtic worldview, but in that this dualism is fairly superficial. There is a deeper connection between these apparent poles than we often understand. One of the best ways to illustrate the connections is through storytelling, particularly the kind of short, metaphorical storytelling that parables embody. Parables and the use of storytelling for education and worship pre-date the introduction of Christianity to Ireland and other Celtic lands, but it does serve to explain the easy acceptance of much of the Christian message to Celtic peoples. Many of the stories now have a Christian flavour to them, but often these are modern revisions of older pagan stories, with the names changed to represent the change in religious orientation. Very readable, very accessible, many of the parables in this collection take up one page or less of text. Many of them read in this translation like a prose poem. Most have a couplet or small synopsis at the end of the parable that helps make explicit the meaning contained in the story, rather like Jesus turning to the disciples after many parable-tellings and saying, 'Don't you get it?' and then proceeding to tell the disciples the points they missed. Celtic spirituality is very popular at the moment, and for good reason, as the items in this collection ably demonstrate. There is a real humanity to the writing. There is care, compassion and warmth of emotion. There is concern and respect for the natural world (which would tie in both with the early Christian pastoral emphases and pagan naturalist practices). These are things that have seen a resurgence in the modern time.

Robert Van De Weyer has written and edited extensively in the area of Celtic literature and lore. In fact, he has two book entitled Celtic Parables, one longer one (approximately 250 pages) with full stories, arranged by categories, with an introduction and a good bibliography. The shorter one (64 pages) is more of a gift book, with brief excerpts from parables, done with an interesting graphic layout. This is a review of shorter book -- please also see my review on the longer book. The shorter Celtic Parables bears the subtitle Hospitality, Humor and Holiness. Lavishly illustrated (as befits the designation of being a gift book), the categories are different here. After a brief introduction on the stories of the Celts, the arrangement is by person, not by topic: - Patrick - Brigid - Brendan - Columba - Aidan - Cuthbert - Iltut - David - Mungo - Piran - Kevin - Colman - Owen - Comgan Within each broad division is a short collection of parables and stories attributed to or about the person in question. These are, like in the larger collection, short and to-the-point stories, wonderful for inspiration. My favourite comes from the collection of Columba, and had particular meaning for me as I sought to discern whether or not I should be a priest. In central Scotland Columba converted a young farm labourer called Molluch. Although the young man could not read or write, he wanted Columba to ordain him as a priest. 'If I were a priest,' Molluch said, 'I would be able to care for the other Christians in this area, and I could also win new converts.' Columba decided to test Molluch's vocation. He took Molluch to a neaby lake, and found a coracle. 'Go out in the coracle,' Columba said, 'and try to catch fish.' Molluch was mystified, but did as Columba instructed. For two days and nights Molluch sat in the coracle, holding a rod over the side, but caught nothing. Then at dawn on the third day, a fish bit on the hook, and Molluch hauled the fish aboard. But as soon as Molluch saw the fish with the hook in its mouth, he took pity. Carefully he extracted the hook, and threw the fish back into the water. Then he rowed back to the shore. When he had explained to Columba what had happened, Columba smiled and said: 'You have proved that you have the three qualities necessary for the priesthood. First, you are patient. If you are willing to wait two days and two nights to catch a fish, you will wait two years, even two decades, to catch a soul. Secondly, you are compassionate. If you can take pity on a fish, then you show far greater pity for humans in need. Thirdly, you are humble. Even though you were the cause of the fish's distress, pride did not prevent you from saving it.' So Columba ordained Molluch, who proved an excellent priest. ------- The stories included in here are meaningful, touching, and very grounded in the human experience, while reaching for higher spirituality. As Van De Weyer states in his introduction, Like all good storie