C ELTIC FOLK SOUL A RT, M YTH & S YMBOL

W ritten & I llustrated by J EN D ELYTH FOLK soul

For all poetry is in a sense memory: all art, indeed is a mnemonic gathering of the innumerable and lost into the found and unique. Fiona Macleod

“From the Hills of Dream” 1901

introduction Through the abstract patternings and enigmatic of the Celtic world—Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall, F riddles of ancient metal-smiths and medieval monk scribes, Brittany and beyond. we glimpse the intricate complexity of the Celts, whose Like the complex patterns of Celtic Art themselves, FOLK soul connection with the elemental power and wisdom of na- in the telling of the tales and traditions we encounter O ture speaks to us still. repeating motifs and figures, which reflect the circular rhythms and cadences that pulse through the Celtic cul- L Celtic artwork is rhythm and it is this rhythm of life ture. In this book there are core characters and elements that we first feel when interacting with the ancient pat- that appear often, representing major archetypes on terns—the cadence and language of the Earth. behalf of the many more who are not illuminated, or who K The sacred Spiral and her triple manifestation sym- are hidden from us by the veil of history. bolize the ancient Goddess and her seasonal cycles. The In Celtic mythology, a well-known figure can Labyrinth, or key-knot patterns, speak of the ancient jour- appear with differences of name, attributes and lore in s This is a book about the beauty, power and spirit of Each of the nine main chapters contains original il- ney to the center and out again. The Tree of Life celebrates Irish, Welsh and Scottish variations. Welsh Lleu Llaw Gyffes nature expressed through the ancient language of Celtic lustrations and explanations of the symbolism found within the verdant force of nature, the fruitful vines of growth and is connected to the Irish Lugh, and both have their own o Art and symbol: the voice of the Folk-Soul. them, with poetry and text giving background to the theme sustenance, and the sacred animals are totemic archetypes stories to tell. However, both are connected with solar of each section. Chapters are represented by elemental representing their qualities of strength, fertility and intel- symbolism, and are skilled warriors. They are both prob- The Celtic Folk-Soul dances at the heart of a living tra- symbols paired intuitively with metaphorical core concepts ligence. ably related to a far older deity of the sun—a mighty force u dition, representing the vitality of her people, their stories, that occur throughout the Celtic tradition: Stone—myster- The patterns reflect the beat of the earth, the of light and strength in the cosmos.. their land and their memories, from the early tribes through ies, Wind—journey, Seed—fire. movement of the moon across the sky that draws the sap l to us today. An ancient thread weaves back through art, I have chosen these organic themes to evoke col- of the plants—the growth and waning of our lives, and Language of Symbols can be understood and recog- ors, textures and responses together with art and poetry, to myth and poetry connecting us to a complex mysticism that of the seed to the sapling to the tall tree and all back nized on many different levels: visual, contextual, mythic express Celtic archetypes and symbols that resonate for us that expresses the interconnection and balance of all living to the earth again in a great circle. and philosophic. Although many of the core Mystery tradi- today. Each element within the book opens a window into Celtic artwork describes this rhythm at the heart things. tions were kept hidden by the priestly class of Druids, the the Celtic Folk-Soul—the door is our own imagination and of things. The elements within the designs are rooted in a artists and the bards wove mystical elements within their creative experience. far more ancient culture, where the language of the artists Celtic Art speaks to us through an intricacy of symbol words and images. and form that enchants while it mystifies, and yet is some- was directly connected with the Earth Mysteries. Sacred how the perfect way to talk about that which is abstract, The Voice of the Folk-Soul is articulated through patterns within the Gavrinis chambered cairn in Brittany sometimes invisible, and yet so essential. the language of artists, poets and storytellers: it is they who (dating back to 3500 – 4000 BC) and the megalithic pas- I have been a sow, I have been a buck, Throughout the many challenges and migrations of channel the knowledge of our ancestors. The old memory sage tomb at Newgrange, Ireland (3200 BC) are good I have been a sage, I have been a snout, the Celtic people, the Folk-Soul sings of the beauty of life, is kindled through the songs and prayers of the fishermen examples of this. and farmers, mothers and weavers, the priests and poets. I have been a horn, I have been a wild sow, even within the darkness—perhaps particularly then. This I have been a shout in battle. This rich, symbolic language contains the seeds of The Characters of myth and memory spiral, is the language, the poetic key to the Mysteries, that is the I have been a torrent on the slope, articulation from the early first peoples, and continues to meander and weave through time, which echoes with their source of my inspiration and journey as an artist. I have been a wave on the shore. evolve into our time. Exploring the roots of mythic art- riddles and contradictions. To know them, we must accept forms gives us insight into the heart of the culture from I have been the light sprinkling of rain, and concepts form the foundation some of what we do not always understand, and allow the Organic Elements which they are drawn. I have been a cat with a speckled head on three trees. of the chapters in this book, each of which evokes pivotal mysterious to speak in its own enigmatic way, feeling our I have been a circumference, I have been a head. Intricate spiral and interlacing patterns express the Celtic themes and the symbols and archetypes that repre- way to the center—to the still heart of the turning triskele. A goat on an elder-tree. oneness of life within all forms, the visible and the invisible. sent them. My intention is for Celtic Folk-Soul to be enjoyed At times we may lose our orientation of time and I have been a well filled crane, a sight to behold. Through myth and symbol the deeper truths are illumi- primarily on a visual level, with the text accompanying the place, travel between this world and the Otherworld, this nated, leading us intuitively into the otherworldly realms of artwork rather than the designs illustrating the written moment and one long past. As we follow the Folk-Soul Song of the Horses, from The Book of Taliesin - our psyche. word. back through the ages, we will visit many places, some Translated in The Four Ancient Books of Wales, by W. F. Skene, 1858 with curious and strange-sounding names, in every corner AOIS DANA

The source of the Boyne, named after the Goddess Boann, is described as: “. . . a shining fountain, with five streams flowing out of it . . . Nine hazels grew over the well. The purple hazels dropped their nuts into the fountain, and five salmon severed them and sent their husks floating down stream. The five streams of the senses are these, through which knowledge is obtained. No-one will have knowledge who drinks not a draught out of the fountain itself, and out of the streams.” The folk of many arts are those who drink them both. These are the Aois Dana, the inspired poets.

—T.P. Cross and C.H. Slover, Ancient Irish Tales Well-crafted images communicate better than sense that all is multi-dimensional and interconnected, and words the organic mystery that is life, spirit within form. that there is a mystical and colorful spiritual world beyond Authentic symbols can be perceived on both conscious and the hardships of everyday life. unconscious levels, through intuitive as well as intellectual This is an art form that embraces creative interpre- understanding. To understand more deeply, one must learn tation, has affinity for ambiguity and profundity. It always But let us chime in the heather blue the language. But more importantly, symbols are to be felt intrigues, suggesting something of that which we cannot Of their two handed harpers. with the heart and experienced through the soul. always see, but can often feel within the complexities of the Spiraling from red and silver wires This opens the communication of ideas on a non- world—the Mystery of a world that is alive, from which we Tones of the faces that speak from verbal level to all people, young or old, and to the majority come, and to where we return. Jurassic rock with eyes like leaves. of people throughout history who could not read or write A winding music keening and exultant but who could relate to and draw from this wisdom tradi- Creativity and insight are the gifts of the Aois Dana, Through the green drum of the hills tion. The symbol may be complex, yet there is a conceptual the Poets who guard the fountain of knowledge, which is s The white briar rose and the long dance vocabulary at the foundation. fed by the five streams of the senses. These wise Poets drink Of the horse’s cantering freeze from both the five streams (representing the senses) and o High and lonesome reel Mythic Archetypes of Poet, Warrior, Plant, Beast, Land, the fountain of knowledge (which represents intellect). It is Galloped doople-hoofed beat Sea and Sky—all connected by the intertwining threads of the folk of many arts who drink them both, and these are u Sharp as the blade of January and soft as snow the endless knot—are essential elements working through the Aois Dana. Their minstrels sing the Celtic imagination and spirit, rooted within an organic The Celts honored their poets and bards, their art- That kissed and parted and found rest in journeying l spiritual wisdom tradition. ists and storytellers. They are the keepers of memories: it is They roved and billowed Archetypal symbols are patterns that often com- they who manifest the essential wisdom of the tribe, which In the days of old. municate on an innate or universal level, representing is woven through their complex tales and tellings. Worshipping across the world abstract or organic principles of the mystery of things. They A music that nests in bird song Insinuates in river babble may appear in dreams, trigger memories, or work within a This is a living tradition with ancient roots, perhaps Sings in the soft south wind collective consciousness or community. Some ancient sym- reaching back to the first people. As a fluid and yet strongly And burns in the burning flame bols continue to communicate with a fertile potency within characteristic style, Celtic Art continues to change and To lay a burden in the turn of the thatch modern cultures, surviving centuries of invasion and global develop—most important to those who continue to adapt Still at the heart change and keep the tradition alive. The images in this book focus And best felt yet Represented in this book are archetypes that are on inspirational concepts which, while essential within the To the echo of that oldest tune of all inspired by the Earth Mysteries and mythology, which Celtic tradition, also speak to us today. That stirs the bold continue to have insight and relevance: the Tree of Life, Most of this artwork is original, conceived through the Triple Goddess, Taliesin the Poet and Manawyddan of the eyes of a contemporary Celtic artist. With a dedicated And I will not forget. the Sea, as well as animal and elemental symbols such as intention to not simply reproduce the ancient artists’ Dragonfly, Raven and Stag, Moon, Stone and Water. creativity, this work is inspired by their visual and mythic Five Denials on Merlin’s Grave (Excerpt) language, with focus on integrating traditional motifs Robin Williamson 1978 The artwork and design language of the Celts com- into new styles and works. Adapting the authentic design municate ideas of a more fluid relationship between things. vocabulary, and sometimes using new tools and mediums The monk scribes of old may or may not have intended that were not available to the first Celts, symbols and to express something literal about the nature of shape- mythic elements are illustrated that still hold meaning shifting between forms. Yet at the heart of the imagery is a today. When discussing the arts and crafts of history, I I grew up in Wales, where the very language is ways of understanding our place in the world, within a The Ancients knew this well. The pre-Celtic F have included a few reproduction illustrations that are ancient, where indeed many of our places—river, lake and living universe that is home to the rhythms of nature, the peoples of the shadowy Megalithic culture of the Great representative of Celtic works of antiquity, but all other mountain—still have the living folk memory known to diversity of life. Celtic art, music, poetry and dance, and the Mound Builders, whose lives were centered within a spoken languages themselves, reflect this creative, organic pieces are contemporary. them, often connected to their names. Although the old primal living Universe, have woven their wisdom into the O form—the intertwining expressions of the Folk-Soul. The challenge is to create a personal, individual ways and communities that kept this knowledge for many deepest roots of the Folk-Soul. Contemporary people can find relevance within centuries have changed in the modern world, some of the The Earth Mystery tradition continues L style, crafting new patterns and designs while also the symbolic language of the ancient world. Mythic honoring the tradition. In this spirit, the core Celtic ancient artwork, poetry and folklore remain to inspire us. archetypes and natural symbols give life and articulation throughout the development of Celtic culture, where it elements and motifs (such as spirals, triskele, key-knots and We will never know exactly what our ancestors to the heart and soul; they can act as guides within the manifests through art, poetry and mythology to fuel our K interlace patterns) are integrated into compositions that thought, believed or experienced in their time, as they spiritual and everyday rhythms of both ancient and imaginations and whisper secrets through the long chain of years. reflect a personal vision, rooted within both a historical and would not comprehend much of what we have become. modern people. contemporary cultural framework. We may seek different insights within the compelling tales s and visions from those intended by the ancient folk who The Mission of the There is an intricate The focus of this book is not to discuss any fashioned them; however, it is this very richness of organic Folk-Soul. Eleanor Merry wit and joy within the o particular religious or political viewpoint, and it is neither wrote her curious book The imagery and abstract allusion that continues to create new Celtic designs that playfully a comprehensive exploration of antiquity nor an attempt Flaming Door: The Mission of acknowledges as part of the meaning. u the Celtic Folk Soul in 1936. As natural cycle the darkest a theosophist she has some aspects of a difficult life, of deeply esoteric ideas about often terrible challenge and l spirituality and the Celtic hardship. As we continue to What we call a symbol is a term, a name, or even a picture that may be familiar in daily life, yet that Mystery tradition, drawn from explore our connection to possesses specific connotations in addition to its conventional and obvious meaning. her research into comparative the world and to find anchor It implies something vague, unknown, or hidden from us.... As the mind explores the symbol, mythology and religion. within the sometimes strange it is led to ideas that lie beyond the grasp of reason Merry introduces a sea of human existence, the compelling vision of a Mission voice of the Folk-Soul gives Carl Jung “Man and His Symbols” of the Folk-Soul, which is to direction and insight. seek the keys of initiation, As a living memory, this knowledge and wisdom within interchange of ideas explores its legends and mythology. She the mysticism of the trees, begins The Flaming Door with to romanticize the past. This collection of paintings and , where environmental concerns are the waters, the very air that In our world today these words: illustrations is an offering of the fruits of many years of we breathe—and all that lies crucial, the balance not only between man and nature, but “We shall, I believe, never fully fascination with Celtic Art, with respect for the beauty and within our own psyche, is becoming increasingly complex. understand our evolution, nor see in the glimmering light in between. This is a creative and vital energy that has complexity within this, my cultural heritage. Perhaps the wisdom traditions of the people who lived in about us the sign-posts that point the way into the future, crossed the oceans with her people and continues to comparative balance with their environment can infuse us unless we recognise the greatness of our spiritual heritage.” thrive in the new places, as in the old.

The first peopleare our Ancestors. They lived close with their perspective and insight. As a response, this book, which is conceived as The Folk-Soul still dances with unique rhythm and to the earth and wove their fabric of reality through Tree We have shifted from an earth-centered, pagan a more intuitive and poetic exploration of the Folk-Soul, continues this mission to seek inspiration and motivation cadence in our culture today. For we live in a great story, and River, Dragonfly and Wild Boar, with tales from the perspective to a more intellectual theology centered through the mystical arts of those peoples who lived and the Folk-Soul knows this well and delights in taking us beginning of time intertwined with the brilliant colors of on man and the redemption of his soul. Many today are more strongly connected with the natural world, who on an ever unfolding journey. redefining their spirituality, or perhaps developing new their fertile imagination. recognized the spirit within all things. the GARDEN

The Garden is a perfumed sanctuary of flowering beauty and green verdant life. Her creatures are the butterfly, whose painted wings reflect the vivid colors and patterns of the flowers and herbs she visits. The Bees gather their sweet nectar from the lavender to create golden honey for their Queen. Dragonfly, master of illusion, is shaman of the air, as the frog is of his watery pond among the rushes. The humble snail carries the sacred spiral symbol upon his back. His is the shady realm of undergrowth and tender shoots. The Green Man and his bride watch over the Garden. He is of the earth - the green vines spill from his mouth taking root in the fertile soil. She is Blue Mistress of the flowers and winged creatures. Together they dance in the Garden of creative possibilities. ROOTS elements

Eil gweith ym rithad Bum glas gleissad, Bum ki, bum hyd, Bum iwrch ymynydd.

The second time I was charmed I was a silver salmon, I was a hound, I was a stag, I was a mountain buck.

Taliesin 6th century translation Meirion Pennar

chapter 1

they were valued for their mystical power and beauty. In ochre, symbolizing the red blood of the Earth Mother. R the psyches of the people, the lives of the animals were Female animals and women were powerfully e deeply interconnected with their own. The archetypal connected through the Mother Goddess, the primal ROOTS elements qualities of tenacious strength, speed and pride within archetype of fertility. The blood Mysteries of pregnancy l O the herd reverberated in the primal psyche of the Hunter and birth connected women with the cycles of the Gatherers. moon, as we see in the Venus of Laussel, an eighteen- e O inch-high bas-relief sculpture of a woman holding a The stories they painted on the cave walls tell of the curved bison horn that represents both the crescent m T herds, the hunt, the Mysteries of life and death and the moon and the universal vulva, the source of all life. More Spirit World. The Hunter Gatherers were not builders, and than 21,000 years old, our earliest Moon Goddess was e we do not know what language they spoke or the names found on a sheltered wall of limestone in the Dordogne of those they worshipped. But their shamans have left us Valley of France. S Imagine the Folk-Soul as a giant tree with sturdy roots Although the Paleolithic people lived many n their stories upon the rocks. They found their communion These natural archetypal symbols of fertility spreading deep into the ancient soil and the stony layers of thousands of years before the Celts, they are their with the spirit world in the darkness of the caves through are profound Mysteries that continued to have deep the earth. Her trunk is thick and round, deeply ringed with ancestors, and there is a connecting thread between their t paintings and engravings of animals and abstract meaning for the later agricultural many years’ growth. She has beautiful bark and spiraling paintings and the shape-shifting, mythic animal world of patterns—and these are their only enduring legacy. communities and tribal peoples of knots. Her wood is dense, but the sap runs clear the Celtic imagination. Their art is a whisper within s Our ancient forebears have left us with mere Europe. The Ancient Mother births and strong, drawing energy up into her Celtic folk memory—the first voice of the fragments of their long existence upon the earth, but new life, feeds her young at her expansive branches. people. their ancient dance within the Folk-Soul breast, and fiercely protects her Her boughs reach skyward continues, inspired by their primal, children from harm. and then, heavy with fruit, bend lived The Hunter Gatherers earth-centered spirituality. Within down again to the earth, seeking in Europe during the Old Stone the animist religions of the Prehistoric Art in Europe is connection with the tributary of Age, the late Paleolithic period Bronze and Iron Age warrior among the oldest of symbolic roots below. that stretched from 30,000 BC tribes, many of their revered human expressions. Cave until the end of the last Ice Age symbols continue to have paintings and carvings made around 8000 BC. They used simple The Roots of the Folk-Soul power and relevance—the of rock, wood and bone tell the chiseled stone tools, fishing go back to the first peoples, primeval Mother Goddess, the stories of the early people who came nets and the bow and arrow, and who lived close to the natural Stag, the Horse, the Bull, and the before us, who wove their presence domesticated dogs for hunting and world. Through their daily lives elemental creatures of the water, air into the roots of the Folk-Soul. Although the protection, to alert their communities and religious rituals, they were and the underground realms: Fish, Birds and Reptiles. early people did not yet read, write or build, their to danger. They ritually buried their intrinsically connected to the cycles of Caves were natural sheltering places, used for sophisticated paintings reveal a shaman culture that was dead using red ochre (a natural earth life and death, light and darkness, to the communal gatherings, but the archetypal animal figures nurtured deep within the darkness of the caves. There, pigment) to rebirth them in the womb of the turning of the great wheel of the seasons. painted high on the ceilings of the deep chambers were they painted animal forms that revealed themselves earth. Our Cro-Magnon ancestors Homo sapiens sapiens often difficult to reach, suggesting more ritual significance. upon the undulations of the rock surfaces, bringing These early people had not yet learned farming lived during the Ice Age. They hunted and were hunted, them to vivid life. These powerful images describe and they painted their powerful visions deep in the caves or animal husbandry, and their tools were simple. They The Mother Goddess first emerges during the their encounters with the animal spirits in the trance- of the earth. It was there, close to the Otherworld, that were dependant upon the bounty of the world and were Paleolithic era: figures of pregnant, large-breasted women inducing darkness of the underground chambers. They the animal spirits were conjured from the rock by the immersed in its Mysteries. such as the Venus of Willendorf are our best-known early used ritual paint such as red ochre and carefully placed shaman artists, brought to vivid life with charcoal, ochre images of a human being. Dating back to 28,000—22,000 their offerings of carved bones and teeth in hidden and ground minerals in the light of simple lamps made of Small communities followed the herds, which led them BC, this icon of prehistoric art was carved from oolitic crevices, where they would whisper their secrets to the carved stone or bone burning animal fat. in their seasonal migrations. The animals gave the people limestone and found covered with a thick layer of red archeologists who found them 30,000 years later. sustenance, their skins offered clothing and shelter, and

Tale of the e l HERNE the HUNTER e m Herne the Hunter - The Stag God is associated with men shape-shift into Deer or Stag form, personifying the Cernunnos, also called the Horned One, or Lord of All metaphysical elements of the animal spirit within their Stags. He is lord of the horned and hoofed animals, and is psyches. In the Fionn Cycle, Finn encounters his future wife e associated with the wild hunt in which spirits of the dead Sadbh, changed into a Fawn by the Black Druid Fer Doirich. are rounded up and carried to the Otherworld Their son Oisín is later raised by his mother the Deer, and n Since the time of the earliest people, the Stag has been re- becomes part Deer himself. vered as a magical creature. The antlered shaman appears Horns worn on the head symbolize the power and t in the Paleolithic cave paintings at Les Trois-Freres in the intelligence of the animal from which they come, and in French Pyrenees. Also known as The Sorcerer, the antlered many cultures the priest or shaman often wears the antlers s man is an early manifestation of the Horned God, who of the Stag as he journeys between the worlds. appears in British folklore as Herne the Hunter. The hunter One of the earliest images of a horned Shaman identifies closely with the stag: this is a very ancient figure comes from Val Camonica, a valley in the lower mystery—hunter and hunted are one. Alpine regions of Lombardy in northern Italy. Tales of the Stag Hunter appear There, two hundred and fifty thousand Bronze throughout European folklore. Herne, or Age petroglyphs were carved by the Camunni Cerne, is the distant folk memory of Cernun- tribe, some dating as far as 8000 BC. One of nos—which translates as the Horned One. the most important of these figurative icons His cult was widespread across the Celtic is a Celtic rock carving that depicts the Stag world. On the silver Gundestrup Cauldron God wearing a long garment and a power- that was found in a peat bog in Denmark, ful magical-religious torc around his neck. we find him sitting cross-legged, wearing Magnificent tall antlers grow from his head. the sacred torc (Celtic neck ring) and holding a In the Welsh mythic stories of the Mabi- ram-headed serpent, which also represents fertil- nogi, the Deer or Stag represents the bound- ity and strength. ary between the worlds. In one tale Pwyll, Lord of Horned animals, especially stags, have long been Dyfed and his hounds become lost while hunting a mysti- associated with male sexuality and strength. To the Celts, cal White Stag deep in the forest. In a clearing they meet a the stag symbolized wild nature. He is Lord of the Animals; strange pack of red- and white-eared dogs (red and white his alertness, speed, aggression and potency during the are the colors of the Otherworld) the Hounds of Annwn— rutting season made him an object of reverence, while his Annwfn in Welsh—the Celtic Underworld. They surround spreading, tree-like antlers seemed to epitomize the forest. the noble Stag, but Pwyll drives them off and claims the In mythology, the stag deity is often associated with the quarry for himself. oak tree, a symbol of strength and wisdom. Arawn, the Lord of the Underworld suddenly Deer lose and regenerate their antlers each year appears—most angry that Pwyll has claimed the White and so are intrinsically connected to the Mysteries of Stag, who belongs to his realm. He demands that Pwyll seasonal regeneration and the cycles of death and re- repair the insult by exchanging places with him, traveling birth. Throughout Celtic mythology, both women and to the Otherworldly realm, and killing his enemy in Annwn.

Although we do not encounter the White Stag hart, thrusting his knife up and into the Stag’s throat. He were leaving, and unaware of their intention, gave them a from Herne’s Oak. Soon the deer and all the other game R again in this tale, he represents the journey to the Oth- saved Richard, but not before he himself had been mauled money purse to take to Urwick to thank him for his kind- returned to the forest: balance was returned. e erworld, where Pwyll and Arawn balance the cycle by by the great antlers and both man and Stag lay dying, their ness and the gift of healing. But the men kept the money Many have claimed to have seen Herne, especially exchanging places. Only after a sacrifice is made can Pwyll blood seeping into the earth. and instead went to the magician to claim that Herne was around Herne’s Oak where he died. It is said that his ghost O return. It seemed that Herne was doomed, when out of most ungrateful to him. Indeed, they said, Herne had often haunts the forest still, appearing as an antlered man rid- l Herne the Hunter figures in another tale of a shaman jour- the dark forest a stranger on a black horse appeared and delighted in making fun of him to all who would listen, ing his black horse with a horned owl upon his shoulder, neying to the Otherworld, a legend centered in the ancient asked to examine the wounded hunter. He was a local wise jesting about the sorcerer’s ridiculous cure of putting ant- his demon hounds at his feet and the wicked huntsmen e O Windsor Forest, one that is still remembered today. The man, the magician called Urwick, and although the king’s lers upon his head. following behind. He is said to claim the souls of poachers, local folk say that when the wind howls and storm clouds men feared him, they had no choice but to accept his offer Urwick was furious and cursed Herne to the gods and all the damned souls of men as they chase the White m T race across the darkened sky, the antlered man—Herne the of help. Urwick gave the men a strange order: “Remove the for his lack of respect and gratitude. The jealous hunters Stag endlessly across the night sky. Hunter—can be seen galloping with his spectral hounds, antlers from this noble stag, and fix them to Herne’s head!” gleefully exacted further revenge by suggesting that, Herne’s Oak can still be found within Windsor For- e gathering lost souls for their journey to the Otherworld. Though they distrusted the dark sorcerer, they did as he as punishment, Urwick should use his powers to est, although it has been replanted and relocated S In the fourteenth-century version of the tale, Herne commanded, cutting the antlers from the dead Stag and take away Herne’s hunting skills. several times throughout history. The original n was one of King Richard’s binding them upon Herne’s The next day Herne was out hunting as usual tree has long since gone, but the myth contin- huntsmen. He was a true head. with King Richard. Much to their surprise, ues. When the wind howls and the moon is woodsman who knew every Then they carried him they failed to find a suitable quarry. After dark, it is said by those who remember t path and trail in the ancient There is an old tale goes, that Herne the Hunter, back to Urwick’s hut, where a few days of hunting Herne became the old tales that “the hunters are forest and spent every day Sometime a keeper here in Windsor forest, he lay as if dead for many frustrated over his repeated failures, abroad”. s out hunting with his royal Doth all the winter time at still midnight, days and nights. The wise and King Richard was also puzzled. In this myth, the deaths of master. On one such morn- Walk around about an oak, with great ragg’d horns; man fed him strange po- When the three poached deer the Stag and Herne are sacrifices ing, the dogs picked up the And there he blasts the tree, and takes the cattle; tions, herbs from the darkest skins were discovered in Herne’s hut, at the sacred tree of the Celts: an scent of a rare White Stag, And makes milch-kine yield blood, and shakes a chain depths of the forest, roots Richard immediately dismissed him: his initiation into the Mysteries of death and the hunt began with In a most hideous and dreadful manner. pulled by the light of the full favorite hunter, Richard concluded, had and rebirth. The initiation is the fulfill- a thundering of hooves You have heard of such a spirit, and well you know moon and water drawn from been poaching by night and was simply ment of the shamanic powers Herne and baying of hounds. The The superstitious idle-headed eld an ancient spring. Herne too tired to successfully hunt during the day. received while mortally wounded, which hunters crashed through Receiv’d, and did deliver to our age, slowly recovered his health, Herne was disgraced, and went mad were passed to him by his teacher, the Druid the woods and leapt over This tale of Herne the Hunter for a truth. and Urwick removed the with grief. Overwhelmed by shame and des- magician who placed the potent antlers upon streams, driven on by flash- White Stag’s horns from his peration at the injustices done to him, he took his his head.

ing glimpses of the noble head. own life, and the next day he was found hanging In Celtic imagery horned animals are animal darting between the William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor - Act 4 Scene 4 When he returned to the from an oak tree in the center of the forest. important magical and religious symbols. Icono- ever-thickening stands of Castle, Herne was rewarded Time passed and the hunting was never quite graphic depictions of stylized horned or antler-bear- trees. for his courage and sacrifice the same in Windsor Forest. There were no deer, and no ing deities appear on Celtic bronze, bone and pottery Herne rode at King with gold and a beauti- wild boar, not even many rabbits or fowl to snare for the objects. Antlers and horns are also added symbolically Richard’s side as they closed in on the Stag. An arrow had ful silver hunting horn from the king, who favored him royal table. The King was frustrated, and despite his anger onto non-horned creatures: we find the horned man, the pierced its side and the proud creature was cornered in above all his men. But the other hunters soon began to at Herne, was sad to have lost his greatest huntsman. horned boar, the horned serpent and even horned birds. a clearing deep in the forest, his magnificent antlers held feel jealous of the royal favors conferred upon the King’s One dark and windy night as Richard was return- The Stag, the Bull and the Ram are often depicted with high and his hooves angrily pawing the ground. Herne well-loved huntsman, and so they began to spread rumors ing from yet another disappointing day of hunting, a storm three horns, endowing them with potent fertility and the restrained the hounds, who were eager to move in for the that Herne was in league with the black magician and his blew up and he took shelter beneath the same oak tree deeper magical symbolism of the sacred triplicity, symbol kill: but this was to be an honor for King Richard alone. The dubious Arts. The King refused to believe the tales: Urwick where Herne had died. A bolt of lightning struck the tree, of the Mysteries. king unsheathed his knife as his horse nervously edged was indeed a strange recluse, but he was also a wise man revealing to the king the ghostly figure of Herne bear- The Stag appears in the earliest cave paintings, an toward his quarry. and healer who used his powers for good, not evil. ing the White Stag’s antlers upon his head. He told the icon of fleet-footed grace and noble bearing, keen of scent Suddenly, the Stag sprang forward and ripped The envious huntsmen hatched another plan to truth about the vengeful foresters and asked Richard to and quick to alert to danger—a magical creature of Celtic open the King’s horse with his fierce antlers. Herne instinc- ruin Herne, planting three fresh deer skins in his hut and seek justice, to right the wrong that had been done to his mythology and religion. His branching horns give power to tively threw himself between his King and the frenzied accusing him of being a poacher. Herne met them as they honor, and so Richard ordered the two huntsmen hanged the shaman, who is transformed by this Mystery. The hunter and the hunted are one.

The Stag with his branching horns had mystical Through ritual chanting, drumming and dancing, The Red Man of Wales is an almost complete R importance to the Paleolithic people, as he has for the through extreme pain or sensory deprivation (as is found Paleolithic Cave Painters carved and painted Paleolithic human skeleton dyed in red ochre e Celts. The typical half human, half animal painting of an in the darkness of the caves) and sometimes with plant powerful images of their revered animals. Although some and protected by an amulet of sacred sea shells, O antlered man from Les Trois—known as The Sorcerer—is medicines, entheogens, human beings have the potential creatures were clearly important as food sources, they were discovered in the Gower Peninsula of South Wales, in l our earliest rendition of a shaman. He is an ancient to experience alternate perceptions that share some also sacred figures within the people’s spiritual traditions. one of the Paviland limestone caves. Known as the example of the transforming and shape-shifting that common visual and emotional expressions. Their visual Lascaux in southwestern France has some of Red lady of Paviland, who was eventually identified e O appears later in Celtic mythology. interpretations of these altered states offer an inspiring the most beautiful painted Paleolithic caves in the world to be a man in his early twenties from 24,000 BC he is This figure of Cernunnos (right) is from the glimpse into the beginnings of the animist Old Religion containing the earliest known art, dating to between 13,000 the oldest human remains found in Britain. m T Gundestrup Cauldron, a votive object found ritually that developed over many thousands of years among the and 15,000 BC (or as far back as 25,000 BC). Haunting The red ochre (a natural red earth pigment) is dismantled in a peat bog near Gundestrup in Denmark in tribal Celts, as they continued to feed the fertile roots of paintings of horses, bulls and stags, depicted with spiritual often used as a ritual paint for Paleolithic people. It e 1891. Made around the second or first century BC by the the primal Mysteries of the strength and character tell animated stories of the hunt. is the sacred color of blood and the earth, associated S La Tène period Celts, this Hunter Gatherers. Great bulls and many red and black cows cover the cave with the Underworld from which we are born, and to n richly decorated silver bowl walls. An inspiration for people since the earliest times, which we return. Red and White continue to be the is covered in beautifully Trance Patterns are the Bull symbolizes male strength and power, virility and symbolic colors of the Otherworld within later Celtic t crafted images that relate to commonly occurring stubborn tenaciousness. mythology. Celtic rituals and deities— visual experiences that Pech Merle in the Languedoc region of France is including the antlered man, are characteristic of the home to a magnificent labyrinth of caves filled with colorful s whom we first encountered patterns and images we see paintings and engravings—some incorporating the natural PICTURE OF CERNUNNOS upon cave walls more than in ancient cave paintings. forms of the cave walls. The spotted horses and the artists’ FROM GUNDESTUP CAUL- 10,000 years earlier. Abstract markings such handprints found there are most magical. Radiating dots DRON HERE as dots, signs, geometric and lines around and inside the animal forms release their Shamanism can be found and arrow shapes are not spirits from within the living rock. Deep in this spirit realm, in every hunter-gatherer merely decorative—they the shaman artists conjured these sacred animals both culture around the world. represent ritual and mystical literally and metaphorically out of the Underworld. Shamanic experiences of both ancient and The Shaman is a priest, a experience. Interestingly, At the center of an enormous chamber at Pech contemporary tribal people are clearly connected with healer and a magician—a these visual elements Merle, surrounded by hanging stalactites, natural stone their forms of rock art. link between the living that are experienced forms the head of a horse. The rock itself seems to open and the Ancestors, this during trance have been to the animal’s spirit emerging from its rough surface. For The first artists painted by spitting pigment world and the Otherworld. developed intuitively in the ancient Hunter Gatherers, as for the tribal Celts, there - ground and mixed with saliva in their mouths - onto Shamans journey to the later folk art motifs such is no real boundary between the material world and the the rock whose surfaces were spirit world in altered states as the key-knot or chevron spirit world. Celtic folklore tells us that at certain times too uneven for extensive brushwork. of consciousness, seeking transformation and healing as patterns, and the dotted in the wheel of the seasons when the veil between the intermediaries for the tribe. outlines we continue see in the artwork of the medieval worlds grows thin, such as at Samhain—Hallowe’en, the (The Australian aborigines still paint like this today). Since we first walked the earth, human beings have manuscripts. door opens to the spirits coming through from their dark entered into trance states, experiencing hallucinations When the artist moves from trance to deeper Underworld. Imagine them breathing the images onto the rock, as part of our spiritual traditions. For Paleolithic people hallucination, natural forms can reveal themselves through shaping lines and tones with their hands upon the walls caves were both literal and figurative entrances into the fabric of the environment. For the cave painters, the Handprints were left on the cave walls 20,000 years ago. of these subterranean caves. Sometimes using charcoal the Underworld. In the tunnels and chambers of the sacred animals may have seemed to emerge through the The artists left their mark as both positive and negative for underlying sketches, their paint recipes were ground subterranean places, the shaman artists could enter into natural forms of the rock walls and fissures, brought to life stencil prints of their hands, around which they blew minerals - red was hematite and black was manganese trance hallucinations which they manifest or recreated in the flickering light of their torches—the cave itself only pigment. They did not necessarily create them as personal dioxide, mixed with extender mixtures of biotite and with finger tracings, engravings and paintings. a thin membrane between the artists and the creatures of signatures, but as gestures that fused hand with rock. feldspar ground together with quartz stones. the Underworld. Awen is Welsh for poetic inspiration. A flowing essence, this spiritual illumination is known in Irish as the Imbas. Awen is the spark of life, creativity, inspiration and wisdom, the living principle. Bards and Poets revere the mystical divine knowledge of the Awen. According to the ancient Welsh tales of the Mabinogion, Bard Taliesin, meaning Radiant Brow, receives Awen with gifts of knowledge, prophecy and poetry from Ceridwen’s cauldron.

The Hand image represents this creative principle of life, representing the great artistry of creation. It is an echo of the magical handprints of the shaman cave painters who honored the spiritual essence of the animals—the hunters and the hunted—and manifested their forms in the Otherworld, deep in the darkness of the caves.

In the Beginning In the beginning was the three-pointed star, One smile of light across the empty face; One bough of bone across the rooting air, The substance forked that marrowed the first sun, And, burning ciphers on the round of space, Heaven and hell mixed as they spun.

In the beginning was the pale signature, Three-syllabled and starry as the smile; And after came the imprints on the water, Stamp of the minted face upon the moon; The blood that touched the crosstree and the grail Touched the first cloud and left a sign.

In the beginning was the mounting fire That set alight the weathers from a spark, A three-eyed, red-eyed spark, blunt as a flower; Life rose and spouted from the rolling seas, Burst in the roots, pumped from the earth and rock The secret oils that drive the grass.

