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University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville
1995
141, xii Pages
ISBN 9780813915487
Crossing the circle at the Holy Wells of Ireland
Walter Brenneman, Mary Brenneman
Even before the time of the Celts, Ireland was believed to be a land of power that "welled up" from the earth in the form of bubbling springs and healing waters. The myths and rituals surrounding these holy wells have been modified through the centuries as pre-Celtic and Celtic rituals blended with Christian traditions to form the combination of rites performed at these sites today. Drawing on fifteen years of fieldwork and archival research, conversations with local informants, and scrutinyof dozens of maps ancient and modern, the Brennemans have written the first study of these wells that offers an in-depth interpretation of their symbolism and their mythological and ritual origins.
Publication details
Full citation:
Brenneman, W. , Brenneman, M. (1995). Crossing the circle at the Holy Wells of Ireland, University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville.
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