Eclectic
Information about Celtic Culture including history, myths, heraldry, Saints, etc.
Heather (Ur) was associated with romance, dreams and feelings for the Celts. Perhaps, it’s use in making mead (a pretty strong alcoholic drink) helped in making this association. Brides in the highlands still wear heather blooms. The plant was also used to make brooms and intestinal medicine. Thus, it had an association with cleaning as well.
The Ogham symbol for Heather (Ur) translates as a “U” in English.
Reeds (nGeatal) were very useful in Celt society. They were woven to make watertight roofing (lasting as long as 10 years), laid down as mats, used as candles, and so forth. The reed was associated with protection and harmony.
It may seem odd to think of reeds as trees but Celts treated any plant with a woody stalk as a tree. Reeds were also larger in those days than they are now.
The Ogham symbol for reed has no direct single letter counterpart in the English alphabet. The closest English equivalent is the NG combination.
Ogham script, represented by the lines and slashes in the accompanying graphic, correspond to the English letters directly beside the Ogham lines and slashes. Naturally, the letters do not appear in actual Ogham script. Scholars determined that the various lines corresponded to the various letters when they set about translating the Ogham scripts found in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Ogham script was used to inscribe names on tombs, ceremonial sites, and so forth.
Most Ogham script inscriptions that have survived over the ages are etched in stone but, undoubtedly, were carved into wood as well. The Celts thought trees were links to the netherworld with their great heights and roots that penetrated so far into the soil. It may be because of these beliefs that Ogham script was linked to various types of trees. The B for instance is related to the Birch tree, A is linked to the ash, and so forth. These trees have unique properties/meanings that are conveyed along with the literal letter (sort of like a message within a message). The birch tree for instance stands for, among other things, new beginnings.
When written, Ogham script uses a solid vertical line with the letters jutting out very much like the trunk and branches of a tree. A typical Ogham script appears in the second graphic accompanying this entry. The word it represents is “Failte” in Gaelic (welcome in English). By comparing the “Failte” script with the alphabet you can work out which lines represent which letter. I think you’ll find the direction of the word somewhat different than you might expect. Have fun!
In subsequent sections of this chapter we present a variety of trees and their properties as well as their Ogham connection.
Druids were held in high regard by the Celts. They held a position in society just below that of Kings/Queens. However, there is considerable discord over the role of the Druids in Celtic society. Some argue they served primarily religious purposes but others suggest their roles involved broader intellectual pursuits.
Unfortunately, the Druids did not detail their role in written form until well after the Christianity had become the religious doctrine of the Celts. Thus, what is said about the Druids in those texts is colored by the adoption of Christian values and beliefs. It can be safely claimed that the Druids played an important role in Celtic life. They most certainly led the religious aspects of the culture and were used to arbitrate disputes…. beyond that it is difficult to determine how far their influence went.
The meaning of the term “Druid” supports the view that they were intellectual leaders as well as religious leaders. Dru is related to “oak” and uid related to “knowledge” (i.e., oak knowledge). A more general interpretation would be “one whose knowledge is great”.
It can be said that the current Druid movements are not based on surviving Druid texts because none exist (the Druids passed on their beliefs orally and refused to put their beliefs in written form to safeguard them from outsiders).
Celtic Religion is a difficult topic to discuss. In large part, it is shrouded in mystery because its tenets were not written down until after those writing had become Christians. Given this circumstance, I will make a few general comments and highlight a few major gods/goddesses based on what seems safe to deduce from the existing records.
In general, the Celts believed that Gods/Goddesses were not all that different from everyday people. In myths Gods/Goddesses are treated much like anyone else. Their treatment of Gods/Goddesses seems related to their belief that the otherworld is not all that different from this one. It is not precisely clear where the otherworld was located, but in many cases it is depicted as a land to the west. In fact, many Celts thought the otherworld could be reached by sailing there.
The Celts also believed that one would need many of the things in the otherworld that one needed this world. Thus, the practice of burying individuals with food, money, weapons, and so forth held sway. The belief that the afterlife was not much different from this life was so strong they even agreed to allow debts incurred in this world to be paid off in the otherworld!
From the forgoing beliefs, It can easily be deduced than that the soul was thought to be eternal. The soul was thought to be able to pass from the otherworld to this one rather easily. In fact, the separation of these two spheres was considered to be almost nonexistent on all hallows eve (Halloween). On that day, ancestors were expected to come calling.
Some authors have argued that the Celts engaged in a widespread practice of human sacrifice. The evidence for this claim is thin. If it occurred, it was most certainly not widespread. The Celts were also accused of being headhunters. They did take the heads of their enemies, ones they admired for one reason or another. However, this was done after a person was killed in battle, not just to collect heads.
Ok, enough of these general observations, lets turn our attention to the major Gods/Goddesses. We restrict our attention to a few of the major figures because there were literally hundreds of Gods/Goddesses most of whom were of local interest.
Cernunnos the horned God depicted in the accompanying graphic was one of the Gods that seemed to be wide spread across Celtic lands (with somewhat different names but with the same characteristic…called Dagda, for instance, in Ireland). Cernunnos was thought to be able to restore life and to be the Lord of Animals (he is horned and often depicted with animals as per the illustration).