Dylan Thomas

In the painting on the right we see the totemic animal symbols of the Celts: the Horned Stag, the earth Serpent, the wise Crane, the Solar Horse, the loyal Hounds of Culcullain, the Salmon of wisdom, the Hare—totem of the Earth Goddess—and the Boar of valor, Twrch Trwyth. Also the symbols of sun and moon. In the palm of the hand, Awen is symbolized as three rays emanating from three small dots, symbolizing truth, the balance of life and existence. Awen is the breath of the God Dagda, who bestows this gift of power and knowledge upon the Chief Bard of the Druids, said to represent the letters OIU from which all others are obtained, the name that the universe inwardly calls God. Twelfth- century poet Llywarch ap Llywelyn (c.1173-1220), known as the Poet of the Pigs, says “The Lord God will give me the sweet Awen, as from the cauldron of Ceridwen.”

In this way, artists inserted their very presence into the Celts. literal transformation, but a more deeply symbolic one ROOTS of CELTIC ART R the mystical artwork. Although paintings of human figures between both mythic and spiritual aspects of the totem e from this time are rare, hand prints are quite common, Shape-Shifting and journeys to the Underworld, creatures and the psyche of the Poet himself. The development of Celtic Art The development including those of children, perhaps apprentice shamans introduced long ago by the first people, are powerful O of Celtic Art began in the Bronze and Iron Ages, but it is the l learning from their teachers. currents within the Celtic psyche. The most potent The First Artists lived close to the natural world: the people who came before them who planted its seeds as the experiences of a shaman vision quest often include a landscape, the animals and the seasons. They honored the first animist artists. Their visual expressions of landscape, e Sympathetic Magic between the hunter and the personal transformation—shape-shifting into the animal creatures upon whom they relied for their survival, but they O spirituality and rituals were powerful Mysteries that are hunted is another interpretation of Paleolithic art. The itself. also revered them for their spiritual and physical qualities rooted within the mythology and folklore of later Celtic m paintings seem to represent the drawing of power from In Celtic mythology there are many descriptions of strength, fertility and swiftness. T culture. the animal to the shaman, who of such experiences. The Morrigan The images and symbols of the Hunter Gatherers, e negotiates with the spirit world on shape-changes into the Raven upon the Neolithic megalith builders, and the warrior artist behalf of the tribe. The paintings the battlefield, the Children of Lir The Language of Symbols was readily understood S Celts of the Iron and Bronze Ages, form a continuum that n have been seen as an offering become lonely Swans, and women invokes the sacred and connects the power in the world by the ancient people, whose lives were a continuum of back to the Underworld to ritually transform themselves into the to the power within ourselves. This is the foundation of art religious expression communicated through visual images rebirth the creatures that were an Selkie seals of Manawyddan’s Land t and mythology within the Celtic Folk-Soul. that held great power and significance. It is through the important source of food. under the Sea. As we have seen, in This artwork is a visual language that intuitively language of symbols that the Druid priests communicated In the Chauvet cave in Welsh folklore—the Mabinogion s expresses the rhythms of the Mystery of life and the the sacred to the people, who in turn expressed their France are powerful thirty-two- stories—Pwyll Lord of Dyfedd hunts Eil gweith ym rithad profound mystical connection between the inner world intentions to the Gods. thousand year-old paintings of a White Stag in the forest with his Bum glas gleissad, of the imagination and the creative power of the world in The ancient artists created abstractions, rather than animals such as bison and deer, hounds when he encounters Arawn, Bum ki, bum hyd, which we live. realistic depictions of the world, to honor the sacredness of depicted as pregnant and fertile. Bum iwrch ymynydd. Lord of Annwn. They exchange Nature. This view, in which stylized figures are created to Creatures that are half human places, and Pwyll lives in the represent, rather than copy the works of the Creator, is held and half animal embody the Underworld for a year and a day as In many old Welsh stories, men are changed into a wolf The second time I was charmed by many cultures in the world. sympathetic relationship between part of an agreement to balance his or hog, a raven, and eagle or a hawk; while the women I was a silver salmon, hunter and hunted—the shaman transgression of hunting a magical become swans wild geese, serpents, cats, mice or birds. I was a hound, I was a stag, transforming or shape-shifting white Stag of Arawn. In the Mabinogi Stories, Gwydion, by means of magic, Basic Patterns carved into everyday objects of bone, I was a mountain buck. into the animal figure. However, transformed Gilvaethwy first into a deer, then into a wood and stone form geometric, stylized motifs that are many paintings do not depict hog, afterwards into a wolf, and lastly back again into still intrinsic to the vocabulary of Celtic art today. Taliesin the Bard T is a seer creatures as being hunted, rather Taliesin 6th century human form. The weaving of baskets and fishing nets, cloth and and shape-shifter, expressing as revered for their qualities of translation Meirion Pennar In the story of Manawyddan, the wife of Llwyd, the son leather harnesses were among the first crafts of the early the cycle of forms through the power, grace and beauty, like the of Kilcoed, was turned into a mouse, and at his death folk. A weaver takes one or many strands and creates a magical animals of the Celts: all is herds of wild horses upon the King Arthur was transformed into the shape of a raven, unique, solid pattern that is at once balanced and flowing: interconnected. The metaphysical, cave walls. for which reason the peasantry of Wales, Cornwall and the many into the one, the one into the many. These totemic relationship between man and the animals has Perhaps the early artists who lived in different Brittany will not kill that bird. knottings and interweavings were pragmatic pieces that long been expressed by Celtic shaman artists and poets areas across many thousands of years had diverse reasons Blodeuwedd who was created from flowers as a wife were essential to survival, but they also contributed to the such as Taliesin and Amergin, for whom creativity is the for creating their powerful paintings and rituals. We for Llew, was changed into an owl for betraying her development of abstract thought and mystical expression. sacred language of the Mysteries. They describe many may never really know. However, there is a compelling husband. In some ancient cultures, knotting and weaving were seen transformations through successions of totem animals and relationship between the people and the animals that From these ancient myths probably arose the belief in as protection from evil spirits, who could be caught and elements representing the cycle of life, and the ancient continues through the Iron and Bronze Age cultures of later ages that certain people could be transformed trapped within the complexities of the design. knowledge inherent in the spirit of nature. the tribal peoples—especially in the cults of the Horse, by magical aid into various shapes, or were directly The early artists translated these three-dimensional the Stag and the Bull. Other creatures that appear in The Druids may have believed in the descended from animals. weavings into two-dimensional images, which they then prehistoric paintings, such as the mammoth, the auroch transmigration of souls, reincarnation through animal to developed into symbols representing more complex and the bison, were long extinct in Europe by the time of human forms. The Poet does not necessarily describe a Welsh Folk-lore and Folk-Stories of Wales - Trevelyan 1909 expressions of their religious beliefs. Earth Labyrinth

A labyrinth, unlike a maze, has only one path, winding but branchless, leading from the entrance to the center. Often scratched or carved on Stone Age monuments and grave sites, the labyrinthine design represents the soul’s journey into the center of the uterine underworld and its return toward rebirth. one of the oldest archetypal symbols, the labyrinth is most sacred to the earth goddess. Early labyrinthine designs found on coins, caves and tombs, referred to the earth-womb.

Similar labyrinth patterns have been found amongst many different cultures, Celtic, Minoan, Cretan and in Russia, Egypt, India, and in Peru and Arizona in the New World. The Hopi Indians consider the design a symbol for Mother Earth. This design is based upon the Cretan labyrinth, which is at least 3200 years old, known from clay tablets dated to 1200 BC. Glastonbury Tor - Ynis Witrin - has a maze- pattern similar to such Cretan mazes, created for ritual purposes long before the Druids used it in their rites and initiation ceremonies. inner labyrinth knot-work is a Celtic "key Pattern", which is itself a meander symbol, similar to the panels of the ornamented stones of East Pictland from Durham to Caithness, and those in the books of Durrow, Kells, Lindisfarne and other early Celtic manuscripts.

Celtic patterns Celtic Patterns include the labyrinth key The Spiral or triskele, is a Celtic motif that is meandering, spiraling, free and flowing. with the Tree of Life, from which they pluck the fruit of R pattern, the spiral and curvilinear forms, the interlace, the continually repeated in story, prayer and artwork patterns. Patterns move outward and toward a center, wisdom. This is a deeply esoteric philosophy common to e Tree of Life (vegetative plant vine motifs) and zoomorphic In basic form, it symbolizes the anima (female) energies of but the center is also in constant movement, as we see many ancient cultures and religions. O or animal designs. The following are a few examples of change and regeneration, the dance of life. expressed in the triskele symbol. This organic fluidity The Tree of Life motif is not as early as the spiral l the underlying symbol language that lies at the root of The spiral is found everywhere in nature: snail or labyrinth, but was used in Egypt in 5000 BC and is an traditional Celtic Art. shells, water swirls and eddies, tree knots, the curling important symbol for cultures and faiths around the world. e O growth of plant tendrils and vines. Spiral forms are the The vine motif, pot, and oval leaves with small eyes upon them, symbolize all plant forms; at the same time, they The Labyrinth or key knot pattern, meanders into thumbprint of the universe, seen in massive galaxies and m T the center and out again, a metaphysical representation at the smallest cellular and atomic levels. Understood by of the journey of life. It does not exist in nature except in the early peoples to represent the ebb and flow of life, the e the simplest spiral forms, and it is an early example of the spiral is the key to the Mystery of the patterning of nature, S abstraction of pattern to express a metaphysical concept, is its spiritual signature. n to explain the mystery of life and death. reflects the persona of its craftspeople and is a visual A labyrinth pattern at its most elemental takes representation of the culture that produces such imagery. t us on a spiral path through a passageway, a kind of ritual There is an intricate wit and joy within these designs, that birthing into the center (womb) and out again. It is a deeply represent the deeper philosophy of the Tree of Life. playfully acknowledges as part of the natural cycle the s In keeping with the respectful tradition of not darkest aspects of a difficult life of challenge and hardship. copying but instead abstracting forms that represent In everyday struggles, a deep appreciation for the rhythms nature, there are no images of actual trees or specific of sacred patterning remind us that everything changes. flowering plants in the Celtic art of antiquity. Those Death is followed by new life. The hard hunger of Winter more lifelike interpretations of this symbol that we will end, and the fertile new growth of Spring will bring often see today in the work of modern Celtic artists, are hope. Energy moves around a still center, unfurling in an contemporary images—a perfect example of the evolution Taking this elemental spiral form and creating a infinite organic dance of change and balance. triple-legged pattern is a leap of abstract expression. The of the folk-art tradition that will continue into the future profound ritual pattern, an archetypal symbol that people early people could not yet read or write, but they were times. The Tree of Life, a vegetative plant pattern, is a carved into rocks and painted on cave walls to express the able to represent a metaphysical concept in this important spiraling interlace form that usually climbs out of a pot complex experience of being human. The labyrinth is one motif, which symbolises the three phases of life. Animal Beast and Bird designs intertwine with other of the most ancient and sacred forms, and its basic key The triple spiral-triskele designs, with their religious elements and abstract patterns, hinting at the theme of pattern is used extensively in Celtic artwork. significance of sacred triplicity, have remained popular, shape-shifting that is intrinsic to the folklore of the Celts, The labyrinth has been created independently by especially in Wales, Brittany and Cornwall. and expressing the imagination and wit of the artist. There people all over the world from earliest times. Some of the is an often-dizzying interchange, reflecting the shamanic oldest examples of key patterns are ornaments from Mezin, The Eternal Knot represents the interconnectedness of movements between animal and human forms that we Ukraine (23,000 BC) engraved onto ancient mammoth all things, and interlace patterns of complex knotwork are and is often embellished with small birds and leaves. This often find in mythology. ivories. infinite in their variety. The basic ribbon patterns—under- motif represents verdant life emerging from the vessel or In some early metal-works, simple stylized lines The Celts adapted the key, or fret pattern from and-over interlacing designs—are often used to fill a space source—the grail, sacred container of life. and curvilinear elements suggest faces of owls, cats, birds the Greeks, who used it in mosaics. The labyrinth is an with fluid symmetry and balance. These creative patterns The first vegetative motifs appear in the La Tène and strange divinities with magic eyes that peer through important feature in Greek mythology and symbolism, are in constant motion; they weave into the center and out Iron Age, and have been adapted from the more floral the vegetal-inspired motifs and spirals, inviting us into an connected to the Mysteries associated with their sacred again, yet create a unified whole. classical designs into a uniquely Celtic form. otherworldly reality. Bull—the Minotaur. Playful rhythms utilize both positive and negative Birds—which represent spirit through their gift of The same powerful creatures such as Horse, space to create balance and completion, while remaining flight and journeys into the heavens—are often associated Stag and Bull that appeared in the cave paintings of the Paleolithic people are omnipresent in Celtic artwork.

Otherworldly associations were common with these and fertility. Celtic coins were often minted with images R powerful totem creatures, including the Boar who often The Stag with his branching horns is very important to of the Horse, and solar symbols such as the wheel, and the e appeared as a fierce symbol of valor. the Celts—an early depiction of Cernunnos, whose cult has Boar. O The zoomorphic motif of a crouching animal stayed strong into our times. As we have seen, he appears The cult of the Sacred Mare developed over many I have fled with vigor, I have fled as a frog l looking over his shoulder, introduced much later, was in British folklore as Herne the Hunter. The hunter identifies thousands of years, until she became a fertile symbol of I have fled in the semblance of a crow scarcely adapted from the Scythian and Anglo-Saxon Germanic with the stag, and the two are entwined in an ancient the sovereignty of the land for the Celts; she was known as finding rest: e O traditions. The Celts evolved this form, interchanging Mystery. Epona or Rhiannon. I have fled vehemently, I have fled as a chain; interlace, spirals and zoomorphic elements in incredible The White Horse of Uffington is a stylized figure I have fled as a roe into an entangled thicket; m T shape-shifting virtuosity. When we study medieval some 360 feet long. Gouged into the white chalk bedrock I have fled as a wolf cub; manuscripts such as the Book of Kells, we see many three thousand or more years ago, she gallops across the I have fled as a wolf in a wilderness; e decorations of half bird, half beast, intertwining vines, Berkshire Downs. White Horse chalk carvings are the most I have fled as a thrust of portending language; S creatures and saints throughout the vellum pages. poignant reminder of the importance of the Horse deity I have fled as a fox, used to concurrent n These enduring designs continue to communicate and her connection to the land itself. bounds of quirks; ancient ideas of a more fluid relationship between things, I have fled as a martin, which did not avail; t although the monk-artists who created them may or may Symbols and Meanings continue to evolve over I have fled as a squirrel, that vainly hides; not have intended to express anything literal about the time, but there is an underlying language—the relationship I have fled as a stag’s antler of ruddy course; s nature of shape-shifting. Yet at the heart of the imagery, between man and nature—that continues to speak to I have fled as iron in a glowing fire; and to the illiterate folk who were able to read Christian us today. Most of the artwork in this book is original and I have fled as a spear-head of woe to such as stories through the folk-art imagery, is a sense that all is The Horse was clearly loved and worshipped by our contemporary. Using the traditional Celtic design language has a wish for it; multidimensional and interconnected, and that there is a most distant ancestors. Horses appear throughout the cave in new ways, and sometimes using new tools, archetypes I have fled as a fierce bull bitterly fighting; mystical and colorful spiritual world beyond the hardships paintings as creatures of grace, intelligence and beauty: and mythic elements are re-interpreted that still hold I have fled as a bristly bear seen in a ravine; of everyday life. they are sometimes shown in herds, magnificent and free, meaning and relevance many thousands of years later. I have fled as a white grain of pure wheat. not yet bound to the plough or the saddle. The spotted On the skirt of a hempen sheet entangled, horses of Pech Merle are strikingly beautiful. Ten to twenty Our lives may be quite different from those who That seemed the size of a mare’s foal, thousand years old, they are painted with radiating dots painted in the caves twenty thousand years ago, but like That is filling like a ship on the waters; and other markings showing mystical significance. those early people we still feel the power of life when Into a dark leathern bag I was thrown we give birth to our children, bury our loved ones, watch And on aboundless sea I was sent adrift, Summer turn to Winter and celebrate with the return Which was to me and omen of being tenderly of Spring. We too, may appreciate the spirit of freedom, nursed, intelligence and grace found in a herd of wild horses And the Lod God then set me at liberty” running with the wind. Our early Ancestors are ancient The Bull is revered by the Celts as Hu the Mighty, and he whisperers within the shape-shifter Folk-Soul—their stories, Taliesin 6th Century appears throughout their mythology with otherworldly born within their dark caves, are the roots of our ancient significance related to the fertility of the land and the mythologies. tribe. The mythic power of totemic beasts often relates to the forces of the land and the cosmos. In the Irish myth is richly colored by the archetypal The Battle Raid of Cooley, Taín Bó Cuailnge, there is a The Horse culture of the Celts, as has been true for many The Celtic Folk-Soul visions of artists through the ages, from ancient cave supernatural battle for Ireland between the Brown Bull of tribal peoples around the world, was extremely important painters to humble monks. This language that the Ulster, Donn, and the White Horned One, Findbennach, the for warriors, who decorated their horses with fine bridles, Ancestors created in the fertile darkness of the Earth Bull of Connaught. They lock together in terrible combat. harnesses and head wear. Horses also serve as solar Mother endures within us: we are cave painters all. Donn destroys the White Bull, and the Irish political symbols, embodying the sun’s divine qualities of strength landscape is established. ANTLERS & MOONS

Antlers are an ancient archetype representing male energy, strength and fertility. The Horned God is a powerful symbol to the ancient people. He is called Cernunnos, Herne, and Lord of All Stags. His great branching horns manifest the Spirit of the Forest—the esoteric Mystery of the Tree of Life. The growth and shedding of his antlers are seasonal symbols of regeneration. The moon is an ancient archetypal female symbol. Arianrhod, the Welsh goddess whose name means Silver Wheel, was worshipped as Priestess of the Moon. She is mistress of the rhythms of tides (water, emotion, psyche) and womb cycles (life, death, creation). This weaving together of Antlers and Moons balances the potent symbols of male and female energy. Both archetypes represent rebirth and regeneration, and together they contain the Mysteries of earth and sky. STONE mysteries

And in the wood: by the grey stone on the hill where the heron waits, Can she not whisper the white secrecies which words discolor? Can she not say, when we would forget, forget, When we would remember, remember...

Fiona MacLeod - By Sundown Shores by 1901

chapter 2 The Earth is the ancient Mother, and the hills and their beliefs throughout the ages. The mounds are still S mountains, the fertile soil and deep caves are her body. She venerated long after the memories of those interred in m is the rivers, springs and lakes—the waters emerging from them are a mere whisper within the Folk-Soul. The ancient T mysteries the underground to fertilize the lands. Born from the belly religion of the mound builders is intertwined with the y STONE of the mother, when we die we return to her. Animals, beliefs of the Celts, who considered springs, caves and plants and the very nature of existence are subject to this the mounds themselves, as entrances to the Otherworld. s O profound circle of being. The Tylwyth Teg are the Fair Folk of Wales, the Tuatha For the Neolithic people this wisdom was profoundly con- dé Danaanare the People of the Goddess Danu. Their t nected with their newfound knowledge of agricul- descendants are the Sidhe, Shee—the People of the N ture: the growth of crops, and the husbandry of Mounds, who were said to inhabit the the magi- animals the people depended upon. Dolmens cal places beneath such large mounds as e E and stones were often raised over springs Newgrange in Ireland. or fissures in the earth, which are gate- r Rocks and stones are the ancient bones of our natural ancient Europe, some continuing the ancient traditions and ways to the subterranean depths of the Earth Mysteries for the early landscape. For the early people, power adheres to the rocky others often reshaping the myths surrounding the sacred Earth. people and the later Celts include the i places. Their great raised stones penetrate the earth, con- stony places that have seen so many seasons of rain, sun Five thousand years ago, the Neolithic idea that rebirth is a natural principle ducting the receptive energies upward and outward. Long- and wind. The megalithic monuments have inspired the people built massive mounds so of life, part of the rhythm of growth e enduring features of the land, rocks are natural gathering folklore of the people through many thousands of years. that they might enter into the earth and decay. For them, death is a places often known by name, and endowed with spiritual womb. Within the dark chambers of natural stage in the cycle of exis- s and ritual purpose. The Neolithic people of Britain and Ireland lived these cairns, they practiced rituals tence. At important burial sites in Mountains and hills connect the earth to the heav- around 4000 to 1500 BC. As the Ice Age receded, a new of burial, rebirth and journeys to the Ireland such as Tara in Meath and ens; they are the body of the ancient Earth Goddess. The landscape of green fertile lands, lakes, forests and animals Otherworld. Emain Macha in the north, the Celts Paps of Anu in County Kerry, Ireland are twin hills outlining brought the Hunter Gatherers north, and new communities held festive tribal gatherings around the Mother’s breasts, a prominent landscape feature that of simple farmers migrated west across the remaining land The Mounds are earthworks and the graves of the divine Ancestors. transforms the earth and rock into the body of the ancient bridges, such as the Dogger Bank connecting England and burial graves, including immense round Wells, springs or groves of trees near goddess Anu. France. and long barrows, and large, mysterious the mounds were seen as sacred points Folklore and mythology surround the weathered outcrop- Early mariners also came in simple boats across the artificial hills like Silbury Hill, located just south of connection with the mysteries of the pings, the fossil- and quartz-embedded boulders that are narrow waters. Before the erosion of land and coast there of the village of Avebury in Wiltshire. Ancient Otherworld. tossed by giants and brought by magicians of old to their were islands in the southern part of the North Sea, and the people believed that we are reborn into an afterlife. Night follows day, the movements of the resting places. early hunters, fishermen and traders would have experi- They built the great mounds and barrows with stone and sun giving birth to the seasons. The mystical wax enced no difficulty in reaching Albion (the ancient name wood, and there they laid out their dead with ceremonial and wane of the moon are connected with the fertility of Dolmens and quoits are the exposed lintels of the for Great Britain) and Eriu (Ireland). ritual objects and animal totems to accompany them on plants and women. The moon pulls the tides of the oceans ancient covered cairns (mounds of stone). Menhirs are long, The people began to grow crops and form small agricultur- their journey to the Otherworld. and rivers, the power and force of the waters, worshipped single unhewn or slightly sculpted stones, and cromlechs al villages. They learned to domesticate cattle, sheep and The grave mounds are a visible reminder of the Ancestors, as divine qualities of Celtic goddesses such as Boand, Brig- are great circles of menhirs. Today the ancient stones of goats, and weaving and pottery began. They refined the art focal points in the landscape that have connected us to antia and Sinnan. the megalith builders remain permeated with mystery of polishing and flaking flint, creating sharp-edged tools and the folk memories of many thousands of years. All of and stone implements that were technologically advanced Stone is the bone of the world, under moor, under loam. these stone forms—menhirs, dolmens, quoits, cairns, and for their time; they did not yet know the secrets of the met- Under ocean and churchyard-corruption of buried bone; cromlechs—connect us with those who raised them, and als. This was the age of the Great Stone Builders who raised Floor of the mountain, pound of the ocean, the worlds’ cord. the mysticism and ritual created around them. the ceremonial menhirs, dolmens and cromlechs, and Many races and cultures of people have come and gone in buried their dead in the mounds. —Robert Farren, “The Mason”

S Tale of the m T SPIRIT in STONE y O s In the Celtic religion, everything in the natural world came again, she turned to stone, and so the lovers were t N contains its own spirit. Each tree, spring, stream, mountain free until the next winter season of the Cailleach Bheur. and rock possesses its own divine force. Standing stones Samhain and Beltain are the two gateways of the seasonal e are enduring symbols from the megalithic age when the year, when the veil grows thin between the worlds and the E dolmens, cromlechs and menhirs were raised at the sacred spirits and the Sidhe come through to visit mortals. These r nodes of the living land. The ancient Mysteries are rooted are the changing times within the wheel of the seasons, in mythology, and legends tell of living beings magically observed with ritual and myth that have roots back to the turned into stone, their spirits alive but sleeping within the first agricultural peoples. i cold grey rock. Long Meg and her Daughters is a stone circle in e The Cailleach Bheur is a Celtic figure with roots in an Cumbria. Local legend claims that Long Meg was a witch ancient seasonal goddess. A Hag or Crone figure, in the who, along with her daughters was turned to stone for s Scottish Highlands she is known as the Blue-faced Hag profaning the Sabbath as they danced wildly on the moor. and the Queen of Winter. She carries a magical staff that The nineteen Merry Maidens near Lands’s End freezes the ground with every tap. There are many myths in Cornwall are similarly turned to stone for enjoying the that tell of her turning to stone, such as on Beltain, the May rites of the Old Religion: these myths are warnings against festival of early Summer. She is reborn at Samhain—All neglecting the new Christian ways, the older associations Hallows Eve—and is the vigilant guardian of the animals with the stones often long forgotten. throughout the long winter to come. Only when she again Many menhirs are said to be the bewitched turns to stone on Beltain Eve can she rest from her labors. forms of women. These stories evolved during the Celtic A similar legend recalls how the Cailleach kept a Christian era, often melding aspects of the Old and New maiden named Bride imprisoned in the high mountains of religions. Ben Nevis. But her son fell in love with Bride and they ran Breton myths tell of the magical transformations away together. The angry Hag chased the couple through of men and women into the tall cromlechs and menhirs the winter with many fierce storms. Then, when spring that are scattered around the Carnac region of Brittany in northwest France, where thousands of raised stones can be found. One tale relates that Saint Cornély, Carnac’s Spirit in Stone patron saint, was attempting to convert a pagan tribe In Brittany, there is a tale of two lovers—Jean and when he found himself surrounded by a hostile band of Jeanne—who are turned into stone. Stones are also warriors. Cornély called upon his God and sent prayers to associated with fertility. The source of the greening the heavens for support in his moment of need, and the vines—the Tree of Life—is the Celtic cauldron pagans were turned to stone. of rebirth, the Grail, representing healing and Another local legend about Saint Cornély, who is regeneration, symbol of the spirit forever renewing connected with an older figure as the Protector of Horned itself. Red poppies are associated with dreams, sleep Animals, describes him being followed by Roman soldiers and death. Red is the color of the Otherworld, and on his way to Carnac, accompanied by two oxen. He hid in represents the supernatural. the ear of one of the animals before turning his pursuers Temple of the Moon, and the Ring of Brogar, the Temple of her offering to Maen Ceti, she must then circle the stone Duffryn, near St. Nicholas in the Vale of Glamorgan, has S into standing stones. the Sun. The young woman who was to be betrothed knelt three times on her hands and knees. If the man she loved Druidical stones scattered about in various places. Some m before the Temple of the Moon and made her promises to appeared during her ritual dance, then she could be of these have stories attached to them. Old people in The Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire are also called The her young man, who then pledged his faithfulness to her assured that he would be faithful. the beginning of the nineteenth century said that once y T Kings Men. The tale is told that a king and his knights were at the Temple of the Sun before the stone known as Odin’s a year, on Midsummer Eve, the stones in Maes-y-felin about to make war on the King of England. But a witch Stone. The young lovers then held hands through a hole in The Fishermen’s Blue Stone. There is a chapel Field whirled round three times, and made curtsies; and made a bargain with the king, saying, the stone, and their solemn commitment was made. This dedicated to Saint Columba on the Fladda Chuan, Fladda if anybody went to them on Hallowe’en, and whispered a s O “Seven long strides shalt thou take, If Long Compton thou ceremony was held so sacred that anyone who broke a of the Ocean, an island of western Scotland near Skye. wish in good faith, it would be obtained. canst see, King of England thou shalt be.” handfasting vow was exiled from the community. The altar at the east end contains a round blue stone that t is always moist. The local fishermen still practice an old The king thought this an easy bargain and, taking seven Offerings of milk and honey and gifts of food were The great cromlech in the Duffryn Woods was an unlucky N custom of washing the blue stone with water if detained strides, he arrogantly replied: often left beside the stones, along with prayers for fertility place to sleep in on one of the ‘three spirit nights’ for the “Stick, stock, stone, as King of England I shall be known.” by a contrary wind, hoping a favorable wind will follow. e or healing, and it was said that passing a child through the person who did so would die, go raving mad, or become But the King’s view was blocked by the mound known stone could cure it of the palsy. The stone is also said to have healing powers, and the a poet. E locally as The Archdruid’s Barrow, islanders respect the power of this stone so greatly that r and the witch cried out: Men-an-Tol is a circular they swear decisive oaths upon it. On a certain day in the year the dancing-stones of Stack- “Rise up stick, and stand still stone, holed stone north of Madron on pool were said to meet and come down to Sais’s Ford to i For King of England thou shalt the West Cornwall Moors that is The Sleepers dwell within the rock below the earth. dance. If anybody witnessed this performance, it meant be none. Thou and thy men hoar said to cure ailments and promote The Sleeping Lord—Arthur—Pen Annwn, King of the e stones shall be And I myself an fertility. As late as the 1800’s, Otherworld, sleeps deep in a Welsh mountain, guarding exceptional good luck to him. The witches held their eldern tree.” children were passed naked the sacred vessel—the Grail. Legend tells us that when the revels and the devil played the flute occasionally around And so it came to pass that through the hole and drawn world is in its gravest need, Arthur will be awakened by the dancing stones. s the King and his men were turned across the grass around the stone the music of a horn, and will return. to Stone. —Arthur J. Evans, “The three times against the sun— There is a story from Craig-y-Dinas in the Vale of Neath On the summit and sides of Cefn Carn Cavall, a moun- Rollright Stones and Their Folk- widdershins (counterclockwise) of a drover who is led by a mysterious stranger to an tain near Builth, in Breconshire, there are several carns Lore,” 1895 to obtain a cure for tuberculosis. underground cavern beneath a large stone. It contains scattered here and there. It is said that King Arthur when Men-an-tol was also associated much gold, silver and metal treasure, which is guarded hunting the swine named Twrch Trwyth, Cavall his Fertility symbolism is with fertility, and bargains by sleeping warriors—King Arthur and his knights. The favorite dog impressed the stone with his footprint. The profoundly important to all were sealed with a handshake stranger tells him that he can take the treasure, but if he warrior king collected a heap of stones together and on ancient cultures, and is often through the stone, much like rings the bell by mistake and awakens the sleepers—who the top he placed the curiously marked one, and called associated with the Neolithic the handfasting ceremony at the will then ask, “Is it day?”—he must reply, “It is not day, the mountain Carn Cavall. stones. Many stone circles Odin’s Stone in the Orkney’s. sleep on.” The drover returns three times to bring home all or menhirs are erected over he can carry from the glittering hoard. On two occasions, Among the mountains called The Rivals in North Wales, springs or underground streams; the tall stones conduct Maen Ceti—or Arthur’s Stone—on Cefn Bryn in he accidentally rings the bell and makes the correct reply, is the beetling and furrowed Craig Ddu, with its almost the receptive fertile energies of the earth upward. The the Gower Peninsula of South Wales is a dolmen dating but on the third day he forgets, and the sleepers awaken black rocky surface and inaccessible sides rising sheer individual pillars connecting earth and sky are also symbols back to 2500 BC. Its twenty-five-ton capstone is supported and beat him black and blue. He flees, and never finds the against the sky. In the eighteenth century people said cavern or its treasure again. mountain Carn Cavall. of fertility. If they were not intended as such by the people by upright stones to create a burial chamber that at one that the apparition of an old man with long white hair sleeping warriors, and King Arthur and his Knights. The who raised them, they were deemed so by future folk, who time was covered by a cairn of stones and earth. Legend and flowing beard used formerly to be seen wandering stranger tells him that he can take the treasure, but if he attached legends and significance to the mysterious stones says that Maen Ceti is named after King Arthur, who down the valley, and pausing to mutter unknown words left by the shadowy megalith builders of the Neolithic Age. rings the bell by mistake and awakens the sleepers who found a pebble in his shoe and threw it all the way from beside the Craig Ddu. Sounds of strange music were Carmarthenshire to Cefn Bryn. will ask “Is it day?”, he must reply “It is not day, sleep on”. heard, and magic signs were made by the old man. If The Odin stone is a favorite trysting place for lovers Local folklore tells us that a young maiden could The drover accidentaly rang the bell twice, but made anybody fell asleep in the shadow of Craig Ddu he would in the Orkney Islands, where there was once a tradition of use the stone to test whether the man she loved would the correct reply, until one day when he forgot, and the sleep for ever, and be carried away by unseen hands so handfasting. This ancient betrothal ritual centered around remain faithful to her: At the full moon she must bake a sleepers awakened and beat him black and blue. He never that his resting place could not be known. the stone circles of the Ring of Stennis, known as the cake made from barley meal, honey and milk. After making found the cavern or its treasure again. Folklore and Folk Stories of Wales, Marie Trevelyan 1909 where we find the great stone circles and tall menhirs. I first heard about the Gavrinis passage grave from a sculp- The Great Stone Builders belonged to a civilization Gavrinis is one of the best preserved sites in Brittany S The geologically complex islands of Britain and Ireland tor friend who inspired the visit to this mystical place in that spanned twenty-five-hundred years, leaving little and a most inspirational site for Neolithic art. It is not far m were particularly rich in ores, and being surrounded by the Brittany, western France. We had only minimal directions, record of its existence beyond the remains of its ceremonial from Carnac, a small town in southern Brittany which is sur- ocean they were easily navigated by the early mariners but knew the name of the small town where you could T centers, gathering places and burial sites, and an ethereal rounded by thousands of menhirs, dolmens and passage y who were developing skills in boat building and sailing. catch a bateau rouge - red boat from Larmor Baden Harbour presence in the mythology and religion of the tribal Celts. graves—and is one of the most important prehistoric areas Some groups of Neolithic people, possibly connected near Vannes to get there. The great stones and barrows were raised in the shadowy in the world today. The stone alignments that stretch in s with the new trading routes that stretched far to the east, O megalithic or Great Stone culture of the second and third long rows for over a mile or so were raised between 5000 developed skills in architecture and astronomy that were It was late in the season and later on a misty October day millennia BC. There are many wonderful megalithic monu- and 2000 BC. manifest in the raising of the cromlechs and menhirs. These when we found the harbor, with only one small wooden t ments in western Europe. Most of these are found in the The Gavrinis megalithic temple on the Isle de Gavr- N huge structures visually channel the energies of earth and booth to show we were even in the right place - and that more isolated Celtic lands of Wales, Ireland, Scotland and inis in the Golfe du Morbihan is dated around 3500 to 4000 sky as they dominate the landscape, pointing to the mys- was closed. With a poster of the Gav’rnis on the door and e Brittany where they have survived through thousands of BC. This ancient monument is built with a passage through tery of the stars above. Neolithic priests or spiritual leaders some suggestion - in French - that there were trips at vari- E years supported by the culture and imagination of the which the winter solstice rays of sun fertilize the chamber learned how to channel the sun itself through the mas- ous times of the day during the season, we decided to wait. r people. beyond. The first rays strike upon deeply engraved pat- sive cairn chambers such as Newgrange and Gavrinis, and The raising of the huge stones for ritual or ceremo- terns of spirals and key labyrinth motifs, awakening the With nothing more than pure hope and not much faith we through the alignment of the stones at Stonehenge. power of the living earth. sat on the old wooden pier, and watched for the bateau i It took many generations of sculptors with humble rouge that may or may not come to take us to the island. But let us sing the skill of the master builders long ago. flint tools to chisel the significant markings that cover Just when we decided that it was unlikely to ever arrive, we e For it was no peasantry clodding after scrawny cows the hard stone walls: mystical symbols that include spiral, saw the small red and white craft (significantly these colors represent the Otherworld in Celtic mythology) heading our who raised the hollow hills and henge stones but clam and cunning wizards worked these wonders. serpentine and downward-pointing triangle—yoni, motifs s and whorls. This dedication over several lifetimes of carvers way across the Golfe du Morbihan, and to great relief and Continuing the snail line, dod flat at ring stand ruling scribing and pegging speaks to the profound importance of the symbols found pleasure were offered the last trip of the day to the Île de out in granite the windings of the dragon track that writhes within the womb of the great barrows and mounds cre- Gavrinis. unhewn in swarth and marsh and moss and meadowland ated to honor the Earth Mysteries. Opinions differ as to whether Gavrinis was a tomb or a Arriving by boat at the small island was most special for us That twines in stellar gravity among the eaves of the cubic sky temple, but there is no doubt of the profound spiritual and the quiet French family who accompanied us and the And poetry attests their artistry thus and otherwise energy you can feel in this incredible place. The inside of guide. We saw a small rabbit bound out of the entrance of the giant cairn as we approached - a significant Celtic Older yet and wiser farAnd I will not forget the raised cairn is deeply carved with beautiful patterns of omen as the Hare is totem of the Earth Goddess. rhythm and radiance—undulating curves and arcs that ex- It was an unforgettable experience to enter the dark nar- press the seasonal wax and wane of sunrises and sunsets. Excerpt Five Denials on Merlin’s Grave Robin Williamson 1978 row passageway, flanked by marvelous carved slabs made The end chamber of the passage is carved with a radiant by the Neolithic carvers over 5,000 years ago. Covered in figure from which all lines flow outward. At winter solstice, deeply carved patterns rhythm and radiance - undulating nial gatherings seems to have been an intuitive impulse sun rises through the dark passage to illuminate and fertil- curves and arcs express the seasonal wax and wane of sun- for man across the globe. Neolithic raised stones appear ize the figure. Gavrinis and Newgrange in Ireland are two of the rises and sunsets. The passage channels a beam of sunlight in different forms all over the world—in Asia, Africa and Some researchers suggest that the curved lines largest and most inspiring examples of massive cairns that on the winter solstice to awaken the radiant figure on the Europe—although we do not think they were created by a represent the feminine, and that this is a temple to the honor the Earth Mysteries. Both were built to welcome and back wall. single race of people or culture. Earth Mother. Others that this is an incredible work of encourage the return of the sun and honor the fertile forces The Neolithic village communities that cultivated the decorative art. No matter how we interpret this profoundly of life, the movement from darkness to light: the great mys- As we sailed back to the mainland I was struck by the land and raised cattle had created a productive economy. sacred place, the swirling, undulating rhythmic patterns, tery of the wheel of the seasons, the cycle of life and death, similar patterns of the spiralling water currents of the bay, They were becoming traders of such precious materials as which are so full of energy, seem to speak of the beauty the Mysteries of rebirth. the tides of salty water swirling around the ancient rocks gold, copper and pearls. Jet and flint were mined in areas and power of life. where a great civilization of people once came to honor the such as Wales, Cornwall, Scotland and Brittany, places Mysteries of Life. GAVRINIS

