Triquetra on one of the Funbo Runestones, located in the park of Uppsala University. Pic: IantoPF

The Circles of Existence, sometimes called the Triquetra became popular as a result of the television series “Charmed“. In that television series it is represented on the cover of the Hallowell sister’s “Book of Shadows” A book containing spells and incantations passed down by generations of witches.The Triquetra has a much older representation. The word “Triquetra” is a Latin word that translates as “Three cornered” However for the ancient Celtic people it had a sacred and special meaning. The Symbol has been found carved on stones in various parts of North West Europe and is found on the Irish Book of Kells. Its widespread use marks it as something more than decoration. We find the answer to the question of its meaning in ancient story and legend.

The three points have led to some in the modern Pagan movement claiming it as a representation of the Goddess in her three manifestations of Maiden, Mother and Crone or as a representation of the God in his manifestations of Youth, Warrior and Sage.

Here is a much older definition. Welsh words are used. There are literal translations of these words but they do not sufficiently convey the meanings. Certainly not in the context they are used in the old Welsh Myth and legend.

Abred, Our Mortal Home

The first Circle is called “Abred“.This is mortal existence. This is where we are now. Abred encompasses this Earth and all the other Worlds that exist on this material plane. We are born to live out our mortal lives here in Abred. This mortal plane, this Middle Earth, is not some punishment nor is it a testing ground. It just is. It’s the place where we live a mortal existence and experience the “Cause and Effect” laws. Here our actions, whether good or bad have an effect and we must keep coming back here until we have wiped out all of our footprints. When we have learned to live without disturbing the flow of the universe then we will be ready to move on. Until then we are caught in the circle of our mortality. This story illustrates the dilemma:-

Our Mortal Home as seen from Apollo 17 Pic: Wiki

“There was once a priest whose duty it was to sacrifice goats. One day while preparing a goat for sacrifice he heard the goat laugh, a very human laugh. Surprised, he asked the goat why he was laughing. The goat explained that for the past 500 years he had been born as a sacrificial goat, to die on the altar and be reborn only to be sacrificed again but this time he was to be reborn as a man. The priest was pleased for the goat but then he saw a tear in the goat’s eye. He asked why the goat was sad. The goat replied; “Because 500 years ago I was a priest who sacrificed goats.”

Annwn, the Otherworld

We journey from this life to return again. Pic: IantoPF

The second Circle is “Annwn“.When we pass from this mortal existence our spirit, that essence of us that is truly us, enters Annwn. For those who die bravely and honorably in battle this is a place similar to the halls of Odin in Scandinavian legend. Annwn is also a place of rest and reflection; it can be a home of joy and delight for those of a less warlike nature or for those who wish to rest from war. For the wicked it can be a grim and forbidding place but it is not an eternal resting place for anyone.

After we absorb what we have learned and experienced we prepare for our re-birth.

We die into Annwn and are born into Abred to die into Annwn and so on.

Gwynfyd, the “White Life”

The third Circle is called “Gwynfyd“When we have passed all the trials of Abred it is time to move on. Now we go to Gwynfyd, known in Irish as “Tir na Nog” the land of youth. Here, in these undying lands, we face other adventures. Little is known of this Circle. Only that in each transition from Abred to Annwn we become better prepared for Gwynfyd.

Gwynfyd, literally “White Life” Pic: Wiki

The Ceugant

We journey from this life to return again. Pic: srpllc

Now it is time to add the three Circles together, where they intersect forms a sacred symbol that we have come to know as the Tri-Quetra.There are beings that are able to travel freely between all three Circles or spheres of existence. These beings are said to live in the “Ceugant” Sometimes a fourth Circle is added to symbolize the Ceugant itself and the wanderers travelling through the three Circles. This is the symbol of the Ceugant and the travelers of the Multiverse.

inatoPF (‘Pete’) Biography

Born in Wales, I left school when I was 15 and never looked back. Worked on farms and construction sites until I got a job working for a local bus company, South Wales Transport. Just a stopgap until I could find something better. I’ve been driving buses ever since.

Now I live in California. Married to an Apache we have two wonderful sons with brown skin and blue eyes. Yes, trouble all the way. On-line writing is how I fulfill my life time dream of being an author. If you have the same dream join HubPages and start making it a reality.

Though I write about a variety of subjects, my main interests lie in Myths and legends from the past and opinions about the shenanigans of today.

