Jul 06 2009
Dragons Celts and Druids by Tim Lazaro
 Pic: Stephanie Pui-Mun Law |
There is a certain cosmic sensibility to the myths and legends of the Celtic peoples. A sense of things being bigger than they seem. Power flows beneath the skin of the world to the Celtic mind, accessible along the path of dragons and the mouth of stones. It was the Druids who could see it, interpret it for their brother-Celts, follow the lines of power and show them where to build their villages and sanctified places. |
A Mystery
The Celts are a mystery even now. They once ranged across the width and breadth of Europe, from the forests of Germany to the hills of Northern Italy. Their greatest concentration was perhaps in Scotland, Ireland and England. The Celts of Great Britain are what many modern people think of when they hear the word ‘Celt’. But in truth, they were a people who spread from one end of ancient Europe to the other, and they left their mark stamped upon the face of the continent, though they themselves are gone now, for the most part.
Druids and Dragons
Druids and Celtic dragons, on the other hand, are more familiar to the modern mind. What do you think of, when you hear the term ‘druid’? A robed figure, mistletoe in one hand, a scythe in the other, standing over a stone slab and a screaming victim. Horror films have a lot to answer for in terms of our familiarity with the concept of the Druid. In reality, druids were the priests and seers of the Celts. Druids engaged the cosmic on a daily basis, pitting their knowledge against the raw force of the mystic energies which the Celts believed permeated their lands. They would pinpoint the best places to till the soil or carve stone or build a home, and show their people the places to best avoid. Too, they had a strange relationship with the concept of the dragon.
Dragons, while commonly thought of as fire-breathing marauders, were, to the Celts, indicators of places of great power. Where dragons trod, mystic energy flowed, and where they laired where invariably places of great sanctity and mystical harmony. While dragons were dangerous, they were also indicators of fertility, of life. ‘The Path of the Dragon’ was the Celtic term for ley lines. And ley lines, for the uninitiated, were the stretches of mystic power which criss-crossed the land. Druids hunted these lines, and made a ley lines map for their people, instructing them to build their temples and homes along the lines in order to harvest the energies.
Dragons, Druids and Celts are all inextricably linked by these bands of power. For the Celt, dragons, though deadly, and frightening, represented the continuation of life and health. They were omens of a good harvest, of a year of plenty. And the Druids were the ones who found the dragons and interpreted their meaning for a given group of Celts. For these ancient peoples, everything hummed and sparked with the lightning of the gods. Where dragons walked, the lightning was visible, and where Druids indicated, the lightning was controllable for the good of the Celtic people.
About the Author:
Tim Lazaro is a Celtic Symbols enthusiast. Visit All About Celtic Symbols for more expert advice on Dragons Celts and Druids and more information you can use right now to gain insight into the mysteries of the ancient Celtic World.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Lazaro
I just wanted to let you know that the image you have posted here, which was taken from Photobucket, is not by BlueOpal7. This image is by the artist Stephanie Pui-Mun Law. BlueOpal7 illegally lifted that image and posted on Photobucket without permission of the artist. I applaud your adding the link and the credit to the artist (most people don’t do that), but I thought you might want to link the image to the actual artist of the image and not the thief. Stephanie’s website is: http://shadowscapes.com/
Hi DoAn,
Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention – we have corrected the error straight-away. Thank you also for introducing us to a very talented artist
All the best
Gary
Thanks Gary!
Your show is great too! I just listened to the Autumn Equinox program. I look forward to the next show.
DoAn