The Gavrinis megalithic temple on the Isle des Gavrinis - a small island at the entrance to the Golfe du Morbihan, Brittany- is dated around 3500 - 4000 BC. The inside of this raised cairn is deeply carved with beautiful patterns of rhythm and radiance - undulating curves and arcs expressing the seasonal wax and wane of sunrises and sunsets. The end chamber of the passage is carved with a radiant figure, from which all lines are flowing outward towards the opening. When the midwinter solstice sunrise awakens the figure on the back of the mound wall - the earth goddess births the sun and the days grow long again. The serpentine markings represent the coiled energy of the earth, the serpent representing re-birth. The downward pointing triangle motifs are the female sign of fertility, and birthing. The spiraling patterns represent the cosmos - seen in the trails of stars, the ripples of water, our fingerprints, the ebb and flow of the energy of the earth. This painting is inspired by the markings and the back wall ‘figure’ of the Gavrinis Passage Grave. ings and used for ceremonial purposes. Newgrange Newgrange in Ireland is another magnifi- Matronae, Divine Mothers. The triplicity continues to have ral landscape. Over time, the mysterious great stones of these enterpris- S cant megalithic tomb that channels the winter solstice sun profound resonance within Celtic Christianity as the holy m ing Neolithic farmer-builders have inspired local folklore through its uterine passageway. This place was connected trinity; many prayers and blessings are woven through the The Hebrides and Orkney Islands in remote north- and superstition around the enduring pillars and lintels, with the sacred energies of the ancient Goddess long be- theology of the sacred three. ern Scotland are also part of an enormous prehistoric T craggy boulders and lichened stones. y fore the Celts arrived in Ireland. The triple spirals at the entrance to the Other- ritual complex. Stone circles such as the Ring o’ Brodgar Built about 3200 BC and known as Brugh na worldly realm of the Tuatha dé Danaan at Newgrange have are surrounded by water, built in the center of a natural s O Boinne, Bend of the Boyne, the great circular mound of become a contemporary icon of the Earth Mystery tradi- Cromlechs, circles of menhirs that held gatherings of basin formed by the surrounding hills. The land has vital earth and stone sits astride an elongated ridge in a large tion, resonating deeply within the Celtic Folk-Soul. people to celebrate rituals and celebrations, were ancient spirit and wild beauty; the active forces of water, sky and t curve in the Boyne River about five miles west of the town How and why the stones were raised has pro- even to the Celts. While many stone circles and giant rock animate the living landscape. N of Drogheda. The Boyne, said to reflect the heavenly river duced many interesting and conflicting theories. Some pillars have long since disappeared from our fields and The Callenish Stones overlook the desolate moor- the Milky Way, is named for Boand, the Celtic river god- archeologists link the culture of stone raisers with a more woodlands, it is a wonder that plenty have somehow sur- land of the Isle of Lewis in the rugged islands of the Outer e E dess. Newgrange has a facade of sparkling white quartz sophisticated, mysterious people from the east, who came vived. Stories of Spirits and Faerie Folk associated with the Hebrides off Scotland’s west coast. They are tall and thin, stones, is surrounded by giant standing stones and ninety- to exploit the natural resources of the simple Neolithic stones may have helped to deter their destruction by local piercing the sky of the wild and windswept landscape. r seven kerb stones, and is richly decorated with megalithic communities. The Irish myths tell of the invasions of the Fir people over the centuries, although many were removed There are many raised cromlechs and menhirs on these art. At dawn on the winter sol- Bolg—the men with sacks, and due to superstition, or sometimes islands, which although isolated, were accessible to the i stice, a shaft of light penetrates the Fir-domnann—the men who used as handy build- early mariners, who the long inner passageway and deepened the earth—the dig- ing materials. Three gigantic stones, called Tre Greienyn, are to be seen standing traveled more ex- e gers, perhaps miners come from Some enterprising illuminates the inner chamber. NEW GRANGE at the foot of Cader Idris. An old tradition says that these stones tensively than was The passageway calls the fertil- the Basque country, many of farmers, unable or were three grains of sand which the gigantic astronomer Idris Gawr first realized. s izing powers of the sun into the spirals here whom migrated to the western unwilling to remove shook out of his shoes before he ascended to his stone chair or ob- It is here in the re- womb of the megalithic mound isles. the extremely heavy servatory on the top of the mountain. On the summit of Cader Idris mote Hebrides cen- on the year’s darkest day. We may never know stones from their there is an excavation in the solid rock which resembles a couch tered on the island The entrance stone is exactly whether the Great Stones land, have been or seat. It is said that if anybody remained in the seat of Idris for a of Iona that Celtic covered in carved spiral forms, were originally intended as known to integrate night, he would be found in the morning either dead, raving mad, Christianity flour- including the significant triple astronomical devices or tem- the large mega- or endowed with remarkable genius. ished in the fifth spirals that are among the most ples for sacrifices to the gods, lithic boulders into century, founded by sacred symbols of Neolithic Eu- whether they were built upon their buildings. One William Howell “Cambrian Superstitions” 1831 Columba, Colum- rope, and that are so well known connections of ley lines (a theory charming example cille, among other to us today. They offer a beauti- explaining tracks or alignments in Brittany is of an early saints. In identifying the old religion of the earth with ful example of an archetypal symbol that represents between monuments) to chan- ancient dolmen—once the ceremonial burial place of a the new, Saint Columba is said to have first spoken the fa- the infinite spiraling forces of nature. The design seems nel the earth energies or as awe-inspiring architectural Neolithic family— transformed into a makeshift chicken mous prayer “Mo Drui, Mac De”—“My Druid, Son of God.” to symbolize the three patternings of life: birth, life and feats built to dominate the local landscape and its people. shed that was discovered in a farmer’s yard! Often of extreme weight and size, and sometimes brought It should be noted that in parts of Brittany, which was death; spring, summer and winter; the time before, the Stonehenge—the Giant’s Dance—on Salisbury Plain over large distances, the stones were certainly raised for once the center of a massive civilization of stone builders, now and that yet to come. in Wiltshire is the best known megalithic stone circle in the profoundly important reasons considering the great effort there are so many menhirs, dolmens, cromlechs and cairns This important symbol at Newgrange, which world. Possibly dedicated to the worship of sun, moon and expended using an ancient technology that astounds us scattered around the beautiful countryside that you nearly predates the Celtic people by thousands of years, links stars, the stones align to the midsummer sunrise. still. Perhaps various elements of these theories were true stumble upon them quite by accident. the ancient Neolithic culture with the sacred iconography Built with wood set into holes dug with antler tools, the for different peoples at different times. It is possible to wander spontaneously, feeling of the Celts, who perceived the sacred triplicity in every first henge was built around 3100 BC. It was rebuilt with Often built in open areas such as Stonehenge on the pull of the stones. A humble sign might point the way aspect of their mythology, rituals and blessings: the Triple bluestones from the Presceli Mountains in Pembroke, Salisbury Plain, Carnac in Brittany, or Castlerigg in Cumbria, through a copse into an ancient grove off the usual tourist Goddess, who transforms between Maiden, Mother and South Wales—an incredible feat, moving them two hun- they were most probably intended for community gather- track, and there you may encounter megaliths in the natu- old warrior Hag as the triple Brighids, the Morrigan and the dred and forty-five miles over sea, river and land. Y TYLWYTH TEG

Much of the rich folk-lore of the faerie folk are connected to the memory and beliefs of the first peoples. They represent the personification of the living earth, creatures of the ancient world who continue to live within the imagination and psyche of the Folk-soul. Myths and legends have grown up around the mysterious mounds, including the idea of a supernatural race of divine beings - Tuatha De Dannan living within them. The Gods and Goddesses of the pre-Christian Irish who inhabited the land before the coming of the Milesians Gaels live on as mythic memory, later becoming entwined with the beliefs of the Celts as the Faerie or fey. Small and dark they live deep in the bowels of the earth, their spirits inhabit the land as they once did 5000 to 20,000 years ago. In Wales, the Fair folk, or fair family are Y Tylwyth Teg. The circles in the grass of green fields are still called 'cylchau y tylwyth teg" - fairy rings. Fairies were things under the earth, for they were generally supposed to dwell in the lower regions, especially beneath lakes. The people of Pembroke imagined that they inhabited certain enchanted green isles of the sea.

A Mandala is a symbolic diagram, often viewed as a mystical map of the cosmos, usually circular, frequently referring to the cyclic view of life, nature, fate, time. This is a seasonal calender, including the solar Solstice and Equinox festivals, and the four fire festivals, which marked the turning of the seasons, and which were religious celebrations. Symbols for the four elements Fire, Air, Water and Earth, totem animals, and plants, are placed according to their symbolic seasonal, directional positions within the Mandala wheel. The Celtic folk are here woven into the ancient cross-symbol - the cross-quartered circle, representing the union of male and female energies. The Cross represents the four directions - four elements, four corners of earth (male energy). The Circle represents the Whole, the earth womb (female energy).

Around 2300 BC, the third and final stage of Stonehenge Summer Solstice. For many years during the 1970s and but not less powerful. Castlerigg, in mountainous Cumbria England as well as most of the country’s lakes, with vol- S began when giant sandstones, or Sarsen stones, were 1980s, a summer solstice festival was held in a farmer’s field of northwest England, is one of them. canic peaks and glacial valleys rich in granite and shale. m brought twenty miles from the Marlborough Downs. across from the Henge. At dawn on the solstice, the mod- Numerous ancient monuments can be found , in T Around 2,300 BC the third and final stage of Stonehenge ern-day Druids in white robes created a ceremony within Castlerigg Stone Circle is one of the most beautiful, this inspiring mountainous terrain, once home to over y began when giant sandstones or Sarsen stones were the stone circle, a contemporary interpretation of the rites enigmatic stone circles in Britain. Sited on a high moor two hundred and fifty stone circles, but many of them brought 20 miles from the Marlborough Downs. of the old religion which they continue to observe today. ringed by hills and fertile green valleys, the circle dates are gone. While there are only fifty or so circles left, such s O The rising sun appeared above the Heel Stone on this, the around 3000 BC and is one of the oldest stone circles in as Castlerigg, Swinside and Long Meg and her Daugh- The early Druids may have used the ancient stone longest day, thrilling the expectant crowds who gathered Europe. ters, there are many smaller cromlechs that make Cum- t N circles for ceremonial gatherings, or perhaps for astronomi- for this auspicious moment. After the serious business of Overlooked by Blencathra, Lattrigg and High Rigg bria one of the most densely populated areas of stone cal calculations, but their religion grew to be centered seeing in the solstice was done and the Druids had left the Fells and with panoramic views all around, it is unspoiled— circles in the world. e around the living trees, and their more secretive rituals stones, informal ceremonies an utterly inspiring place set in the dramatic landscape. Old E were held in the groves of marriage, welcoming of stone shepherds’ walls run like streams through Welsh Folklore and legends have deep r and woods. new babies, blessings of new the stony heather, and a brooding mist roots in prehistory. South Wales, which Although the Celtic Druids From its earliest mention by twelfth-century historian mothers and old fathers, and hangs at the head of the mountain has a similar language and coastal i were once thought to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Arthurian legend tells that many other colorful events passes, giving atmosphere and environment to Brittany, was the monument was erected by Myrddin (Merlin) in have built Stonehenge, were conducted amid the gravity to the Druid’s Circle as it is once a fertile home for the memory of Pendragon, brother of Uther Pendragon, and perhaps they did help music, singing and dancing: known. Paleolithic and Neolithic e Arthur’s father. Myrddin mythically built Stonehenge to rebuild it, it is older modern day folk reweaving Since it is not easily ac- peoples. The coast and in- by himself in one night, calling all its massive stones than the tribal peoples of the fabric of gathering among cessible by tour bus, it is still land estuaries are rich in s from Ireland with his magic songs. Bronze Age Europe. the stones. possible to visit this powerful shellfish, and the climate, The Dragon symbolizes the natural energies of The Ancient Order of the Sometimes, it must be circle alone, or perhaps share warmed by the ocean, the earth. Stonehenge is built upon a powerful said, it was raining. Typical the experience with small is mild. There are many Druids was formed in 1781 convergence of these geomantic forces - ley lines - the British mist and low clouds groups in muddy walking sheltering caves along as a secret society with Chinese call them Dragon Currents - which connect the boots who also appreciate its rugged coast, which principles of being con- whole earth by a network of energy flow. prevailed, and no discernible the beauty and age of this vivial, fraternal and philan- The Red Dragon of Wales is derived sun was to be seen for days, continued to support the circle where Neolithic people thropic. The druidic Grand from the Great Red Earth Serpent. including during the solstice later Celtic people who Lodge visited Stonehenge sunrise. But there were other once gathered. arrived from the south and for the first time in 1905, Y Ddraig Goch Ddyry Cychwyn! years where the day dawned the east. Their culture is inter- with much festivity and ini- Rough translation: The Red Dragon will rise again! perfectly upon the plains. This ancient circle of great stone twined with that of the ancient tiations for new members. Clear mornings brought the menhirs continued to be honored by Britons who lived before them. The last century was a tur- sleepy-eyed out of their tents, the Celts who populated the high land of There are still a great number of mega- bulent time for the ancient caravans and makeshift shelters to rock and water. This area is not commonly associ- lithic monuments in Wales, but many have disap- Henge, with a military camp established there during the join the motley group within the giant sarsens and ancient ated with the Celtic heartland, but the north of Britain was peared, partly due to the attempts of the Church to quash First World War, the creation of the Ancient Monuments bluestones. home to the Celtic and Brythonic peoples who lived in its the vestiges of the Old Religion—the folk superstitions Act, and the addition of an enclosure fence of 1901. There Sadly, the atmosphere at the monument is not what isolated valleys and hills. The Gododdin tribe—subject of and faerie lore connected to the ancient sites. It is a testa- were formidable differences of opinion between the mod- it once was. It is difficult to feel the numinous spark from the elegy poem by Taliesin praising its warriors who died ment to the enduring nature of the old ways and the deep ern day Druids and the Office of Works in the 1920s, and outside the barrier fence that now surrounds the stones, in battle—lived in the north near the borders of Cumbria. connection that many local people have had to them over the Henge has seen its share of struggles between wor- and with the main road and busloads of tourists so close. Feted by the poets Wordsworth and Keats, this many years that respect for the stones persists. Stories shippers and the establishment ever since. There are many more inspiring circles that are less known— area of outstanding beauty is a complex geological land of and myths about them have been preserved within folk ancient stone. Cumbria contains the highest mountains in memory for us to enjoy today.

megalithic monuments is colored by the imaginations of S Pentre Ivan is one of the largest and well loved dol- the folk who have lived close to their mysterious presence mens in Wales. In Pembrokeshire, are the Preseli Hills, for many centuries. Mynyddoedd Preseli, a wide stretch of high moorland It is interesting that the greatest concentrations T that holds many prehistoric monuments. Pentre Ivan is a of stone circles, menhirs and dolmens are in the more graceful and simply powerful structure. Its giant capstone remote areas where they have become intertwined with O weighing over sixteen tons, balances delicately upon three the cultures of the folk who eventually settled there. Like upright stones. the Neolithic people before them, the Celts have a deep Dating back to about 3500 BC, Pentre Ifan— affinity with the enduring nature of the ancient places, N which means Evan’s Village—was once partially covered with the fertile memory of by a great cairn used as a the Ancestors and with the E communal burial cham- earth herself. ber. It was also known as STANDING STONE Arthur’s Quoit, after the The ancient mounds legendary King Arthur and enigmatic stones are The stone stores, transmits. whose numinous presence bones within the land- Against its almost-smoothness is everywhere in Wales. In I press my palms. scape of the Folk-Soul. the midst of lovely Welsh I cannot ask, having no word of power, The early people are the farmlands this enigmatic no question formed. mysterious cave dwell- dolmen overlooks the Nev- Have I anything to give? ers and megalith builders ern Valley, commanding My hands offer a dumb love, whose ancient presence extensive views. Carn Ingli, a hope towards the day of the freed valley. whispers through land and the mountain from which Flesh fits itself to the slow curve of dominating stone, legend, with deep roots the Stonehenge bluestones as prayer takes the shape of a God’s will. connecting back through allegedly originate, over- A mindless ritual is not empty. the early communities. looks Pentre Ifan. The entire When the dark minds fails, faith lives Their sacred places are landscape is saturated in in the supplication of hands their enduring memory, myth. on prayer-wheel, rosary, stone. their wisdom the seeds for the tribes to come. They The land speaks, or Ruth Bidgood, Welsh poet b. 1922 are the giants that fueled so it seems to the many the Celtic imagination: the peoples who have chosen Tuatha dé Danaan, the to live in the wild rocky Tylwyth Teg, the Sidhe of places, the mountains and windswept moors of Wales, the mounds. Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall and Brittany. Today we are drawn not only to the stones and their ancient history, but to the mysterious beauty and fertile power of the places in Theirs is the voice of the Folk Soul and it speaks which they stand. We feel an intuitive sense of connection to us still. between the weathered lintels of an ancient burial site and the land that has held it for so long. Our experience of the WOAD tribal

Restless in life and seeking no end in death For breath of the ages in the face of the air Still ghosts to the vitality Of our most early and unwritten forebears Whose wizardry still makes a lie of history Who somehow reared and loosed an impossible beauty Enduring yet Among the green islands of the grey North Sea And I will not forget.

Five Denials on Merlin’s Grave Robin Williamson

chapter 3 cally. In fact, the Celts and early tribes-people of Europe ght their battles for the land of Ireland. It is a complex W honored the dog as a symbol of tribal loyalty, faithfulness cycle of tales, beginning with Noah and the  ood with The and erce protection of their families and communities. Settlement of Cessair. This is followed by The Settlement WOAD tribal There is growing contemporary interest in tribal of Partholón, The Settlement of Nemed, The Settlements O culture as a more conscious exploration of alternative ex- of the Fir Bolg, and the Settlement of the Chieftain Gods, pression. The Modern Primitive art and culture movement the Tuatha Dé Danaan. The last invasion was said to be by has developed from a growing interest in the cultures of the Milesians, who may have been Iberian (from Spain). A so-called primitive peoples, and includes body art as a creative post-modern response to our industrialized world. Banbha is known as the Spirit of Ireland. She is one of a Today in the west we do not seem to live in a particularly triad of goddesses, along with Fotla and Eire, who repre- tribal society, yet we continue to naturally create our own D Woad is the blue plant of the tribes. In modern folklore Tattoo art has grown increasingly popular in recent sent the sovereignty of the land. Of the divine race of the cultural groups within the larger nations in which we we imagine the ancient Picts and Celts as erce, naked war- years, as has interest in other ritual and initiatory art forms Tuatha Dé Danaan, she is daughter of Fiachna— live. riors, their bodies painted with blue spiral and animal de- of tribal people such as scari cation, piercing and decora- one of the three ancient Goddesses who Many people feel that the uncon- signs. Whether woad was actually the body dye of the Celts tive body jewelry. And for those seeking identi cation with inhabited Ireland before the coming of scious and the mythic are important to the and Picts is not known, but this native wild plant has been their Celtic heritage, or who resonate with the mythic/sym- the Gaels, and she is wife of King Mac experience and understanding of being symbolically chosen to represent the color of the Tribes. bolic art of an earth-centered tribal people, Celtic designs Cuill. Banbha is the rst to greet the human. Ancient and more primitive tribal Woad is the blue of the earth. It re ects the mysti- are often chosen as meaningful contemporary body art. Druid Amergin as he leads the inva- cultures include elements of human ex- cal color of sky, of the Otherworld that awaits erce great Throughout history people have used markings to repre- sion force of the Milesians in a march perience, wisdom and knowledge that we warriors who are honored in battle. The Brigantes of sent their identities and indicate their territories or posses- upon Ireland. The Book of Invasions have almost lost touch with in our modern ancient Britain had blue shields, and blue was connected sions. For primitive or tribal people, symbolic marks may refers to Amergin as the rst Druid of world. By exploring Celtic culture and tribal with the Celtic goddesses of war. It was also linked with the be associated with initiation, personal life experiences, or the Gaels. He promises to name Ireland expression, we nd a language of nature that fertility of the earth and blue is was chosen as the good- events within the tribe. Tattoos, body art, gra ti tags and after the three sisters, and after Eire she is peopled with mythic characters representing fortune blessing color for women’s clothing. even logos are recognizable symbols in our culture, and is still known, but the poets remember Ban- aspects of who we are, who we were and where Woad is the common name of the  owering have become popular as representations of our individual bha when they refer to the spirit of the Emerald we came from. plant Isatis tinctoria in the family Brassicaceae. Cultivated and group identities, and of personal expression or style. Isle. throughout Europe since ancient times, it was used in Some ancient Celtic warriors painted or tattooed We no longer think that the Celts invaded Ireland northern Europe to produce dye for textiles and pottery un- their bodies with symbolic designs, probably including The Book of Invasions—Leabhar Gabhála Éirean, or Britain in a series of massive invasions that directly dis- t til the stronger, more intense indigo—which was not native images of their animal totems. The modern body art move- written in Middle Irish, tells the story of how the Celtic placed the people (an earlier, literal interpretation of The to the cooler climate—could be acquired through trade. ment, however, does not necessarily seek to recreate the tribes came to Ireland. This important folkloric document Book of Invasions). Instead, we believe it is a mythological r According to Julius Caesar, some Celtic— (Britanni), tribal customs of Bronze and Iron Age Europe. Contempo- is composed and assembled from many sources, including cycle of tales that has evolved through oral tradition to tribes and northern Pictish warriors dyed or tattooed their rary Celtic tattoos are a decorative style that can connect fragments of Irish oral tradition and poetry, and with much explain, perhaps in a deeply symbolic way, the complex bodies with blue decorations before battle (Picti means us with ideas that are rooted in the age of tribal people, but translation, reinterpretation and bardic embellishment. history of migrations and cultural in uences evolving over i painted people). The Greek historian Herodian (AD 170– that also resonate with meaning today. Many of our favorite characters, such as the Tuatha thousands of years. 240) said of the inhabitants of Caledonia, “They mark their Dé Danaan, Nuada of the Silver Arm, and the erce Fir Bolg, bodies with various pictures of all manner of animals.” b The body of the Iron Age Lindow Man was pre- Tribal—the very word evokes ideas of independence of spirit and of community, honor and loyalty within the Woad is also an amazing astringent. The tattoo I did with it literally burned itself to the surface, causing me to drag served in the peaty bog of Lindow Moss. Analysis of his skin the poor experimented-upon fellow to my doctor who gave me a stern chastising for using inappropriate ink. It a revealed copper and iron (which can create a blue pigment) group. A tribe is governed from within, and is answerable to its own needs and rules. produced quite a bit of scar tissue, but healed very quickly, and no blue was left behind. This leads me to think it may decorating his body. It is likely that woad was used for body have been used for closing battle wounds. I believe the Celts used copper for blue tattoos, they had plenty of it, and painting as well, but according to some recent experiments Tribalism is a natural human trait. When in community, we l are not so di erent from our dog/wolf friends who evolved soot ash carbon for black. Unfortunately we need more bog bodies to prove this point! by a twenty- rst century tattoo artist, it may not be a suit- Pat Fish - Celtic Tattoo Artist able pigment for tattooing. to live in packs in order to survive, both socially and physi- Sweet apple tree with  owers foxglove pink that grows in secret in the forest of Celyddon, and even though you look for it it is all in vain because of its peculiarity until Cadwaladr comes from his meeting of warriors in Rhyd Reon - Cynan in response setting out for the English.

The Red Dragon symbolizes the sovereignty of Britain, and is the totemic beast of the greatest line of kings, the Pen-dragons. The Red Dragon (Ddraig Goch) is derived from the Great Red Serpent that once represented the old Welsh God Dewi, also associated with Wales's mythical patron saint David. There is a legend that the British tyrant King Vortigern, who some say brought the Saxons to overrun Britain, was attempting to build a forti ed tower - thought to be the hillfort of Dinas Emrys (the city of Emrys) in Snowdonia, Wales. But the building was unstable, and the structure kept falling down. A young boy was brought to be sacri ced in an attempt to save the Tower. However, young Emrys had powers of prophecy - and he saw that two dragons, one red and one white, were ghting in an underground pool below the weak foundations. Vortigern was afraid, and listened to the boy, who lived - some say to become Myrddin (Merlin) the wiseman. Emrys prophesied a long ght between the red dragon and the white dragon, who would at rst dominate but eventually the red dragon would win. This victory would be, according to Welsh legend, brought about by Y Mab Darogan - The Foretold Son of Welsh and Cornish legend. Arthur, Owain Glyndŵr and Henry VII of England were all thought by their followers to be The Destined One to force the Anglo-Saxons (English) out of Britain and reclaim it for its Celtic inhabitants. Y Ddraig Goch Ddyry Cychwyn - “The Red Dragon will rise again”.

The Welsh will win, glorious shall their dragon be: everybody shall have their rights, the Brythons’ morale will be high, the horns of celebration will be blown, the song of peace, of prosperity.

Poem is verse from Merlin’s Apple Trees - Black Book of Carmarthen 1250 - Attributed to Welsh Bard Taliesin translated by Meirion Pennar Tale of the