I love the art of driving, Some of my hubs will reflect that.

We’re a Pagan family and our lives are truly Goddess blessed.

We’re also a very fun loving bunch.

My latest project is telling the old Welsh legends the way they were always told with the poetry. The tales were meant to be listened to, not read, studied and analyzed. They are here to be enjoyed and my aim is to tell them before the old ways are lost forever.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Daibanjo47?feature=mhum

I also have a Blog Where the magic never ends;

http://themagicneverends.blogspot.com/

I just found Twitter and I think it’s cool.

Thank to Ianto for this fantastic post. You can find our more about him and his other posts about Welsh Myth on his blog.

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
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Back in August, 2011 the Guardian reported that King Arthur Pendragon appeared at the high court in London to argue that the “royal” remains should be returned to their age-old resting place in Wiltshire.

Pendragon, a 57-year-old former soldier and biker who changed his name by deed poll, wanted the high court to give permission for a judicial review of the government’s decision to allow the remains to be taken away for analysis.

But Mr Justice Wyn Williams refused King Arthur, ruling there was insufficient evidence to show the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) had acted unreasonably. Arthur said:

Even though on this occasion my appeal has been dismissed I am still very much hopeful that I can win in the future. I wasn’t asking for the bones to be put back straight away, I simply wanted confirmation that they will be returned to the site as soon as possible.

He said druids felt the remains were “guardians” of the site.

The judge heard that the cremated remains of more than 40 bodies – thought to be at least 5,000 years old – were removed from a burial site at Stonehenge in 2008 , with ministers giving researchers from Sheffield University permission to keep the bones until 2015. [source]

The Peaceful Protest Continues

Druid and eco-warrior King Arthur Pendragon has been leading a high-profile picket based at Stonehenge with the intention of getting the remains of the ancient dead returned to their resting place.

King Arthur said: “Let those we lay to rest, stay to rest.”

Button badges for King Arthur’s campaign proclaim “Bring back the ancient dead!”

Remains of the ancient dead that were buried at Stonehenge were removed by archaeologists and it was said that after carbon dating them they would be returned. However, this has not been done and the remains of the bones of the ancient dead have been held at Sheffield University.

King Arthur and other druids and pagans refer to these bones as those of ancient ancestors. Stonehenge is regarded as temple for druids and pagans. The ancestors who were buried there are believed to be the guardian spirits of Stonehenge and were meant to remain where they were buried.

Sign the Petition Below

King Arthur and fellow protesters organised a petition which has been signed by a large number of people. A question on the petition asks those who sign it to sate their religion and King Arthur was proud to be able to announce that the petition had signatures from over 60 people from different religious pathways and beliefs.

To Support King Arthur’s call for the reburial at Stonehenge of the Ancient cremated human remains (known as the Guardians) held by Sheffield University , please sign the following E Petition;
( http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/14696 )

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

Elen Hawke/Flick Merauld

It has always been one of our aims to find out as much as we can about how the ancient Celts lived their lives, their priests – the Druids – and about their beliefs and myths. As part of that search we’ve been keen to discover where the Celts came from – what was the world like as the Celtic tribes evolved their unique identity – and also, to discover where the Celts went and what they mean to us in our everyday lives. We have found out that many people live these beliefs, stories and myths today and while we’ve mentioned Druidry, Druidism, Celtic Reconstructionism in passing many times, we thought it was time to start taking a closer look at what some of these fascinating people actually believe and what it means to them.

We’re honoured and privileged to begin our series with the famed Druid author Elen Hawke, the pen-name of Flick Merauld, who has just released a fascinating and easy to read romantic tale set in Brittany where she unfolds many of her views of ancient Breton Celtic life and Druidic belief. We hope you enjoy the article and her book, and invite other modern Druids to take part in this study as Flick has done. Thank you so much, Flick – over to you!

I’m a Druid, though Wicca has formed part of my Pagan journey and still underpins some of my ritual practice. I’m also the author of several books on witchcraft, writing under the name Elen Hawke and published by the American mind body and spirit publisher Llewellyn, and more recently of a novel, The Sacred Marriage, which is available from Amazon as an eBook.

The spiritual journey that has led me to where I am now, both in terms of my Pagan practice and my literary work, has been long and eventful, taking me through many twists and turns that have included an exploration of Eastern spirituality along with personal encounters with the so-called paranormal.

