History on the Celts

History on the Celts

I swear by the gods by whom my people swear
-Ancient Irish Rubric-

A Brief History on the Celts

The appearance of the Celts has been a topic of discussion, or argument, amongst scholars
for many years. Most agree, however, the first recorded time period was around 600 bce.
Although some will insist the Celts have been around since the eighth century bce.

In either case, Celtic peoples were leaders in the art of forage. The Iron Age was of extreme
advantage to the Celts who's warrior personalities caused them to create many powerful
weapons that would prove imposing to the Romans. The swords were much longer and
heavier than the Romans', the shields stronger with an incredible display of artwork.

Caesar wrote of many encounters with the Celts, mostly with a biased tongue, but since much
of what we know of the Celts, other than archeological, is what the Romans and the
Christians scribed. Caesar and Posidonius were most famous for their tales of the Celts. One
such tale described a horrible shout that came from the Celtic warriors during battle that took
the Roman soldiers by surprise and scared them right out of their sandals.

There was also reports that the Celts fought naked, without fear, and without armor.
Allusions have been made to the fact their nakedness in battle was a form of supernatural
protection and that many of the young warriors were trained in the magickal arts. This ritual
of warring in the nude continued to be practiced by the Scottish highland clans during the
times of William Wallace.

Celtic woman were held in high regard. Though there were no recorded women that became
kings but there were women who were rulers, such as Aife and Maeve of Ireland. Many
women were trained as warriors and fought alongside the men.

Celtic Beliefs and Practices

According to archeological and written history, there is strong evidence from the Celtic
burial grounds that the belief in reincarnation was a tenet of their religion, which led to a lack
of fear of death. It was believed atonement for sin was carried out in the next life in
punishment, but there is little evidence supporting the belief in sin by the Celts. The Druids
had a definite view in the after-life, that the soul passed on from this life to the next.

Further archeological evidence showed a ritual practice of dedications were made to Roman
gods along side with the Celtic deities. Since the Roman's literary work describes these
practices, we have an accurate list of Celtic Gods and Goddesses by name. There was little
evidence, however, of one common God or Goddess among the Celtic people. Lugh, perhaps
the best known throughout the continent in Britain and Ireland of that period.

Other well known gods were Epona, or the 'horse goddess'. Normally pictured with a woman
on horseback, occasionally accompanied by a foal, Epona represented fertility, abundance,
the Earth and animals. Apparently she was the only Goddess that was honored by the Romans
as well as the Celts. Many other Goddesses were shown in the form the Mother, or the
Matronae pictured normally as a triad (mother,maiden,crone) and frequently carrying infants,
baskets of fruit and cornucopiae.

Some of the Goddesses were depicted as consorts of the Gods, such as Rosmerta, who
accompanied Mercury, or Nantosuelta accompanied by Sucellos - Many of which are pictured
on a number of monuments especially in Gaul.

One of the most common Gods in Celtic and Gaulic history was depicted as a bull. One such
example is a carving on the face of an altar found in Paris. A bull with three horns or cranes
against a backdrop of a tree with spreading branches. The bull symbology is also very strong
in literature such as the Tain Bo Cualnge and other various Irish writings. The bull
represented strength and virility, but as now is known, the bull was not exclusive to the Celtic
beliefs.

A bull symbol was also found on the Gundestrup Bowl right alongside a picture of a human
but horned god. This picture is believed to be the God Cernunnos, or the 'squatting god'.
Cernunnos has been translated as 'the horned one' and 'the god with the head of the deer' as
the horns are shown parallel to the deer shown standing to his right onscribed on the bowl.
Cernunnos also retains the attributes of the more common bull symbol.

Many of the Celtic gods were linked in some way to the Roman gods. Drawing from their
pre-Iron Age European rituals, the Celts appeared to have sought protection, guidance and
comfort during stressful times. The Celtic gods retained human type faults and egos, many of
whom were usually depicted as having human bodies - which the Romans found somewhat
humorous since they believed the gods to be something more than human.

