Celtic Worship

[Fish and Bread]

What do we know about the nature of Celtic worship in ancient times? Are there particular services or rituals that have been uncovered by historians? What would an authentic pagan Celtic priest or priestess do for his/her people? Do we know whether priests were male, female, or both?

 

[Feathers in Hair]

I think it depends on which tradition or area one is wishing to discuss. Are you looking for a specific area, or more just what we know right now?

 

[Fish and Bread]

I think it depends on which tradition or area one is wishing to discuss. Are you looking for a specific area, or more just what we know right now?

I suppose I'm looking for a general overview: What was it like to be a Celt in the time before the Romans arrived? What was the spirituality of the average person? What did they hold sacred? Did they attend a daily or weekly service? Were there prescribed liturgies or rituals? Did they have temples? Priests? How did they interact with their gods -- Prayers? Sacrifices?

As someone with a distinguished red beard, I obviously have my share of Celtic ancestory. I'm interested in what we know about the religious practices of my forebearers.

 

[Mike182]

hmmm, an educated guess (that being a guess made by me, without looking in a history book, but phrased so that it looks educated) would be after the Stone Henge era, and before the Roman empire, was a lot of mead..... i suppose that because they were tribal people, there are no "universal" gods/goddesses worshiped by all the celts, individual tribes would hold different practices and different Gods.

i would also guess that because Celtic framers reformed the methods of farming, they may have offered sacrifices at certain times of the year for the gods/goddesses of harvest/summer.

but, i must stress, i am just guessing

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Lemmie go up and get and get some of my books on the subject! *runs upstairs* (I'll edit this when I return! I love this topic!)

Okies! Here's a bit from one of my favorite books, "Scottish Witchcraft: The History and Magick of the Picts", by Raymond Buckland. This is only referring to the Scottish druidic traditions so far. The 'McNeill' he's quoting from is F. Marian McNeill's "The Silver Bough".

"Before the coming of Christianity," says McNeill:

...the religion of Scotland was Druidism, a form of sun- worship peculiar to the Celtic peoples. Like all sun- cults, it was based upon a universal doctrine regarding the two states of existence- the one in the visible world where the Sun-god reigns by day, and the other in the invisible or lower world into which he disappears at night, the relation between light and darkness symbolizing life and death. This concept is the basis of all the mysteries.
"Although the Order of Druids was probably a Celtic institution, Druidism itself appears to have been the aboriginal faith of Britain, its basic principles being adopted by the Celtic invaders, who grafted it upon their own mythology."

​

Although we know very little of the details of the Druids of Scotland, McNeill goes on to say that she feels it certain they held a position of great authority:

The names of many of them survive- Cathbadh, for instance, the Druid of Conchobar MacNessa and the instructor of Cuchulain; Abaris, a hyperborean Arch- Druid, who visited Athens in or about 350 A.D. on a diplomatic mission; ... and Broichan, Chief Druid of the Court of King Brude, whom St. Columbia encountered at Inverness in 565."

​

Ack, I'd forgotten how hard it is to try to hold open a book while you're typing! I'm sorry- I wanted to type out the next few pages, but my fingers are lazy. I'll just summarize stuff in my next post!

 

[Mike182]

Lemmie go up and get and get some of my books on the subject! *runs upstairs* (I'll edit this when I return! I love this topic!)

*ducks behind sofa, and waits to be told "he's wrong!"*

 

[Feathers in Hair]

*ducks behind sofa, and waits to be told "he's wrong!"*

Believe me, I don't think I'll ever prove you wrong, especially on this subject!

"Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom: A Celtic Shaman's Sourcebook" (by Caitllin and John Matthews) suggests that most early Celtic worship was based upon shamanic practices. In this sense, learning would have been passed from person to person, with the elder taking on two or so apprentices and then, when they'd been 'trained', sending one into the world to spread healing, while the other one stayed at home with the clan or tribe.

"Celtic Women's Spirituality" (by Edain McCoy) notes that the culture and religion of the Celts remained 'behind' the rest of the world until about 1500 B.C.E. Because of this, patriarchal societies were probably few and far between, and women and men were probably viewed with the same position of inherant power. (This is if one does not wish to suggest that these societies might have been matriarchal.) As such, with the gods not having an organized heirarchy, there was probably not much of a priestly heirarchy, either, and one imagines that priestesses and priests were both able to serve as 'helpers between the worlds'.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Well, there was a few divisions of Druidism, and thier are some records left of Druidism, but it was against thier laws to write down thier secrets. It was passed down by word of mouth for generations until someone decided to write them down.

 

[gnostic]

You can visit my website at Timeless Myths; it has a section on Celtic Mythology.

In the page About Celtic Myths, I give an overview of who they are and where they come from. In Celtic World, I give another brief view of some of their customs and traditions. Mainly, I retell Celtic myths in my own way, and spend less time with the historical or religious aspects on Celticism.

 

[MaddLlama]

As someone with a distinguished red beard, I obviously have my share of Celtic ancestory. I'm interested in what we know about the religious practices of my forebearers.

Actually the Celts didn't have red hair until they came in contact (and I use the term loosely) with the Vikings. Up until then they all had brown hair.