Táin Bó Chuailgné The Cattle Raid of Cooley

Donn of Chuailgné -Donn of Chuailgné—the The Táin tells us that there were once two great bulls who Brown One of Cooley—is a magical Bull of the warriors, were originally the magician swineherds of two gods: representing fertility, strength and the protection of the Bodb, King of the Sidhe, faerie folk, of Munster, and Ochall land: the sovereignty of Ireland. Ochne, King of the Sidhe of Connaught. The two Druid The great bull Donn has been transformed many swineherds were constantly ghting, bickering and chal- times since he was the divine swineherd. In bull form he lenging each other. They changed themselves into two had many magical powers and virtues, and was prized ravens to continue their rivalry and battled without ceas- above all other animals, especially among the warriors ing for a year. and the pastoral tribes-people who fought to keep him, as Next, they transformed into beasts of the water described in the Old Irish epic The Táin Bó Chuailgné—the and fought for another year in the river Suir, and the next driving o of the Cattle from Chuailgné. in the river Shannon, tearing and devouring each other The most famous bull in Ireland, Donn was the property but with neither of them winning nor losing the ght. of Daire, a chieftain of Ulster. On his broad back fty Their next shape-change was back to human form, youths would gather every night to play games and as warriors and champions the magicians of draughts (similar to checkers). Under his fought each other bitterly but bravely, shadow he sheltered a hundred war- neither having the ad- riors from heat and cold, vantage over the other, and no evil spirits dared to matched in all skills and come near him. Donn was strength. t the magical protector of Their next trans- the tribe, ensuring the re- formation was into eels. productive powers of the One went into the River r herds. His delightful, mu- Cruind in Chuailgné, sical lowing every evening could be heard from the north Ulster and was eaten to the south, from the east and the west of Chuailgné, and by a cow belonging to Daire Daire the Chieftan of Chuail- i the sound put all the cows in calf. gné, who gave birth to the Brown Bull of Ulster. The other In Ireland’s greatest legendary epic battle, told in slipped into the spring of Uaran Garad of Connaught, b the Táin Bó Chuailgné, we hear the tale of the great cattle where Queen Medb’s cow swallowed him and birthed the raid, the invasion of Ulster by the armies of Medb and Ailill, White-horned Bull of Connaught. King and Queen of Connaught, to acquire the Brown Bull The White-horned Bull was too proud to belong to a of Chuailgné. This is a battle for the sovereignty of Ireland, a woman, even though Medb was a powerful and wealthy and the Bull is a supernatural symbol of the struggle for queen. Well known to rule equally with her husband Ailill, tribal authority of the land and her people through the she was free spirited and independent, taking her own l ownership of the powerful symbol of fertility and strength. lovers, and was respected as a strong leader of her loyal warriors and champions. But the white-horned Bull left her also,” was the puzzling reply. “For I see a small man doing any who dared to face him on the eld. Not one returned. The battle for Ireland continued to rage, with so and joined her husband’s herds. deeds of arms, though there are many wounds on his smooth Medb, surprised and furious that her victory was much blood spilled that soon neither side could remem- W This gave Ailill the advantage over his wife, who skin; the hero-light shines round his head, and there is victory not assured, gathered her best champions, sought the ber what they were ghting for. Even the bards had was equal in all other things: sheep, swine, horses, jewels on his forehead. His appearance and his valor are those of aid of her most powerful Druids and magicians, and sent exhausted their elegies to the bravery of the slain warriors, and ne objects. The proud queen did not like having less Cúchulainn of Muirthemne, and all our army will be reddened seductive invitations to the young hero, o ering him gold, and the sadness of their women, and the blood that never O than her husband, for power within the tribes was mea- by him. He is setting out for battle; he will hew down your jewels and a place in her bed if he would forsake Concho- stopped  owing. The black ravens of the war Goddess sured by such worth, and the White-horned Bull was a hosts; the slaughter he shall make will be long remembered; bar; so determined was she to bring home the Brown Bull Morrigan were also quiet now, waiting for the end of this greater treasure than any within her own herds. there will be many women crying over the bodies mangled by of Chuailgné. But Cúchulainn—happy as he would have most terrible battle of the Táin. Though the birds of the A When Medb heard about the great Brown Bull the Hound of the Forge whom I see before me now.” (Squire, been under other circumstances to accept her hospital- dark Morrigan possessed the gift of augury, even they of Ulster, she began courting Daire with gifts and prom- 1905) ity, drink her wine and enjoy her attentions—replied that could not see the outcome of this war. ises, hoping he would lend her The Hound of Chu- he would remain upon the battle eld to uphold his erce Then the Brown Bull of Chuailgné and Ailill’s his prized bull to balance her lainn was the greatest warrior duty to the honor of Ulster. White-horned Bull met upon the battle eld. The armies D Three bull-protectors of the Island of Britain: husband’s wealth and power. of Ulster—the hero Cúchulainn. Medb sent more messengers to Cúchulainn with moved away from the terrible ght, which could be Cynfawr Host-Protector, Daire enjoyed the attentions of Although he was a young man, o ers of wealth, power and friendship in return for his heard and felt all over the land of Ireland. It was a fero- the queen, and was preparing to son of Cynwyd Cynwydion, small in stature, when the battle sword, but this time—angered by her persistence—he sent cious battle. The two bulls had fought lend her the Brown Bull when he and Gwenddolau son of Ceidiaw fury was upon him he su ered ri- back a dire warning that the next man to through every form, but this was their overheard her messenger boast- And Urien son of Cynfarch. astradh, or paroxysm, transform- insult his honor would do so at his peril! rst meeting as the horned beasts. They ing (while drunk on his host’s ing into a fearsome, wondrous Then Cúchulainn o ered the queen a snorted re and threw muscle against ne wine and hospitality) that if being of sinew and muscle, his bargain. He would ght one man each muscle, shaking the ground beneath Daire did not freely give up the angry gnashing causing  akes of day, allowing the main army to march on them as their hooves scraped deep fur- bull, Medb would take it from re to stream from his mouth. He in safety for as long as the duel lasted, rows in the earth. him by force. was much feared in battle for his but they must stop when Cúchulainn Then the Brown Bull savaged the Daire was angered by frenzied courage, his powerful had killed his man. Medb agreed, and White-horned bull, tearing him limb this insult and refused to hand strength and his spear named o ered her champions great rewards— from limb upon his horns. He dropped over the great Brown Bull to the the Gáe Bulg, which sang for the including the hand of her daughter his loins at Athlone, and his liver at Trim, woman who had clearly wound- blood of his enemies. Findabair in marriage—for the death of and when he returned to Chuailgné, he ed his pride and his honor. Medb Cúchulainn was not under the Hound of Cúchulainn. was maddened with rage—and some Three Bull-chieftains of the Island of Britain: was furious when she heard the weakness spell as were the Many great warriors fell beneath say grief for the slaying of his swineherd Elinwy son of Cadegr she was to be denied the Bull, other champions of the Red his sword, and Findabair died from a brother—and killed all who went near t and made good on her threat, and Cynhafal son of Argad Branch, and so it fell upon him broken heart in seeing so many brave him. Then his heart burst with the e ort, assembling all the warriors of Ire- and A aon son of Taliesin. to defend Ulster alone against suitors lose their lives for her. Cúchulainn also slew the and he fell down and died. This was the end of the most land to make battle with Ulster. the four provinces of Eriu. Thus totem animals of Queen Medb with his sling—her dog, her deadly battle for Ireland, the Táin Bó Chuailgné, won at r The armies of Ulster were at that Early Welsh triads began the most terrible battle bird and her squirrel; this loss lled her with grief and fury. great cost by the Brown Bull of the Ulstermen. time under the ancient curse of of Ireland between Cúchulainn While he was busy ghting o the best of Medb’s men, she The horned Bull warrior God is ancient protector a Druidess, who in retaliation for and the army of the proud Queen scoured Ulster for the brown bull, found him and stole him of the people and their land, insignia of the warriors. Also i an insult by one of Conchobar’s Medb for the Brown Bull of Chuailgné. away to her camp. associated on Celtic coins with the sun, the Bull shares the ancestors, laid them under a spell of weakness that fell Cúchulainn fought in single-handed combat with Cúchulainn was now covered with wounds on ev- attributes of fertility and strength, supreme qualities of b upon them from time to time during the year. each warrior, according to tribal tradition, and the blood of ery part of his body, and so exhausted by the terrible battle power for a pastoral people whose wealth is measured by Medb and her army were con dent of victory; still, the brave men began to turn the earth red. They kept com- and so many good warriors fallen, that he cried from the the size of their herds. she sought advice from her seers to auger the outcome of ing in an endless stream of warriors, but still the Hound of killing of them. He knew that he could not last much longer This story is an interpretation from The Book of the a the war. “How do you see our enemy?” the Queen asked Chulainn cut them down with his erce sword, his power- and sent a message to the men of Ulster, rousing them to Dun Cow, Leabhar na hUidre, a seventh-century ancient her prophetess, who interpreted the sacri ces. ful sling and his ferocious battle strength as he slew his come to his aid. Even with the spell of weakness still upon Irish manuscript telling the rst-century Tale of Cúchulainn “I see them bathed in red” she replied. “How do you see adversaries one by one. He killed a hundred men a day them, their loyalty to Cúchulainn gave them strength and (translated by Charles Squire 1905). l my ne warriors?” asked Medb. “I see them bathed in red with his sling, and fought from morning until night against courage, and they joined him, meeting Medb’s army face to face at last. the soul and the intellect. The severed head is of profound The early tribes of Britain and Europe developed Keltoi is the Greek term meaning barbarian, or foreigner. Their enigmatic mythic religion was manifest magical importance to the Celts. We are told by the Greek W their religion, their mythology and their culture through- The name was rst ascribed to the Gauls and the European in all aspects of their life, and their Druid priests were phi- Historian Diodorus Siculus (circa 90–30 BC) in his Library of out the Bronze and Iron ages, adapting the beliefs of the tribes who would most likely not have recognized what it losophers, astronomers and judges, who were highly intel- History: Neolithic cultures of the stone builders who came before meant, and would not have used it to describe themselves. ligent and versed in knowledge, though mostly illiterate. “When their enemies fall they cut o their heads and fasten O them. Their profound certainty in an Otherworld, and deep We have continued to know them—those people whose The spiritual qualities perceived in the Stag and the them about the necks of their horses”. They were then respect for the numen—the sacred spirits of the land—con- culture is loosely de ned by their language, religion, art Bull continued to be venerated, and as the warrior cultures taken to be impaled and displayed triumphantly outside tinued to be revered at the wells, rivers and lakes, the rocks and culture—as the Celts. grew stronger, the Horse and the Boar became extremely their houses. Further, he says: “The heads of their most dis- A and ancient groves, the mounds of the Ancestors. Theirs is an oral tradition, and although their ene- important to the Celts as symbols of valor and tinguished enemies they embalm in cedar-oil, and carefully The tribal communities who developed their mies—the classical observers of Rome and strength. preserve in a chest and these they exhibit to strangers” . . . religion and culture in Europe and Britain during the late Greece—often perceived them in less The magical birds who carry the which they apparently would not sell for an equal weight D Neolithic and early Bronze ages, and who are the precursors than  attering terms, we have today secrets of the air and haunt the in gold. Diodorus also comments: “They display a greatness of the Celts, are the Beaker Folk, the Battle Axe Folk, and the a more complex insight into their watery fringes of lake and of soul; for not to sell that which constitutes a witness and Urn eld People. It is these Bronze metal-working tribes who magical, mythic world through marsh, such as Crane, Swan proof of one’s valour is a noble thing”. developed many of the artistic and mythic ideas that were what they have left behind. and Goose, are also essen- Classical observations of the warriors do not neces- to  ourish within the later Iron Age Celtic culture. We must seek to nd tial mystical gures for the the Celts through their bril- Bronze and Iron Age tribes. sarily describe the character of the common people—the liant mastery of iron, gold Celtic iconography farmers, shermen and weavers who venerated the heads Who were the Celts, where did they come from, and bronze, their weapons, emphasizes the heads of of their favorite deities in wood carvings at their natural and did they consider themselves to be a race or uni ed coins, jewelry and horse birds, animals and humans shrines of springs and wells. But it is clear that some of the people? Those who we know as the Celts are the ercely in- bridles, everyday objects as important decorative tribal beliefs, which may seem a little barbaric to us today, dependent tribes that the Romans knew as the Gauls, Galli decorated in high style and and mystical design ele- are based on a deeply mystical relationship with the power and Galatae, and the Greeks named Keltoi. with mythic profundity. ments. Some are expres- and spirit within both human and animals, and most espe- Their brilliant boasts, riddled wit, generous insults Their nely crafted objects sive and some are carica- cially within their heads! and terrible battle screams haunt the mountains and riv- and wealth of materials tures, probably representing ers, the high hills and hidden valleys of ancient Britain and reveal a technologically deities that are long forgot- often went naked into Europe. Something of their light and darkness lingers still Celtic Tribal Warriors advanced people who traded ten. Heads were also carved into battle, adorned with heavy golden torcs, golden belts and within our veins, like the golden mead so favored by those successfully, and whose power stone as monuments at shrines, armbands. Their hair was bleached white with lime water warriors of life and death. and wealth in their time was related although the many wooden votives and spiked in course tufts. Some were bearded and oth- t We have remaining to us mere snippets of knowledge and to their mastery of metals and their that must have once been there are long ers clean-shaven or wore bushy moustaches. They were more legend of the Scordisci, Boii, Senones and Norici, the invention of agricultural tools. gone, save a few preserved in marshes or bogs. distinctive and erce looking, unafraid of death upon the Iceni, Belgae, Parisi, Brigantes: clannish tribes who fought r Boldly dressed and powerfully striking These are the symbols of the Celts, voiced by the artists battle eld as they fought for the glory of the spoil, for their each other as often as they battled with those who did not in appearance, they were considered erce warriors upon the objects that they left behind them. hero’s honor. speak their common language or worship their Mysteries of who lived for the glory of battle with emphasis on personal Their warrior culture, inspired by the teaching of i the earth. bravery and honor to the tribe. They made war and con- the Druids that their souls were immortal and the Other- The Celts were not a single race of people, but a The Cult of the Head was a widespread and quest among other Celtic tribes and against the Etruscans, world awaited them, expanded throughout Europe, Britain tribal culture that spread as a vital force of ideas communi- quintessential aspect of the Celtic religion. Symbolic of b the Romans and the Greeks. The warriors of the ancient and Ireland, infusing their myths with a bloody passion for cated through their mystical symbols. Masterful artists, they divinity and otherworldly powers, the human and animal European Celts once threatened the might of Rome and legendary battles between the gods. created images of deities for their shrines, and crafted sym- head appears as a constant motif in Bronze and Iron Age the sanctity of Delphi, the sacred oracle of Greece. But it a bolic decorations upon everyday items of pottery, wood artwork and mythology, appearing on coins and votive is in the islands of the Atlantic that their culture took root, The Divine Warrior who protects the tribe and and leather. They designed richly decorated, intricate gold objects, metal-work and decorative patterns. continuing to evolve through their language and traditions is glori ed for his great endurance and courage exists in and bronze objects for the emerging class of aristocratic The head was venerated, considered the seat of l to the present day. all heroic societies. For the Celts, tribal honor is extremely warriors and chieftains. Above Illustration of small silver phalera from a hoard found at Manerbio sul Mella (Brescia) 1st half of 1st century BC important, and in mythology warriors become heroes and Denmark, where it was found purposefully dismantled and Celts. gain entrance to the Otherworld through mystical hunts of given as a votive o ering to the watery bog. It is highly The Boar symbol appears as a crest on the helmets W treacherous supernatural creatures such as The Red Swine decorated with symbols of reincarnation, death, sacri ce of the warriors, and Celtic coins feature the Boar as a univer- of Derbrenn. and rebirth. There are images of the Horned God Cernun- sal symbol of strength and fertility—sometimes portrayed The Celts claim their decent from a divine ances- nos holding a ram-headed serpent and wearing the warrior with triple horns and often associated with the Tree of Life. O tor. Nuada of the Silver Arm was a prophet and champion, torc of power and fertility. Boars appear throughout mythology as magical, of- and King of Ireland and of the Irish Gods, the Tuatha Dé A gure is shown thrusting a man into a large pot ten destructive supernatural beasts. In the Welsh Maginogi Danaan. His fearsome killing sword was one of the great as a series of warriors approach carrying the Tree of Life stories, Gwydion tells Math son of Mathonwy of the arrival A treasures of Ireland. In Welsh mythology, Nuada is also upon their spears. This could be a literal illustration of a of strange creatures from the south called pigs—hobeu— known as Nudd and is a hero of the medieval tales. He is Druidic sacri cial rite, or a more symbolic metaphor that belonging to Pryderi who got them from Arawn, King of also associated with Nodens and Mars, the Roman God of communicates a metaphysical connection between life, Annwn, the Celtic Otherworld. D War and healing who was also revered by the British Celts. death and the ritual of the feast. It is a most powerful and The hunting of the Otherworld pigs is a favorite signi cant piece of art, and although some interpret it theme. The most legendary boar is Twrch Trwyth (Welsh) or Lugh of the Long Arm, Lugh Lamhfhada, guard- as depicting the cruel nature of the Celts, it is a powerful Torc Triath (Irish): The King of the boars from whom Magh ian of the magical spear of Gorias, uses magical skills example of the warrior myth and belief in the Otherworld Treitherne is named. The great boar was once a wicked Their aspect is terrifying. The Gauls are tall of body, rather than brute force. Also known as Llew Llaw that awaits them. king. He and his followers were transformed into swine with rippling muscles, and white of skin, an their hair is Gy es, Bright One of Skillful Hand, he who laid waste to a third of Ireland. In the story of Culhwch blond, and not only naturally so, but they also make it was considered a god of the Sun, a The Hero’s Portion is tradition- and Olwen (the Mabinogi) Culhwch and Arthur are sent their practice by arti cial means to increase the distin- ally related to the Chieftain’s Feast. The shining light, and was greatly skilled on a seemingly impossible quest to snatch the treasure of guishing color which nature has given it. For they are at all things. His feast day is the har- consummate center of social activi- bristles from between the ears of the ferocious Twrch Trw- always washing their hair in lime-water, and they pull vest festival Lughnasadh, August 1, ties within Celtic society, the feast is yth. it back from the forehead to the top of the head and usually celebrated with sports and more than the source of both food In the battle of Mag Mucrime, pigs of magic, mucca games of skill in his honor and drink; it is symbolic ritual involv- gentliuchta, were said to come out of the cave of Cruachan, back to the nape of the neck... since the treatment of Red is the color of the Oth- ing the slaughter of the boar and its which is Ireland’s gate of the Underworldå, and the Red their hair makes it so heavy and coarse that it di erent erworld and of the warrior gods. cooking in the tribal cauldron. The Swine of Derbrenn appear frequently in the early tales. in no respect form the mane of horses. The Dagda, also known as Ruad Celtic feasting hall was an important Fenian warriors hunt the treacherous, powerful boars, who Some of them shave the beard, but others let it grow Rofhessa, The Red One of Great and festive center within the tribal lead the heroes to the Otherworld. a little; and the nobles shave their cheeks, but they let Wisdom, gures as a mighty war- communities. According to their the moustache grow until it covers the mouth. rior in one early Irish tale, with a club that deals death out heroic merit, warriors receive their portions in strict and The Celts were fi erce adversaries. Their belief The clothing they wear is striking - shirts which have t of one end and restores life with the other. signi cant order, often contested with passion and some- in the Otherworld was absolute, not only manifest in the been dyed and embroidered in varied colors and times violence. great wealth buried with their honored Chieftains, but also breeches, which they call in their tongue bracae; and The Cauldron of Rebirth, which provided The symbols of the ritual feast associated with the journey observed in their sometimes extravagant battle lust. they wear striped coats, fastened by a buckle on the r sustenance while restoring life to the dead, is a common to the Otherworld can be seen in richly decorated grave Celtic warriors believed in an assured place in the shoulder heavy for winter wear and light for summer, objects. There are gold  agons with boar heads, and huge motif in the iconography and mythology of the warrior afterlife if they lived and died well and with honor. Their in which are set checks, close together and of varied Celts. As the horned gods are associated with both fertility cauldrons that could contain many gallons of mead—the Druids reassured them that their soul was immortal, and i hues. and hunting, so the warrior gods such as the Dagda, Mars, honeyed alcoholic drink of the Celts. Pig bones and joints great glory awaited a brave warrior in the next world, or Diodorus Siculus Library of History, V, 28-30 Nuada and Nodens are also gods of healing. of pork are buried with the Chieftains for their ritual feasts incarnation in the cycle of life (the transmigration of souls). The club of the Dagda, chief god of the Tuatha Dé in the Otherworld, boar being both the favorite meat of the The Romans were sometimes horri ed by the hordes of b Danaan, symbolizes that life and death are an eternal cycle. Celts and symbol of the warriors. wild, naked warriors who attacked them, their bodies Among the Gauls the women are nearly as tall as the The Dagda also possessed the Cauldron of Abundance, painted with ancient symbols, seemingly unafraid upon the men, whom they rival in courage. a which has the power to heal and provides an inexhaustible The Boar is a symbol of valor and ferocious strength for battle eld. While scorning their lack of military organiza- First century BC Greek historian and commentator Diodorus Siculus source of food and poetic inspiration. the warriors, one of the most popular animal symbols for tion, they also admired their courage and pure ghting The Gundestrup Cauldron is a large silver Iron the Celts. But unlike the Stag, the Bull and the sacred birds, spirit. l Age cauldron recovered from a peat bog in Gundestrup, the Boar was not particularly revered until the Iron Age Illustration Gold Slater minted by Parisii, End 2nd, early 1st Century BC BOUDICCA

Boudicca is the courageous Brythonic warrior queen of the Iceni tribes who united and led her people in a last massive revolt against the Romans who occupied her lands. When her husband Prasatagus died, Boudicca became queen by inheritance, but the Romans—in a ploy to take control of her land and people—refused to honor Celtic law, claiming that they only recognized the male line. When Boudicca resisted she was  ogged and her daughters raped, and this terrible insult brought Boudicca and her people together in a massive uprising against the Romans. Boudicca rode at the head of her warrior army in her chariot, her long red hair streaming behind her and a heavy golden torc around her neck, xing onlookers with a piercing glare. Said to have a small brown hare hidden in the folds of her cloak, she went riding against the powerful Roman military forces in de ance of their attempt to subdue her Celtic people.

“I am she who loveth lonliness And solitude is my breath. I have my feet on graves And the resurrection of the dead is my food. For I am a Queen, Queen of all things on earth and in the sea And in the white palaces of the stars Built on the dark walls of time Above the Abyss”.

Fiona Macleod “The Gaelic Heart” 1900

Boudicca means victory, and the rebellion began to gather force from other tribes who had been ill-treated by the Romans. The Celts were at rst successful in causing much damage, destroying cities and wiping out entire Roman legions. The sack of Londonium, London, was particularly savage, perhaps in retaliation for the rape of Boudicca’s daughters. At their last stand at the edge of a forest near a narrow gorge, the Roman commander Suetonius and his legionnaires used their tactical advantage to crush the warriors and their families. Boudicca poisoned herself to avoid capture, a last act of de ance by the Celtic queen who believed that honor and freedom were worth the great sacri ce made by her people. Although the Celts were ultimately unsuccessful in their rebellion, Boudicca’s name was never forgotten, nor was the pride of her people who resisted the great power of the Roman Empire. The battle was lost, but their spirit could not be broken. Y Gododdin is the earliest poem in the Welsh with Caesar’s conquest of Gaul and the uprising by the The Druids attach particular importance to the belief that the soul does not perish but passes after death from one W language. In the sixth century, poet Aneirin tells of the brave warrior queen Boudicca three and a half centuries body to another; they hold discussions about the heavenly bodies and their movements, about the size of the fate of three hundred Celtic warriors in the great battle at later. universe and the earth, about the nature of the physical world, and about the power and properties of the Catraeth against the invading Angles. The band of men immortal Gods, subjects in which they also give instruction to their pupils. Boudicca was the queen of the Iceni tribes who bravely O was wiped out by the great numbers of the English. They Caesar, Gallic War VI, 14 were Welsh-speaking tribes from a kingdom in the North of rose up against the great might of the Roman armies. She inspired the Celtic tribes of Britain, Brythonic people whose earth-centered spirituality of the Celts, but the ancient tribal capital was Din Eidyn, Britain to unite against their lands during the Iron Age, but actually developed there for A Gwˆyr a aeth Gatraeth gan wawr oppressors in a massive revolt stones and the mounds of the ancestors continued to be Edinburgh. thousands of years. Classical writers of the time such as Ju- Trafodynt eu hedd eu hofnawr, respected as ceremonial gathering places. The poem, written by that shall long be remembered. lius Caesar wrote that Druidism originated in Britain, which Milcant a thrychant a ymda awdd. the Welsh bard Aneirin, is an Although ultimately defeated was indeed its center of power and (along with Ireland) the Gwyarllyd gwynoddyd waywawr, They kept their secrets close and their history D elegy to the bravery of the slain by the more organized ght- land of the well-respected teaching colleges. Ef gorsaf wriaf yng ngwriawr, and literature were preserved through a com- heroes, who welcomed death ing tactics of the Romans, the The Druids of Britain integrated much of the Rhag gosgordd Mynyddog Mwynfawr. plex oral tradition: the Druids forbade their as an honor. It is also a power- Celts redeemed their pride ancient wisdom, lore and knowledge of the Truan yw gennyf, gwedi lludded, commitment to writing. Much knowl- ful testament to the history of and showed great courage enigmatic stone culture, adapting and Goddesf gloes angau trwy anghy red, edge was concealed by those cunning enduring passion and resistance in response to the indignities preserving the old mysticism of the early Ac eil trwm truan gennyf gweled forced upon them. The tribes philosophers, the long-bearded of the Celtic people against tribes: the people of the long barrows. priestly magistrates of the Celts. invaders. Dygwyddo ein gwˆyr ni ben o draed had their share of glorious They preserved their cosmology, Ac uchenaid hir ac eilywed. victories, and also terrible de- We see them described through their calendars of lunar and solar the writings of their often con- The Dying Gaul by feats that eventually forced the cycles, feast days and sacred shrines, Men went to Catraeth with the dawn Celts of Europe to submit to temptuous enemies, the Romans Attalos of Pergamon, circa and took over the organization of and the Greeks, and hear their 230–220 BC, is a Roman marble Their fears disturbed their peace, Roman government. But Rome learning and religious ritual from A hundred thousand fought three hundred could not completely control whispers through fragments of copy of an ancient Greek statue, the Neolithic Shaman Megalith songs and stories. and is one of the best-known Bloodily they stained spears, the wild tribes of Wales and builders. His was the bravest station in battle Scotland. Boudicca is a symbol The Celts believed in an oral tradi- and most profoundly moving Over time, the Druids moved tion, and their memory skills were sculptures of a Celtic warrior, Before the retinue of Mynyddog Mwynfawr. for the Celts who continued the centers of their power and ritual It is a grief to me, after toil, to resist many invaders over highly cultivated—incredible in com- facing death with courage and away from the great stone temples and parison to ours today. They sometimes acceptance. He represents the Su ering death’s agony in a iction, centuries of conquest and circles of the Neolithic religion toward an- And a second grief to me struggle. trained for many years to memorize vast proud, independent Gauls who cient natural shrines—the springs and groves— repositories of knowledge using the symbols t were sometimes known to To have seen our men fall headlong. preferring to commune with their gods in nature among And long sighing and lamentation Druid Priests nurtured and patterns found within poetry, song and mytholo- choose suicide over capture. the trees. This power shift was also perhaps in response gy as mnemonic keys. Their teaching colleges were highly After the ery men of our land. the powerful bonds between In 390 BC in retaliation to the growing needs of the agricultural communities, respected for their rigorous training. Twelve years of study r May their souls after battle be welcomed the tribes, encouraging the for an insulting political skirmish, who required more localized religious centers, and so were required for the Bards, four more years for the Ovate In the lands of heaven, the home of plenty. ancient belief of rebirth in the the Celts sacked and besieged their priests could continue to exercise their renewed priests or priestesses, and a further four years to become a Rome. For seven months they Otherworld. The new family of power and authority over the people. The living groves i gods, the Tuatha Dé Danaan, Druid teacher/judge. Classical writers noted that students harassed the city, and only by Aneirin 6th Century - ³-³translated³by³Prof³Jarman and numinous places were the centers of worship for the came from all over Europe to attend the colleges in Britain. returned home after the Romans fought mystical battles in the negotiated with the Celtic leader Otherworld with the older Fir b Brennus, who demanded his Bolg, but it was to the isles of weight in gold as a tribute. the Great Stone culture that the European and Irish Druids Throughout Gaul there are only two classes of men who are of any account or importance.. The druids and the a The Romans and the Celts continued their adver- came to seek the deeper and older wisdom of the ancient knights... the druids act as judges. If a crime is committed, if there is a murder, or if there is a dispute about an inheri- religion. sarial relationship for centuries. The sack of Rome would tance of a boundary, they are the ones who give a verdict and decide on the punishment or compensation appropri- The Celtic culture did not arrive by invasion as was long be remembered by the Romans; some say they never ate in each case. Any individual or community not abiding by their verdict is banned form the sacri ces, and this is l once thought, by taking over the tribes of the Atlantic is- forgave the Celts for this defeat that was nally avenged regarded amongst the Gauls as the most severe punishment. Caesar, Gallic War VI, 13 In Wales, the May Day festivities were not complete The Druids did develop a form of writing, called a headquarters of Druidism, but once every year a general The Mari Llwyd tradition was celebrated in Welsh vil- without the customary ght between Summer and Ogham, which they sometimes used for recording impor- assembly was held in the territories of the powerful Celtic lages up until the 1900s, and is enjoyed again today W tant information. Some were versed in Greek, but they for- tribes the Carnutes—between the Sequana, Seine, and Winter. in many parts of South Wales. It is a winter celebra- bade writing their literary, political or religious knowledge, the Liger, Loire, rivers, considered the center of the Celtic At the turn of the century around 1900, an aged tion traditionally held on the 12th night after Christ- keeping their secrets close. world in the Iron Age. Two of the great Gaelic assemblies mas. The ritual is a remnant of the ancient horse Welshman described the battle as conducted in O were known as Oenach Tailten,Tailtiu, and Aenach Carmen, worship of the Celts, with the skeleton head, shoul- South Wales in the following way: Human and animal sacrifi ce was often an Carmain. ders and skull of the horse accompanied by a festival “When I as a boy, two companies of men and youths intrinsic part of religious ritual, the o ering of life to the el- As the learned legal arbiters of the tribes, the procession of dancers, rhymers and mummers. ements perhaps interpreted as necessary rather than cruel. Druids presided over annual assemblies that gathered to A were formed. One had for its captain a man dressed in A light hearted contest of clever wit and rhyming In some Iron Age communities, sacri ces were thrown decide disputes, battles and transgressions in courts of ap- a long coat much trimmed with fur, and on his head a skills this feast festival takes place at the dark time of rough fur cap. He carried a stout stick of blackthorn and with votive o erings down a ritual shaft built within peal. These were held around the beginning of August at their wooden dwellings. Gruesome descriptions by the Lughnassadah harvest festivals. winter. The old name of Marw Llwyd - meaning the D a kind of shield, on which were studded tufts of wool to Grey Death, was a symbol of the dying year. classical writers spoke of a large wicker frame The Ceilidhs, or gatherings for feasting, music, represent snow. His companions wore caps and waist- lled with living sacri ces to be burned alive, dancing and rituals, honored the harvest, the The Mari Llwyd was an exhibition made up of coats of fur decorated with balls of white wood. These although we have no real evidence beyond plantings and the times of change. These mummers dressed in all kinds of garments. The most men were very bold, and in songs and verse proclaimed the writings of their enemies to substanti- were important agricultural cycles of an prominent gure was a man covered with a white the virtues of Winter, who was their captain. ate this. agrarian people who relied upon the sheet. On his head and shoulders he bore a horse’s The other company had for its leader a captain fertility and bounty of the land. head, fantastically adorned with colored ribbons, representing Summer. This man was dressed in a kind Cromm Crúaich, Ritual papers and brilliant streamers. Youths bearing burn- sacri ce to appease the gods was of white smock, decorated with garlands of owers and Many old customs and ing brands, and small boys dressed up as bears, foxes, gay ribbons. On his head he wore a broad brimmed hat common among animist pagan festivals are still enjoyed societies. Victims, believing a place today, especially May Day and squirrels and rabbits helped to swell the throng. trimmed with owers and ribbons. In his hand he car- in the Otherworld assured, may Samhain—best known as The Mari Llwyd was always accompanied by a ried a willow-wand wreathed with spring owers and have sometimes gone willingly to Hallow’en. Old traditions that large party of men, several of whom were specially tied with ribbons. their ritual death (as the sacri ce of actively continued until the turn selected on account of their quick wit and ready All these men marched in procession, with their the Lindow Man seems to indicate), of the century in parts of Wales, rhymes. All doors in the village were safely shut and captain on horseback heading them to an appropri- although it is probable that oth- Ireland and Scotland have their barred when it was known that the Mari Llwyd was ate place. This would be on some stretch of common ers were more reluctant to become roots in the gatherings and rituals of to commence. When the party reached the doors of o erings to the gods—especially the ancient Celts. or wasteland. There a mock encounter took place, the a house, an earnest appeal was made for permission Winter company inging straw and dry underwood adversaries captured during battle! Midsummer res and festivals The Lindow Man was ritually were held around the Summer Solstice to sing. When this was granted, the company began at their opponents, who used as their weapons birch killed. An Iron Age man who has lain in the on St. John’s Eve. Fires were built from the recounting in song the hard fate of mankind, and the t branches, willow wands and young ferns. peaty waters of Lindow Moss for a few thousand charred remains of the previous year’s ritual poor in the dark and cold days of winter. Then the A good deal of horse-play went on, but  nally Sum- years, he was well groomed, and his last meal of burn, with either three or nine di erent kinds leading singer would beg those inside to be gener- mer gained the mastery over Winter. Then the victori- Druid’s mistletoe and sacred grains implies his ritual sacri- of wood. Herbs were thrown into the re and girls with ous with their cakes and beer and other good things. r ous captain representing summer selected a May King, ce. bunches of three or nine di erent  owers would jump over Then began a kind of con ict in verse, sung or and the people nominated a May Queen, who were For the Celts, death was not the end of life, but a the midsummer res holding the hands of their sweet- recited, or both. Riddles and questions were asked i crowned and conducted to the village. The remainder vivid aspect of reality. The otherworldly Tir na nÓg, Land of hearts, young boys wearing  owers in their buttonholes. in verse inside and outside the house. Sarcasm, wit, the Ever Young, was a welcome paradise for both warriors Rites of fertility and the power of re to purify and heal are of the day was given up to feasting, dancing, games and merry banter followed, and if the Mari Llwyd and common folk who lived a di cult life in di cult times. celebrated with a night of wild and merry celebration. of all kinds, until later still drinking. Revelry continued Their religion accepted blood and death as part of the party defeated the householder by reason of supe- b through the night until the next morning.” Mysteries of life, necessary for the sustenance of the earth. The Folk-Soul lives within the heart of her tribe rior wit, the latter had to open the door and admit and celebrates with colorful Ceilidh gatherings. The tribe the conquerors. Then the great bowl of hot spiced a Folk-lore and Folk-stories of Wales - Marie Trevelyan 1909 Gatherings and Festivals with livestock trading, honors the courage of her warriors and the brightness of beer was produced and an ample supply of cakes athletic competitions, horse races and religious ceremo- her young people who, leaping the tain- re to fertilize their and other good things, and the feast began. nies were centered around the seasonal year. Britain was love, are inspired by what was, what is, and what could be. Folk-lore and Folk-stories of Wales - Marie Trevelyan 1909 l Ceilidh the Dance

Within ancient and modern spiritual traditions, the Dance is metaphor for life, an ancient choreography moving with the rhythm of the Earth to the music of the cosmos.

Within Celtic tradition the Ceilidh is a gathering, a celebration of music, storytelling and dance. The long Winter’s nights are passed to the music of the ddle, whistle, the beat of the bodhran drum. The traditional Celtic dances weave intricate patterns of circles, spirals, squares in arrangements of threes and fours - a dynamic expression of the eternal knot. In ritual dances such as the annual Beltain Maypole dance, men and women weave ribbons in ancient spiral patterns around the phallic tree to raise and manifest the fertile earth energies.

Listen! You can hear the dance Starting on the kitchen  oor. They are learning the steps Becoming the music Reaching the skill, the fever, Doing what I’ve always wanted. Dancing though me, dancing their beginning, They are learning to be haunted.

Brendan Kennelly

The Morris Dancers continue the tradition of the Shaman dances. They wear antler headdresses and cos- tumes of red and white representing the colors of the Otherworld. Their clogs, sticks and bells stamp out rhythms in circle and square patterns on the earth in celebration of the ancient Horned God of fertility and strength. The Lord of the Dance is one of the oldest Gods of the Natural World, still honored as a powerful force at the center of our spiritual and metaphysical lives. METAL art

I have been in many transformations I have been a narrow sword of enchantment I have been the light of lanterns I have created the feast, I have been a sword in the hand I have been a shield in battle, I have been an enchanted harp string.

The Battle of the Trees The Book of Taliesin from The Four Ancient Books of Wales Arranged by Jen Delyth

chapter 4 culture and mysticism that took root among the tribes of style. These have been named after archeological sites Europe, Britain and Ireland. where large quantities of Celtic metal-works and artifacts M Because the Celts did not write down their tradi- were found. The Celtic Bronze Age is represented by Hall- tions or ideas we must instead find glimpses of the tribes art statt, Salt Town, a village in Austria, and the Iron Age by La METAL through the reflected brilliance of their art and rituals, Téne, the Shallows, near Lake Neuchatel, Switzerland. E seek them through their abstraction of things, through the twists and turnings of their enigmatic riddles and patterns. The Celtic Bronze Age—the Hallstatt period Theirs is a visual language of stylized motifs and symbols T (from the end of the eighth to the early fifth century BC) representing the archetypes that form the heart of Celtic represented great technological progress and advance- mythology and culture. Triskele whirligigs, interlaced ment, creating immediate and rapid growth among the A to them—their intention. knotwork patterns, animal and plant vine motifs form the ART Art has been a basic activity of people for thirty tribes of Europe. The ability to produce bronze from an Especially with sacred or religious art, which is vocabulary of design. Curvilinear and S-patterns, palmettes, thousand years. We have a natural impulse to exercise skill, alloy of copper and tin, and make tools and weapons that often based on ancient archetypes rather than personal trumpet and lyre loops, and the yin-yang motif are the design and imitation in interpreting our world—both the were stronger than stone and could be shaped into any L expression, the images often draw from the language of grammar of Celtic ornament. natural world around us and that within our imagination. form, was revolutionary to those who had relied on flint nature herself, which is a vocabulary that continues to be These skills reflect how we have evolved, how we com- and stone until then. accessible to all of us today. Knowledge of Metals—bronze and later iron— municate and differ from our animal cousins, representing The new technology of bronze arrived in Europe represented profound technological advancement for innovative survival techniques and a compelling impulse to around 4000 BC, although it took longer to reach Britain The Bronze and Iron ages were when the de- create and express both the visible and invisible. velopment of Celtic Art began. For the first Celts, as for the Art is a language, a form of nonverbal communi- flint and stone carvers of prehistory, new skills represented cation that we receive on an intuitive, as well as a more A word or an image is symbolic when it implies something more than its obvious and immediate meaning. the technological advances of their time. The knowledge of conceptual level. This language of shape, color, symbol and It has a wider unconscious aspect that is never precisely defined or fully explained... Because there are metal and the discovery of the raw materials necessary to representation integrates the vocabulary of the artists, who innumerable things beyond the range of human understanding, we constantly use symbolic terms to create it fueled the brilliant warrior culture that produced draw from the ideas and perspectives of both the style and represent concepts that we cannot define or fully comprehend. the style we now know as Celtic Art. philosophy of their culture. This is one reason why all religions employ symbolic language or images. Metal-work with intricate spirals and interlace pat- The Celts believed in an oral tradition, so their vi- terns, highly stylized curvilinear animal and vegetal forms Carl Jung - Man and his Symbols 1961 sual language is their clearest voice, the primary communi- began to appear on iron weapons, tools and jewelry. The cation from the ancient people to us today. The most direct Iron Age Celts created golden torcs, bronze helmets and artists and craftspeople, and for the entire culture of those and fascinating connection we have with Celtic culture is and didn’t reach Ireland until 2000 BC. The tribes began shields, horse trappings and intricate clasps called fibulae. tribes we call the Celts. through their arts and fine metal-works, which allow us to developing sophisticated techniques to create new weap- We find finely engraved mirrors and heavy cast bowls, Although the language and religion of the Euro- trace the movements of the early tribes through to the land ons and tools that were quickly adapted throughout the beaten metal shields, forged axes and swords—all highly pean tribes began to evolve with the earlier proto-Celtic of the Britons. The development of their techniques and agricultural communities, spread by traders and traveling a decorated, some with enameling, amber and coral. communities such as the Urnfield folk, the knowledge of artwork give us insight into how they thought, worked and artisans who were highly respected and honored by the Their designs reflect a sophisticated mythological metal brought from the Mediterranean and Middle East lived, how they moved and migrated, spreading the culture communities. tradition and a strong belief in the afterlife, an otherworldly quickly advanced the emerging culture of the Celts. r of the tribes with their trades and skills. Areas of Europe that were found to be rich in the relationship between the mortal world and the divine For the metal-smiths and makers, this was a time The Celtic Folk-Soul is shaped by the deeply sym- necessary raw materials such as tin and copper became force of nature. These early artists created an intricate and of immense creativity. Their innovations in design and bolic art forms of the Celtic tradition. We may simply enjoy strong tribal centers of trade. New tools improved agri- uniquely beautiful style of ornament and mystical expres- craftsmanship represented far more than their considerable t the images, resonate with their beauty, style and aesthetics. culture and quality of life, creating a class of artisans and sion that has continued to evolve through many centuries decorative skills. They were creating wealth, status and mili- We can also interact with them as a more complex com- warriors who were sustained by their newfound prosper- of adaptation and change into the Celtic Art tradition we tary power for their people, and—leaving a most important munication that reaches through time to many people— ity. The new metal weapons gave strength to the warrior know today. This was the artistry of the early Celts, and record for us today—were channeling the powerful beliefs young or old, from different cultures perhaps speaking in cultures that lived in the ore-producing trans-Alpine areas, metal was their making. of the tribe through the symbols and patterns they en- different tongues. We may interpret this visual language increasing both their wealth and status. They developed graved, cast, worked and shaped into new forms. through a deepening understanding of who the artists their military focus and acquired more tools, weapons and Celtic Art continues to inspire us, but back in the Bronze and Iron Age Celtic art is associated with two dis- were and what various images may or may not have meant metal objects through skirmishes with other tribes, and Bronze and Iron ages it was a powerful expression of status, tinctive periods of Celtic cultural development and artistic raids upon the lands beyond. Tale of the

