Celtic Religion

[NightsShades]

I want to learn more about Celtic religion in general, whether that be the ancient Celtic religion or the Reconstructionist verision. I know that the Celts weren't too big on writing things down so as a whole so a lot of what they practiced is lost to time. I haven't been able to find as much information as I'd like to have so I was wondering if anyone can point me towards a good book or website on the subject.  

[rosenr0t]

Bards & Druids (Celtic Religion)

Watch that - as silly as it may look. It's a pretty good depiction of Celtic culture of that religion. Very spot-on. It should help you.

Just research it! There are many forms nowadays, such as druidism - which still exists. And just because they weren't big on writing things down, they were very traditional, and have left some artifacts and belief left for us.

And the Celts had many different sects, so no belief was wrong - unless it was totally opposite of what their general belief is.

 

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Well first off it wasn't one religion. There were regional variations and different Celtic cultures had different pantheons and traditions. There was some overlap as far as I know but definitely different religions. Recons usually choose one culture within which to work.

There's always this site.  

[X-Yami-no-Ko-X]

From what I know is that the Celtic gods had made oaths binding them to their land so unless you were born and are still a part of that culture They won't except your worship.

And the Druids were a caste that were extinct. All of their pratices were oral traditions so in essence modern "druids" can't really claim the name.  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Yami: I think that was only the gods of the Gael who made those oaths. You may be cool with gods of other Celtic cultures 3nodding

Skadi Vengeance

Just research it! There are many forms nowadays, such as druidism - which still exists.

It really doesn't, though. The druids were a caste, and their teachings were secret. Not only are all their teachings lost (and have been since they were wiped out) but there's no longer a role for them in Celtic societies.

Instead you have some people following totally different religions from CRs and calling themselves "Druids" when they're not.  

[rosenr0t]

Sanguina Cruenta

Yami: I think that was only the gods of the Gael who made those oaths. You may be cool with gods of other Celtic cultures 3nodding

Skadi Vengeance

Just research it! There are many forms nowadays, such as druidism - which still exists.

It really doesn't, though. The druids were a caste, and their teachings were secret. Not only are all their teachings lost (and have been since they were wiped out) but there's no longer a role for them in Celtic societies.

Instead you have some people following totally different religions from CRs and calling themselves "Druids" when they're not.

Understandable, though that could be said about almost any religion when it comes to following something, calling yourself what you may think falls in the category of your belief. Though I think there is a generality of each religion - just like how Christians believe in Christ dying for your sins, - though one particular thing could separate you from the rest of the sects. I wasn't trying to define one religion as a part of many, so I apologize if that came off like that.

But like I said, *I* personally think that every main belief has some general views that may clash with other religions and their beliefs - I know there are different forms of each main religion, or belief - and there are most likely other religions out there that have not even been discovered if it had ever existed. Just like the Celts, they were secretive - though I think it was mainly to pass down tradition among their tribes - and since there is very little to be known about the Celtic religion(s), it's hard to even say what makes a druid, or shaman, bard, etc. That's what I figure, anyway. Then again, I'm not exactly all for labels because I think belief overall is a form of individual expression on different levels, it could never be a set of guidelines for a group of people to follow. But again, that's just me.  

[Kelsey MacAilbert]

My advice? look up Irish mythology. They wrote the most down of any Celtic civilization, though much was recorded by Christian monks who injected their own beliefs into it.

Also, Celtic culture is a huge subject. The Celts inhabited most of Western Europe and were never a unified people.  

[rosenr0t]

The Emo Bard

My advice? look up Irish mythology. They wrote the most down of any Celtic civilization, though much was recorded by Christian monks who injected their own beliefs into it.

Also, Celtic culture is a huge subject. The Celts inhabited most of Western Europe and were never a unified people.

I'm taking an ancient mythology class next year at my college. =] I'm so psyched about that. It's a great culture to study. biggrin  

[Kelsey MacAilbert]

Skadi Vengeance

The Emo Bard

My advice? look up Irish mythology. They wrote the most down of any Celtic civilization, though much was recorded by Christian monks who injected their own beliefs into it.