All have been relevant to me – especially those relating to the snippets we have left of the native traditions of Britain – all have, at least in part, reflected my view of the world and have coloured my writing. But two experiences in particular stand out for me.

My first conscious awareness of seeking came to me when I was still very young. When I was around five or six years old my father, an imaginative man, gave me a passage to read from Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows; the part in the chapter The Piper at the Gates of Dawn where Mole and Rat come across the god Pan playing his pipes at daybreak. For anyone who hasn’t read it, it’s worth looking up for its evocative descriptions and its sense of connection to nature.

I wouldn’t say it woke me to a sense of the land, for the world I grew up in was more tranquil, more rural than the one we inhabit now and people weren’t so alienated; but it did focus things and gave me some sort of explanation for the feeling I had of the magic of the natural world. I don’t think that first impression has ever left me.

Countless years later I moved to France with my partner and daughter, where we bought and renovated an old Breton longere or longhouse, built of granite and set in unspoilt countryside in Southern Brittany, not far from the famous standing stones at Carnac and in the heart of the region to which many Arthurian legends are attributed. We arrived exactly on the Spring Equinox, in the midst of the mad profusion of a burgeoning Breton spring. The sense of a Celtic Pagan past is very apparent in Brittany, and our house was surrounded by forests and woods of oak, sweet chestnut, apple trees and mistletoe.  It was a special place, and our land contained a holy fontaine, or healing spring, one of many marking the sources of the myriad streams flowing through the landscape of Brittany.

Furthermore, house and spring and an adjoining chapel were on a confluence of Ley lines, a spot where the gateway between the worlds  was open, and we had many strange and otherworldly experiences while we were there. We also joined in the Midsummer Fête, or Pardon the local people held, a festival that clearly had its roots in ancient times. Once again I was immersed in a mystical world, one I had thought I’d left behind with the erosion of green space in Britain. We were only there nine months, before being forced to return to England, but by then my feet had been firmly set on the Druid path, though I didn’t have a name for it at that time.  However, I did write the first part of the previously mentioned novel while there, set in Brittany and Oxford and drawing on my experiences of the energies of the land, many of which occurrences I was to find were common to other Pagans.

After coming back to England, reading and seeking made me realise I was a Druid, that that was the particular form my spirituality had taken, a label, if you want (though I intensely dislike labels) that most closely coincided with the way I perceived the numinous and, especially, my interaction and relationship with the land, the earth, spirit of place. But I was also drawn very much to witchcraft; and through initiation into Gardnerian Wicca and subsequently running my own coven, I was able to balance certain aspects of my relationship to my femininity and the feminine in nature. It was during this time, while running a discussion group for a large Pagan organisation, that I came to write my books on witchcraft. I spent so much time  answering questions that it seemed practical to write it all down and offer it for publication, so that the knowledge would be readily available to Pagans worldwide.

Elen Hawke/Flick Merauld

I stopped writing non fiction books on Paganism several years ago. I felt I’d said all I wanted to through that genre and was in danger of rehashing and hyping old material, something that felt dishonest and pointless. However, I continue to write, having returned to my first Love, fiction. I will have a chick lit/soap-opera/humorous type of eBook out next month on Amazon, written under my real name Flick Merauld and called The Aunt Sally Team. Although the book is a fun-filled romp through love, sex and drama, set in Oxford and Cotswold villages and pubs, it has strongly Pagan elements.

Meanwhile I’m a member of the British Druid Order, but also attend a grove run by an OBOD Druid. I’m lucky to live  in Oxford, another ancient place steeped in myth and with its feet in a Pagan past. Close by are the Rollright Stones, The Hoar Stone,  Uffington White Horse and Waylands Smithy, and Avebury and West Kennet Long Barrow aren’t too far away, so I’m lucky to have so many sacred sites to hand.

For anyone interested in reading more about me, please visit my Amazon author page: Elen Hawke/Flick Merauld

Flick’s New Book – The Sacred Marriage by Elen Hawke

As she has done since childhood, Sophie spends the summer with family friend Rory Ballantyne in his old stone longhouse in the heart of Celtic Brittany – a ravishingly beautiful region filled with ancient customs and steeped in the mystery and romance of Arthurian legend. But this year things are changed: her family are involved with their own lives, so she stays there without them. At first she is troubled by tension and quarrels between Rory and his wife, but she is soon distracted by the arrival of gorgeous artist Jason Ryder. Sophie becomes increasingly drawn to Jason but she also realises that Rory is not the older brother figure she had thought him, but a fascinating and attractive man. Then a series of strange dreams opens her to the energies of the land there, forces that seem to want something from her.