LUGH of the MANY SKILLS

Lugh - Lugh—Llew Llaw Gyffes in Welsh—means light or his daughter’s grief and her pitiful screams, he threw them shining, and Lugh is associated with the gods of the harvest into the sea to drown. NEED LARGE IILLUSTRATION HERE. and of the Sun. He is a male counterpart to Brighid, who One of the brothers perished, but the sea god is patron of poets, smiths and midwives—the forging of NOT CREATED YET of lugh of the long arm Manannan Mac Lir found the other—Lugh—and brought words, metals and life within the womb. him to Tailltu, warrior queen of the Fir Bolg who became Each year on August first, there was an agrarian his nurse. Lugh was also fostered by the master metal- Perhaps a Sword of enchantement... showing the celtic festival called Lughnasdh, where athletic games, races, smith Goibhniu, who recognized his natural gifts and arts and metal arts. competitions and feasts celebrated Lugh of the Long Arm. taught the boy many skills of the arts and crafts, the knowl- He is also known as Lugh of the Many Skills, , and—as an edge of the makers. Goibhniu is the Divine Smith, one of accomplished smith and bard, sorceror, historian, as well three craftsmen who represent the triplicity of artist gods as a skillful warrior—he is Many Gifted One, Samildanach, known as Na Tri Dée Dána. Master of the Arts. Even as a small boy Lugh was curious and ingenious. He The story of Lugh begins with two sworn enemies, quickly learned any task that was put to him: the arts of the the Fomorians and the Tuatha Dé Danaan, both of whom, warrior, of the poet, of music, and of metal-craft. And so he according to Irish mythology, inhabited Ireland before the became known as Lugh of the Many Skills, Samildanach. coming of the Celts. Nuada of the Silver Arm, King of the Tuatha Dé The king of the Fomorians was called Balor. His Danaan, was secretly preparing a war against the Fomori- daughter Eithne fell in love with Cian, son of Dian-Cécht, ans and Balor, their leader. Lugh decided to join the great the healer of the Tuatha Dé Danaan’s chieftan king, Nuada company of warriors who were gathering within Nuada’s of the Silver Arm. So angered was King Balor by his daugh- fortress, but he needed to prove his worth before he could ter’s affair with an arch enemy that he built a crystal tower gain entrance and sit among them. a to keep her locked away from him. The strangely beauti- Before the Battle of Magh Tuiredh, Lugh went to ful prison had no entrance but a window high up in the Tara, where a marvelous banquet, a great warrior feast smooth, steep walls, but Eithne sent messages to Cian with was being prepared, but the gatekeeper would not let him r the birds that would visit her upon its ledge. join the court until he proved that his trade-craft was both However, her lover was not to be thwarted, and unique and useful. Lugh had become master of all trades, t Cian visited a Druidess who gave him the power to fly up and so he began naming his abilities: “I am a wright,” he to Eithne’s crystal tower. Theirs was a joyful and passionate said, but the gatekeeper said there was already a wright love, and soon she was pregnant, and then gave birth to among the warriors. “I am also a smith,” said Lugh, but triplets—two beautiful boys and a girl. there was already an adequate smith within the keep. Lugh A prophecy foretold that Balor could only be killed by his tried again: “I play the harp with the gift to enchant the grandson, so when he discovered the babies, the king flew company into dreams of the Otherworld!” But the gate- into a terrible rage and stole the two boys away. Ignoring keeper was not convinced, and already liked the music of the court bard well enough. Tuiredh. Balor was known as Balor of the Evil Eye, named It is recounted with an absence of drollery M Lugh was not easily dissuaded. He explained that for his terrible weapon, a deadly contraption made of Next came copper workers with wheels and carpentry he was a warrior, a harper, a poet, a sorcerer, a craftsman iron that caused the death of many fine warriors upon the From the Land of the Greeks, drunken by starlight and a historian. Although the gatekeeper was becoming battlefield. North through the Daneland heroing and charioteering E more than a little impressed, he continued to shake his Meanwhile, the makers Goibhniu, Creidhne and Luchta and breaking bones like crockery head, saying that all of those trades were represented by made a powerful sword for Lugh, which was finely crafted with their brown swords. other members of the Tuatha Dé Danaan. and held all the sorcerers’ symbols of the warrior. This T At last the clever Lugh asked him, “But do you have magic sword was called Freagarthach the Answerer; it was But let us sing these rovers homesick for sights unseen any person who is master of fearless, invincible, and sought the blood of the enemies and sounding for the sake of the silence between the stars A all the skills?” The Gatekeeper of any whose grip was strong and garnering an elder lore within their druidry. admitted defeat, that there enough to keep the sword For so bore Nuada of the Silver hand was not one inside the court from leaping into the fray Master of the elements L who possessed all the trades, with a battle lust all of its Into Alba and permitted him to enter. own. Into Erin When Nuada heard of The metal was forged in The quest of the seat perilous the boy with the many skills, the heat of a lightning bolt and the white bull’s spotted hide he invited him into his com- and imbued with the ferocity To make and unmake the demons of the mind to fly pany, and Lugh took his place I have been in many transformations of the Boar, the deadly knowl- Honoring the unvisionable Dagda among the warriors of the Tu- I have been a narrow sword of enchantment edge of the Raven Morrigan, And Mananan of the letters in the Craneskin atha Dé Danaan. He became I have been a rain drop in the air, and the golden strength of And shining Lugh of the Ways of one of the greatest of them, I have been the furthest of stars. the Sun Horse. Lugh also The world possessing enormous strength I have been the words of the oldest book possessed an invincible spear The Garden and courage and having the I have been the light of lanterns for a year and a half, and a formidable sling: not advantage of being expert in I have been a bridge stretched over 60 rivers one could escape its deadly And carrying always within, as is fitting all he did. I have been a path, an eagle, a coracle in the sea. aim. the Shadowlit Lugh’s foster father I have created the feast, When Balor killed Nuada whispering Goibhniu, the Divine Smith of I have been a sword in the hand of the Silver Arm, Lugh gath- marefaced Irish mythology, fashioned all I have been a shield in battle, ered his best warriors and catfaced the magical Otherworld weap- I have been an enchanted harp string. took up his powerful sword, Ageless huntress and thrice Queen ons for the warrior gods of the spear and sling to avenge the Who musing in the blood whistles and whirls Her hounds and Ravens beyond all sacrifice Tuatha. Along with Creidhne, The Battle of the Trees The Book of Taliesin VIII - The Four Ancient great chieftain king. At first Craven and unrhyming, nailed in a blackthorn tree the god of metal and Luchta, Books of Wales A ranged by Jen Delyth Balor disdained the young the artist-maker, he worked to warrior, who rode fearless Lest horned eyes be blinded by the tomb of the lightlessness craft fine weapons that were upon his shining horse, deco- In the charm of the halcyon dark. said to always fly true and inflict fatal wounds. rated with all the symbols of the sun. “Who is this babbling On this, our grave and Christian clerics in alarm Together they had created the silver arm for youth?” he asked his wife, and she replied “This is your Avert their pens Nuada, who had lost his in battle. It was highly decorated grandson Lugh who is sworn to destroy you!” Lugh took Womenless men crooked in the cloister of their age. with magical designs and expertly made with movement aim at Balor of the Evil Eye with his great sling, killing him in every finger of the perfectly crafted hand. When fitted and all who were near him in a single blow. But poetry declares it differently against Nuada’s shoulder this was a better arm than the After winning the battle and establishing the Older yet and lovelier far, this mystery one that he had lost, and incredibly beautiful. Nuada of the sovereignty of Ireland for the Tuatha Dé Danaan, who were And I will not forget Silver Arm was victorious in many battles until he met his to rule for two centuries, Lugh—now known as Lugh of the match against Balor, who killed him at the battle of Magh Long Arm for his victory with the sling—became King of Five Denials on Merlin’s Grave Verse 2 Robin Williamson Ireland and reigned for forty years. The Celtic Iron Age—the La Téne period (begin- crafted silver arm for King Nuada. M ning of the fifth century BC), is when the true civilization of The metal-smith held the secrets of creating metal from the crude ores, a shape-changing technology that ex- Celtic culture emerged. Mastery of iron created profound GRAMMAR of CELTIC ORNAMENT social change, prosperity and trade for those skilled in the cited the artisans, who could now bend, mold and pattern E new technology. ever-new, intriguing and mystifying forms, all in a strongly Iron smelting developed in the Middle East and Asia, and characteristic style that reflected the beliefs of the tribe. T spread to Europe through Greece, the Balkans and later Iron and Bronze Age artists were held in high es- Northern Italy replacing bronze as the metal of choice for teem in Celtic society, and in the north of Britain Goibhniu weapons and tools. was particularly revered. We find him depicted at his anvil A Wealthy tribes who became accomplished wearing his belted tunic and strangely conical in the skill of metal-working developed aris- cap with tongs in one hand and hammer in L tocratic class systems and began to bury the other. The masters of metals created their dead in style. Their rich grave goods useful tools and decorative objects, and include some extraordinary examples brought wealth and honor to their of Celtic metal-smithing and artistic de- tribes, to the chieftains and to them- Trumpet velopment. They tell us much about the selves with their fine work and ingenu- Basket weave beliefs of the people who prepared for ity of design. a journey to the Otherworld with ritual Brighid is the patron of smiths, food and drink, finely crafted adornments, artists and bards. She is the mistress of etc. highly decorated objects for feasting, and all crafts, watching over the forging of Lyre chariots—some made of gold. metal-works and prized weaponry of the Celtic culture spread rapidly, not by massive Celtic artists. She is goddess of the hearth S Pattern invasion but by trade and migration throughout Europe, and the smithy, associated with the forge of life as down into the Iberian Peninsula, and eventually across the midwife of lambs, watching over mothers in childbirth and Yin Yang ocean to the British Isles—the land of the Druid priests— nurturing the fire of inspiration of the poets. there to make its enduring mark. Triskele Votive offerings were given to lake, river and sea. The Divine Smith of Irish mythology is Goibhniu, Great ceremonial silver cauldrons, ornamented sword a called Govannon in Wales. Along with Creidhne the god scabbards, golden shields and finely crafted torcs of excep- Curvilinear of metal and Luchta the artist-maker, the revered Smith tional quality, beauty and value were given in sacrifice to fashioned the magical Otherworld weapons for the warrior the gods in great quantities. It was said that the Romans r gods. He made the sharpest blades for Lugh of the Long sold off entire lakes for the potential hoards of gold and Arm before the battle of Magh Tuiredh, and the skillfully metal votive artworks that lay beneath the waters. t

In the Irish prose Dindshenchas, Len Linfiaclach was a craftsman of Sid Buidh. He lived in the lake and made bright ves- sels for Fland, daughter of Flidais (goddess of wild things). He was accustomed to cast his anvil each night eastwards as far as the grave mound and it used to cast three showers out—a shower of water, a shower of fire and a shower of The symbols are connected to the mythology, spirituality and folk traditions, and have roots back to the purple gems. This was also practiced by Nemannach when he was making Conchobar Mac Nessa’s cupp. Paleolithic and Neolithic peoples who first incised these elemental designs on caves, rocks, burial chambers and —Whitley Stokes, The Prose Tales in the Rennes Dindshenchas, 1894 Cairns. Some of these root elements have profound mystical significance used to invoke the sacred, and connect with the power of the earth.

Center Illustration Horse Coin - Gold Slater minted by Parisii (end of 2nd, early 1st Century BC. ) Birds such as the Raven—totem of the warrior goddess Nuada. The Sun represents fertility, power and strength— of the Celtic artists, whose art is not imitative of nature, but M The artists of the Iron and Bronze ages were responsible for the Triple Morrigan—Cranes and the strangely popular the stuff of warriors—and the esoteric sun wheel symbol stylized, due in part to religious taboo. They represented creating these fine objects not only for their patrons, but Swans, which are intriguingly depicted wearing mysti- is frequently paired with animal and chieftain figures on the ideas of their community, rather than their own per- for the gods themselves, who were destined to be honored cal silver or gold chains, each have their particular mystic Celtic coins, which are in themselves like small golden sun sonal interpretations, perhaps under the watchful eyes of E in the Otherworld. They created intricate gold, bronze and symbolism that we encounter in mythology. Their beaked disks. These are powerful symbols associated with wealth, the Druid priests. iron objects for devotional offerings and also for grave heads peer out among the abstract patternings and swirls and through them the gods of the Iron Age Celts of Europe Although they had contact with the more realistic T goods, making models of chariots and wonderful figures to of the Celtic metal-workings. lent their favors to the tribes of the metal masters. figurative art of the Mediterranean, the Celts focused on accompany their king to his opulent life ahead. The cornucopia of the Celts—rather than communicating the unseen magical elements and symbolic The roles of artist, smith and metal-crafter included the classical symbol of a bowl overflowing Abstractions of the natural qualities of nature, rather than the idealized but realistic A sacred responsibilities for the mystical needs of the tribe, as with fruit—is a magnificent golden world, rather than realistic, life- depictions of the world of the Romans and Greeks. Their did those of poet and bard. During this time, artists are also flagon, cast in the shape of a fierce like renderings, imply rather than perspective reveals a more untamed attitude toward life. a conduit for ideas. Their symbols are the visual language boar with three horns, and depict a third-dimensional They are active participants, rather than masters of the L of a society without the written word, without books. The filled with honeyed mead. It quality—which is our mythic- environment; they view the natural world as intrinsically mythic images communicate on behalf of the people to is offered to the Gods as a spiritual connection. This sacred and powerful, to be respected and honored. the gods to propitiate for healing and prosperity, for their gift of the feast, for the distinctive non-narrative crops, animals and children. Visual expressions are not blessing of bounty and art form illustrates a Unique style and innovation are the signa- merely decorative but represent inherent power, absorbing fertility of the tribe. spiritual content, the tures of Celtic artists. One of the important strengths of and channeling mystical qualities within their very forms. unseen elements which Celtic culture is to adopt and utilize elements from the out- Solar symbols peopled the natural side into its own characteristic style. The Celts were masters Celtic Imagery is complex; its patterning commu- are among the most world of the tribes. of adaptation with a strong sense of identity and individual nicates on both material and spiritual levels. The fluid powerful for the war- Sometimes us- expression. Although they borrowed freely from the Medi- rhythms, twists and turns of labyrinth pathways resonate rior Celts, associated ing only a minimum terranean and Asiatic traditions, Celtic artists transformed with the patterns of life. The interlacing ribbons create with the Horse, the of lines, the heads of the adapted motifs in fascinating ways, fusing styles and infinite loops without beginning or end. Spiral forms are Bull, the Swan, and animals and humans, elements together to create ambiguity and multidimen- the thumbprint of the universe seen in galaxies, tree ring the sun gods Lleu and dragons and fantas- sional symbolism. growth, water currents and snail shells, and at the smallest Bel. The Horse as solar tic crested birds are The Bronze and Iron Age Celts learned from the cellular and atomic levels. animal embellishes the integrated with magical people with whom they traded and fought, such as the coins, bronze mounts, vegetative motifs such Etruscans, the Greeks and the Romans, integrating new Animal symbols include the Boar, who is the popu- harnesses and richly deco- as mistletoe leaves and techniques, construction methods and materials into their lar insignia of the warrior. We find this creature of valor rated grave goods that are yew berries within a fusion own unique style and sophisticated craftsmanship. They a upon the shields and helmets and the drinking flagons and destined for the Otherworld. of abstract patterning that loved to borrow ideas and concepts, but always adapted great cauldrons of the feast. Coins provide some of gives fluid structure to the them into their own forms, choosing what suited them and The horned animals include the Stag and figures our most interesting insights into overall design. Here and there we leaving the rest. r such as Cernunnos, who is featured upon the Gundestrup Celtic symbolism and culture, since see a hint of an owl or cat face with They transformed their plunders and trades of Cauldron. The ancient Horned God represents the primeval each tribe minted its own disks with sa- magic eyes, or a Celtic warrior head coins, tools and precious objects, adding their own expres- powers of fertility and hunting, and continues to be an im- cred iconography including the heads of tribal suggested between the curvilinear lines. sions of the mysterious world of animals and nature, tribal t portant figure for the Celts in the metal ages, as he was for kings and chieftains. Gold Celtic coins often feature They reveal an enigmatic presence that is both goddesses, stylized beasts and twisting, intertwined plants. the earliest Paleolithic shaman painters. Interesting combi- the Horse, the Boar, the Raven and sun chariot wheels. The charmingly playful and profoundly mystical, communicat- New interpretations of techniques were created, nations of horned birds and significant triple-horned bulls illustration on the previous page of a solar horse with dots ing a shape-shifting mythic quality through the intricate such as reversing the field of the design to incorporate appear on Celtic coins and metal-works. Magical symbols, and other strange marks may signify astronomical relation- patterns. We can only guess at the layers of symbolism the background areas—which further evolved patterns to they combine the power of fertility associated with the Stag ships. The metals gold, bronze and iron are associated and complexities of meaning that were apparent to these balance negative and positive space. The Celts adopted deity with the mysticism of the sacred triplicity, along with with the sun and with the warrior hero gods Lugh and people who were steeped in the rituals of their time. Roman techniques such as enameling and millefiori, influ- their virtues of spirit-bird flight or solar-bull strength. Non-naturalistic imagery was a conscious intention encing the brilliant colors and the style of later illuminated ed. Although the great era of fine Celtic craftsmanship was becoming an important source of cultural inspiration and For they not only wear golden ornaments - both manuscripts—a wonderful example of cross-medium as stifled for a while by the domination of inexpensive Roman influence. M chains around their necks and bracelets round their well as cross-cultural inspiration. imports, Celtic artists continued to find patronage at the arms and wrists - but their dignitaries wear garments The introduction of the compass around the fifth courts of the Celtic chiefs, who demonstrated their pride Adaptation and change are key to both the E that are dyed in colors and sprinkled with gold. century BC—a drawing tool used to create circles and and status by choosing traditional Celtic styles for items development and survival of the Celtic culture and its art Strabo Geography IV, 4-5 curves—changed the way artists both rendered and con- such as drinking flagons, bowls, brooches and swords. forms. As Irish missionaries traveled to Europe centuries ceived their curvilinear designs, creating geometric inter- Even so, the glory days of the Celtic artist-makers were after the Romans had lost their power there, elements of T play, symmetry and balance. This important instrument now over, until their reemergence centuries later under the Celtic expression, which to some extent had been long Each man’s property, moreover, consisted in cattle continued to be essential to the development of Celtic art patronage of the Christian monasteries. forgotten in the lands of the early Halstatt and La Téne and gold; as they were the only things that could be through to the Middle Ages; it was perhaps the most sig- After the great works of the illuminated manu- metal-artists, were reintroduced through the Irish arts and A easily carried with them, when they wandered from nificant creative tool for the metal-artists, and later for the scripts and richly decorated sacramental objects of the literary traditions—where they had first been conceived! place to place, and changed their dwelling as their scribes. medieval church, there was not to be a revival of Celtic Art The evolution of Celtic art had come full circle. L fancy directed... Some Oriental imagery and symbolism traveled and culture again until the the mid- eighteenth The Celtic Folk-Soul has flourished despite many They made a great point, however, of friendship; for via the Etruscans, such as the Tree of Life, represented by century. Today, at the beginning of the challenges. It is the vitality of symbolism within the man who had the largest number of clients or intertwining vines guarded by the birds of knowledge new millennium, there is renewed inter- her art and mythology, and an openness companions in his wanderings, was looked up as the and wisdom. Although originally from Persia, these motifs est and expertise in both traditional to adaption and individuality that is the most formidable and powerful member of the tribe. reflected Celtic religious iconography, and so were adapted and more contemporary interpreta- secret to the enduring nature of her Polybius, Histories II (220 - 146bC) to become an important addition to their design vocabu- tions of Celtic arts and crafts. culture. lary. Over time, new influences helped shape the Insular Tradi- Celtic Art renews our con- Celtic Art in Britain and Ireland, known as tion. The animal patterns of the nection between past and present, the Insular Tradition, developed with its own distinctive Germanic invaders were enthu- the inside and outside, the seen and style, in relative isolation throughout the early expansion of siastically adapted into the Celtic the unseen. The language of Celtic the Celtic civilization in Europe. The art, language and reli- art vocabulary. Pictish stone carv- myth and symbol represents the gion of Albion (Britain) and Eire (Ireland) were influenced by ings were influenced by the Anglo beauty of nature, expressing the Mys- some trade links and migration from the continent; howev- Saxon bestiary; the Irish adapted the tery of Life and the interconnectedness er, Insular culture developed in its own fashion, integrating zoomorphic forms into their own style and balance of all things. the ideas and expressions of the earlier tribes. and the Anglo Saxon artists were similarly Perhaps in future times, we too shall be The ancient traditions of the great stone builders influenced by Celtic art and techniques. examined through the eyes and hands of our continued to influence the ideas of the slowly evolving The form of a crouching creature looking artists, but for the Celts it is certainly their achieve- Celtic culture of the islands of the Atlantic. The Old Reli- backward (which is a more naturalistic but still highly styl- ments through decoration and craftsmanship, their mythic a They carry shields as tall as a man, all decorated with gion, whose shrines were at the rivers and wells, and at the ized animal motif that can be traced back to the Scythians expression and symbolism, to which we can relate most individual designs. Some of the shields have bronze old sacred places, continued to be honored through the and the Euroasiatic tradition of the lands of the Russian profoundly. r centerpieces shaped like animals that stick out from Celtic Druids who were well established in Britain. Triskele steppes) appears in the Sutton Hoo metal-works and in The rich, symbolic language of the Celtic Folk-Soul the front and serve as weapons themselves. The designs, with their religious significance of sacred triplici- later illuminated manuscripts such as The Book of Durrow. contains the seeds of articulation of the early first peoples, Gauls also wear helmets with figures on top that ty—as seen at the pre-Celtic Neolithic Newgrange passage With the retreat of the Romans, early Christianity forged in bronze and iron, and continuing to evolve into t make the warriors look taller and even more fear- grave in Ireland—remained popular, especially in Wales, took root, bringing new ideas and a shift from the mysti- our time. Through what they made and what they have some. Some of these helmets have horns sticking Brittany and Cornwall. cism of nature to a religion centering around man. How- become, we seek to find them, these people who fought out from the sides, but others have figures of animals ever, the native Celtic expression still flowered, particularly and birthed, lived and died and loved so long ago. on the fronts of birds. After the Romans left centuries later in AD 400, in the monastic communities of Ireland and Scotland, synthesis of traditions and styles in art and literature. It Posidonius (Greek) , “History” 135BC -51BC quotes by Diodorus Celtic art and culture continued, especially in the more developing a synthesis of traditions and styles in art and is in Ireland that Celtic art once again blossoms and Siculus History (5.30) remote and less Romanized localities of Wales, Scotland, literature. It is in Ireland that Celtic Art again blossomed flourishes during a Celtic renaissance in medieval Europe Cornwall and of course Ireland, which had not been invad- during a Celtic renaissance in medieval Europe, once more becoming an important source of cultural inspiration and influence there once again. TRISKELION triple goddess

The Triskelion is the triple-legged pattern, which invokes the mysticism of the sacred three-fold symbolism of life. Throughout Celtic mythology and folk tales, Celtic goddesses appear in triple form, and from ancient times the Great Earth Mother was the Triple Goddess representing her three aspects, Maiden, Mother and Crone—Spring, Summer and Winter. For the Celts it is the philosophy of a triplicity rather than a duality that is seen reflected in the world as the organic principle. The triple form can be seen everywhere in the conceptual patterns of the world: ocean, earth and sky—roots, trunk and branches—birth, life and death—time before, the now, and that to come. Spirals are the design of nature, of our universe. Snail shells, water flows, star systems—our very DNA—are all patterned with the sacred spiral thumbprint of life, the Spiral Dance. They are among the most ancient symbols created by our ancestors: carved on bone amulets and cave walls, appearing on megalithic monuments and entrances to caves, at sacred places of worship, all over the Continent and the British Isles. These mystical triple patterns symbolized the womb, death and rebirth, and the coiled serpent or dragon, all regarded as sacred in the Old Religion, representing the Earth energies.

This original design is inspired by metal-work motifs from the La Téne style, woven into a new contemporary illustration of the sacred triplicity of the Triple Goddess. SEED fire

The dew will come down to welcome Every seed that lay in sleep Since the coming of cold without mercy; Every seed will take root in the earth, As the King of the elements desired, The braird will come forth with the dew, It will inhale life from the soft wind.

Carmina Gadelica chapter 5 Ortha nan Gaidheal The Consecration of the Seed S E SEED fire E D The seed The seed contains the great dream of being. heart of the dancing flame. Fire of mind and intellect, color Seed dreams of opening, becoming itself—a flower, a man, of the vast sky, blue is the fire of the bards and of the poets. a great tree, an ancient poem that takes root in a future The White Flame is the mystical fire, color of the time. Otherworld from which we come and to which we return. The White flame is emptiness and fulfillment—the color of light, of everything and nothing. The Fire of Life burns within the heart of the seed. The dry husk contains the dormant force waiting to be sparked into green life in the warm womb of the earth. The The Poet nurtures the germinating seeds of insight humble seed scatters, to fall on stony ground or fertile soil. called to life by the fire of inspiration and illuminated by The Green Fire calls the shoots toward the light to the fertile sun of the intellect. This esoteric fire is known as Awen to the Druids—it is the creative spark of life. The Celtic Folk-Soul is forged by this transforming The force that through the green element of fire. Dormant seeds sown by the ancient story- fuse drives the flower tellers, poets and artists are brought to flower by the fire within—others may be destined to open in another time Dylan Thomas than this. This is the creative process honored by the Celts, who understood that the Arts were close to the Mysteries drink the fertile rays of the sun. It is the generating heat of of Life and gave their bards the highest respect and mythic the compost pit, the earth-oven transforming decay into honor. nourishment. A Red Fire warms the heart through our love and Tân - Earth Fire —is an elemental and deeply passion, and is also the fire of anger and rage. Color of spiritual symbol. Fire purifies, cleanses and illuminates blood, of red ochre with which the Ancients were buried, the darkness. The dance of fire is inspiration, poetic and this is the fire of life and death. divine. The arousal of inner fire ignites mystical passion, The Yellow Fire represents the spirit, illustrated by kundalini energy, and is a metaphor for burning love the golden halos of the Saints in the ancient manuscripts. and emotions. Fire is a supernatural force that can blaze The shining sun fire is wise and illuminating, the source of brightly with golden life, or devour, destroy and con- strength and fertility. sume. The rich ash of the burned fields fertilizes the soil, The Blue Fire is cold, focused, the still power at the and fire sparks the life within the seed to germinate. Tale of the

TALIESIN

Taliesin is the great Welsh bard, and a well-known On the very last day, as Gwion is dreaming of mythic figure. His name means Radiant Brow, and Inspired escaping the drudgery of his long task, three drops One. He is awakened by a hot liquid drop of knowledge— fall out scalding hot onto his finger and—ouch! Gwion the Awen—which he tastes by accident from the Cauldron instinctively cools his finger in his mouth, and so it is by of Regeneration. accident that he receives the magical properties of the Reborn as a seed of wheat in Ceridwen’s womb, potion. he is cast out upon the waters (representing spirit) to be Suddenly, a strange sensation moves through the discovered with the sacred Salmon of Wisdom, and is young boy’s body and into his mind—like a clear river, transformed into the great poet and prophet, a bard of like a brilliant star beam, a field of flowers, a deep ocean the highest order in Celtic society. of secrets. In an instant he is filled with all the knowledge In the Welsh myth, Ceridwen the ancient crone, of life, and beyond life, and or goddess of dark prophetic becomes wiser than his years. powers, is a powerful mother Ceridwen senses the goddess. Her totem animal is magic taking hold of the boy and the Sow. Her son Afagddu—also screams in rage: the spell was known as Morfan—was ignorant meant for her own son Afagddu! and ugly, so she created a Gwion knows immediately that potion of inspiration and divine she is angry and runs away, and knowledge in a large cauldron to Ceridwen pursues him through empower him. a cycle of changing shapes The cauldron is filled (which correspond both to totem with all that is dead and all that animals and to the turning of the is alive, and Ceridwen searches seasons—and the elements of high and low for all the plants creation). she needs. The magical brew was to be stirred for a year Gwion with his newfound shaman knowledge and a day. Only the first three drops of the elixir would changes into a hare, and Ceridwen chases him in the form contain the potion’s wisdom; the rest would poison of a greyhound. Gwion then changes into a salmon, she f whoever dared taste it. into an otter. He becomes a crow; and she is transformed Little Gwion Bach, the child of a servant, is given into a hawk, giving him no rest in the sky. Just as she is i the job of guarding the cauldron and stirring it three times about to stoop upon him, he sees a heap of winnowed between sunrise and sunset for a year and a day. A blind wheat on the floor of a barn, and changing into a single man named Morda—who possesses the inner vision, the grain, hides himself in the pile. r wisdom of the flame—tends the fire beneath the large Now Ceridwen chuckles, knowing that she has him pot. trapped. Changing into a high-crested black hen, she eats e the pile of grains. S Now Gwion grows inside Ceridwen, transformed into a Elphin takes Taliesin home to his father, who at first is not new life within her. For nine months he develops, learning very pleased to see a baby rather than the great salmon In the belly of the hag Ceridwen the Mystery of the beginnings of life in the waters of he had hoped for—but then Taliesin begins to speak with E the womb. Ceridwen is unforgiving, and waits until the delicate beauty and profundity, and all are amazed. The I as at first little Gwion, birthing time—and then he is born. She is the ancient chieftan decides to bring him up as his foster son—as was At length I am Taliesin. Sow Goddess, who will eat her weak young to protect the Celtic tradition— and Taliesin grows to become a great I was with my Lord E the strong ones; but once he is lying in her arms he is so magician, poet and prophet. beautiful that she cannot kill him as she had intended. In the sixth century a renowned poet named In the highest sphere, She gazes into the eyes of the strange child that Taliesin (circa 534 to circa 599) was associated with the When Lucifer fell into the depths of Hell. D is hers and yet not hers, and his look of deep mythical bard. He is the earliest poet of the Welsh wisdom and light penetrates her cold language whose work has survived, including I carried the banner heart. So she wraps him in a bag and Llyfr Taliesin—The Book of Taliesin, a Before Alexander. casts him out to sea, handing over collection of sixth century poetry his fate to the elements. written down in the Middle Ages. I know the names of the stars The bag floats for seven Taliesin Pen Beirdd, Chief Bard, from the North to the South days and seven nights, and was court bard to three kings I was in the Firmament the waves bring Gwion into and honored as the Chief Bard of shore. He is guided by the Britain. In the sixteenth century, With Mary Magdalene sacred Salmon of Wisdom the mystical poetry of Hanes I obtained my inspiration into a salmon weir that is Taliesin—the History of Taliesin, being fished by the young was attributed to Taliesin, but from the cauldron of Cerdiwen. Elphin, a local prince who has probably written much later. The I was Bard of the harp been sent on a quest to catch story of the initiation of Taliesin one of the ancient fish. is authentic in the sense that To Deon of Llychlyn; Elphin pulls in his it draws from a deep tradition I have suffered hunger nets, hoping for a prize to take saturated in ancient myth and With the son of the Virgin. home to impress his father the enigmatic Celtic material. chieftan, but instead of the great This mystical story is repeated I have been instructed salmon he had hoped for, all he often throughout the Celtic tales in In the whole system of the universe; finds is an old sack. Disappointed, and different guises, among them the Irish tale worried that his day is not going so well, of Finn mac Cool, Fionn mac Cumhail, and the I shall be till the day of judgement he opens the bag—and there to his surprise is a Salmon of Wisdom, representing bardic initiation into On the face of the earth. tiny boy, looking up at him as though seeing into his soul. the Mysteries. The story of the mythical Taliesin, Radiant I have been in an uneasy chair The strangely beautiful child begins to speak with musical Brow, symbolizes the esoteric arts of poetry: to stir the f words of poetic prophesy describing all that is worrying cauldron of knowledge, to transform and move through Above Caer Sidi, Elphin, and all that will happen when he returns home later the elemental forces, and finally to channel the gift of the And the whirling round without motion with his mysterious catch. “Do not be troubled, for your arts into the world through rebirth in the waters of spirit. i father will know that you have found something of great The Poet weaves wisdom and knowledge kindled by the Between the elements. value—more than the fish he had hoped for”. flame of inspiration, which is manifest into the world Is it not the wonder of the world As Elphin looks down at the boy, he sees a shining through a fertile intellect and insight. r light emanating from his forehead and says, “Behold—a radiant brow!” And so Taliesin is named. e Fire is one of the four root elements of matter. The light- fertile rays of the sun. I am older than Brighid of the Mantle, Mary. S est element, fire purifies, consumes and transforms organic Midwife protector, Brighid is invoked by women I put songs and music on the wind before ever the bells of the chapels were forms back to their basic elements. Fire is honored univer- in childbirth. Her festival is February 1: the Feast of Imbolc rung in the West sally as an inspirational spiritual element in our religious at the time of the lactation of the ewes. In legend she was or heard in the East.. E ceremonies and our homes. Our prayers often focus upon the midwife of Jesus and a friend to Mary. As a Christian the small flame of a candle, and within its light we recog- saint, Brighid is known as Mary of the Gael, compassionate nize the burning flame of our inner spirit manifest in the mother who the people continued to worship when Bride E flickering form. moved into the shadows of the Old Religion. Ever since we discovered its secrets, fire has Brighid tends the fertilized seed as it divides into warmed the hearth at the center of our lives. We gather life, grows full and journeys out toward the light and air D around fire and gaze into the dancing flames as from the watery furnace of the belly of the Mother. She we tell our stories and pass the long winter is loved and worshipped throughout the Celtic nights. world and is still honored as the healer Fire is the stuff of alchemy— goddess of the creative fire of life. wood and bones burn down to ash, which fertilizes the earth, creating On the Eve of Brighid’s new growth. Fire in the capable Feast young Celtic women hands of the metal-smith trans- make corn dollies—woven forms the raw ore of the earth effigies of Brighid called the into beautifully wrought adorn- Brídeóg—by weaving sheaves ments and sturdy tools: this is of corn or husks of wheat, the fire of the forge. barley or oats into the like- ness of a woman. They often Brighid Keeper of the weave straw from the sheaves Flame is daughter of the Dagda, of the last harvest into the new the great god of Irish mythology, the one; continuity and blessings ancient protector of the tribe. She is also are intricately entwined with the a revered Christian saint and pagan god- golden crop that embodies the fertile dess of healing, poetry, smith-craft and midwifery. fire of the sun. At her monastery in Kildare, women took turns guarding In parts of Wales the grain spirit was and feeding the holy fire, keeping an eternal flame in the thought to hop from stalk to stalk as the sheaves were spiritual hearth. reaped, until she was in the very last sheaf, which was Brighid is the smithy—patron of craftsmen and po- brought into the home, dressed and woven into the form f ets. Honored by metal-workers, whose intricately wrought of a woman. Sheltered for the winter, the corn or wheat gold, silver, copper and iron were so favored by the Celts, spirit was then offered back to the land at planting time. as midwife she is mistress of the forge of life itself. Sub- And I have been a breath in your heart. i stance is formed, glows soft in the fire, is crafted and then These are the ancient rituals of an agrarian And the day has its feet to it that will see me coming tempered in the cold waters of the world. She is mother to people, continuing from mother to daughter, from father into the hearts of men and women like a flame upon dry grass, r the bards and poets, whose inspiration is worked into fin- to son through the rhythm of the years, keeping alive the like a flame of wind in a great wood. est form within her fire, as corn ripens and is forged by the balance of nature and connection between the farmers and the land, between the spirit and the earth. Fiona Macleod “The Gaelic Heart” 1900 e DRUID’S EGG

The World Egg contains the seed of life. Within the egg the golden yolk has the properties of a Yellow Fire that feeds the fertilized seed. The thin egg shell contains the life within—a fragile membrane—yet the oval-shaped egg has great strength and is one of nature’s most powerful Mysteries. Many world mythologies speak of a cosmic egg—symbol of the primeval universe—and of the great Mother who created it. Orphics said that Mother Night, the Great Goddess of Darkness, first birthed the World Egg, which was identified with the moon. The Druid’s Egg, Serpent’s Egg or Snake Stone was an object with powerful mystical properties. On St. John’s Eve it was said that the snakes twisted and writhed in a tangled knot, creating the glain. The egg emerging from the ball of vipers floated mysteriously upward into the air, to be caught by the priests while it was in the act of falling. It was said that the Druid who found himself the fortunate possessor of this invaluable treasure would quickly escape by leaping upon a horse, not stopping until he reached the other side of the first running water. The stream would stop his pursuers, who could follow him no farther. Immense magical power and wisdom were believed to be gained by the possessor of the Druid’s Egg, although few have ever seen one.

important ritual times, marking the agricultural cycles and The Baltan, or sacred fire of the Druids, was obtained The Art of Fire began when our ancestors first In connection with fire superstitions, there are the essential fertility rites. S directly from the sun, and by means of it all the learned to strike flint against tinder and kindle the small many curious survivals. People in out of the hearth fires in Britain were rekindled. These fires flame, gaining immense power and advancement. Fire pro- way places, when troubled in mind, touch the Imbolc or Brigantia—February 1st honors the goddess were accompanied be feasts in honour of Bel, the vided warmth, was used to cook food and to light the way stone over the chimney -piece, and afterwards Brighid and marks the beginning of Spring and all new E Celtic deity of light, and in Druidical days they were and was a powerful tool for land management and protec- throw a handful of dry earth into the fire. As it beginnings. This is the festival of the lambs, the milk of the carried out with much pomp and ceremony. tion: fire gave us the means to survive. burns, they whisper the cause of their trouble Mother nourishing the earth after a hard winter. Working with fire is also a mystical art, experienced both to the flames, and this is supposed to avert any E “The fire was done in this way; nine men would turn playfully and intuitively, sometimes dangerous and power- impending evil; or they kneel down beside a Beltain or Brilliant Fire—May 1st is a celebration of fertil- their pockets inside out, and see that every piece of ful. low-placed oven or stand by the high, money and all metals were off their persons. Then the ity, and the festival of Bel—Bright One—and his táin, or old fashioned ones, and whisper any secret D men went into the nearest woods, and collected sticks fire. May Day is still celebrated in many cultures around the or trouble to the bottom of the oven. of nine different kinds of trees. These were carried to Folk rituals involving fire have been practiced up world and is a festival of the green-budding, brightly blos- to modern times throughout the Celtic world with daily the spot where the fire was to be built. There a circle soming new life that arrives each year with such beauty and When the fire under the oven hisses, there will prayers for the smooring, smothering, of the hearth-fire was cut in the sod, and the sticks were set crosswise. vitality. be quarrels in the house. If sparks of fire fly from and the tending of the baking oven. Sometimes the flame All around the circle the people stood and watched the candle when lighted, the person they go was kept burning symbolically from the last log or peat to the proceedings. One of the men would then take two Lughnasadh—August 1st, when the turning point of towards will get money that day. A crackling the next, day to day, season to season. bits of oak, and rub them together until a aflame was the sun’s journey is reached, the Feast of Lugh— Shining fire betokens strife; a dull fire betokens sorrwo. Traditionally in Wales each year, the folk brought kindled. This was applied to the sticks and soon a One—is celebrated at Lughnasadh or Lammas. This is the When there is a hollow in the fire, people say a fire into their homes as cinders or burning wood from the large fire was made. time of plenty, with gatherings and athletic competitions in grave will soon be dug for a member of the fam- ritual Beltain fire, which the Druids would light from the Sometimes two fires were set up side by side. These honor of Lugh Long Arm—He of the Many Skills. ily. When the fire is slow in lighting, they say heat of the sun, igniting a fire built with the wood of nine fires, whether one or two, were called coelcerth, or “the devil is sitting on top of the chimney” bonfire. Round cakes of oatmeal and brown meal sacred trees: Alder, Birch, Elder, Hawthorn, Hazel, Rowan, Samhain—October 31st is the Harvest Festival, with the Oak, Yew and Willow. were split in four, and placed in a small flour-bag, and Celtic New Year beginning on November 1st. Fires are lit for Folk-lore and Folk-tales Marie Trevelyan 1909 everybody present had to pick out a portion. The last Some families still continue the tradition of keep- the dark Samhain, when Lugh’s power wanes and winter, bit in the bag fell to the lot of the bag-holder. ing a portion of each year’s Yule log to begin the fire of darkness, cold and hunger await. Samhain is the time when Each person who chanced to pick up apiece of the next year, in recognition of the continuity of the ritual the veil between the worlds grows thin, when the door When need fires - new fires were lit at Beltain festival 1st brown-meal cake was compelled to leap three times fire and its symbolic significance within their homes at the to the Otherworld is opened. We continue to celebrate may, Beltain is supposed to mean “bright fires or white over the flames, or to run thrice between the two fires, darkest time of year. Hallowe’en with its attendant spirits, witches and goblins, fires”, that is luck bringing or sacred fire, by which means the people thought they were sure of a and although many do not remember the complex roots burning brands were carried from them to their plentiful harvest. Fire Festivals on the highest hills marked the cycles of Samhain, the Folk-Soul continues to resonate with this houses, all domestic fires having previously been extin- f I have also heard my grandfather and father say of the year. Celebrated at night and during the full moon, enigmatic, dark turning point of the year. guished. The new fire brought luck, prosperity, health, that in times gone by the people would throw a calf fires were built upon the mountains, sending their high, increase, and protection. Until recently, Highland boys in the fire when there was any disease among the bright flames into the dark night. With dances and gather- i Burning the Wickerman. It was recounted with who perpetuated the custom of lighting bon-fires to herds. The same would be done with a sheep if there ings around, and often through the ritual fires, the Celts dark implication and possibly some exaggeration by the celebrate old Celtic festivals were wont to snatch was anything the matter with a flock. I can remember marked the quarterly seasonal turning points of the year, Roman Caesar that the Celtic Druids practiced animal and burning sticks from them and run homewards, whirling myself seeing cattle being driven between two fires to calling the flame of fertility to the crops, livestock and to all r human sacrifice by burning live creatures inside a large the dealan-dé round about so as to keep it burning. ‘stop the disease spreading”. of nature. Their fires ritually enact the rebirth of the seasons woven wicker-work figure. However, this may be a misinter- and of life itself. pretation of their rituals honoring the vegetation spirit. Ancient Man in Britain - Donald Mackenzie 1922 e Folk-lore and Folk-tales of Wales Marie Trevelyan 1909 The turning points of the solar year are between sumed by fire back to the earth to celebrate the fertility of the Solstices and Equinoxes of the sun’s highest and lowest the personified corn spirit. positions. For the Celts, the points betwixt and between are Although the Celts were known to ritually sacrifice When The wren Bone writhes down And the first dawn Furied by his stream Swarms on the kingdom come Of the dazzler of heaven And the splashed mothering maiden Who bore him with a bonfire in His mouth and rocked him like a storm I shall run lost in sudden Terror and shining from The once hooded room Crying in vain In the caldron Of his Kiss Dylan Thomas