Danu (referred to by various names as well…Anu, for instance) is thought to be the goddess of fertility and to have given life to all other gods.
Brigit, the daughter of Cernunnos, is a triple Goddess (most Gods/Goddesses served a tri-part function…. undoubtedly related to the importance of three in Celtic culture…. threes are everywhere ….planting, harvesting, fallow…land, air, sea…mother, daughter, crone….). Brigit was the patroness of poetry, a smithy, and a healer. The knowledgeable reader will note the similarity between this Brigit and St. Brigit as many of the things Brigit accomplished are things also associated with St. Brigit.
Lugus (aka Lugh or Lleu) was a warrior god of shinning light. His influence still survives in a harvest festival known as Lughnasa.
Other important widely spread Gods include Ogmios devoted to eloquence and Camulos a war god.
The Banshee is one of the most widely known of the Irish fairies…. probably due to the appearance of Banshees in movies. There is considerable debate over the exact nature of the Banshee. Is she a true fairy, a spirit, or a mortal form? No one knows for sure but all are agreed that the Banshee is associated with death. Some think the Banshee forewarns certain families of the death of its members. Others think the Banshee was offended in some way by a family forcing the fairy to follow the family and rejoice when a family member dies.
The Banshee Fairy generally appears in one of three forms…a young woman, a matron, or as an old hag (she has also appeared in a variety of other forms…e.g. a crow…but these are her usual forms). Folk wisdom has it that the Banshee only cries when members of certain Irish family members are about to die.
However, it is generally thought that the intermarriage of these families with other families has led to the Banshee appearing more generally. The Banshee appears not only in Ireland but anywhere Irish immigrants are found. The Banshee’s cry foretells the death of someone. On those occasions, one may get a glimpse of her washing her hair, blood from a blanket, a face reflected in a window, etc. Whatever the form, it is unwise to disturb the Banshee because those who have done so have met untimely deaths.
The Grogoch (also called Pecht) is found in Northern Ireland. This half human/half fairy is thought to have come from Scotland. In general, Grogoch are helpful fellows. They will help a person do chores.
Like other fairies they can only be seen by humans if the Grogoch allows it. Those who have seen Grogoch report them to be small, hairy and unkempt. They are very hard working and, in some cases, try to be so helpful that they get in the way. If so and one wants to drive them out of the house, invite a clergyman in. It is said they will not stay in such a house.
If they are underfoot outside, offer to pay them. Grogoch get highly offended if offered payment for their assistance and will leave if one persists in paying them. If you want to reward them, they love cream and will down whatever is offered in one gulp.
As you might expect, the Grogoch live in remote areas under rocks, in caves, and hollows. They can sometimes be seen relaxing and smoking late at night.
The Grey Man (also known as Old Boneless among other things) is a relatively formless fairy incapable of speech. He keeps his shape by hanging around chimney fires and in mists. It is said that you can tell when the Grey Man has passed due to the lingering smell of smoke.
This fairy causes lots of problems for humans. He hides rocks so that boats collide with them, hides curves on roads causing cars to miss turns, blights potatoes, and so forth.
The Grey Man can be kept at bay for a while by crying out “God Bless You!” and by carrying a crucifix or other holy medal (especially ones blessed by a church authority).
In most parts of the world Merrows fairies appear as Mermaids. However in Ireland, they appear in human form with flatter feet and webbed hands. Merrows love the sea but can live ashore. There are many instances reported of unions between men and Merrows. One of the reasons for this is that Merrows have to shed their cloaks to come ashore. They need these cloaks to return to the sea. Anyone who finds such a cloak has power over the Merrow to whom the cloak belongs.
Some men steal these cloaks and leave Merrows little choice but to marry them. Merrows make good wives in the sense that they attend to all their duties. However, they are not affectionate and only want to return to the sea. If they find their cloaks, the urge to return to the sea is so strong they walk out on their husbands and children and do so.
Some Merrows are not Merrows at all. They are humans taken by Merrows to raise as their own. If these children ever stand on land they regain their human roots and can never return to the sea. It is also said that sighting a Merrow can bring ill fortune…. fishermen who see them immediately return to port. They also have a tendency to attack those who fall asleep on the shore and attempt to drown them. As with other fairies, a crucifix will ward off such attack as will the sound of a church bell.
Many fear the Pooka Fairy. It is a shape shifter and is out and about most nights. One usual form is as a horse. In this form, it rampages around the country scaring livestock, tearing down fences, and causing havoc.
In other forms, it demands shares of crops…. people who do not share suffer the consequences. Pooka has the power of speech and can let its wishes be known. In some cases, it has been known to be helpful by letting people know what the future holds.
One legend has it that the High King of Ireland Brian Boru only rode the Pooka in horse form. He rode the horse to submission and got the Pooka to promise never to bother the Irish again unless they were drunk or lawbreakers. However, the years seem to have eroded the promise because Pooka’s antics continue to this day with no regard given to your situation (sober or drunk, law breaking or not, Irish or not).