At eighteen, Sophie is no longer a child, and she sees the local area and people through different eyes. Gradually she realises that the energies she senses, along with her dreams, emanate from a holy spring dedicated to Sainte Nicole, a Christianisation of a Celtic deity whom locals refer to as the Lady. The spirit of the land is reaching out and Sophie¹s quest to fathom its message brings her, through love and loss, to an understanding of herself that helps her cross the threshold into maturity and gives her the strength to follow her own truth.

Flick’s new book  The Sacred Marriage is available on Amazon.co.uk and on Amazon.com

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

Hawthorns in blossom Pic: Tom00la

Marking the dawn of the Celtic pastoral year, the vernal equinox celebrates the Otherworld in the moment of balance which occurs as the sun crosses the celestial equator. For the Celts, the solstice and equinox observations may have enjoyed less celebrity than the festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltine and Lughnasadh. However, the semi-annual equinox was carefully noted, as it also brought increased visitation from the Otherworld.

On the equinox, when day and night are momentarily equal, the busy activity  which keeps the human and Otherworld separate momentarily subsides. In that time of suspended activity, the conduit between the worlds yawns, the “veil becomes thin.” As the contents of both worlds mingle, the resulting tumult offers an opportunity for a renewed relationship with the unseen.

An open mind is required for transacting with the Otherworld. As Yeats writes

“If he is sceptical about them, and would fain reduce them one after another to
the rules of probability, this sort of crude philosophy will take up all his
time.”

Keep in mind that such meetings occur in a fleeting instant — longer dalliances in the world of mythos can lead to madness. It must be noted though, that those singular moments of insight can last a lifetime.

Whether one believes such encounters are an external journey or an internal experience, they can be considered similarly. In both instances the contents and symbols of the Otherworld are approaching the individual from without or within.

The equinox is just such a time when an association between worlds can be broached. By engaging in a simple ritual, perhaps a few minutes of silence, the frenetic conversations of everyday life recede, consciousness is reduced and the underlying song of the Otherworld has an opportunity to be heard.

The symbols which cluster around the Celtic observances of the vernal equinox and St. Patrick’s Day are particularly evocative in creating associations which are as useful to us as they were for our ancestors.

Through symbols like the leprechaun and the magic shillelagh, one can visit the fairy kingdom of the Tuatha De Dannan. Wise and giving, lusty and tempestuous, they offer their myths and enduring company. The snake and the trefoil shamrock give evidence of the presence of the Goddess, wrapped in her verdant cloak of Spring.

The four-leaf clover reminds us of the later solar worshipping invaders of Ireland, just as the leprechaun’s pot of gold recalls the educated, priestly class of Druids who controlled the gold trade routes connecting Erin to continental Europe.

T. L. Markey writes

“In the so-called primitive stage of many societies, websof associations, highly symbolic in nature, are frequently woven between periodsof the day, cardinal points, seasons, colours and social-spiritual values.”

The “primitive” dialect of symbols which was created by our ancestors stillexists in our unconscious minds. These symbols are composed of both personal and universal matter, and it is our association with those symbols which allows us
to hear the language of our soul.

Tending to those associations tends to the soul and renews the ligature that binds mortal to mythos. This year as you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or the equinox, take a moment to enjoy the multi-layered experience of our ancestors.

Source

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

The CMP Logo

In this show, released on St. Patrick’s Day, we follow the birth of the young Spring Maiden with some fascinating information about the Irish Saint Brigit and the Goddess Bride, as well as a beautiful section from The Druid Isle by Ellen Evert Hopman which is a follow-on from The Priestess of the Forest excerpt we read in SP06, a great piece of poetry accompanied by the wonderful harp of the much-loved Scott Hoye, and another 5 superb pieces of music.

You can hear the inspiring Damh the Bard, the high-energy Spiral Dance, the evocative and traditional Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra and lastly, the atavistic Amergin by the MIGHTY Dolmen!! Is this all going to fit into one show? Only time will tell!