I created the Fire in the Head - Amergin 1500BC people - usually criminals or unfortunate prisoners, this fire dances and fire-breathing vehicles (funky, iron-clad CARMINA GADELICA - Smooring the fire S was observed by Greek writers to usually be an infrequent Dragons!). The peak ritual, the burning of the massive practise, done only as a last resort such as after years of man-sculpture, invokes the ancient transformative nature bad harvests, or in other dire circumstances when serious of fire. E measures needed to be taken. Burning Man festival is an unforgettable experi- Beannachadh Smalaidh Smooring Blessing However, for some tribes who practised cremation ence for the many who brave the challenging elements of Smalaidh mis an tula I will smoor the hearth rather than internment of their dead, it has been recorded sun, wind and ancient lake-bed dust storms to participate Mar a smaladh Muire; As Mary would smoor; E that faithful slaves, servants or wives would sometimes in one of the most creative large-scale gatherings in the Comraig Bhride ’s Mhuire, The encompassment of Bride and of Mary, be sent to the funeral pyre along with their Master to join world. This is at the heart a powerful expression of the Air an tula ’s air an lar, On the fire and on the floor, him in the Otherworld. A wife whose husband died from Celtic Folk-Soul, though in a landscape far distant from the ’S air an fhardaich uile. And on the household all. D suspicious means was also sometimes offered up to the mountains and hills that held the first ritual Tain Fires! flames to bring justice to the family. These seemingly barbaric rituals are to restore bal- The Fire in the Head is found in a line from the ance, rather than for cruel punishment and spectacle, and ancient poem “The Song of Amergin” from The Book of are similar to the practise of Sati in India, where faithful Invasions, 1500 BC. Shaman-poet Amergin says, “I created wives have (and still do) throw themselves upon the fires the Fire in the Head.” The fire in the head represents a to prove their love and grief, and follow their husbands bardic flash of illumination, of ideas and inspiration that into the next world. are both intellectual and spiritual. As poet, Amergin brings the fire of inspiration into form, and as shaman he brings Burning Man is the contemporary fire festival fire as a spiritual force to illuminate the mind, the psyche. gathering in the desert of Nevada. This truly twenty-first The human head was a potent symbol for the century phenomenon, although not self-identified as a Celts. In Welsh and Irish mythology the heads of heroes Celtic-culture gathering of artists and adventurers, was possess magical properties, even after death. The head first inspired by the ancient rituals. with the sun bursting through the crown represents The fertile seed—brought to dynamic life by fire— Awen—spiritual and creative illumination flowing upward that has grown into this complex event was born out of to the heavens through the mystical power circle of the the creative impulse of artist Larry Harvey. He was inspired torc, the mystical Celtic ring worn at the throat. to initiate a mythic act: to burn a wicker effigy in a tradi- tional and yet intuitive ritual of regeneration. Fire is the mysterious flaming lightof inspi- Peat is the fuel of the Highlands and Islands. Where wood is not obtainable the fire is kept in during the night. Begun in 1986 in San Francisco when a wooden ration that cracks open to new life the seeds cast upon its The process by which this is accomplished is called in Gaelic smaladh; in Scottish, smooring; and in English, figure was burned upon the beach in honor of the Sum- fertile ground—seeds of creativity to be awakened within smothering, or more correctly, subduing. The ceremony of smooring the fire is artistic and symbolic, and is performed mer Solstice (to the considerable excitement of specta- the womb of the Celtic Folk-Soul. with loving care. The embers are evenly spread on the hearth - which is generally in the middle of the floor - and tors), Burning Man Festival developed into a large-scale, formed into a circle. This circle is then divided into three equal sections, a small boss being left in the middle. uniquely creative gathering and self-reliant artist com- A peat is laid between each section, each peat touching the boss, which forms a common centre. f munity that resonates with our most ancient impulses to The first peat is laid down in name of the God of Life, the second in name of the God of Peace, the third in engage with fire, nature and art on a mythic level. name of the God of Grace. The circle is then covered over with ashes sufficient to subdue but not to extinguish the i This futuristic-style festival celebrates art and fire, in name of the Three of Light. The heap slightly raised in the centre is called ‘Tula nan Tri,’ the Hearth of the Three. transformation with an intense exploration of fire as cre- When the smooring operation is complete the woman closes her eyes, stretches her hand, ative ritual. While not a religious festival, it is profoundly and softly intones one of the many formulae current for these occasions. r spiritual at its core, a celebration of the elements acted out with powerful drama through massive fire sculptures, Carmina Gadelica is a nineteenth-century collection of folklore recorded by Alexander Carmichael during his visits to the Highlands of Scotland e Lugh - Shining One Sun symbols are among the oldest of all representations that people have carved on stones, rocks and bones. The sun is the fire of our universe, the wise and fertile force that gives light to the world. Sun is one of our most ancient archetypal symbols—powerful Fire of the Heavens. To the Celts, the flaming gods of light are Lugh, Shining One, and Bel, Bright One. The great Bull God Hu the Mighty is associated with the sun, as is the Horse. Their coins, the golden disks that the Celts loved so well, are struck with the fertile rays of the sun and with their sacred animals that reflect their qualities of strength and fertility. The Solar Wheel as sun symbol was worn as a talisman and buried with the dead. The Celts did not worship the actual physical sun, which was not represented by any one particular god or goddess. They venerated the spirit and power of nature in all things, and many deities embodied the divine qualities of the sun—life, light, healing, inspiration, strength, (inner) fire and illumination.

At the Summer Solstice—the longest day—the sun’s powers are at their strongest; and at the Winter Solstice— the longest night—the sun is at its lowest ebb. The great stones of the early people have sometimes been raised to focus the sunrise through their alignments as ritual to ensure the return of the sun. At the solstices, the fertile rays pierce the central chamber of the cairns, or are channeled through the precise arrangements of stones, in honor of the mighty force of light and life.

The four great Celtic festivals, Samhain, Imbolc, Beltain and Lugh-nasadh were markers of the solar year, with fires lit at Beltain, Bright Fire, to mark the return of the sun and encourage the fertile warming force. In this design, the twelve fiery rays of the sun represent the modern zodiac. The circle with a center is still used today in astronomical calendars as the sign for the sun. The double spiral and rhomboid patterns are ancient dynamic sun symbols, rep- resenting seasonal growth and then the waning of the sun’s power. The chain of joined rhomboids is the symbolic image of the ongoing chain of sun years.

Brother to the silver moon—lady of the night, the sun brings us in a triple cycle of Winter, Spring and then Sum- mer—the wheel of life and death, moving as the shadow of the simple sun clock gives us our first divisions of the day. WILDE nature

I have been a blue salmon, I have been a dog, a stag, A roebuck on the mountain. A stock, a spade, an axe in the hand. A stallion, a bull, a buck, A grain which grew on the hill.

Cad Goddeu by Taliesin - 6th Century Translated by John & Caitlin Matthews

chapter 6 mythic shaman characters themselves, such as Taliesin and Celtic deities are often associated with particular W Amergin. animals or with elements in nature such as mountains and Robert Graves’ translation of “The Song of rivers, sacred vital places of the land. This is an ancient nature Amergin” arranges the lines in a form that reveals a deep Mystery tradition that has its roots in the beliefs of those I WILDE esoteric and mythic meaning: the transformative relation- who came before the Celts. Traditions merged, and re- ship between Poet and the power and strength of the spect for the ancient, numinous spirits of the land contin- L natural world is both profound and beautiful. ued through the rituals of the tribes. Taliesin and Ceridwen enact a shamanic chase Animals are revered for their strength, intelligence, through many forms in the archetypal fertility and patience, for their distinctive Welsh myth. Poet Taliesin, whose abilities and personalities, their as- D The Wild Places—the dark untamed forests of wolf always full of beauty and vibrant life. Celebrated through name means Shining Brow, sociations with their habitats and wild boar, the great mountains of ancient eagle and art, mythology and poetry, a deep love and respect for the shape-changes into a Hare, and the seasons. Except in bear, and the unfathomable deep lakes and oceans—were E Wild touches every aspect of Celtic culture. a Salmon, a Crow and the mythic sense, animals a primal landscape for pre-industrial man. then a grain of wheat. are not worshipped as In an animist universe each rock, spring, plant, The Celtic Poets describe the interconnectedness of nature The ancient Goddess deities in themselves; animal and star has its own powerful rhythm and symbolic and the mythic world of belief through personifications Ceridwen pursues instead, it is their resonance. Man is not separated from the creatures and that are rooted in a deep, him as a Greyhound, qualities that are landscape. esoteric wisdom tradition. “The an Otter, an Eagle honored and seen All living forms inter- Song of Amergin” is one of the and then a Hen. as magical. There connect, indeed are created The Song of Amergin oldest, attributed to the an- Ceridwen eats the is no real separa- from a common source of cient Irish Poet Amergin when pile of wheat and tion between an- energy and matter— this is I am a stag of seven tines. he first set foot on Ireland. Taliesin grows imal and human a profound philosophy that I am a wide flood, a wind on the deep waters. Some say it is an incantation, within her womb existence, and in was deeply understood by the I am a shining tear of the sun others a prayer. It is the only to be ritually mythology and ancient Druids. Through the I am a hawk on a cliff surviving poem in colloquial reborn as a bardic folklore, shape- Wild Places, the Celtic Folk-Soul n I am a fair amongst flowers Irish from the Old Goedelic. magician. shifting between draws her inspiration. I created the fire in the head This personal identifica- mortal and animal tion with animal, hill, or a I am a battle waging spear In the Welsh form is an everyday a The early folk recognized I am a salmon in a pool wave from the sea, is common magical occurrence. the essential vitality of nature among the Celtic poets, and it Mabinogi stories, I am a hill of poetry written down in medieval in their everyday lives and I am a ruthless boar is this flux between states, the t merging of boundaries and times from a more ancient oral From the earliest carv- rituals. They were close to the I am a threatening noise from the sea forms as revealed through art, tradition, Lleu transforms into an ings upon rocks and stones, natural world, utterly depen- I am a wave from the sea u dent upon the balance and poetry and mythology that is eagle, and Blodeuwedd, who is magi- to the richly decorated manuscripts Who but I knows the secret of the unhewn fertility of the seasons, upon so essential to the character of cally created from flowers, is changed into an of the Christian Gospels, vibrant expressions dolmen. the crops and animals for food the Folk-Soul. owl. of animals—hounds, birds, stags, boars, lions and fantasy r and comfort. The Poets are highly revered The powerful dark Morrigan is a Triple Goddess who beasts—tell colorful tales of magical creatures living in the Attributed to Amergin (ancient Irish Poet - The Book A source of inspiration for their insight into the shape-shifts into the Ravens of war, death and rebirth upon forests and lakes, and within the wild universe of our fertile of Invasions 1500 BC). Arranged by Robert Graves and spiritual wisdom, nature is mystical aspects of nature, the battlefields, and the Children of Lir become swans, ever psyches. e often dark and menacing, but and are often associated with haunting the waters and skies with their plaintive calls.

Tale of the

BLODEUWEDD the OWL

In Wales the Owl is known as Blodeuwedd, which chasing a stag. She sends a servant lad to find out who means flower-face. The story of how Blodeuwedd became they are, and he returns with the news: “It is the company the large-eyed bird of the forested night is a sad and poi- of Gronw Bebyr, he who is Lord of Penllyn.” As the day de- gnant tale from the Mabinogi stories. clines and night draws near, Blodeuwedd offers hospitality This is a myth about independence, about the Wild to the chieftain and his men, who are hungry and in need within nature—which ultimately cannot be tamed. It is a of shelter. dark, twisted tale filled with betrayal. It contains elements Gronw Bebyr is a handsome, dark-eyed man of shamanic shape-shifting and a beautiful young who had never seen a more enchanting woman than maiden who becomes a lusty woman and then Blodeuwedd, and she is astonished to feel flutter- transforms into the wise old crone bird, the Owl. ings in her heart as he gazes into her pale blue This medieval Welsh story begins with flower-eyes. Although Blodeuwedd knows Lleu Llaw Gyffes, who is cursed by his mother, that she has been created for her husband, Arianrhod, that he shall have no human wife. she has never felt this way before, and He calls upon his uncles, Math fab Mathon- they instantly fall in love. The spell of her wy and Gwydion, who are powerful magi- making is complete when she sees Gronw, cians, to help him. After much deliberation, and as he caresses her cheek with his lips they decide to conjure a maiden from the the flower maiden truly becomes alive. n flowers of oak, broom and meadowsweet. They spend the night together, and the She is beautiful, fragrant as the wildflow- next, and for a few days they forget all but ers from which she has been sculpted, and their joy and affection, and that Lleu Llaw a destined to enchant and fulfill the desires of the Gyffes will soon be returning to his court and man she has been created to serve. They name his lovely wife. They realize that if Lleu discov- her Blodeuwedd. ers their secret affair they will be in grave dan- t Blodeuwedd is everything Lleu could have hoped for in ger, so they determine to find an escape. After much a wife—exquisite in form and lovely in spirit. When he sadness, and some bitterness, they resolve that only with u returns home from a long day of hunting stag and wild Lleu’s death will they ever be free, and they begin to plot boar, she gives her husband a warm welcome with a plate together, deciding that Blodeuwedd must try to discover of roasted pig meat, a bronzed horn of honeyed mead, and Lleu’s secret weakness. Then Gronw leaves her, with reas- r her perfumed embrace. surance that he will soon return to carry out their plan. One day, while Lleu is away visiting his uncle Math When Lleu arrives back home, Blodeuwedd does at Caer Dathyl, Blodeuwedd hears the blast of a hunting not look as happy as when he had left her. “What is wrong, e horn, and glimpses a group of huntsmen and their dogs my wife,” he asks. “Are you well?” “I am troubled,” she replies, her lovely eyes downcast. “I am worried about what poem), and the Eagle comes down the tree a branch at a will happen if you die before me.” Lleu reassures her that time, one for each recital. Then Gwydion strikes him with W he can only be killed under certain conditions, as there is a his magician’s rod, and Lleu is changed into his own shape Cad Goddeu protective spell upon him. “But dear husband,” she pleads again. in her most beguiling voice, “please explain to me how He is mere skin and bone, wretched in appearance, I you could be killed, for my memory is better at being wary and it takes a year and a day to heal his wounds. When he Not of father, not of mother than yours.” And so Lleu confides in his wife: “I cannot be is fully recovered, Lleu decides it is time to seek justice for was my blood, was my body. slain within a house, nor can I outside of it. I cannot be slain the man who has caused him such terrible affliction. I was spellbound by Gwydion, L while on horseback, nor can I when afoot. I can only be Math, Gwydion and Lleu begin a long journey in prime enchanter of the Britons, killed by a blow from a spear that has been forged for one search of Blodeuwedd and Gronw, chasing them through When he formed me from nine blossoms, year by people at prayers on Sunday, and with one foot on forests, over mountains and across rivers, never ceasing nine buds of various kind: D a bathtub that is by a river, under a thatched roof shelter, until they find them. At last they come upon Blodeuwedd, From primrose of the mountain, broom, and with one foot on the back of a billy-goat!”(Mabinogi) who does not weep or ask forgiveness. Although she is meadow-sweet and cockle, together intertwined. Over the next year, Gronw forges the sword of sorry that Lleu has suffered, she is not ashamed of what E prayers, and Blodeuwedd continues to pressure Lleu to she has done, as she was given no choice but to marry the show her how these strange conditions man that she was created for. may be met. She sets up a shelter by the Gwydion decides on a fitting Cynfael River, draws a bath, and gathers punishment for Blodeuwedd’s betrayal: goats. Then she persuades Lleu to come “I will not kill you, but worse. You shall and show her exactly how it is possible never dare show your face in the light that he can be killed. He climbs on the of day, and you shall fear all other birds, bathtub and puts one foot on the goat, whose nature it will be to show hostility and then Gronw, who has been hiding on to you wherever they find you. You shall the hill of Bryn Cyfergyr, casts the spear, not lose your name, but will forever be which strikes Lleu in the side. Lleu gives called Blodeuwedd.” Then he changes a terrible scream, changes into an Eagle, her into an Owl and banishes her into and flies wounded into the air, the spear the night. embedded deep in his side. Gronw agrees that Lleu has the n Blodeuwedd and Gronw escape into the wild for- right to claim justice for the dishonor done to him, and ests and live happily together—for a while. Although they they return to the river bank where Lleu had been so cru- From the bean in its shade bearing a know that they will likely be hunted for their crime, their elly struck down. Before Gronw receives his punishment— A white spectral army of earth, of earthly kind. love blossoms and Blodeuwedd is thrilled with the sense of an equal blow for the one he gave—he begs one favor: From blossoms of the nettle, oak, thorn empowerment she feels now that she has chosen her own that a stone be placed between himself and the spear, and and bashful chestnut - t destiny. so it is done. Lleu throws the spear, which splits the stone Nine powers of nine flowers, Math is filled with grief when he hears about his in two and pierces Gronw through and through, and he Nine powers in me combined, u nephew’s betrayal, and very worried about his condition, dies right there on the banks of the Cynfael River. A stone Nine buds of plant and tree so he sets out with Gwydion to find the wounded Eagle still stands there—known to this day as the Gronw Stone— Long and white are my fingers Lleu. This takes them some time, but after many adven- which bears the mark of Lleu’s fatal blow. As the ninth wave, of the sea. r tures they follow the ancient Sow Hen Wen, to the place In this story, Blodeuwedd’s wild nature cannot be where an Eagle with a festering wound lives among the suppressed, and she realizes her true being, becoming the Taliesin 6th C Translated & Arranged by Robert Graves branches of an ancient oak tree. wise all-seeing Owl whose intuitive vision peers deep into e Gwydion sings three englyns (a three-lined Welsh our psyche. ANIMAL ARCHETYPES The Horse was of tremendous importance to the early symbolically united with the White Mare. She represents eater, she holds the wisdom of life and death. She births W nomadic Celts, a major symbol of energy, power and the land of Ireland, whose fertility is assured by her union many offspring and is their fierce protector. Ceridwen Totem Animals Tare connected with each divine or fertility. Representing the sovereignty of the land, the Horse with the mortal king. Another relic of pre-Christian horse was the Goddess of poetic inspiration and the mother of mythic character, including the Faerie creatures of folklore, was associated with royalty and kingship. worship is the Morris Dancer’s traditional horse-headed Taliesin, the legendary bard. Her name may I and the numen—presiding spirit of the land. Shamans Epona, Divine Horse, is the White Mare Horse Goddess, also stick, or hobby horse, and the Welsh Mari Llwyd—the derive from cerdd—song or poetry—and gwen, white. believe that animals are messengers of spirit, and are to be Grey Mare ritual, an active tradition into the 1900s that respected for their elemental gifts of nature—their intrinsic continues in parts of Wales today. A horse’s skull dressed in Animal Archetypes—Male have ancient associations L power and intelligence, their innate wisdom. white is carried from door to door, and a battle of wits and with hunting. The male aspects of nature are represented Animal Archetypes—Female are the Raven, the Sow, the rhyming between the Mari Llwyd group and the villagers by the Stag, the Dog, the Boar and the Bull. Mare and the Hare. All inspired enormous respect among decides who will gain entrance to the home that loses the D the Celts as they did for the people who came before them. challenge, and be rewarded with ale and food. These are the creatures of the powerful Mother Goddess of Life and Death. The Hare is considered sacred in many ancient E traditions, representing fertility and rebirth, associated with Ravens are totem birds of the dark Celtic goddesses—the the moon and the festivals of Spring. The Hare was totem Badbh and the Morrigan—who possess the ability to to the moon goddess Andraste, to Ceridwen and to the appear as one or three beings and to shape-shift into Raven Earth Mother—since the Hare burrows into the ground. Renowned for their astounding fertility, the Hare is hunted form. Appearing throughout Celtic mythology, they are known as the more ancient horse goddesses Rhiannon by nearly every predator including man, yet continues to often featured in the Welsh stories of the Mabinogi. in Wales and Macha and Etain in Ireland. Emain Macha, survive and prosper. Boudicca, warrior queen of the Iceni, The Druids predicted the future by studying the Macha’s Twins, is a sacred site from Bronze Age times that is flight of birds, and Ravens are birds of omen. They are was known to release a hare from within her cloak before named after the horse goddess. In mythology, Macha dies The Boar represents war and hunting, hospitality and believed to possess oracular powers, and the distinctive battle as a good omen. in childbed after she overtakes the swift horses of the kings feasting, valor and strength. The Celtic boar is a creature of harsh voice of the Raven prophesied the outcome of in a race while pregnant. war and his image appears everywhere on Celtic shields, battles. Carrion birds, they are associated with death. Celtic The Welsh horse goddess Rhiannon bears a child helmets, drinking vessels and warrior iconography. coins depict the Raven or Crow perched on the back of who disappears and then is found in a stable where mares Welsh mythology features a boar-deity called a horse symbolizing the war-goddess Badbh Catha, who have just given birth and their foals have disappeared— Twrch Trwyth. He was once a human king who was n implying a mystical exchange or association between them. enchanted into boar shape by means of a curse. Twrch Rhiannon’s husband assumes that she has harmed their is ferocious and dangerous, and in the Mabinogi stories a son, and assigns her the punishment of carrying people is unsuccessfully hunted by Culhwch, Menw and Arthur. upon her back as a horse. When Menw tries to steal treasures from between the ears There are ancient large-scale carvings of the Horse of Twrch Trwyth, he is only able to take a single bristle. t upon hillsides, such as the famous 370-foot-long White Great importance is attached to the bristles of the boar, Horse carved into the chalk at Uffington (in Berkshire). perhaps symbolizing their strength. Supernatural boars u These carvings need continual tending to be seen: weeds lead hunters to the Otherworld. In the line from Aneirin’s and topsoil have no doubt hidden many others over the poem—I am a ruthless boar—we feel the strength and centuries. Thought to date back as far as 1000 BC in the late The Sow—Ceridwen, known in the Welsh tradition as fertility of the Poet. r could change shape from woman to death-crow in battle. Bronze Age, these carvings continued to be honored by the Great Sow Goddess Hen Wen, is the Old White One, the As death is closely intertwined with life, the bright- the Celts—such as the tribe of the Belgae at Uffington—as White Sow who went about Wales with gifts of grain, bees Dogs have been our loyal, intelligent companions since eyed Raven is also gifted with clear vision and is wise in the intrinsic symbols of the sovereignty of the land. and her own young. She is the ancient fertility goddess Paleolithic times. Helping with the hunt, sharing hearth e mysteries of rebirth and healing. Irish kings in the eleventh century were still whose tusks are crescent-shaped like the moon. A carrion and home, they also are our spiritual guardians. HOUNDS OF ANNWN

Cwn Annwn—the Hounds of Annwn—are a pack of red-eared, snow-white spectral hounds from the Celtic Otherworld. Appearing in the medieval tale the Mabinogi, Pwyll, Lord of Dyfed meets Arawn, Lord of Annwn—the Otherworld—with his fierce totem dogs, while both are out hunt- ing. In Welsh folklore, Arawn rides with his pack of hounds through the skies in Autumn, Winter and early Spring. The Hounds of Annwn haunt the fringes of this world as the Wild Hunt, and are feared to be the Hell Hounds whose baying—like the wild geese—is heard on the howling winds. Dogs have lived among people since the earliest times, and are protectors and companions within our communities. The Celts were well known for breeding exceptional hunting dogs of intelli- gence and skill, and their hounds were a favorite trade with the Romans who valued them greatly.

Bedd Gelert is the Welsh legend of the faithful hound of Llewellyn, Prince of Wales. The trusted greyhound Gelert was left to guard the master’s infant son, as he had done many times before. During the night, a hungry wolf stealthily crept into the chamber. He was about to attack the baby in his cradle when the loyal hound Bedd Gelert leaped upon the huge, mangy creature, and there was a savage struggle of sinew and muscle, fur and fang. In the fierce fight, the cradle was overturned and the infant fell underneath, safe but hidden from sight. The Prince arrived home, and seeing the empty cradle and carnage all around, he cried out in anguish! The wounded Gelert was covered in blood—exhausted, he lay at the foot of the cradle. Full of grief and anger, Llewellyn stabbed his loyal hound, sure that he had killed his son. Too late! he heard the plaintive cry, and found his baby safe beneath the cradle, near the lifeless body of the wolf. Llewellyn mourned his beloved dog, and never forgot the bravery and sacrifice of his most loyal companion. He honored Gelert with a tomb near the village of Beddgelert, Gelert’s Grave, in Gwynedd, Snowdonia, which is still visited by appreciators of tragic stories, and canine lovers today. Many mythical heroes have canine names, including ancient power—seven points on each horn indicate a royal marshes along which they dwell. There are many stories upon the land. To swim is to navigate the mysterious Cu Chulainn, Hound of Culann, who killed the great savage stag. The hunter is personified in the noble Stag, who is within Celtic mythology of beautiful young women depths of the below. Magical ocean-creatures of Celtic W guard dog of Culann the Smith, and as a penance, took the both his prey and the lithe Hunter Lord of the woods and enchanted into Crane form by jealous rivals, and of ill- legend, the Selkie seals swim like fish and also live upon dog’s place and also his name. In mythology, such as the forests. natured women transformed into the large bird with the the land. Playful Dolphins possess the secrets of language, medieval Welsh tales, the Maginogi, they run with Gwyn ap bony toes and uncanny shriek. breathe the air as we do, and nurse their young with I Nudd, another Lord of the Otherworld, and also appear in The Bull is Hu the Mighty, a Welsh god possessing mother’s milk beneath the surface of the salty seas. These stories with Bran and Arthur. qualities of valor, strength and power. As a masculine FISH and REPTILES are the shamans of the water. They accompany Herne the Hunter across the wild, symbol, the Bull embodies tenaciousness and vital fertility. L stormy skies on wind-loud nights to chase the dead. His blood is imbued with life-renewing powers, and he is Rivers full of Wild Salmon once ran clear to the Snakes and Reptiles navigate into the underground Known as the Cwn Annwn, the Dogs of the Sky, in Wales often represented as a solar deity, associated with symbols oceans, waters that were unrestrained and unpolluted. places and bask in the sun upon the rocks in the warmth of they are known as Cwn Mamau, Hounds of the Mothers. The salmon make profound journeys. From their humble the sun. This movement between the above and the below D They were associated with migrating geese, whose strange gives them special significance. calls sounded like the Cwn Annwn of the night, and it was thought that their howl foretold death. Earth Serpent is symbol of rebirth, as she sloughs her E In Celtic mythology dogs often appear as shaman shape- shifters and as messengers between the worlds. Cormac’s glossary—a tenth-century encyclopedia of Irish oral tradition by Cormac mac Cuilennan, the scholarly king, priest and warrior—says: “The fili , seer, must chew the flesh of a dog (red pig or cat) in order that his gods would of the sun and appearing on the gold coins of the Celts. In show him the things which he desired they should reveal.” Welsh mythology three sacred oxen pull the solar wagon. Generally, though, there is a geas, taboo, among the Celts against eating the flesh of the dog. CREATURES of the AIR

The Stag is one of the earliest animal gods, appearing in Birds are archetypes that represent spiritual and poetic beginnings in freshwater rivers, they journey far to the the Paleolithic cave paintings and petroglyph rock carvings. wisdom. Potent symbols, they include Cranes and Herons, oceans, adapting to the salty waters and transforming into Geese and Swans, the Owl, the Eagle and the humble but fish of the sea. The mature salmon then swim upstream—a old skin, renewing and becoming reborn, emerging in n royal Wren. heroic effort, struggling against the rugged rapids and the Spring from the Winter’s hibernation, seeming to be Within the Celtic tradition birds possess waterfalls to spawn—and then die in the place of their birth immortal. Many Celtic healers appear with snakes and supernatural powers, and divine entities frequently shape- year. serpents, often in association with water, rivers and springs a shift between human and bird form. Birds are a powerful The Salmon are the wise, sacred fish of the Celts, (entrances to the Underworld). They are frequently found force that often symbolize the flight of spirits to the associated with the Aois Dana, the Poets of Ireland. Large, on torcs, the sacred neck ornament of the Celtic kings and Otherworld—they are the carriers of souls between the powerful and embodying the fertile golden glow of the Sun divinities, embodying the power of the earth and eternal t worlds. Their mystical flight between earth and sky is a in their flesh, inspirational in their courage and knowledge, life.The coiled serpent with its tail in its mouth is a circle of natural symbol of communion with spirit. Birds evoke ideas the salmon are honored as sacred symbols of wisdom. The infinity and eternity, representing cyclical evolution and u of freedom, of the human soul liberated from the body wisest and oldest of all the animals was the salmon of Llyn reincarnation. at death. The Birds of Rhiannon are magical birds whose Llyw. I am a salmon in a pool, reads Amergin’s poem. In The coiled serpent with its tail in its mouth is a songs awaken the dead and lull the living to sleep, healing the Welsh myth Taliesin the wise Poet was fished from the circle of infinity and eternity, representing cyclical evolu- r He is the Horned God, Herne the Hunter, or Cernunnos, the sick and wounded with their magical songs. salmon weir. In the Irish version, Finn acquires wisdom and tion and reincarnation. Lord of the Animals. The Stag represents majesty, the gift of prophecy from the Salmon of Knowledge. confidence and mystical strength. In Aneirin’s poem, the Cranes are long-legged wading birds, usually associated Fish are indeed the oldest of creatures. Life came RIVERS, LAKES, and SPRINGS e line I am a stag of seven tines represents his status and with willow trees and water, mysterious as the fringed from the sea, and more species live below the water than The charm put by Bride the beneficent, From the brindled eagle of Ben-Ard, Water and its subterranean entrances are the the well, violating its sanctity. The waters rose up and W On her goats, on her sheep, on her kine, From the swift hawk of Tordun, otherworldly nodes of the Folk-Soul. Rivers are alive and overflowed, transformed into a raging river, and pursuing On her horses, on her chargers, on her herds, From the surly raven of Bard’s Creag. flowing through the land, and wells and springs are deep, Boann, it became the river Boyne. Early and late going home, and from home. From the fox of the wiles, mysterious connections with the Underworld. I To keep them from rocks and ridges, From the wolf of the Mam, The folk gave offerings to the water deities in TREES & PLANTS From the heels and the horns of one another From the foul-smelling fumart, gratitude and to pacify the spirits of water passing through The Great Forests The Great Forests of our world help From the birds of the Red Rock, And from the restless great-hipped bear. their land. Water rises up as natural springs from the belly create the oxygen we breathe. They are vital to our plan- And from Luath of the Feinne. From every hoofed of four feet, of the Mother Earth, giving nourishment to the world L et’s diverse ecosystem. The once-dense forests of Europe From the blue peregrine hawk of And from every hatched of two wings. above and below. In parched places where rain is essential, have been greatly diminished, along with many of Creag Duilion, D rituals to bring water are necessary. To the wild animals that once lived in them. The the Celts living in northern Europe, early folk recognized the living spirit water is plentiful, and it is at the within the trees and plants. They E lakes, bogs and deep wells— worked closely with their heal- entrances to the world ing properties and honored below—that offerings are their often-great age and given. sheer physical magnifi- Rich finds of cence. votive objects are Britain was once discovered where covered in extensive water rises from the oak forest, and the Underworld, showing harvesting of wood the great importance was essential for our ancestors gave to shelter and warmth. these sacred places. Later, the great ships and buildings Some rivers or took the oldest and n river goddesses in Celtic most royal of trees, regions possess pre-Celtic and fertile farmland names, revealing that the replaced the dark forests, a cult of water worship began green fields brightening the Sian a chuir Bride nam buadh, with the early folk. The Celts lonely valleys. The landscape Bho sheobhag luth Torr-an-Duin, changed and much of the power t M’a mise, m’a cire, m’a buar, Is fitheach dur Creag-a-Bhaird. adopted local customs and merged M’a capuill, m’a cathmhil, m’a cual, the ancient deities with their own. of the Wild was lost to us. However, the Bho mhada-ruadh nan cuireid, potent energy of the great forests and her Moch is anamach dol dachaidh is uaith. Bho mhada-ulai a Mhaim, creatures has infused the myths and legends of those u Gan cumail bho chreagan, bho chleitean, The Spirit of the Waters was often Bho thaghan tocaidh na tuide, who lived close to its source, and continues to thrive in Bho ladhara’s bho adhaircean a cheile, represented by sacred fish, sometimes taking the form of ’S bho mhaghan udail a mhais. a beautiful woman. The Goddess Boann is wife of Nechtan, corners of the land, of our planet, where man has not yet Bho iana na Creige Ruaidh, r Bho gach ceithir-chasach spuireach, a god of the water. According to legend, there was a intruded. Is bho Luath na Feinne. Agus guireach da sgiath. sacred well, Sidhe Nechtan, that contained the source of all Bho lannaire liath Creag Duilionn, knowledge. Boann ignored the geas protecting the sacred The Celtic Tree of Life. Trees are a profound symbol e Bho iolaire riabhach Beinn-Ard, Carmina Gadeliica - Carmichael well, and as her curiosity overcame her, she approached of the interconnectedness of all life. The Tree of Life is an

The Carmina Gadelica is a rich collection of prayers and blessings assembled by Scottish folklorist Alexan- der Carmichael from the Western Islanders of the 19th century. Many esoteric philosophy common to many cultures and my- Nature is our wealth, our health and our future. Our W thologies. mission is to continue to respect and nurture her profound The Ancients envisioned the entire cosmos in beauty and vitality, to protect our inheritance for those the form of a tree whose roots grow deep in the ground, yet to come. Through a language of poetry, symbol and I branches reaching high into the heavens. Tree worship was mythology, the knowledge of the power and at the heart of Celtic spirituality and the Druids are said to mystery of the Wilde is the most precious Arran have worshipped among the ancient groves. Interestingly, gift of the Celtic Folk-Soul. the words for wood and wisdom are similar in Welsh— Arran of the many stags, the sea reaches to its shoulder; island where companies were fed, L gwydd and gwyddon. ridge where blue spears are reddened. Flowers and Plants. The Celtic Druids, priestesses and D healer-women encoded their deep knowledge of trees and Wanton deer upon its peaks, mellow blaeberries on its heaths, cold water in its streams, herbs into an ancient cryptic Tree alphabet—an Ogham nuts upon its brown oaks. cipher: Beth Luis-Nuin. In Celtic ornament, leaves and ber- E ries of sacred plants such as mistletoe are woven among Hunting-dogs there, and hounds, blackberries and sloes of the dark blackthorn, dense the stylistic patterns, contributing the symbolism of their thorn-bushes in its woods, stags astray among its oak-groves. healing or magical properties to the totemic images. Gleaning of purple lichen on its rocks, grass without blemish on it slopes, a sheltering A mythic interchange between the inner world cloak over its crags; gamboling of fawns, trout leaping. of the psyche and the fertile world around us was created by our ancestors. They lived in rhythm with Smooth is its lowland, fat its swine, pleasant its fields, a tale you may believe; its nuts on the growth and decay of the earth, the migration of the tips of the hazel-wood, sailing of long galleys past it. the birds, the potent qualities of the animals, with the green, living force within the forests, rivers and It is delightful for them when fine weather comes, trout under the banks of its rivers, oceans of the wild, living world. seagulls answer each other round its white cliff; delightful at all times is Arran.

