Cauldron of Rebirth
by J V Bews
Nightingale Books, Feb 2009
ISBN 9781903491829
shocking secrets…
forbidden magic…
and a quest for truth…
Maye is trapped in a life she doesn’t understand or like, despite the best efforts of dad Tim. She wonders why she has never met her mother, why Tim will never mention her, and why her friendships at school always seem to go wrong.
She knows nothing of her counterpart, Maeve, living in a Celtic hill-fort two thousand years ago. But their lives are strangely intertwined….
Then along comes Dafydd, a mysterious Welshman, with his powers to rebuild damaged lives, human and animal. Should Maye trust him? Who is he really? Why does he hint of a deep, forgotten magic?
where ancient myths…modern science…and philosophy interconnect
(Cauldron of Rebirth bookblurb)
‘Cauldron of Rebirth’ is a story with philosophical ideas in it. Just read it as a story if you like. Or follow the philosophy. Links from this page will take you to some leading philosophical questions, chapter by chapter.
Dafydd the Welshman has strange links to the past and seems to be an expert in ancient Welsh myths. But is that what they are – just myths? Interwoven into the story is a dilemma at the heart of modern science. Can mythology and science be equally powerful in different ways? How do ideas and words shape the world we live in?
I consider it a most worthwhile project…..I found it particularly fascinating as I went along to keep referring to your website. What interested me most was the way the website was able to draw out philosophical ideas – things to think about – from passages of the story which read at the time purely as a novel.
Professor Russell Stannard, scientist and best-selling author of the ‘Uncle Albert’ series of books for children
A mysterious tale that combines fiction with philosophical ideas. The book and the website www.hotphilosophy.com are great for encouraging children to consider philosophical questions…’
Junior Education Plus (Scholastic) May 2009
Buy Cauldron of Rebirth from Amazon
About the mythology!
In myth, the Cauldron of Rebirth is very likely the forerunner to the Chalice (or Cup) of the Holy Grail.
The knights of the round table went on a quest for the Holy Grail. The knights themselves are probably based on the old Celtic gods, made human and with different names. The knight Perceval, for instance, is perhaps a later version of the ancient god Pryderi.
Both the Cauldron and the Grail Cup share magical and mystical qualities. Both lie hidden, to be found only by one who is completely pure in heart. And that person must travel through waste, desolate lands, to a fortress or castle…Corbenic Castle, the Castle of Wonders, Castell Brân…
Let me know if you like thinking about philosophy through a story, and if you have discovered any other philosophical questions in the book. Do you like the way mythology and science tell the same story, but differently? And who is your favourite character? Your replies may be posted on the site.