Did the book accurately portray the Celts?

Use this forum to discuss the September Book of the Month "Apollo's Raven" by Linnea Tanner.
sush_destiny
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Re: Did the book accurately portray the Celts?

Post by sush_destiny »

I didn't know about the Celts earlier, but, I learned after reading this book. I realized then that the author was historically accurate.
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Post by winecellarlibrary »

Lil Reads wrote: 01 Sep 2018, 22:59 One thing to remember about Celtic history is that the Romans wrote extensively on them with a clear bias and political aim. To the Romans, many Celtic customs seemed odd. For example, Celtic women did have a more important role both inside the family and in politics than Roman women. Archaeologists have noted that Celtic images and figurines of their deities show a distinct divide into pre-Roman and post-Roman influence. Prior to Roman interaction, male and female deities were usually depicted as being of similar height and with equivalent power; post Roman, the female deities are depicted as smaller and subservient.

For a more specific example, Boudicca was written about by two main Roman historians, both after her death. Both write about her as a very physically intimidating figure and describe how brutally she attacked Roman settlements, graphically describing what the soldiers did to the Roman women and children. She even gets a grand speech before her final battle, almost like a Shakespearean soliloquy. By portraying her this way, the Romans emphasize how terrifying they perceived the Celts and made themselves look better since they took on Boudicca and won.

So in short, most of our perceptions about Celts are filtered through Roman perspectives and we are still learning more about Celtic civilization.
Thank you for sharing this. I know regrettably little about Celtic history.
There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears a human soul!
-Emily Dickinson
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Rayah Raouf
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Post by Rayah Raouf »

I know the author put a lot of research before writing the book. I beleive she tried to be as acuurate as possible.
Memories are dangerous things. You turn them over and over, until you know every touch and corner, but still you'll find an edge to cut you.― Mark Lawrence, Prince of Thorns
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Post by markodim721 »

I think the book accurately portrayed the Celts. Of course, it should always be borne in mind that for the ancient Greeks and Romans, all other peoples were just barbarians.
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Post by photosynthesis19 »

I was perplexed at how quickly and openly Catrin displayed her attraction to Marcellus when she was supposed to be a composed and reserved warrior princess. I also felt that their immediate flirtations and physical intimacy, such as holding hands right away, were too bold for the time period that the book is set in. However, the author includes a disclosure in her book that the majority of characters and events are purely fictional, so once I accepted that the book focuses more on fantasy, I found it much easier to immerse myself in the story and not think too much about historical accuracies.
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