Pic: portableantiquities

Archaeologists, digging in the Iron Age earth of the Romano-British temple at Harlow, Middlesex, came across a gruesome reminder of Celtic religion in the shape of a coin. It showed the Iron Age chieftain Cunobelin on the obverse side, while on the reverse is the clear picture of a man, wearing an apron, but otherwise naked, holding aloft a human head.

There’s no question that there was the ‘Cult of the Severed Head,’ but we mustn’t be misled by Roman writers such as Strabo and Tacitus, the latter being otherwise fairly reliable. They both wrote about rites performed by the druids as being particularly bloodthirsty; human victims being stabbed in the back, and the Druids making divinations through their death throes.

Both these writers, and others as well, were writing for their readers. In other words, they wrote to titillate, to shock and to excite their Roman audiences, many of whom had appetites jaded from the sights they’d witnessed in the various arenas and circuses.

Certainly one of the most reliable of chroniclers was Caesar, but of course even he was guided by his Roman nature. Militarily, there was no-one to top him, but he did go a little bit off track with the druids. His readers, too, were urbane, so his writing does tend to be a bit coloured. However, he was certainly correct in reporting that the druids were powerful men, in authority in both religious and legal matters. He was right, as well, in saying that there was an arch-druid and that there were druidic schools where young men were taught what were, presumably, the mystic arts as well as the niceties of the law.

All this would be taught through word of mouth, since there was nothing written down in those times. If we look back to a previous article, we recall the feasts of Beltane and Samhain, to name but two. From whence did they come? They were ancient at the time of the druids, so it’s impossible to say what historical mists hid their origins. However, the severed head recurs time and again and was certainly some form of rite. It seems that it was considered by the Celts in the same light as we view the soul. Everything that made a person human resided in the head.

Water played a large part in Celtic and druidic lore. Skulls have very frequently been found close to, or actually in, water.

Skulls weren’t always associated with cults or religion. Celtic warriors were head-hunters who’d display the heads of their enemies above the gates of their hill-forts. A bloodthirsty relic was found at Stanwick in Yorkshire, the Brigantian stronghold. A skull with three wounds, one of which was fatal, had been hacked from the rest of the body at the fourth vertebra, and it still carried the pole on which it had been displayed. A sword and scabbard were found nearby.

There’s a growing belief among archaeologists that early Bronze Age Britain was ruled by a priestly caste that was responsible for the designs of the circles at Avebury, Stonehenge, Brodgar and Callanish. It’s suggested that this priesthood originated in Neolithic times and there are certain strong clues that the Celtic religion had its roots much earlier, in pre-history.

The oak tree was reverred by the druids, as was mistletoe. Pliny the Elder tells us that it was cut with a golden sickle by a white robed priest. After this, two bulls were sacrificed, all this done with great ceremony on the sixth day of the moon.

In conclusion, I think we have to assume that the religions of the Bronze and Iron Ages came from a time so distant in the mists of history, almost certainly from central and northern Europe

My thanks again to professor Lloyd Laing

This is Mike, delving into Celtic religion. I find it so fascinating to ponder on the origins of the Celtic religion, who was the priestly caste prior to the druids, and where did they come from? I do hope you found this article interesting. We’re working up to the chaotic period that ushered in Celtic barbarism at its worst. But more of this next time. Have you visited the Knight’s Site yet? If not, please try to take time to have look. I’m sure you’ll be interested in all that it has to offer.
http://www.theknightssite.com
mkbnd8@gmail.com

Author: Mike J. Bond
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Cellphone news

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