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I have always had a passion for history, especially medieval and ancient history, and the cultures which it reveals. My books have all been published within the last few years ago, but some of the ideas have been with me for a very long time. For me, it’s the human connection that interests me about the past, not lists of dates and names. I’m more interested in cultural history than political - in what is sometimes called ‘historical anthropology’.
That’s why my first approach to any historical culture is through its literature and, where possible, its music. As well as my translations of medieval Celtic poetry, I have a huge backlog of unpublished translations from Latin, Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon.
Of course there’s more to life than history, and we should not allow our view of the past to cloud our vision of the future, but I do believe that knowing something of our cultural past can help us to understand who we are today. Other current interests include political gossip, religion and the nature of consciousness. And I’m starting to pursue my old interest in writing my own poetry again.
I’m also taking an increasing interest in the Scottish clans, not so much as a historical phenomenon but as a current phenomenon. I’m interested in their appeal to ordinary people, and why they appear to be losing their charm for many modern-day Scots. And as a proud member of Clan Ewen, I’m interested in what to do about it. Find out more at my Clans Page.
I've also been looking into my more recent family history. It can be a time-consuming hobby, but well worth it. There’s a link for my Ancestry page below.