Celtic influences on modern Wicca

In 1954, Gerald Gardner proclaimed himself a witch when the last of the witch laws were
repealed by England. Gardner studied under the likes of Aleistor Crowley and Doreen
Valiente, incorporating various rituals, beliefs and secrets from the Golden Dawn to re-new
the ancient ways of Wicce. Wicce or Wicca is an old Saxon word for 'wise'. Wicca eventually
became the catch-word 'witch', meaning to twist or bend.

Gardner, in his attempts to continue the religion of Wicca, embodied the beliefs of the Celts,
Taoism, ceremonial magick, Jungian, and even Jewish Kabbalahic rituals in forming this neo-
Wicca.

To say that Wicca is wholly based on Celtic or Indo-European beliefs is obviously
inaccurate. However there are, from each part, necessary components in the modern day
Wiccan beliefs. Can one be Celtic and Wiccan? Sure. But if you wish to say you follow only a
Celtic religion, such as Druidry, then you cannot be Wiccan. Although there are many
similarities between the Celts and Wicca, there is enough of a difference to have separate
beliefs.

The elements in Wicca (fire, earth, air and water) were not referenced in Celtic or Druid
beliefs. Their representations of the elements were the three worlds: The Sky (Air), The Sea
(Water) and The Land (Earth), which were also known as the Otherworlds - Upper World
(sky), Middle World (Earth) and the Under World (sea).

Although many of the Gods and Goddesses Wiccans use today are generally known as Celtic
gods, this does not mean Wicca is exclusively Celtic. I tend to look at modern Wicca as being
more eclectic - borrowing many rituals and beliefs to add to the religion as needed. That too
me is one of the great things about Wicca - its ability to adapt and conform to each individual.

I hope this has in some way helped you to understand a little of our Wiccan history and
Celtic ancestry. In my continuing growth towards settling on my specific path, I have found
myself closer to the Celtic beliefs and studies. In Wicca, the ability to adapt to change is a
true potential for growth in spirituality. Therefore I am a Celtic Wiccan

Elements

The Pentacle, or Pentgram has probably gotten the worst rap, over the centuries, thanks to the
uninformed and media hype. It is not, as always portrayed, a symbol of evil or Satan. Wiccans
do not believe in the Christian version of evil anyway, so this does not even apply!

The Pentacle is one of the tools of the trade of the witch, and represents the unity of life, the
elements and the divine as well as a tool for protection.

The only time you will see the Pentacle used with the point down, is when the spiritual
aspect is buried in favor of the material things in life. Nothing more ! Satanists use the upside
down Pentagram like the upside down cross as an anti-Christianity symbol. In a manner, they
are following a Christian belief in the Pentagram as a symbol of evil.

The circle around the five points represents the God/Goddess aspect, reflecting negative
energy and drawing positive light energy, thereby providing an increase in life, psychic energy
and protection to the wearer.

The origins of the Pentagram go back as far as 8000 years. As far back as pre-Babylonian
Sumer, it has been utilized and upheld by many cultures. To the Jews, it is referred to as the
Pentateauch, the Five Books of Moses. It has been known under many titles, such as "The
Druid's Root", "The Witches Star", and "The Star of Solomon".

Followers of Pythagoras, called it the "The Pentalpha" being composed of five interlaced A's
or Alphas. The Alpha being the first word of the alphabet, we can perhaps view it as showing
forth unity in the midst of multiplicity. The individual as part of the Universe - the All.

In other views, it can represent man with his arms and legs outstretched, symbolyzing health,
life and power.

EARTH: (lower left hand corner) stability, strength, healing, fertility
FIRE: (lower right hand corner) courage, daring, emotions, passion
WATER: (upper right hand corner) emotions, intuition, healing
AIR: (upper left hand corner) intelligence, creativity, breath and the arts.