The Tribe of Witches: The Religion of the Dobunni and Hwicce

Stephen Yeates has written a most interesting book. He has attempted to draw together all the evidence he could find of the religion of a single Celtic tribal area of Britain, something that does not appear to have been done before. This was particularly of interest to me as it is the tribal area in which I live and whose ancestral blood runs in my veins. 

Obviously the primary evidence is archaeological but he also draws on place-name evidence and evidence from the sparse relevant literature. However, how far he succeeds in his design the individual reader will have to make up their own mind. Clearly he has made his point over the goddess Cuda as mother goddess of the Cotswolds with her attendant hooded spirits. Also in saying that the Hwicce were the same people as the Dobunni after accepting the language and lordship of the conquering English. Well, even Bede agreed that was true and who am I to argue with him?

Where I think he goes a little beyond the evidence is when it comes to the tribal mother goddess with her tub and linking the tub to a circular valley spanning the Severn north of Gloucester. There are, after all, other examples of goddesses with tubs outside of the tribal area and that the tub should relate to the valley I would say is definitely not proven. But this speculation does not detract from the rest of the book. Stephen Yeates' book is a significant addition to this area of study. I commend it to you.