Hope you enjoy it,

Gary & Ruthie x x x

How to Listen

The Episode is available for subscribers on the feed, or you can download it or listen to it from our Episodes page. You can find the Shownotes for this episode in the Shownotes section.

If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

Hope you enjoy it,

Gary & Ruthie x x x

———————————

You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

Pic: Storm Crypt

Our ancestors saw this other form of reality as the workings of mind and separate from the thought process of the physical brain; mind as a detached entity. This of course begs the question “what is reality?”

and that question can not be answered by any of our modern technology or science. For each of us in a lifetime may face many different realities, collectively or individually, reality can only ever be our subjective perception of it.

On surviving evidence the early Celtic peoples saw all life forms existing on three levels, three integrated but separate beings co-habiting as a single being, the realms of body and mind linked to the all pervading life force, ‘Spirit’. At this point we must disassociate from the new age thinking of transcending the physical to become linked with the spiritual. Spirit itself is the unifying force interwoven through all levels of existence as symbolized by the triple knot, or the triple spiral. A brilliant example of this is illustrated in a story by Fiona MacLeod entitled: “The Divine Adventure”, well worth reading.

Today most of us mock as ignorance the practises of these early people as we now live in a world where the conscious mind rules in logic. Science has for us pushed back the dark shadows of ancestral night. With smug superiority yesterday’s mysteries are nearly all explained, the very nature of our planet understood, superstition replaced by knowledge. Yet how many of us, if wrenched from the security of our modern well lit and warm environment to be suddenly faced with being lost alone in a dark forest wilderness, could spend the dark hours totally free from the ancestral demons of the mind that haunted these early people? Rubbish, you may say. I would reply “try it”. In many respects we still differ little from our early progenitors.

As is well documented, all of the Celtic type peoples were ancestor worshippers. This is to say that the Deities were also the ancestors of the clan. Many early legends are primarily concerned with the explanation of how the ancestors made adventurous journeys into the Otherworld realms to claim a place in the great Duns of the pre-diluvian Goddess Cessair, and in so doing they became a guide and refuge in death for the future generations of this people. The Irish legend of Donn the first man to die in Ireland being deified as the god of death is an excellent example of this. It is very natural that then as now the mysteries of death were foremost in the minds of these people.

If you can perceive life on three levels – physical, mental and spiritual interlaced as one – then the concept of the Otherworld will become less difficult to understand. This does mean that you must see that in the oneness of being, no part of it can be greater or lesser. In Celtic beliefs true vision of spirit can only be achieved when you find the central harmony of body, mind and spirit. Spirit does not only exist in higher planes. Spirit exists in all. This conflicts totally with the imported Eastern philosophy of transcending the material to attain the higher realms of spirit.

The Otherworld and the realms of spirit are with us always. We live equally as part of them and they of us. The portals to these realms lie at the centre of our being. Perhaps sometime while you are relaxed and at one with yourself and creation the mists will clear, revealing the other part of your existence to you. Then may you journey to the many coloured lands in the elemental kingdoms of Tir-fo-Thonn, Tir-na-Bea, Tirtaingiri, Tir-nan-Og and Tir-na-Moe.

S. McSkimming, Dalriada Magazine, 1993

Source

———————————

You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

The Battersea bronze and enamel shield 350BC :British Museum, London Pic: Heritage Daily

A fabulous informative article written by Sue Carter appeared in Heritage Daily recently. We enjoyed it so much, we knew our readers would find it fascinating too.Here is a taster. Enjoy  :)

On whatever pretext you stir them up, you will have them ready to face danger, even if they have nothing on their side but their own strength and courage –Strabo, (64 BC – 24 AD).

Almost all of the Gauls are of tall stature, fair and ruddy, terrible for the fierceness of their eyes, fond of quarrelling and of overbearing insolence – Ammianus, (4th Century AD).

The two quotes were written by classical authors describing the Gauls of France as known at the time. Strabo would have been aware of Caesar’s excursion to Britain and possibly have read his account of the people he had been in contact with. Diodorus Siculus (V 21, 3-6) describes Britain as,

 ‘Inhabited by tribes that are aboriginal, and in their lifestyle preserve the old ways; for they make use of chariots in the wars….’

(Diodorus cited in Ireland 2003).