—Irish, author unknown, eleventh century, n translated by Professor Kenneth Jackson Three times a hound’s age, the age of a horse a Three times a horse’s age, the age of a man Three times a man’s age, the age of a stag t Three times a stag’s age, the age of a blackbird Three times a blackbird’s age, the age of an eagle Three times an eagle’s age, the age of a salmon u Three times a salmon’s age, the age of the yew Three lifetimes of the yew for the world r from its beginning to its end.

—Arrangement of a traditional Irish proverb, e The Book of Lismore, thirteenth century WILDE HARES

The Hare is honored within many ancient cultures as totem of the Earth Mother. Connected with the Spring rituals of rebirth and fertility, a single doe can bear forty- two young in a year. The Hare is sacred to the moon goddess Andraste, and from the earliest times people have seen the image of a hare when they look at the full moon. Considered to be a royal animal, a Hare was released by the warrior queen Boudicca as a good omen before battle with the Romans, and said to have screamed like a woman from beneath her cloak. In earliest times killing and eating the Hare was taboo: in County Kerry it is said that eating a Hare is like eating your grandmother! This restriction was lifted at the Celtic Festival of Beltain. Eostre, or Ostara, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawning east and of Springtime (from whom we derive the name for Easter), was believed to have taken the form of a rabbit, or white hare, which is her totem creature. SONG of the sea When the wind sets from the east, the spirit of the wave is roused, It desires to rush past us westward to the land where sets the sun, To the wild and broad green sea.

Song of the Sea Rumann Mac Colmain (Attributed. 11th Century) The original is ascribed to Rumann, who died in 707

chapter 7 such as the Hebridean islands of the north of Scotland. The view from Peigi’s door was of the life of the island: S The wild yet sometimes gentle energies of the the small figures going about their croft, the scholars sea create the rhythm of life within these remote croft- crossing the hill to school, the solitary figure with a O SONG sea ers villages, and the elemental waters of the ocean are staff herding cows, the boat being dragged ashore, of immense significance. Their blessings are given to the brown sail on the loch, the smoke of the kelp fires of the the ancient Manannán, Celtic King of the Sea, as well on the sand dunes in the west: overhead the long N as to the Christian Lord of the Fishes. Many prayers and approach of the flight of wild geese and swans. One blessings invoke power and protection from the stormy watched the shore to see the state of the tide, which winds and mysterious deep waters. governed the time of work on the sea. The direction G of the wind was always noted, the shape of the clouds tides upon their shores. – as that strange cloud called craobh which stretched The salty oceans are the ancient blood of the To the elements of water, wind and sun the like a narrow blanket from north to south above the world. The primeval seas, as the waters of the womb, island fishermen cast their fate as they put out to sea hills and gave the direction of the wind to-morrow. was one of faith and o are the source of life. One of the most ancient arche- The life of the Islander in their hide-covered coracles and humble curragh typal elements, water is considered a powerful female hardship, with spirit and prayer central to enduring a boats. Their often perilous journeys depended on the The spring work of the croft began in February, when f challenging existence of living with the uncertainties of symbol representing dreams and the unconscious, the elements, their skills and the blessings of their gods, to seaweed, used as fertilizer, was cut with a saw-toothed the stormy elements. The Atlantic Ocean is a vast green intuitive aspects of our psyche. safely bring home the catch, or to explore the mythic sickle called a corran on the tidal islands of the loch at brine of secrets. All-powerful, the waters often claim lands Beyond the Ninth Wave as once did the Celtic low water of a spring tide. It was bound together in the lives of the folk, and the small settlements of the t “Long and white are my fingers, as the ninth monks and early explorers—who may have discovered great bundles called maoisean and towed ashore at storm-battered coastline are sometimes taken back by wave of the sea” America long before Columbus. full tide so high that it could be left on the grass verge. the salty sea. h With much faith, some expert knowledge of the The crofters then carried it in creels on their backs to Though much has been lost, some beautiful Cad Goddeu (attributed to the Welsh poet Taliesin). stars, winds and currents, and a fair portion of luck, the the field, where it was left in a heap for a fortnight folklore and invocations have been collected over the e early Celtic explorers navigated by the Pleiades con- before being spread on the ground. There it was left last centuries, drawing upon the oral memory of those stellation—the seven sisters—making offerings to the until black and dry, the new grass showing above it, whose daily lives were intrinsically connected with the when the ground would be ready to turn. is one of the four root elements of matter. spirits of the sea as they journeyed westward, always Water ebbs and flows of the coastal seasons. Water flows downward to the earth, is the realm of the westward, with the tides of their continued migration. We usually journeyed to and from Lochboisdale in a fish and of life beneath the surface. Water cleanses our sail-boat, the heavily built seventeen-foot type with a spirit and is the sea from which we are born. Prayers for protection and hope for the bounty The Ninth Wave has mystical significance lug sail barked a red brown, which is the custom in the of the ocean are deeply intertwined with everyday ritu- for Poets as the waters of rebirth and creative power, Hebrides. Such a pleasure on a fine day, it could be a The first fishermen wove their nets and baskets als —especially among the more isolated communities, containing the qualities of the sacred triplicity. The terrifying experience on a black stormy night, tack- along the rocky shores. The women collected cockles Welsh goddess Blodeuwedd is created from the magi- ing and threading between submerged rocks with a cal waters of the Ninth Wave in the sixth-century poem strong tide against a wind at gale force. But the men and mussels from the rich estuary mudflats, gathered Athair, A mhic, A Spioraid Naoimh, “Cad Goddeu” (attributed to the Welsh poet Taliesin). In in the Hebrides are accustomed to using sail, and dur- tangled black seaweeds to dry in the sun and made Biodh an Tri-aon leinn, a la’s a dh’oidhche; some tales Arthur is born of the ninefold sea goddess. ing the wars, when many ships were torpedoed are their rich lava breads as is still done in south Wales S’air, chul nan tonn, no air thaobh nam beann! s today. For the Celts, the Ninth Wave is the boundary of the minded, crews were sometimes saved through having land, of this world and the Otherworld. Hebrideans amongst them experienced in handling O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Known to fishermen and sailors, the stuff of leg- small craft under sail, who were able to take charge of e Their songs, stories and blessings in- Be the Three-in-One with us day and night, ends for modern-day surfers, the Ninth Wave is revered life-boats and bring them to safety, sometimes over voke the sea and the elements—their prayers woven On the crested wave, when waves run high! as the greatest wave—a powerful culmination of sea great distances. throughout their everyday lives with the rhythm of the a old Hebredian rune of the Faring of the Tide. and wind, which if respected will bring you in to shore. This is the Wave of Cliodna, beautiful ruler of the waves. Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist Margaret Faw Shaw S Tale of the O SELKIE seal-woman N

G In the Orkney islands, a Selkie is a seal-woman. from the purple heather of the mountainside as the There are many stories of the Selkies, especially within the women hid their seal skins among the rocks, and then took fishing communities of the wild and rocky islands of Scot- them up again to return to the sea. land, where the seals are wild and free and plentiful. The next day, and the next again, enchanted by o Well known among the coast dwellers, Selkies are magical the loveliness of the Selkie girls, the young man was drawn creatures, gentle shape-shifters who transform into beauti- to the cove. He was seduced by the beauty f ful humans when they cast off their seal skins. of the strange women lazing in the sunshine, Tales are told of the half fish, half women of brushing their sisters’ seaweed locks, laughing the sea coming upon the land to seduce the and lounging contentedly upon the warm, flat t young men. rocks. Their magical skins contain their transforma- As the days went by, he became quite h tive power, and the lovely fish-women leave sick with love and longing, and could not eat them among the rocks while they soak up the nor drink or work to bring fish home for his e sun on the beach. When they sense intrud- mother. He could not continue with his life as it ers, they hastily snatch up their skins and rush was before his eyes set sight upon the magical back to the sea, back to their home beneath fish women of the sea. the waves. One day, his heart bursting with fear and Sometimes the beautiful Selkies seek excitement, he crept down to the shore and amorous encounters with unhappy human snatched up one of the precious Selkie skins men, and they have been known to marry and hidden among the rocks, stealing it away to have children with their human lovers. Yet it his hiding place above. As the evening sun was remains deep in their nature to always return beginning to dip fiery red and gold below the to the sea, and so their seal skin is their most horizon of the green-blue ocean, the Selkies precious possession, the key to their primal, collected up their skins to return to their home free and watery spirit or psyche. beneath the waves. In one such Selkie tale there was once Suddenly there was a terrible cry of a lonely young man who one day wandered anguish, as one of the Selkies realized that her farther than usual along the rocky cliffs of his skin was missing—nowhere to be found. The island home in the Orkneys. young man’s heart beat fast and hard as he held To his amazement, down in a private rocky cove, he the secret to her freedom in his hands. chanced upon some beautiful Selkie women happily enjoy- After some time of watching her weep, searching ing the warmth of the sun upon their smooth skins. in vain for her Selkie skin, he made his way down to the He quickly hid from sight, and watched entranced cove as the sisters quickly slipped away into the waves—all “Say fisher, the mermaid hast thou seen, “I saw the white maiden of the sea, Combing her hair by the sea-waves green - And I heard her chaunt her melody, Her hair like gold in the sunlight sheen?” And her song was sad as the wild waves be.” Breton (19th century) translated by Tom Taylor except one, who sat unhappily among the rocks. Although she loved her children and her husband, S The young man wrapped his cloak around her shiv- she often felt a sadness, a loneliness, a sense that some- ering body and whispered gentle comforts, hoping to dry thing was missing. Slowly, she began to forget her life be- NAOI MIANNAIN O her tears. He felt quite sorry for her plight, but not enough neath the sea, as if it were a dream from long ago. She kept to give back the magical skin he had stolen. He was in love quietly to herself, weaving intricate designs into her cloth Miann mna sithe, braon: with the beautiful Selkie, and truly believed that he could upon the loom, patterns that were not quite like those of Miann Sluagh, gaoth; N make her happy and that she would soon forget her life in the other women in her small fishing community. Miann fitheach, fuil: the sea. One day, while feeling the pull of the waves, the Miann eunarag, an fasaich: So he brought her back to his village, and soon call of the sea birds, the freedom and spice of the salty Miann faoileag, faileagan mhara: G they were married in the traditional way, although his air, she wandered far from her crofter’s community along Miann Bard, fith-cheol-min lhuchd mother was never quite at ease with the dark-eyed the rocky shore. She had forgotten nan trusganan uaine: stranger girl that her son had found the time, and the sun had begun Miann fear, gaol bhean: wandering, lost in the dark—or so to plunge down into the sea, and o he said. it was growing dark. She found Miann mna, chlann beag: f As time passed, they made a fine shelter inside a cave and there in- Miann nama, ais. crofters home together, and she side she found an old wooden box. bore him three strong sons. The Feeling curious she opened it—and Selkie girl came to learn how to live there was her beautiful Selkie pelt! t among the villagers, and her love With a gasp and a cry she grew for the young man, who could snatched up her old skin, and with h never believe his fine luck in his a great longing and happiness NINE DESIRES beautiful wife with the dark black upon her, she slipped back into the e eyes and long black hair, shiny as the sea, back to her home beneath the The desire of the fairy woman, dew; seaweeds she brought home to dry in the sun. waves, back to her sisters and the land of Manawyddan ap The desire of the fairy host, wind; However, she was never really accepted among Llyr. The desire of the raven, blood; the village women, who were suspicious of her strange It is said that sometimes a child is born who is not The desire of the snipe, the wilderness; ways with the wild sea birds and her sadness when the like the others. The dark-eyed, dark-haired folk among the The desire of the seamew, the lawns of the sea; fishermen brought home the catch, and no one had ever Orkney islanders have the secretive ways about them, and The desire of the poet, the soft low music heard her laugh nor cry, not even on her wedding day. keeping to themselves they sing strange and beautiful of the Tribe of the Green Mantles: They heard her singing songs that seemed to be from songs that answer the rhythm of the tides, the calling of The desire of man, the love of woman; some faraway place—and she never spoke of where she the wild birds. It is said that they are the children of the sea, The desire of women, the little clan; came from, this stranger with the dark eyes. born of the Selkie women of long, long ago. The desire of the Soul, wisdom.

Silochd-na-mara Once a man met a beautiful woman of the sea - some say a seal. The man said, “I will give you love and home and peace” The sea-woman said, “And I will bring you the homelessness of the sea s and the peace of the restless wave, and love like the wandering wind”. At that the man chided her, and said she could be no woman though she had his love. She laughed and slid away into the green water. He left, and married another, but he and the children he had, knew by day and by night a e love that was tameless and changable as the wandering wind, and a longing that was the unquiet of the restless wave. And that is why they are called the Silochd-na-mara - the clann of the waters. a Excerpt from Fiona MacLeod “By Sundown Shores” 1901 Tradtitional Scottish - Translation Fiona Macleod “From Sundown Shores” (1901) Cliodna’s Wave. Cliodna is the shapely lady of the mains of ancient forests and geological deposits from the Mererid the Maiden, who was responsible for the sacred seduced by Seithennin at the King’s Feast, and so distract- S fair hair. Sea Queen of the Blessed Isles, she is one of the ending of the Ice Age have become the landmarks around well, allowed the water to overflow after a battle she had ed by his amorous advances that she forgot to close the Tuatha dé Danann—a goddess of birds and beauty who which legends are woven of mythic kingdoms lost beneath instigated was lost. gates as the tide came in and poured through, inundating lives in Manannán’s otherworldly city beneath the waves. the sea. A collection of large stones and boulders, known In another myth, it is said that the land was ruled the kingdom and all who were in it. “Boed emendigaid y O She has the powers of the Ninth Wave, often taking the as Caer-Wyddno—the fort, or palace of Gwyddno—can be by the benevolent Gwyddno Garanhir —Longshanks, born forwyn a’i hellyngawdd gwedi cwyn, ffynnon fynestr môr form of a sea wave or a wren. She is accompanied by her seen at low tide seven miles out to sea, west of Aberystw- in 520 AD. Not sure if it’s a translation or another name, terwyn. Cursed be the maiden who released it after the three magical birds: one blue with a crimson head, one yth, and the remains of tree stumps are uncovered at low so using the hyphen instead.jen] His wealthy and fertile feast—let the fountain of the rough sea be poured out”. N crimson with a green head and one speckled with a gold tides along the coast between Tywyn and Aberdyfi. Sarn kingdom of Meirionnydd stretched some twenty miles into It is said in Aberdyfi, that if you listen closely, you head, whose sweet songs can heal the sick. Cliodna is loved Badrig, St Patrick’s Causeway, is another remnant of the Ice what is now Cardigan Bay. The kingdom was kept safe by a can hear the bells of the lost city ringing out from under G by the people of County Cork, where a number of place Age, around which the folk-tales are created of the drown- huge stone wall and gates that protected the land from the the sea, especially on quiet Sunday mornings. names are associated with her. She is the guardian god- ing of Cantref Gwaelod. high tide, which were opened to allow the waters to drain dess of the O’Keefes and the eldest daughter of Gebhan, at the low ebb. Dylan is the Child of the Waves in Welsh Ireland’s last Druid. Cantref Gwaelod—The It was Prince Seithennin’s responsibility to control mythology. In the Mabinogi tales, we are told that his She often wandered the Earth Lowland Hundred, Maes Gw- the opening and closing of the sluice gates and to man- mother Arianrhod is given a test by Gwydion to discover if o yddno or Gwyddno’s Land—is age the watchmen who were on the she is indeed a virtuous maiden, as a beautiful woman—some To Ara of Connacht’s isles, say she lived in a marble castle the legendary lost land in West lookout for holes developing in the as is required if she is to serve as f As I went sailing o’er the sea, And sometimes, when the moon on Loch Dearg, Lake of the Red Wales that has inspired many sea wall. One stormy night around foot holder to Math, son of Ma- The wind’s word, the brook’s word Eye. Cliodna enchanted many poems and songs throughout 600 AD, the spring tide was particu- Brings tempest upon the deep, thonwy. Gwydion bends his magi- lovely young men, who she The wave’s word , was plain to me - the ages. larly strong and the wind-whipped And roused Atlantic thunders from his cian’s rod and asks Arianrhod to lured away to the Otherworld, “As we are, though she is not First mentioned in The Black waves were battering at the sea caverns in the west, step over it to prove her virginity; t never to be heard of again. As we are, shall Banba be - Book of Carmarthen in 1250, sto- walls. Seithennin was this evening The wolfhound at her feet but as she does so, she magically Then she met the most There is no King can rule the wind, ries of the flooding of the King- at the King’s Court near Aberystw- Springs up with a mighty bay, gives birth to two children, one a h dom of Gwyddno were drawn yth enjoying his fine wine and the big, fine, yellow-haired boy, and handsome of young men, Ciab- There is no fetter for the sea” And chords of mystery sound from the from folk-tales centuries earlier. good company. The walls had held the other a smaller one she drops han of the curling locks, and wild harp at their side, e “Boddi Maes Gwyddno” is one of up many a stormy night before, and just as she runs away in frustra- fell in love. They escaped away Song of Freedom Alice Mulligan 1866- Strung from the heart of poets. together in his curragh boat the finest examples of medieval Seithennin was relaxing in the gener- tion and humiliation. to the shores of Ireland. Then Welsh poetry, and tells how the ous arms of a captivating woman. A Math takes the strong Ciabhan left Cliodna alone for a maiden Mererid is responsible heavy drinker, he was already falling boy and baptizes him. The other time on the shore while he went off to hunt deer. As Ciab- for the great deluge of the lands ruled by Gwyddno in 600 asleep as the wind was gathering force he quickly wraps up in a shawl han was returning to join her Manannán sent a great wave AD. “Boed emendigaid y fachdaith a’i gollyngodd gwedi outside the keep. and hides in a chest. The moment he is baptized, Dylan to bring Cliodna home, ,and they were both drowned. He gwaith, ffynnon fynestr môr diffaith. Cursed be the maiden The sea was relentless, and soon a hole had broken runs away and plunges into the ocean, taking on the brought Cliodna back to the Land under the Sea, and she who released it after battle—let the fountain of the waste through the stone wall. The watchmen frantically rang the nature of the sea and the waves, swimming like a fish and was never again allowed to leave the Otherworld. The Irish sea be poured out”. warning bells, but Seithennin and his company were too riding the backs of dolphins. He becomes known as Dylan landmark Tonn Cliodna, Wave of Cliodna, at Ross Carbery The theme of a beautiful woman blamed for a drunk and too tired from their carousing to hear them. The Eil Ton, the Prince of the Waves, and it is said that no wave Bay is named after her. great flood is common in Celtic mythology. In the Breton Prince awoke in the small hours of the morning—but too ever broke beneath him. legend of Ker-Ys, the Fortress of the Deep, the beautiful late!—he realized his terrible neglect of the sea walls, and When Dylan was later killed with a spear by his Flood myths are archetypal stories created in re- and seductive Dahut brings about the indundation of Ys by the land he was pledged to protect. “Seithennin, saf-di al- uncle Govannan (the divine metal-smith), Taliesin the poet sponse to ancient deluges of the land by water. These tales stealing her father’s key for her lover, which had until then lan, ac edrychwyr-di faranres môr. Maes Gwyddnau rydöes. says that the waves of Britain, Ireland, Scotland and the are often the remnants of folk-memories—sometimes protected the city from the raging sea. In the Irish legend Seithennin, stand out here, and look at the wild sea: it has Manx isles wept and mourned for him. It is said that his s reaching back many thousands of years to the times of the explaining the source of the River Boyne, Boand violates covered Maes Gwyddno”. The sea had rushed in through death was one of the three ill-fated blows of Britain, and rising seas that occurred with the melting of the great gla- the taboo, the geiss, on the sacred well, causing a great the breach to flood the lowlands, drowning the villages, that the sound of the waves is an expression of their long- e ciers that once covered the lands of the Hunter-Gatherers. river to flow over the land. These stories have their roots in killing many people and animals and reclaiming all for ing for Dylan. It is known in parts of Wales as Dylan’s Death The lost lands are a common theme in Welsh legend. Vil- the Dindsenchus—the Irish poem-lore of places. Manawyddan, Lord of the Sea. Groan. lages, towns and entire kingdoms are said to have been The earliest tale associated with Cantref Gwaelod tells In another version of the tale, it was the maiden The other child grew up to become the hero Lleu a claimed back by the sea, or drowned in great lakes. The re- that the land was drowned when the proud and foolish Mererid who was in charge of the sluice gates. She was Llaw Gyffes—Shining One of the Skillful Hand. Lleu rep- S O N G

o The Strange Country

f I have come from a mystical land of light To a strange country; The land I have left is forgotton quite t In the land I see. The round earth rolls beneath my feet, h And the still stars glow, The murmuring waters rise and retreat, e The winds come and go. Like waves in the cold moon’s silvern breath They gather and roll, Each crest of white is a birth or a death, Each sound is a Soul.

Robert Buchanan (1841-1901) (extracts)

Magh Mell - the invisible world, land of the unseen- was usually separated from human life by water, a lake, or an ocean, which by some means had to be crossed. In Pagan days the Celt in Ireland visualized several fairy lands; Tir na -n-Og, the Country of Youth, Tir Tairngiri, the Country of Promise, Magh Argatonel, the Silver Cloud Plain, and Magh Mell, the Plain of Honey. Magh Mell is conceived either as existent on an island, or islands, or as a fair, flowery plain visible only to eyes opened under the waves of the sea.

1000 years of irish poetry resents the solar energies of the light. He is synonomous Manawyddan’s country is the Land Under S with the Irish deity Lugh Long Arm, He of the Many Skills. Wave “. . . where there is nothing but truth, and where Lugh became a great warrior at the court of King Nuada of there is neither age nor withering away, nor heaviness, nor the Tuatha Dé Danann. sadness, nor jealousy, nor envy, nor pride.” (Lady Augusta O Lleu and Dylan represent the twins of light and Gregory, Gods and Fighting Men, 1904). darkness for the Celts, a cosmic duality of solar and lunar, He is Lord of Mag Mell, the Otherworldly Town active and passive, conscious and unconscious. Dylan lives of the Dead in the watery plains of Tír na nÓg, and ferries N in the dark, creative, watery world beneath the Sea (lunar, souls on their sea journey through the mists to the Other- the realm of the subconscious and emotions). Lleu Llaw world. G Gyffes represents the light (solar, the conscious mind, il- lumination). He is fostered by the great smithy Govannan, Voyage of Bran. Many heroes including Bran Gobnui and is skilled in all the Arts. Together they repre- journey to the Land of Manawyddan, and some—but not sent the archetypes of moon and sun, both born of Arian- all—return to tell their tales of the beautiful women of the o rhod, who rules over the waves from her star constellation Sidhe in the distant isles of the Lands of Promise. The Caer Arianrhod, Arianrhod’s Castle. Voyage of Bran Mac Febal is one of the best- f known legends. Bran was charmed asleep Manawyddan ap Llyr is son of by the strange music of the Birds of Rhi- the sea god Llyr, brother of Brân. He is annon, whose enchanted songs “lull the King of the Oceans, protector lord of the living to sleep and awaken the dead”. Isle of Man, said to have caused great Sea-horses glisten in summer (Mabinogi) t mists to rise around the Manx Isle so As far as Bran can stretch his glance; When he awoke, a silver branch h invaders could not find its shores. Rivers pour forth a stream of honey of fragrant apple blossom lay beside In Ireland he is known as Manannán In the land of Manannan, son of Ler him, and a beautiful Sidhe woman Mac Lir, and is said to ferry souls on told him of the magical Isles of the e their sea journey to the Otherworld. Blessed. Bran set out to find the Manawyddan’s ship can steer 7th-8th Century “The Voyage of Bran” Book of Leinster - Translated by Kuno Meyer wondrous land, met Manannán, and itself by thought alone, moving with- found the Land of Promise that is “Cen out wind or oar. His mysterious vessel brón, cen dubai, cen bás, cen nach galar— is called wave-sweeper, and his chariot is without sorrow, without death, without any drawn by two magical horses across the sea. sickness” full of treasures and riches, beauty The Celts have an ancient lore and wisdom and loveliness. (“Immram Brain—The Voyage of Bran” tradition reaching deep under the green waters of the seventh to eighth century) When he and his men returned land of Manawyddan ap Llyr. Older even than the Tuatha to Ireland, many years had passed, although it seemed like De Dannan, he is Guardian of the Blessed Isles, a master of only a few days. humor, wit and wisdom, weaver of illusion and magic. He The mysterious lands under the Sea—of Manaw- rides upon the seas in a golden chariot with a helmet made yddan and Magh Mell, the Lost Lands of Gwyddno—are of flames and a cloak that renders him invisible. Manawyd- the realm of Dylan, of Cliodna, of Bran and the Selkie dan’s horse, Enbarr of the Flowing Mane, can travel over women. The Hebridean fishermen spend their lives tasting water as easily as land. the salt of the oceans and their women-folk send blessings Manawyddan is lord of storms and predictor of the to Manannán to protect their men and bring them home weather, and he is a master magician, possessing the fabu- again. lous crane-bag, holder of all his treasures including lan- The Land of Promise lies within the primeval guage. Sometimes the wise Manawyddan can be seen as a waters of our psyche, the salty brine of our creative uncon- solitary Heron, standing watch along the fringed waters of scious, our dreaming land beneath the waves. This is the river and shore. birth place of the Celtic Folk-Soul. Arianrhod

Arianrhod appears in the Fourth Branch of the medieval Mabinogi folk-tales. She is the daughter of Dôn and the sister of Gwydion and Gilfaethwy. In the strange Welsh tale, Arianrhod is chosen for the honor of being maiden foot-holder to Math, her uncle the chieftain. To her great humiliation, she fails the test set by her brother, the magician Gwydion, which would prove her virginity. While stepping over his magician’s rod, she magically gives birth to two boys, Dylan Eil Ton and Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Dylan is Prince of the Waves, who plunges into his native element the sea as soon as he is born, and Lleu Llaw Gyffes—the Bright One of the Skillful Hand—joins the Court of Nuada and becomes a great warrior.

Their mother Arianrhod is also known as a Priestess of the Moon, she who rules the tides from her chariot in the sky. Her name means Silver Wheel, and she is associated with the star constellation of Corona Borealis, named Caer Arianrhod,Arianrhod’s Castle. Connected with the element of water through the pulling of the tides, the waxing and waning cycles, the moon is an archetypal female symbol representing womb, death and rebirth, creativity. Albion, the old name for Britain, meant White Moon. The Celts ew well the way of sea and stars, and counted time not by days, but by nights, and made their calendars (such as the famous Coligny Calendar) not by the sun, but by the moon.

The lure of the quiet dreamy undersea… desire to escape to sea and shells… the seaweed tresses where at last her bones changed into coral and time made atolls of her arms, pearls of her eyes in deep long sleep, at rest in a nest of weed, secure as feather beds…

Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill 1952 YSBRYD spirit

I am the breeze that nurtures all things green. I encourage blossoms to fl ourish with ripening fruits. I am the rain coming from the dew That causes the grasses to laugh with the joy of life.

I am the Breeze.. by Hildegard de Bingen 10th Century

chapter 8 One telling of the story portrays Cenydd as being born known as the Titty Bell, in Cenydd’s mouth. This miracu- Y in Brittany of an adulterous a air, the son of Gildas, the lous breast-shaped bell gave constant nourishment to the learned fth-century monk. The baby was sent away to the boy, who grew tall and strong as the angel watched over YSBRYD spirit court of King Arthur at Loughor in the Gower peninsula to him and educated him in the new faith. S escape the scandal of his ignominious birth. Others say that a deer came out from the woods and nur- Another legend declares that Cenydd was born in tured the boy, sharing her milk and teaching him the ways B the sixth century—the incestuous son of King Dihocus, a of the animals, the secrets of the woods and the elements. Breton king who had seduced his daughter while visiting Cenydd lived close to the sea, collecting shell sh Arthur at Loughor. from the rock pools and wild herbs gathered from the lo- R The baby was born with cal woods. He had an a nity with a crippled leg, which was seen to the ocean birds who rescued Celtic Spirituality is infused with devotion for the world of men. be the mark of his mother’s sin. I have a hut in the wood, him, and the gentle doe that nur- Y wisdom and Spirit within Nature. From the vitality of the Their theology is deeply connected to the older When he was brought before King tured him, and understood that indigenous Old Religion to the early Celtic Christian Church cultures and religions that are woven through the fabric of none knows it but my Lord; Arthur, some said that the child an ash tree this side, a hazel beyond, God was within all living things. in Britain and Ireland, reverence for all creation is a constant their faith. They created a distinctive style of worship that bore the evil sign and should be Strangely, Cenydd’s D a great tree on a mound enfolds it. thread of inspiration within the prayers, blessings and tradi- has come to be recognized as the Celtic Church, which was put to death. But Arthur felt that clothes grew as he grew, and he tions of her people. often at odds with the opulent rituals, riches, and the hier- God alone should decide, and or- passed his days in prayer and Two heathery door-posts for support archial politics of the Church of Rome. dered that Cenydd be cast to the contemplation, living as a hermit and a porch of honeysuckle Early Celtic Christian mystics chose the wild, natural elements to determine his fate. in a humble stone hut upon the around its close the wood sheds places to be close to their God. The hermit monks prac- Celtic Saints are often transformations of legendary The unwanted baby was put into rocky cli s of Bury Holmes. The ticed a humble asceticism, often living in simple stone gures, given life by a more ancient mythology from which a wicker basket woven of osiers its mast upon fat swine. ruins of a small monastic cell can beehive huts or crude shelters, in the forests and the wilds they emerge in the collective consciousness of the Folk- and cast adrift upon the waters of still be seen there today. of remote areas and islands. It was their sacred intention to Soul. Many of the most popular Celtic saints are associated the Loughor estuary, which soon The size of my hut, small yet not small, When he was grown to eat and drink only what could be found in the surrounding with nature spirituality, and sometimes historical gures took him out to sea. It was a wild a place of familiar paths a young man, Cenydd moved woods— sh, nuts and berries, wild herbs, roots and honey, were merged with earlier mythic characters—local divini- and stormy night, and the waves the she-bird in dress of blackbird colour from the island to the village of drinking water from the natural springs. They were inspired ties or aspects of them—as knowledge of their healing tossed the small wicker boat-bas- sings a melodious strain from its gable. Llangennith, where he became by the practices of the monks of the Middle East, whose powers or celebrated gifts grew into legendary status. ket up and down as it came ever known far and wide as a Holy desert monasticism emphasized fasting and simplicity. closer to the jagged rocks of Bury The Song of Manchin of Liath Irish - anony. 800 - 1000 AD Man, famous for his miracles s The early monks created their communion with St. Cenydd is one of the early Celtic Christian gures, the Holmes Island. and healing gifts. He founded St. God through a life of humility, work and prayer. They local mythic saint of Llangennith, Village of Cenydd, in the Just as baby Cenydd was to be doomed upon the Cenydd’s Priory, which was the largest parish church in p renounced comfort and pleasure, adopting a life of hard- Gower peninsula of South Wales. Llangennith is built on a black rocks, a  ock of seagulls came down and rescued Gower. Although the Danes burned the church down, it ship to attain spiritual purity, and wrote poetry as a form of brackened hill above the sweeping sands of Rhossilli Bay. him. Snatching up the basket in their long beaks, they  ew was restored, and inside a carved slab marks the grave of worship and expression of their sincere experience of faith The ancient village looks out over the wild sand dunes that high up to the top of a cli and set him down in safety. The the saint. i and communication with the Holy Spirit. stretch to the rocky headland where St. Cenydd the Celtic gulls kept the baby warm by making a nest with their soft Taliesin, Lugh, Cenydd—the bibilical Moses and hermit monk lived—fed only by the mouths of seagulls and feathers, and sheltered him from the driving rain. Calling Eqyptian Horus—are the Innocents, cast upon the waters Their poetry and prayers are a moving testament the milk of a doe. In the sixth century Saint Cenydd found- out above the cold, loud wind, the gulls pleaded with the by their jealous rivals, exposed to the elements they are r to their love of nature and appreciation for the living spirit ed a priory there, which was destroyed by the Danes in 986. stormy elements to cease their battering of the innocent fated to survive, as Poets, as Prophets. This is an ancient within the world. They had profound respect and apprecia- It is a beautiful and quintessential Welsh myth of a hermit young boy. story that repeats and dances its archetypal theme i tion for all of creation. They wrote poetry describing their Holy Man, which tells the story of communion between For eight days and nights the gulls protected Ce- throughout the Folk-Soul, illustrating the interdependence hardships and inspirations as they sought spiritual experi- nature and man, spirit and healing, and is a wonderful nydd from the worst of the storm. On the ninth day, some of man and nature, the connection between spirit and the ence within the world of nature, rather than through the example of a Celtic Christian myth of the early sixth century. say an angel came down to the baby and placed a bell, wilderness in which he must nd himself and his God. t Tale of the