I don't know much about the Celts since there really isn't a lot of (good) information out there, but above being a people connected to the natural world they were warriors.

And I would like to point out for the sake of historical accuracy that the work of Edain McCoy on this subject is regarded by real historians to have the Celtic cultural value of a box of Lucky Charms. Most of what she has to say is revisionist history. Matthews is terrific I think. Though, some recons would disagree with me.

If you want to d some serious study on the Celts check out the books on the IMBAS site (I can't post a link, but search for IMBAS and look for thier "reading list")

HTH!

 

[Quiddity]

On another note (but related) is Halloween an extension of some ancient Celtic worship?

 

[MaddLlama]

In a strange and somewhat removed sense, yes. Samhain was considered the Celtic new year and it fell around the end of October, beginning of November (as it is now, the ancient celts certainly didn't use this calendar =)).

From the Celtic Devotional (by Caitlin Matthews)

The winter quarter of Samhain brings the gifts of restoration and renewal, as th cold weather closes in, so the soul is led to more reflective depths. It is traditionally associated with the rememberance of the ancestors, with the coming of death and the conception of new life. In human growth cycle, Samhain corresponds to the the period of old age when wisdom, freedom of spirit and clarity are experienced.

The modern practice of giving out candy on Halloween comes from a european tradition where around that time the spirits were thought to roam the streets, and food was placed by the door to your home to dissuade them from entering. I don't remember where this tradition comes from though. One of the Pagans can probably tell you. Somehow the candy corporations got wind of this and said "Hey, we could make money from this". =)

 

[Quiddity]

In a strange and somewhat removed sense, yes. Samhain was considered the Celtic new year and it fell around the end of October, beginning of November (as it is now, the ancient celts certainly didn't use this calendar =)).

From the Celtic Devotional (by Caitlin Matthews)


The modern practice of giving out candy on Halloween comes from a european tradition where around that time the spirits were thought to roam the streets, and food was placed by the door to your home to dissuade them from entering. I don't remember where this tradition comes from though. One of the Pagans can probably tell you. Somehow the candy corporations got wind of this and said "Hey, we could make money from this". =)

Yeah, that is similar to what my mind recollects.

 

[gnomon]

I would love to know where the historical evidence for the Celtic new year being Samhain originates.

edit: Because, unless I'm mistaken, there isn't any.

 

[Ody]

The Celts commited limited amounts of human sacrafice, much like the Incas.

As far as my memory takes me.

We know the names of the dieties etc. and we have basic understanding of what each
diety represented, prayers as far as I know are basically unknown from the religion, they existed, we just don't have them. We believe they created elaborate temples for thier higher powers, and they are quite well done and elaborate based on thier economic environment. We also know that the religion of Rome had a great deal of influence on the later gaulic religion.

 

[Ody]

It should be noted most if not all written accounts of Gaulic/Celtic/Briton human sacrafice come from the Romans.

 

[Ody]

Many of these dieties (Roman influence)where transplanted the traditional Roman way.

A celtic look and name for the same Roman one.

 

[MaddLlama]

I would love to know where the historical evidence for the Celtic new year being Samhain originates.

edit: Because, unless I'm mistaken, there isn't any.

There is barely any reliable evidence for anything having to do with the Celts. So, if you're looking for undeniable evidence of anything on the subject, you'd be hard pressed to find it.

 

[Zephyr]

There is barely any reliable evidence for anything having to do with the Celts. So, if you're looking for undeniable evidence of anything on the subject, you'd be hard pressed to find it.

It's really unfortunate that such a snazzy culture didn't have very good records taken.

 

[Awen]

I would love to know where the historical evidence for the Celtic new year being Samhain originates.

edit: Because, unless I'm mistaken, there isn't any.

In the Celtic world, the earliest record of the Samhain festival comes from the Coligny Calendar (a Celtic lunar calendar which was inscribed on bronze tablets. Fragments of these tablets were found in Eastern France, November 1897). In the Gregorian calendar of today, Samhain falls on approximately October 31st/November 1st. The Coligny calendar itself has been dated to the 1st Century CE and very clearly divides the year into two halves ~ one associated with summer, now celebrated as the festival of Beltaine (May 1st) and the other associated with winter (Samhain).

The rituals surrounding Samhain and Beltaine are closely linked ~ while Samhain begins one kind of yearly cycle, Beltaine began another. As such, both could be construed as a kind of “New Year”. However, Samhain begins it in darkness, and there is no doubt about the pre-eminence of darkness in the Celtic tradition (cycles of mythology etc)

From Caesar’s ‘De Bello Gallico’;

“spatia omnis temporis non numero dierum, sed noctium finiunt; dies natales et mensum et annorum initia sic obseruant, ut noctem dies subsequatur”

(“they define all amounts of time not by the number of days, but by the number of nights; they celebrate birthdays and the beginnings of months
and years in such a way that the day is made to follow the night”)

Darkness comes before light, because life appears in the darkness of the womb. Thus the year begins with its dark half, holding the bright half in gestation. The moment of death ~ the passing into darkness ~ is itself the first step in the renewal of life.