Due to Britain’s isolation it is possible that many of the ‘old ways’ were still being followed. There are very few eye-witness accounts of the inhabitants of Britain prior to the Roman invasions, and what we do have is from classical writers who believed them to be barbaric, not only in their fighting methods but in other aspects of their culture. Waite (2011) sums it up when he describes Celtic feasting and fighting to the death over the hero’s cut of meat

…. even if your opponent happened to be a blood relative. Whilst this sort of behaviour was deeply rooted in Celtic culture it would only have served to justify the Roman conviction that these people were no more than uncivilized barbarians who were prepared to fight like animals over a piece of meat (Waite 2011, 36).

Unfortunately, classical writing is our only written evidence of the Celtic culture, however, we do have the archaeological evidence to back some of it up.

The main area that is often picked up and portrayed of Celts is that of warfare. But how much do we know, and can understand, from the written and iconographic resources that we have?

Tacitus (cited in Work 1954) tells us that ‘the Britons had established a reputation for bravery and being good fighters’ (Work 1954, 258), and Allcock (cited in Harding 1974) informs that

Our knowledge of Celtic warfare, as derived from the literary records, very largely relates to engagements with the Roman Army, or to Roman attacks upon Iron Age strongholds (Harding 1974, 70).

Of inter-tribal warfare the European Iron Age is well known, but of Britain, little is known as it was ‘considered in isolation and assumed to be different from that of western mainland Europe’ (Hill 1995, 49). The archaeological evidence also suggests that, the once long perceived idea of hill-forts as centres of power, were actually places where older men, women and children could gather and take their cattle etc when trouble was imminent and thus used as places of refuge and not for defending or being defended by attacking neighbouring tribes, also that ‘their roles could differ through space and, on the same site, through time’ (Hill 1995, 68).

With the archaeological record showing marked increases between the middle pre-Roman Iron Age and the late pre-Roman Iron Age, raids and warfare appear to show signs of increasing with, ‘ample evidence of the accoutrements of war – swords, shields, spears, helmets and vehicle parts’ (Cunliffe 2004, 94). Evidence in the increase of inter-tribal warfare is given in the territory that once belonged to the Parisi, ‘Armed conflict was suggested by finds in late Arras Culture graves, and this presumably indicates that the Parisi were at odds with their neighbours’

(Dent 1983, 39).

The British Celt has been described as

 ‘taller than the Celts and not so yellow-haired, although their bodies were of looser build’

(Strabo cited in Work 1954, 257),

and their social structure was one of ‘actually or potentially hierarchically organized around the competitive relations between lineages or clan groups’ (Hill 1995, 73). Mainly living in acceptance of each other, tribes would fight over cattle or land,

The picture which emerges of the Celts and their society is of a restless exuberance loosely contained within a social system based on warrior prowess. Raiding and warfare were the essential mechanisms by which society maintained and reproduced itself

(Cunliffe 1997, 363).

The Iron Age was a time of oral histories, which were passed down through the generations and told over fires in feasting halls. The hero’s were held in high esteem and their victories shared by all, and kept alive

The end result of this teaching would be a warrior imbued not only with an ability to fight but also with a strong sense of himself and where he came from – a spiritual being who operated along a ritualized code of conduct (Waite 2011, 36)

He was loyal to his tribe, his leader and knew the code he had to follow into battle, should the need arise. As well as the physical and psychological aspects of the warrior, there were also the tools of his trade – his weapons.

The type to weaponry used by the Iron Age warrior has been discovered through archaeology and

….the majority are from hoards or votive deposits but a small group of burials provides valuable evidence about the way in which the warrior was equipped (Cunliffe 2004, 94).

The main item of weaponry was the sword. Changes have been recorded between the swords of the Bronze Age and those of the Iron Age, indicating a change in fighting methods,

The earlier varieties had tapering blades with long sharp points designed for both thrusting and slashing, whilst the later swords, with their long parallel sided blades, were better adapted for slashing …. the La Tène III slashing sward was designed for fighting on horseback ( Cunliffe 2010, 533).

With the use of chariots and mounted warriors, the need for a better designed slashing sword arose. The designs of which were expertly crafted by specialist smiths.

To read more of this fascinating article by Sue Carter Visit  Heritage Daily

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
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Welsh Cakes Pic: A Seasonal Celebration

Welsh author and Druid Kristoffer Hughs writes a wonderful blog. A Seasonal Celebration So in honour of it being St Davids Day. We would like to share a little of it with you. Over to you Kris……

St. David’s Day (Wales/Celtic) 1st Of March.

