Item #65190 The Round Towers of Ireland, or the History of the Tuath-De-Danaans; A New Edition with Introduction, Synopsis, Index etc. Ireland - Round Towers, Henry O'BRIEN.
The Round Towers of Ireland, or the History of the Tuath-De-Danaans; A New Edition with Introduction, Synopsis, Index etc.
The Round Towers of Ireland, or the History of the Tuath-De-Danaans; A New Edition with Introduction, Synopsis, Index etc.
The Round Towers of Ireland, or the History of the Tuath-De-Danaans; A New Edition with Introduction, Synopsis, Index etc.

The Round Towers of Ireland, or the History of the Tuath-De-Danaans; A New Edition with Introduction, Synopsis, Index etc.

London: W. & Thacker and Co., 1898. New Edition. Hardcover. Large octavo. xcv + 551pp. Green buckram gilt lettered and embellished on spine. B&w frontispiece with tissue guard, engraved plates & illustrations, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Title-page in red and black. Edition limited to 750 numbered copies. An attractive "new" edition. It includes a 30 page biographical Introduction and a useful synopsis not in the original edition of 1834 which was published under the title: "The Round Towers of Ireland Or, The Mysteries of Freemasonry, of Sabaism, and of Budhism for the First Time Unveiled." The author, Henry O'Brien (1808–1835) was an Irish classicist who here presents his theory that the round towers of ancient Ireland were created by a phallic cult among the Tuatha Dé Danann (the main deities of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland). The author began his study with a Preface which included copious praise of Freemasonry, which apparently caused such offence in some circles that a number of copies of the work were mutilated by having it torn out. O'Brien then sought to trace the origins of the towers, tracing connections between ancient Ireland and such unexpected places as Egypt, Persia, and India, and religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Mithraism, and various forms of phallic worship. Cloth lightly rubbed with modest signs of use, corners and spine ends bruised, pages lightly browned with some very light scattered foxing, owner's name etc on front blank. Overall a tight, clean VG+ copy (no dust jacket issued). Item #65190

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