Also, Celtic culture is a huge subject. The Celts inhabited most of Western Europe and were never a unified people.

I'm taking an ancient mythology class next year at my college. =] I'm so psyched about that. It's a great culture to study. biggrin

Yea. It's sad so much about them has been lost. I hate relying on Roman sources to learn about them.  

[X-Yami-no-Ko-X]

Sanguina Cruenta

Yami: I think that was only the gods of the Gael who made those oaths. You may be cool with gods of other Celtic cultures 3nodding

Sorry my brain was lumping them all together. My brain's still in NaNo panic mode. cat_sweatdrop  

[Esiris]

Skadi Vengeance

Understandable, though that could be said about almost any religion when it comes to following something, calling yourself what you may think falls in the category of your belief.

I think it's less a matter of belief and more a matter of language. If I believe that calling my religion Hinduism means I worship Jesus and the Saints and that Jesus was actually a Penguin, calling it a belief doesn't make it right.

There's an ethics portion of it too- is it ethical to prey on cultures who have been abused and subjugated by power structures? Since the Celts were systematically abused by Anglo-Saxon conquers and have appropriated the title from their caste systems- just because someone may have an interest in those cultures, isn't it just furthering that abuse? How can that be ethical?

Quote:

Though I think there is a generality of each religion - just like how Christians believe in Christ dying for your sins, - though one particular thing could separate you from the rest of the sects. I wasn't trying to define one religion as a part of many, so I apologize if that came off like that.

Not always- like with the Celts, what connected them wasn't their religion. It was their language.

Quote:

it's hard to even say what makes a druid, or shaman, bard, etc.

I think I saw in some of the other threads that there is doctumented lore as to what made someone a Druid and a Bard- and the Shaman is easy because it's part of a living continuous practice- but it's not Celtic, it's Siberian.

Quote:

That's what I figure, anyway. Then again, I'm not exactly all for labels because I think belief overall is a form of individual expression on different levels, it could never be a set of guidelines for a group of people to follow. But again, that's just me.

I think labels aren't so much about belief- they're more about communication.  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Esiris

I think I saw in some of the other threads that there is doctumented lore as to what made someone a Druid and a Bard- and the Shaman is easy because it's part of a living continuous practice- but it's not Celtic, it's Siberian.

I know the Druids were connected to Breton law in at least one Celtic culture, and from what Cu's said I think there were significant stretches of Celtic literature that had to be memorised (in the appropriate languages of course) and there's a lot else culturally to do with how you respond to particular questions that I just don't have a clue about.  

[Esiris]

Sanguina Cruenta

I know the Druids were connected to Breton law in at least one Celtic culture, and from what Cu's said I think there were significant stretches of Celtic literature that had to be memorised (in the appropriate languages of course) and there's a lot else culturally to do with how you respond to particular questions that I just don't have a clue about.

I think I read some of that- but there was also talk about how being a Druid didn't mean they were a religious figure too. I'd say that's really important when talking about how people use the title and it's ethics.
Though I'm probably preaching to the choir.  

[Kelsey MacAilbert]

Esiris

Quote:

Though I think there is a generality of each religion - just like how Christians believe in Christ dying for your sins, - though one particular thing could separate you from the rest of the sects. I wasn't trying to define one religion as a part of many, so I apologize if that came off like that.

Not always- like with the Celts, what connected them wasn't their religion. It was their language.

A million times this. I'll willing to bet that, if one of us went back in time and collected an Irish Celt, a German Celt, and a Spanish Celt, they'd be quite different from each other, and in more ways than just religion.  

[glasfuinneog]

Hello, my name is Moira O'Connells and I was born and raised in Ireland as a pagan in a pagan family with others of the same religion on the area going to the same school. Ask me any question you would like and I will do my best to answer it. I can only give you answers for my own specific religion, but I have lived it and learned from generations before me.