St. David or to lend him his Welsh title ‘Dewi Sant’ is the patron saint of Wales, and it is believed he died on the 1^st of March in the year 589 AD, making the first day of March his feast day.

He was the epitome of austere Christian devotion and his Abbey in Pembrokshire was the centre of religious worship, study and strict learning regime. It is believed that he prevented the destruction of the monastery at Glyn Rhosyn from Irish invaders by converting them to Christianity. However David possessed incredible magical powers and at one point it was said that he caused a hill to rise where previously there was only flat ground in order for the people to hear his teachings.

In the “Armes Prydain” or the “Prophesy of Britain” the prophet Taliesin foretells the joining of the Cymry (The Welsh) in allegiance with fellow Celtic nations to defeat and drive out the Anglo-Saxons from the Islands of Britain under the banner of St. David. By today, the feast of St. David is so much more than its religious, Christian associations, it symbolises the spirit of a people, of a nation and a language. Welsh settlers in other parts of the world join together on this day to celebrate their roots and connect to their people back in the Motherland.

St. David’s day is a day of feasting, of coming together in companionship and in celebration of culture and heritage, language and song. Although it is said that David himself was a vegetarian, the presence of lamb and chicken in traditional St. David day meals may have caused his eyebrows to raise not just his hills!

Today is the day of the red dragon, of daffodils and leeks, which are claimed to drive away evil spirits. Most Welsh people will wear a daffodil today to express their pride in a nation that has maintained and kept dear its traditions and celebrations. The daffodil was adopted as the Welsh national emblem in 1907.Today we gather and raise our glasses to David, to the saints, and the ancestors that they took their inspiration from.

To read more and see some wonderful Welsh recipes visit with Kris at  A Seasonal Celebration and to find out more about, Kristoffer dont forget to visit his website at http://www.kristofferhughes.co.uk/index.html

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

St. Brigit Pic: Kildare Town Heritage Centre

Thanks to the wonderfully informative Kildare Town website, and in particular the section devoted to the Heritage Centre, we have some superb information about Saint Brigit for La Feile Bride or Saint Brigit’s Day on February 1st. The information they provide is also available in more detail in a book that you can get from their shop (although currently out of stock). They say: It is generally accepted that Brigid / Brigit established her abbey and church in Kildare around 480 AD, on the site now occupied by St. Brigid’s Cathedral. Some scholars suggest that her foundation may have evolved from a sanctuary of Druidic priestesses who converted to Christianity. Brigid the saint, inherits much of the folklore associated with the goddess Brigid, a dimension which contributes to her popularity.

It may be an exercise in futility to try separating the historical Christian Brigid/ Brigit from the goddess since, clearly, the two are so interwoven. St Brigid/ Brigit stands at the meeting of the two worlds. Neither the boundaries of Christianity nor the older beliefs can contain her exclusively. [link]

It seems that Brigid / Brigit held a unique position in the early Irish church and society of her day. As Abbess, she presided over the local church of Kildare and was leader of a double monastery for men and women. Tradition suggests that she invited Conleth, a hermit from Old Connell near Newbridge, to assist her in Kildare. Her abbey was acclaimed as a centre of education, culture, worship and hospitality in Ireland, and far beyond, up until the suppression of the abbeys in the sixteenth century.

Nothing remains today of the original Brigidine church and abbey which were probably constructed of timber or of mud and wattle. They were pulled down, rebuilt and enlarged many times as numbers grew in the double monastery for men and women. Cogitosus describes a remarkable building in Kildare in the 7th century.

Saint Brigid’s Early Life

There are many stories and legends relating to Brigid’s/ Brigit’s birth and early years. Brigid/ Brigit, we are told, was born around 453 AD. Although one story suggests Faughart, Co. Louth, as her place of birth, there is a strong local tradition in Kildare that Brigid/ Brigit was born in Umeras, about five miles northwest of Kildare Town. Her father, Dubthach, was a local chieftain whose descendants may now be called Duff or Duffy. Her mother, Broicsech , was a bondmaid in Dubthach’s household and tradition holds that she was a Christian.

Ancient Beliefs

To understand Brigid/ Brigit, the Christian saint, one needs to look briefly at the ancient beliefs that prevailed in Ireland prior to the coming of Christianity.

