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Sun Dancing: Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality
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Sun Dancing: Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World Paperback - 1999

by Geoffrey Moorhouse


Summary

Visible on a clear day off the west coast of Ireland, the Skellig Islands, a cluster of cruel rocks, rise spectacularly from the Atlantic Ocean. A sanctuary to birds and seals today, for over six hundred years during the middle ages it was a center for a particularly intense form of monastic life, one that acclaimed writer Geoffrey Moorhouse explores with utmost fascination, scholarship, and imagination in Sun Dancing. A must read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Celtic spirituality, Moorhouse's lively narrative is a superbly imagined account of the monks' isolated life-the spiritual struggles and triumphs and unbelievable physical hardships. To complement and enrich the book, Moorhouse establishes the historical context of Irish monasticism and describes the monks' influence and undeniable role in preserving western civilization, as well as unexpected connections between medieval Ireland and India, Egypt, and Byzantium, and the surviving impact of pagan mythology. An entertaining and enlightening work, Sun Dancing makes medieval Ireland come alive.

From the publisher

Visible on a clear day off the west coast of Ireland, the Skellig Islands, a cluster of cruel rocks, rise spectacularly from the Atlantic Ocean. A sanctuary to birds and seals today, for over six hundred years during the middle ages it was a center for a particularly intense form of monastic life, one that acclaimed writer Geoffrey Moorhouse explores with utmost fascination, scholarship, and imagination in Sun Dancing. A must read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Celtic spirituality, Moorhouse's lively narrative is a superbly imagined account of the monks' isolated life-the spiritual struggles and triumphs and unbelievable physical hardships. To complement and enrich the book, Moorhouse establishes the historical context of Irish monasticism and describes the monks' influence and undeniable role in preserving western civilization, as well as unexpected connections between medieval Ireland and India, Egypt, and Byzantium, and the surviving impact of pagan mythology. An entertaining and enlightening work, Sun Dancing makes medieval Ireland come alive.

First line

The men at the oars moved as though they had all the time in the world at their disposal.

Details

  • Title Sun Dancing: Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World
  • Author Geoffrey Moorhouse
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition 1st Harvest Edit
  • Pages 304
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Harper Paperbacks, New York
  • Date 1999-03-11
  • ISBN 9780156006026 / 0156006022
  • Weight 0.59 lbs (0.27 kg)
  • Dimensions 8 x 5 x 0.74 in (20.32 x 12.70 x 1.88 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: Medieval (500-1453) Studies
    • Cultural Region: Ireland
    • Ethnic Orientation: Irish
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

"Geoffrey Moorhouse has taken his fascination with the Skellig Islands and created from it a unique work. . . . Its distinctive combination of documentary fiction and engrossing scholarship will compel many readers."-Thomas Keneally, author of Schindler's List and The Great Shame
"Highly original, gracefully written, and carefully researched . . . Moorhouse can go deep, and his scholarship is impressive."-The Boston Globe
"Moorhouse writes with eloquence and a quiet humor calculated to charm even the blackest of heathens."-The Atlantic Monthly

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Sun Dancing: Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Sun Dancing: Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World

by Moorhouse, Geoffrey

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Sun Dancing: Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World
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Sun Dancing: Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World

by Moorhouse, Geoffrey

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Sun Dancing: Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World
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Sun Dancing: Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World

by Moorhouse, Geoffrey

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Sun Dancing
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Sun Dancing

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Sun Dancing : Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World
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Sun Dancing : Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World

by Moorhouse, Geoffrey

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Sun Dancing : Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World
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Sun Dancing : Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World

by Moorhouse, Geoffrey

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Sun Dancing : Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World
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Sun Dancing : Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World

by Moorhouse, Geoffrey

  • Used
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Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780156006026 / 0156006022
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Sun Dancing: Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World
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Sun Dancing: Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World

by Moorhouse, Geoffrey

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Sun Dancing : Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World
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Sun Dancing : Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World

by Geoffrey Moorhouse

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1999. Paperback. Good. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Sun Dancing : Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World

Sun Dancing : Life in a Medieval Irish Monastery and How Celtic Spirituality Influenced the World

by Geoffrey Moorhouse

  • Used
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  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780156006026 / 0156006022
Quantity Available
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Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
CA$9.41
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Show Details

Description:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1999. Paperback. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
CA$9.41
FREE shipping to USA