Male and Female deities, one of which was Brigid/ Brigit, were revered and worshipped in ancient Ireland. A great cult surrounded her. She is associated in Irish Folklore and literature with the gifts of poetry, healing and smithcraft, and is also identified with nurture, fertility and fire. With the coming of Christianity to Ireland, the power of the pre-Christian deities began to wane. Christianity slowly took root, assimilating features of the older beliefs and practices, including, for example, the use of sacred wells, the Celtic celebration of Imbolc and the use of fire. It was at this time of transition that the historical.

It is well worth exploring the Kildare Heritage website, there is a lot more information to discover and photos to see.

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
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The Book of Taliesin is attributed to the 6th C. poet Taliesin and preserves a few hymns, a small collection of elegies and also enigmatic poems such as The Battle of Trees and The Spoils of Annwfn, in which the poet claims to have sailed to another world with King Arthur and his warriors.

The Battle of the Trees in Machinima

I have set Taliesin’s Battle Of The Trees within two other pieces of writing,  firstly Tacitus’ report of the Roman invasion of the Druid island of Anglesey, followed by another poem by Taliesin which had been mixed in with The Battle of The Trees in a method of concealment to hide the poems meaning from those without understanding.

For the written poem and more details about its meaning, please see my Blog; ( http://celestialelfdanceoflife.blogspot.com/2011/07/battle-of-trees.html )

The Power of Names

The Battle of the Trees poem itself famously details the legendary Gwydion’s account of the trees of the forest which he enchanted to fight as his army against Arawn. Within the ranks of Arawn’s forces were a number of mighty warriors, and one of these was invincible as long as his name remained a secret. Gwydion the enchanter rightly guessed the secret name and won the battle saying these words:

Sure-hoofed my spurred horse,
On your shield Alder sprigs,
Bran is your name, Bran of the branches.

Sure-hoofed my horse of war,
On your hand are sprigs of Alder,
Bran you are, by the branch you bear.

However as Robert Graves explores in his book ‘The White Goddess’ the poem is particularly notable for its striking and enigmatic symbolism and the wide variety of interpretations this has occasioned.  Graves suggests that the trees in this poem correspond to the ancient Ogham alphabet, in which each alphabetic character represents a specific musical note, seasonal cycle, mythological tale and deity.

Graves thus argued that the original poet had concealed Druidic secrets about an older matriarchal Celtic religion for fear of censure from Christian authorities, that Arawn and Bran were names for the same underworld god and that the battle was probably not physical but rather a struggle of wits and scholarship: Gwydion’s forces could only be defeated if the name of his companion, Lady Achren (“Trees”), was guessed, and Arawn’s host only if Bran’s name was guessed.

Details of the Cast and Crew of the Machinema

Cast;
As Taliesin and The Bagpipes, Celestial Elf.
As Witches: Brooke Baran, Minxy Kimono, Sienna Panthar, Wicked2712 Bearsfoot,
As Druids: Mikee Martian, Obizoth, Yichard Muni,
As Celtic Warriors: Azzaro, Donjulio Siamendes, Scheer Eberhatz.
All Also doubled as Tree Avatars.

Grateful Thanks to Taliesin the Bardic Poet, and to Robert Graves for his inestimable research,
to Tacitus for recording Cornelius Tacitus historical account of the Roman attack on Angelsey, Tacitus Annals XIV,
( http://www.roman-britain.org/places/mona.htm )

Also to Freesound.org/
for use of their music and audio samples from which I created the soundtrack
Creative Commons Sampling Plus 1 License
( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/sampling+/1.0/ )

Many thanks to ;
Sliver Gray for providing Dryad Avatars, Auburn, Sapling, Nelroth and Auranox,
Lazrith Fardel for providing Alder and Dark Treant avatars,

Other props include;
Bagpipe Bird Avatar by Nowhere Phobos,
The Ent by Papadopoulus Barzane,
Piscium Navis Houseboat by Marcus Parrott.

Filmed at;
Gaia, co Enchantress Sao,
Ruins Falls, co Sliver Gray,
Tir Na nOg at Mystica co FreeSky Republic

Filmed on SecondLife via Phoenix 1.5.2.908,
On Windows XP using Fraps and Serif MoviePlus X3.
Casting Coordinator Sienna Panthar,
Conceived, Directed and Produced by Celestial Elf 2011

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.