MELANGELL of the HARES Wyn Bach Melangell

Melangell - Protector of the Hares is an inspi- Tusked, was out hunting with his hounds. They scented a rational Welsh story that illuminates the courage and wild hare, which they pursued into a dense thicket—and spiritual devotion of Celtic women, who were honored there, to the Prince’s surprise, they came upon the strange among their people. This lovely legend also illustrates the sight of red-haired Melangell praying among the brambles continued theme of sacred connection and thorns. between the creatures of the Wild and The trembling hare had found the folk gures or saints of both the Old refuge among her skirts, and in the sunlit and New Religions. clearing the beautiful maiden continued Saint Melangell is still honored to calmly pray as she faced the baying today at her shrine in the village of hounds, wild-eyed horses and impatient Pennant Melangell in North Wales. She hunters. was an Irish princess, daughter of King “Give up that hare. He belongs to me, Jowchel of Ireland who lived around as all things on this land belong to me,” AD 607. Devout and religious, she was demanded the arrogant Prince, “or I shall promised in marriage to a local chieftain, not restrain my hounds, or my men who but she escaped in a small curragh boat are hungry for their prize!” to keep her virtue and her faith. Melangell remained calm and She was utterly devoted to God, contemplative with whispered prayers and so  ed across the sea to nd sanctu- upon her lips, and showed no fear. The ary in the Welsh mountains, where she wild hare remained close, seeking pro- s lived simply, sleeping on a bare rock tection from she who lived among the in the woods. Melangell lived humbly, animals. p embracing the asceticism of the early The men were surprised by her Christian monks, eating the wild plants, serenity and courage, and again Brochfael berries and nuts, collecting honey from Ysgythrog demanded that she give up the i the hives of wild bees and drinking wa- hare, although he was less certain of his ter from the clear streams. threats than he had been before. “Leave r She found her way to the peace- this place, give us our quarry, and no harm ful green valley of Tenat in North Wales shall become you,” he pleaded, but the and made her home there, living a life lovely maiden remained steadfast and the i of prayer and meditation among the hounds and men grew restless. animals and birds who kept her company. As Melangell continued to pray, a shining light t One day the local prince, Brochfael Ysgythrog, The appeared around her. The hounds cowered to the ground with ears  attened, tails between their legs, whimpering in of Pennant Melangell still to this day. Melangell blessed Bry- A CLOUD OF WITNESSES Y fear. The horses backed away, their eyes wide with uncer- chwel Ysgythrog, who was later converted to her faith and Melangell, in your box of lead, nd us. tainty, refusing to come closer, and the hunters became helped build a church for her, and she became the abbess Brynach, Bueno, Tudno, Llyr. S quiet and wary. The Prince found his horn stuck to his lips of the nunnery founded in her honor. The earth’s your sleeping hare, and was unable to move. Built upon an ancient circular Bronze Age site, the will jump to greet you. Brochfael Ysgythrog was a little ashamed to have Church of Pennant Melangell has continued to be a place of Tysul, Teilo, Gwynlliw... Rain his power thwarted by a young girl in simple rags, but he pilgrimage and sanctuary since the seventh century. At the B will rub its pelt of weather hard was impressed by her courage and moved by her spiritual reformation, her shrine was dismantled and the stones re- against blind windscreens... presence. He fell humbly to his knees and knelt before her. used in the churchyard. Her restored shrine is reputedly the Padarn, Maelog, Gwendolen... R “For your holy conviction I honor you, my lady. From this earliest surviving Romanesque shrine in Northern Europe until we feel the mountains move day forward, all wild creatures in this valley shall not be In Wales, Melangell—or Monacella, as she is also known— Y towards you, Twrog, Rhystdud, Llawen, Gwaur. D

s In company, the light grows great God is in the flowers around you - headlamps shine across the dark p Sprung at the feet of Olwen, and Melangell from Cadfan, Rhydian, Sannan teg Felt his heart beating in the wild hare. and through the gloom of space we see R. S. Thomas “the Minister” the sun take shelter in your spirit’s sky i and you surrounded by the daylight stars of other saints who shall not die - harmed, and I grant you this land, and its protection shall r is the Patron Saint of Hares, who are still called Wyn Bach Cynog, Padarn, Ederyn Fawr. be yours.” Melangell, Melangell’s Little Lambs, and her shrine is still From time, our hunter, guard us with your prayer Melangell’s faith was so strong that she was not visited by pilgrims today. For centuries no one in her parish Melangell, strongest steel and softest air. surprised, but was surely relieved to be spared the terrible i would kill a hare, and if seeing one chased by dogs, the folk fate of the hounds and the cruel lust of the hunters. The would cry out, “God and Saint Monacella be with thee!” in wild hare, it must be said, was also quite grateful to live to hopes that the hare would escape its pursuers. Gwyneth Lewis - Welsh Poet t tell the tale to all other hares who live happily in the valley DATE HERE(From ‘The hare that hides within - Poems about St. Melangell p, 22 modern day Welsh poet) Water and spirituality are interconnected with ideas visited for its healing waters. People have made the pil- medieval times for its curative powers, and later the town ciple is respected. Y of rebirth and spiritual purity. Through ritual immersion in grimage to bathe in St. Winifred’s Well for over 1,350 years. of Holywell, Tre ynnon grew up around the popular site. The legend emphasizes that Winifred is a Celtic mineral waters straight from the earth, we still nd solace Saint Winifred, whose Welsh name was Gwenfrewi, was a The legend of Winifred is based on an actual woman, free to choose her own destiny, and both the new and curative power. Within Christianity, baptism with wa- seventh-century Welsh nun. She was the beautiful daugh- historical woman. She was related to the royal family of Father God and the ancient Earth Mother honor this by S ter is performed as a spiritual cleansing. ter of a famous noble family, and her uncle was Saint Powys, and although this is not recorded until the twelfth restoring her, giving a gift of healing to the people. Water rises up as natural springs from the belly Beuno. Winifred had made a private vow of chastity, decid- century, Winifred’s brother Owain is known to have killed B of Mother Earth, giving nourishment to the world above ing to become a nun, and was a spiritual student of her Caradog as revenge for a crime. Beuno was her real uncle, The CELTIC CHURCH and below. To the Celts it is at the lakes and deep wells, uncle the monk Beuno. and her great aunt, whom she succeeded as abbess, was One Sunday as she was alone in her house, the St. Tenoi. A fragment of an eighth-century reliquary—the the natural springs that are entrances to and from The Church came early to the lands of the West. Only local chieftain, Caradog, came riding by. He Arch Gwenfrewi, Winifred’s Casket—is the earliest surviv- R the world below, that o erings are given, two hundred years after the death of Jesus there were was enamored of Winifred’s beauty, ing evidence of any Welsh saint. myths are created and healing is be- signs of a Christian presence and when she rejected his insistent This story shows the stowed upon the people who draw in Britain, come through the Y advances, he roughly tried to continued importance of the from its deep mystery. Romans and traders. The folk force himself upon her. older animist worship of water, There are many Celtic The woodland thicket surrounds me, adopted the new ideas, some- Winifred ran to the church and its connective thread D saints whose colorful lineage the blackbird sings me a lay, times as a natural extension of for sanctuary, but Caradog through the Celtic myths and connects back to the early praise I will not conceal; their own spiritual traditions. pursued her. Angered by the new tales of the Celtic people who respected the The seeds of the New her religious devotion, saints. The medieval belief in above my lined little booklet sacred sources of water Faith brought from the deserts he cut o her head in a miracles was perhaps more the trilling of birds sings to me. emerging from the ground. of the East quickly took root violent rage upon the vivid for the Celts, whose sto- There are several healing in the Celtic lands. Although church steps. Her blood ries are full of strange rebirths, The clear cuckoo sings to me, lovely discourse, wells dedicated to Bride— not literally a separate entity ran red down into the gruesome dismemberments in its grey cloak from the crest of the bushes; Saint Brighid in Ireland— from the Catholic Church, this earth, and where her and magical renewals, and truly - may the Lord protect me! - including one in Kildare not distinctive branch of Chris- head had tumbled down water often plays an important well do I write under the forest wood. far from the church where tianity continued to  ourish the hill, a spring of healing role. Brighid’s re is tended. in comparative isolation, water broke forth from the In Wales in particular, The myth of the River Boyne producing some of the nest ground. myths regarding women and The Ivy Bower Irish Poetry anonymous 800 - 1000AD arises from such a well. Boann, art and poetry, inspired by the Hearing her cries, Beuno water are common, and the s wife of the Dagda, is a curious spirituality of the Celtic Folk- ran out—but too late! Caradog was concept of water as a healing woman who disturbs the sacred well in Soul. standing over her, his sword red with force has been active in the de ance of the geiss that protects it. She is It is important to distin- p blood. Beuno cursed him and Caradog was psyche of the Folk-Soul since the earliest people. punished by a great river that over ows from the guish between the sincere, genuine faith of these early swallowed up by the earth. Beuno took Winifred’s well and drowns her, becoming the great river Boyne of Celtic Christians, and the often oppressive and destruc- head, and praying to God for healing powers, replaced it Ireland. Stories involving water, springs and rivers are tive politics later forced upon the Old Religion and its i upon her lifeless body. Miraculously she was restored to commonly associated with beautiful women, often told perceived superstitions by the Church itself. The powerful life, afterward bearing only a thread-like red mark around Saint Winifred became so popular that an entire around the theme of a de lement at the source of the holy political movements that attempted to crush followers her throat. r town grew around her shrine. Today called Holywell, near water. of other beliefs, sti ed the position of women and disre- Winifred became a nun, and later abbess at Chester, this is perhaps the most sacred well in Britain, still To violate purity—the spiritual nature of the femi- garded the environment did not necessarily, or always, Gwytherin in Denbighshire. The well became famous in nine elements of life that are associated with the sacred contradict the inspired, colorful new theology that grew— i water from the earth—is punished with divine retribution, like the hawthorn sta of Joseph of Aramathea—from the Giraldus Cambrensis o ered his devotions in the twelfth century, as through the monk Beuno who is a messenger of God. roots of the Old Ways and into a new, blossoming branch t when he says of the well “she seemed still to retain her miraculous powers”. The sovereignty of the earth and of the sacred female prin- of the tree. Wilde Geese

The early Celtic Christians adopted the Wild Goose as their symbol for the Holy Spirit, rather than the calm, cooing Dove of surrender. Chosen for their independence and strength, and signi cantly for their loyalty, the Wild Geese represent the people who choose to worship in their own way, close to the myth-haunted lands of the rugged western places of Britain and Ireland, far from the wealth and decadent power centers of religion and politics. These are large, strong-willed birds that we see  ying in large  ocks across the grey winter skies. We hear their distinctive, raucous honking calls as they migrate home each year, their constant return symbolizing loyalty and the rhythms of nature. Although Wild Geese cannot easily be tamed or caught, a young gosling attaches to the rst large moving object it sees when born, and will even think a human its mother. This profound connection is both mystical and was valued as one of the earliest husbandry practices, before the do- mestication of animals in Neolithic times. Once adapted to the human com- munity, the independent Goose is an adept scavenger, needing little care, and is a useful food source of meat, eggs, fat and feathers. We see Goose patterns on early pottery and bone carvings, and few birds are so important in ritual and symbolism as the Goose and its elegant, long-necked sister— the Swan. Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy businessman and thorn represents fertility and rebirth in the Celtic tradition. built upon ancient pagan sacred sites, but sometimes inte- The Romano British Church lasted until the early Y disciple of Jesus of Nazareth, apparently having had con- Known in folklore as the May Tree, her blossoms appear at grated the old symbols, practices and myths into the new fth century when invasions from the Irish in the west, nections to the tin trade in Cornwall. It is written that after the beginning of May, the time of the Beltain festival when Church. the Picts in the north and the early English in the east, Jesus’ cruci xion, Joseph asked Pilate for his body, took the folk would gather the blossoms to celebrate spring— It was a slow process of conversion, a fusion of the old and drove them to shelter in the Brythonic lands. In the more S him down from the cross and with Mary Magdalene laid bringing home the May. These stories intertwine the old new faiths, and this gives Celtic Christiantiy a distinctive remote and often inaccessible terrain, Celtic resistance him to rest in Joseph’s own newly built tomb. and new beliefs that developed over many years and have character all its own—so interesting, inspiring and relevant was greater, and the early Church thrived among the Celts, B According to medieval writings Joseph was chosen by taken root within the Folk-Soul. for many today. who understood on a deeply personal level the inherent St. Philip the Apostle for a preaching mission to establish philosophy of Grace within Nature. Christianity in the farthest corner of the Roman Empire— The Celtic Church cut o from the continental ecclesi- Pelagius was a Brythonic Celt by birth, who Celtic Christianity continued to develop, R the island of Britain. astical power centers, became insular, developing its own believed in a new and controversial especially in the more isolated areas character and merging elements from the Old Religion positive view that human nature, as of Wales and Scotland, Ireland Y Glastonbury—Yniswitrin—was where of the communities into which it grew. given by God, could distinguish and Brittany, and there was Joseph of Arimathea was said to have come While there is no doubt that oppression— between good and evil. This frequent travel between around AD 63. He was accompanied by Deer’s Cry and often violent removal of the prac- heretical view implied that the important monastic D twelve clerics and carried a hawthorn tices of the Old Ways and the folk who the individual was mor- centers where many of sta grown from Jesus’ crown of thorns. I arise to-day followed them—occurred frequently ally responsible and ac- our most treasured When he arrived at Glaston- Through the strength of heaven, throughout the Celtic lands, it is im- countable through his illuminated Gospel bury, Joseph stopped to rest, weary Light of sun, portant to note that this merging of personal relationship manuscripts were after his long journey, and thrust his Radiance of moon, religions was not always, or simply, with God, and not created—such as the thorn sta into the earth, where it Splendor of re, a deliberate strategy to convert the necessarily through Books of Lindisfarne, miraculously took root and burst Speed of lightening, pagan peoples. the authority of the Kells and Durrow. into bloom. Some say that cuttings Swiftness of wind, Many of the early believers natu- Church. This was from this tree can still be seen today, Depth of sea, rally adopted the new saints, prayers perceived as a threat The Celtic arts blooming only at Christmas time. Stability of earth, and stories as simply new guises of to the Church of Rome, and crafts tradi- Legend reports that Arvira- Firmness of rock their familiar, long-practiced tradi- and began a theological tions in Celtic Britain gus, the local ruler, granted Joseph tions. It was the strength of the spiri- split around AD 429. had become greatly land on which to build the rst mon- Saint Patrick tual symbols or elements at their core, Pelagius denied the diminished after the Ro- astery in Britain. Archaeological records rather than the speci c names or gures, concept of original sin manization of the west- s Attributed 7th century show that there may well have been an ex- that was important. and believed that man could ern isles. Then with the tremely early Christian church in Glastonbury, The emphasis upon their profound and achieve grace through his own growth of Christianity began p although it was not until the thirteenth century ancient mystical triplicity continued—now evolved free will without the church, its a  owering of the Celtic arts, that the legend of Joseph of Arimathea began to appear. into the Holy Trinity. Mother Mary and Brighid the mid-wife priests and all its trappings. This inde- illuminated through the Scribes, This story shows the close connection of the early became closely associated, and many local saints grew pendent view, which sought the inherent wis- which gave new life and brilliance to i believers to the source of the Christian Mystery Tradition, popular, integrated with the attributes of their older divini- dom within, was understood as being closer to the teach- the ancient patterns and symbols. The biblical while living far from the power centers of the Church of ties. ings of Jesus. To live life by his example and as he taught stories became interwoven with the myths and legends of r Rome. The planting of his hawthorn sta (or magician’s The Spring festivals of Beltain merged with Easter, was the way to salvation. the people, and were illustrated using the visual language shaman stick) in the mythic land of Arthur is a symbol of Winter Solstice was now celebrated as Christmas. Sam- This doctrine of free will was more acceptable to of skilled Celtic artists. They continued to evolve their tra- the integration of the Old Religion with the new theology. hain—the opening of the veil between the worlds—was the freedom-loving Celts, and emphasized nature as a dition, portraying the Christian stories using their vocabu- i The fertile Hawthorn is a wild, beautiful, gnarled observed as All Hallows Day, or All Saints Day (hallows source of wisdom. lary of patterns, animals symbols and the triple form of and thorny little tree that can live to a great age. Known means holies or saints—Hallow’en is the Eve of all Hallows). the triskele—now, with additional interpretation, the Holy as Huath in Ogham (the alphabet of the Druids), Haw- Many of the early Christian places of worship were Trinity—in their vellum manuscripts. t EARLY CHRISTIAN ART ate many shades. on vellum—stretched calfskin. The skins of approximately terpiece of Celtic spiritual art that continues to inspire us 185 calves were used to create the book, evidence of the today. Y Early Christian Celts in Britain and Ireland evolved a The Scribes used goose quills and brushes of ne ani- comparative wealth of the monastic community at that unique and brilliant artistic tradition that blossomed in the mal hairs. The drawing compass was used extensively, with time. Lindisfarne—Holy Island—is in the northeast of Britain. A sixth and seventh centuries. Churches and monasteries di erent techniques such as grids and tiny holes punched The four Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John monastery established there was the birthplace of the il- S became the new patrons of the artists and crafts-people, from the back of the parchment to guide the geometric are illustrated with intricate embellishments and illustra- luminated Lindisfarne Gospels, another of our great artistic who created manuscripts, metal-work and sculpture in designs. It is thought that some kind of magnifying glass tion in brilliant colors tempered with egg whites. Scribes and religious treasures. monastic workshops may have been used, because some details are so tiny, it is used an incredible range of pigments, from beetle wings to The Monastery of Lindisfarne was founded in AD 635 on B using their native skills to hard to imagine how the crushed oak apples, precious lapis lazuli and ultramarine, a small outcrop of land, now known as Holy Island. It lies combine elements of the artists created them. some of which were rare and cost more than gold. among the sands a mile and a half o the Northumberland R old pagan symbolism Manuscripts were pro- Described by the Welshman Geraldus Cambrensis coast. Saint Cuthbert was a monk who later became abbot with the new Christian duced in major scriptoria as “the work of an angel,” the Book of Kells is lled with at the monastery and then Bishop of Lindisfarne; he was iconography. attached to the monaster- extraordinary detail, with complex imagery of beasts and famous for his miracles. Y The evangelist ies. There, ne metal and birds, interlace patterns and spiraling triskeles. The iconic portraits and Christian enamel work, often with images of the saints are uniquely Celtic in style, with The Lindisfarne Gospels, among the most symbols, and the idea of insets of precious stones, gures creatively shape-shifting into animal forms, often celebrated illuminated books in the world, were cre- D the codex—the bound were worked into the Gos- humorously rendered ated in the early eighth book—came from the pel book covers, chalices with great style and century. An illustrated and valuable devotional draftsmanship. Latin copy of the Gospels Christian Mediterranean. Fine craftsmanship is all about you, but you might The Celtic scribes blend- objects commissioned by Playful rhythms of Mark, Luke, Matthew the wealthy patrons of the utilize both positive and not notice it. Look more keenly at it and you will and John made in honor ed these elements with penetrate to the very shrine of art. You will make their local vocabulary of Church. negative space to create of St. Cuthbert they were out intricacies, so delicate and subtle, so exact and ornament and mythology By the seventh century balance and completion, created by Eadfrith, the compact, so full of knots and links, with colors so into a truly Celtic expres- the Irish arts had achieved while remaining mean- Bishop of Lindisfarne. sion. an incredible level of art- dering, spiraling, free fresh and vivid that you might say that all this was Eadfrith was an artist of istry and skill not seen since and  owing. The tiny the work of an angel and not of a man exceptional skill and in- Illuminated Manu- the pre-Roman La Tène detail and intricacy of the novation. He illustrated scripts of calligraphy Celts. Continuing to com- drawings are unmatched Geraldus Cambrensis Welsh Scholar 13th Century the manuscript with s and illumination on bine elements from the even today. With a elaborately detailed, parchment and vellum Celtic folk tradition with magnifying glass in one intricate patterns in the (young lamb or calf skin) Christian iconography, the space about a quarter- inch insular style of native Celtic and Anglo-Saxon art- p became the next evolu- level of aesthetic beauty, square one may count 158 interlacements! ists, blended with Roman and Germanic elements, using tion of the Celtic artist— craftsmanship and sheer The Book of Kells was probably brought by monks a wide range of colors crafted from animal, vegetable and i the Scribe. technical brilliance of the  eeing a Viking raid from the Monastery of Columba to mineral pigments. It is unusual that he was both scribe Materials were Irish artists created some of Kells, near Dublin, in AD 806. After many adventures— and illuminator, which gives the manuscript a wonderfully rare and expensive; some pigments were imported the nest work of its time. including being buried, lost and mistreated—it has been in uni ed artistic style. r from vast distances across the known world, such as the the possession of Trinity College since 1661. The Lindisfarne Gospels are not only an astonish- nely ground precious stone, lapis lazuli. The artists used The Book of Kells is considered the supreme achieve- It is the most prized object of Ireland and one of ingly beautiful work of art, but it is remarkable that it has white or red lead, orpiment, yellow, verdigris , green, ultra- ment and masterpiece of Celtic art. Also known as the Book the most famous illustrated Gospels in the world. This survived such a turbulent history including attacks by the i marine, blue, folium , blue and pink to purple, woad , blue, of Columba, it was probably produced by Celtic monks work was created for the glory of God and Saint Columba, northern Danes and Vikings who burned and demolished, and kermes , red, with ox gall as a wetting agent. Pigments around AD 800. and illuminates the Spirit in Nature and the ancient Celtic killed abbot and monks and all that they found there. t were tempered with egg white, layered and glazed to cre- Scribes copied the gospels in Latin with quill pens Mysteries, integrated with the Gospel stories. It is a mas- Lindisfarne Cross

The Lindisfarne Gospels created at the monastery of Lindisfarne—founded in AD 635 on Holy Island in northeast England—are a masterpiece of manuscript painting, produced less than a century after the introduction there of Christianity. The Gospels illuminate the stories of the four evangelists, Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. Medieval manuscripts were usually created by more than one scribe or artist. The Lindisfarne Gospels have a uni ed inspired design throughout, as both illumination and text were created by the gifted artist monk Eadfrith, who became Bishop of Lindisfarne 698 -721. This design is an adaptation of a section of the cross-carpet page introducing the gospel according to Saint Mark. The highly detailed carpet pages consist entirely of illumination and no text, and are so named because they are reminiscent of Oriental carpets.

Almighty Creator, It is you who have made the land and the sea...

Ninth Century, Old Welsh

Although interlacing design is featured in the art of many cultures around the world, some of the nest knotwork interlacing was developed by the Celts. The imitation of the works of the Creator was commonly forbidden in many ancient cultures, and until the Christian era even vegetation was often taboo as a motif for ornament. Instead, emphasis is upon the magical weavings created by geometry, mathematics and complex patternings that were not copies of life, but rather abstractions of the world. Within the two-dimensional intricate weavings, the third dimension is the mystical element, the spiritual aspect of things. Knotwork patterns re ect the Celtic belief in the continuity of life, the interconnectedness of all things. The path of fate and the mysteries of nature are often symbolized by these elaborate designs, which were regarded with awe and and sometimes believed to trap evil spirits, which would become lost within their tangled twists and turns. Mandala patterns are intuitively sacred to many ancient cultures: the eye following the interlacing meander patterns, journeys along a mystic path. MONASTIC TRADITION from his native Ireland due to a dispute over a psalter The Black Book of Carmarthen contains good The ninth century historian Nennius quotes from the poem Y manuscript that eventually led to the bloody Battle of Cúl examples of monastic poetry dating from the ninth or tenth “Seven Ages”: The life of a yew, the length of an age, and Iona is known as I Chaluim Chille, the Isle of Colm Cille, in Dreimhne in 561. centuries. This poetic tradition is a distinctive Celtic practice the fourteenth century Book of Lismore says: Three life- honor of the Irish priest who would become Saint Colum- In 563 he was granted land on the island of Iona, with roots in the bardic tradition of the Old Religion. times of the Yew for the world from its beginning to its S ba. A rugged, storm-swept tiny island in the Hebrides which became the center of his evangelizing mission to end. approximately one mile from the coast of Mull in Scotland, the Picts. He won the respect of the local kings and tribal Saint Brynach was a native of Pembrokeshire who spent During the summer months the Nevern Yews emit Iona became one of the greatest centers of Gaelic Christi- leaders and became famous for performing miracles and many years in Brittany following a pilgrimage to Rome. His a slow trickle of red sap, said by some to be the blood of B anity. being a wise Holy Man. feast day is April 7th, when it is said that the rst cuckoo of the earth, and thought by others to be in sympathy with The island has been inhabited by Stone, Bronze Columba founded several churches in the Hebri- spring sings its rst song from the top of the Nevern Cross. the cruci xion, deepening the connection between the old R and Iron Age people, and in 563 Colm Cille, exiled from his des and created his monastery at Iona. It became one of The Church of Saint Brynach was founded around the fth and new mysticism. native Ireland, established a monastery there. Iona became the most important centers of learning, probably produc- century. Brynach was a good friend and contemporary of A far older pagan site was rst at this place and it is well known throughout Europe as a place of learning and ing the extraordinary illuminated manuscript the Book of Wales’ patron Saint David, who died in AD 570. The church notable that the early Celtic Church did not always destroy Y pilgrimage, and was an important Celtic Christian mission Columba, more famously known as the Book of Kells, later was an important stopping place for pilgrims making the the ancient symbols or the sacred trees, instead sometimes where many Scottish, Irish and Norwegian Kings chose to named for the place in Ireland where it was moved to for journey to the shrine of St. David, Ty Ddewi,—one of the integrating them into their new buildings. This practice be buried. safety. most revered places of pilgrimage in Britain—from Holy- may be unusual, but did occur in the Celtic lands of the D In between the plundering raids well, the sacred healing spring of Saint Winifred. West. This process created spiritual growth rather than a by the Danes and the Vikings, Iona was Saint Aidan is a celebrated Irish monk Nevern—Nanhyfer—is close to the powerful Pentre Ivan total suppression of the Old Ways, and a powerful continu- once rich with treasures and artistic ob- from Iona. Oswald, the second son of Cromlech, and Saint Brynach’s is one of the earliest Celtic ity of tradition that we can still feel reverberating today. jects created by monks who were skilled On hill Aethelfrith, the English warrior-leader, churches in West Wales, with its wonderful Nevern Cross in the working of metal, glass, wood and in hollow, had been converted to the Christian faith and ancient Ogham Stones. Ogham Stones can also be seen in the churchyard of leather. Hundreds of beautifully carved on islands in the sea, by the Irish monks from the monastery St. Situated in a quiet, pretty little hamlet nestled in Saint Brynach’s in Nevern. One of the oldest surviving ex- stone Celtic crosses once graced the everywhere you go Columba founded on Iona. the valley of the river Nyfer of the Preseli Hills, Mynydd Pre- amples of Ogham, the writing of the Druids, remains on the island, although only three remained before blessed Christ In AD 635 Oswald invited Aidan to seli, in Pembrokeshire in west Wales, the church at Nevern Vitalianus Stone, which was carved around AD 500. establish a monastery in Northumbria. He Mounted on one of the windowsills dating from intact after the repressive years of the there is no place that is was erected on one of the earliest Christian places of wor- chose the island of Lindisfarne and built the fth century we nd the Maglocunus Stone, which Reformation. Many gospel books were God-forsaken ship in the country. written and illuminated on the island, a community of simple huts, workshops is associated with the early Welsh king Maelgwyn Hir, some even surviving the Viking raids and a church. There the monks lived a life The Nevern Cross is stunning, thirteen feet high and referred to by the Christian writer Gildas as Malgocunus. Maytime Thoughts that plundered the monastery many of prayer, study and austerity. still in surprisingly good condition despite more than ten It is extremely important, as it is one of the few existing times over the centuries. Black Book of Carmarthen Irish monks were well known for centuries of standing among the ancient Yew trees. It is a bilingual stones—containing inscriptions in both Latin and s Today there is a renewal of the their skills in reading, writing and Latin. huge stone, beautifully colored with amber mosses and Ogham script. spiritual creative life on Iona. Inspired by the Celtic Chris- Aidan decided on a strong education for green lichens. Elaborately carved around AD 1000 and intri- It is a privilege to touch the ancient carvings and to tian revival, in 1938 George MacLeod of Fuinary founded the monastic male community and created a sanctuary of cately patterned with Celtic knotwork and keyfret designs, realize the long continuity of traditions represented by this p the Iona Community, a group of ecumenical Christian men learning. it is one of the nest in Wales. stone, lovingly respected through the ages in this peace- and women. They rebuilt some of the ancient monastic The gates of St. Brynach’s Church lead to an avenue ful Celtic church. Also built into the stonework is an early i buildings of Iona Abbey, creating a community to bring The Welsh Church during the early Middle Ages re- of the ancient trees known as the Bleeding Yews. Celtic slab cross dating from the sixth century. This simple together work and worship, prayer and politics, the sacred tained antiquated customs no longer practiced elsewhere. and unusual gurative image with crudely interlaced arms, and the secular. Monasticism was widespread, inspired by practices in Yews were important tribal trees for the Celts, as for the head and legs is carefully integrated into the window of r They have chosen the Wild Goose to represent fourth-century Egypt, and the monks composed poetry in Druids, and it is probable that these trees were established the west side of the nave. them—an independent Celtic symbol of the Holy Spirit Welsh, not in Latin. They considered poetry “a requirement here before the rst Christians worshipped in this place. of a pious soul” and thought devotional practices should Once sacred to the Druids, many legends surround The Celtic Folk-Soul nurtures the wild boy, celebrates i Saint Columba—Colm Cille—is named for the gentle include “listening to the songs of clear-speaking poets.” these old trees, which are evergreen and continue to grow the hermit monk, reveres the saint of the people from Dove of the Church. He was great-great-grandson of Niall —Medieval Welsh Triads from their extensive underground root system, represent- whom he comes. Celtic spirituality draws from a language of the Nine Hostages, an Irish king of the fth century. He ing everlasting life. The early Irish regarded the Yew—Idho of art, myth and nature—worshipped within the ancient t became a monk and was ordained as a priest, then exiled in Ogham—as one of the most ancient beings on earth. groves, translated through the asceticism of the monaster- ies—and continues to infuse both Christian and alternative spiritual expressions today. DOVES

Irish Missionary Saint Columba, or Saint Columcille means Dove of the Church in Irish. Among many mythologies the dove appears as feminine symbol of soul, wisdom, re-birth and harmony. In the ancient world the concept of harmony was close to healing. Images of doves were o ered to the Celtic healer-deities of thermal springs, multiple stone gures of doves were o ered to the curative spirits presiding over shrines. Like ravens, doves were perceived as oracular birds, perhaps on account of their distinctive call. In classical iconography and mythology, doves were the attribute of Venus, Goddess of love. Both dove and olive branch originally meant the peace of the goddess.

Peace on earth is here written in some of the living languages of the Celtic Nations. Tangnefedd ar y ddaear (Welsh) • Shee er y talloo (Manx) Re bo cres yn nor (Cornish) • Air talamh sìth (Scottish) Peoc'h war ar bed (Breton) • Síocháin ar talamh (Irish) WIND journey

And I will bring you the homelessness of the sea and the peace of the restless wave, and love like the wandering wind.

Fiona Macleod

chapter 9 left withered and empty. Celtic mythology divine beings frequently shape-shift The veil between this world and the Otherworld between human and bird form. W WIND journey grows thin at Samhain, All Hallow’s Eve, which marks the The cry of the Crane is the shriek of the old movement into the dark time. This is when the spirits come Hag—the Calleach—who was once young and beautiful. through. Even today we make entertaining ritual with trick- The owl of the dark woods is Blodeuwedd, the woman of I or-treating for the kids, and masquerades that have roots in flowers changed into the bird of the night for betraying the old traditions of Samhain. her husband. The Children of Llyr are transformed into The earth spirits are manifest in many varieties of swans by their jealous stepmother, and the Triple Morri- N our watery womb and take our first painful gasp in the supernatural creatures, wicked and cunning, conniving gan shape-changes into the Raven, ominous oracle upon Wind is sculptor of the skies, is the breath of the heav- world, air means life to us. and sometimes kind. Brownies, elves, knockers, imps and the battle field. ens. Shifting element of journeys into the vast spaces of leprechauns, sprites and goblins all slip through the shift- D the above—the realm of the birds and stars—Wind crosses ing places. If you treat them badly they will sour your milk, and the cycle of life and death through the visible and invisible, and is a powerful force of Wind is the voice of Nature, whispering soft bless- steal your livestock or exchange a human child for a faerie The Soul Journey lie at the heart of Celtic philosophy. The Ancient Celts nature. ings through the leaves, singing through the sharp grasses, changeling in the cradle. They were once familiar, feared believed that the soul journeys to the Otherworld, and Wind moves through the boundaries of our whistling in the gullies. Wind gives life and gentle rhythm and respected by the country folk of Wales, Cornwall, Brit- buried their dead with ritual objects and food. perception, and is the shape-shifter element. In the Celtic to the world; without it all would be deathly still. Wind tany, Ireland and Scotland, and some are still wary of their Death is inevitable, a spectre waiting in the myths and folk tales, shape-changing between human conveys secrets, Wind rages. Sometimes frenzied, storming presence. They haunt the bogs and moors, the quarries and shadows, but an essential transformative aspect of life. and animal form, between this world and the Otherworld down mountainsides, breaking boughs of the strongest mines, the ancient woods and wild places. is commonplace, and the Druids believed in the transmi- trees and destroying our shelter, the howling mistral of the Folklore is filled with superstitions and signs from nature gration of souls from one body to another. Metaphysical heavens reminds us of the powerful force that is nature. that presage the death presence upon person or home. symbol of change and movement, Wind represents the Winds of Transformation infuse the imagi- The journey to the Otherworld begins with the call of the Journey. nations of the Celts, like the Butterfly, who grows from Geese, the howl of the Dogs, the keening of the Banshee. are the ambiguous transitions Winds of Change her dark, internal earthbound cocoon to unfold delicate In Wales it was thought that the howl of the between one state and another. The wind/air element painted wings and move into the realm of the air. This frag- Hounds of Annwn foretold death. The pack of the Cwn I am the breeze that nurtures all things green. represents the shifting boundaries between earth and ile creature, known as Pili-Pala in Welsh, is our most positive Annwn—known as Cwn Wybr, Dogs of the Sky, in some I encourage blossoms to flourish with ripening fruits. water, the bogs and marshes—the uncertain places. The in- and enduring symbol of magical transformation. In Wales places and Cwm Bendith y Mamau, Hounds of the Moth- I am the rain coming from the dew between times of twilight and dawn, and the turning points moths were thought by some to be the souls of the Ances- er, in others—take flight on the stormy wind-loud nights That causes the grasses to laugh with the joy of life. of the seasons at Spring or Fall Equinox, are the liminal tors, seeking their way back home as they flew toward the to chase the dead. The screech of an owl heard near a j thresholds when, like a wind spirit, change moves through light within. house, or a solitary crow or goose flying over a house, is Hildegard de Bingen 10th Century the fluid gateways between the visible and invisible, the Celtic myths tell of shape-shifting between animal an indication of death coming soon. known and the unknown. and human forms, exchanges with time and place, between The Raven is the powerful Triple Morrigan who o The Celts were intensely aware of the mystical moments the world of the Sidhe, the faerie folk and earth spirits. Birds appears on the battlefield. She is a carrion bird, and The Journey is the movement into the unknown. and places where the veil between the worlds grows thin as were seen to have supernatural powers, and throughout symbolizes healing and rebirth as the eater of death. The Heroes and monks adventure Beyond the Ninth Wave, and a shifting mist, a gentle breeze that softens the sharp edges u Sow is the ancient Goddess Ceridwen, Hen Wen, the Old Wind represents this journey through life into the unchart- of reality. The real and the supernatural exist side by side White One. She represents fertility and will eat her young ed realms. The invisible force is both gentle and destructive, along a single continuum. Time is itself fluid. Like the wind, If a swarm of bees enters a house or settles on the dead to keep the strong ones alive. Death and rebirth are con- r an often turbulent, but necessary element of nature and of it cannot be seen, yet it shapes the everyday and Other- boughs of a tree near the premises, the old people say nected together within nature, and within the mysticism life itself. world realities. “death will soon follow”. When there is a death in a that draws from this philosophy of interconnectedness Within the faerie mounds or the shadowy circles household the head of the family whispers the news to and balance that the Celts understood as the cycle of life. n of the ancient stones, the Fair Folk, the Tylwyth Teg, open The Air Element reaches upward and outward, and the bees, and the beehives are turned around before the The Cauldron of Plenty also demands sacrifice. a door into their immortal world where you can dance all is the realm of birds and flight. Air carries our prayers upon funeral. There was an old Welsh belief that new-born The Cauldron of the Feast consumes the dead warriors, night to their enchanted music and feast upon banquets of e the backs of breezes, those gentle tides of the heavens. Air babes who died immediately after their birth became a and renews them with life. The one is balanced against delicacies, entertained by their beauty and youthful sparkle. represents the element of mind and of consciousness, of new flower in the land. the other as a deeply symbolic realization that life needs When you wake upon the lonely, grassy hill in the cold thought and contemplation. From the moment we leave death for life again. dawn, a year or a hundred years has gone by, and you are Folk lore and Folk Tales Trevalyan y Calleach

The old Calleach is the Washer at the Ford. She is a powerful figure, standing on the boundary of the river between this life and the next. She shifts between the figure of an old woman, and a beautiful young girl, between Queen of Winter, and then of Spring. She is midwife of our journey to the Otherworld, the ancient Crone or Hag who delivers both life and death. In Scotland she is the Bean Nighe, known in many guises, each an aspect of the wisdom of the fearful old dark creature who stands at the brink of death and destruction, but also holds the wisdom of rebirth on the other side. The Calleach sits at the ford, the road through the river, washing the clothes—our material bodies, as the women ritually wash the bodies of the dead before burial.

The Banshee

And there, by Shannon’s flowing, In the moonlight, spectre-thin, The spectre Erin sits. A mother of many children, Of children exiled and dead, In her home, with bent head, homeless, Clasping her knees she sits, Keening, And at her keening the fairy-grass Trembles on dun and barrow; Around the foot of her ancient crosses The grave-grass shakes adn the nettle swings; In haunted glens the meadowsweet Flings to the night wind Her mystic mournful perfume; The sad spearmint by holy wells Breathes melancholy balm. Sometimes she lifts her head, With blue eyes tearless, And gazes athwart the reek of night Upon things long past, Upon things to come.

The Banshee John Todhunter (1839-1916

She is “The Woman of Tears who had her feet far down amongst the roots and trees, stars thickening her hair as they gather in the vastness and blackness of the sky on a night of frost.” —Fiona Macleod The Banshee is also an omen of death, a messenger from the Otherworld. She keens her sorrow and grief, brings death to the homes of those who hear her cries. She is feared, but also respected. Tale of the VOYAGE of Brendon

Saint Brendon the Navigator, also known the ruins of a small beehive-shaped chapel. Here Brendan as Brendan the Bold and Brendan the Voyager, was the had a vision of Hy Brasil—the Isle of the Blessed—which is greatest traveler of the Irish Saints. He was both a monk known by many names: Tir-na-nog, the Isle of the Apples, Isle and man of the sea who made many journeys, establish- of the Living, the Isle of Truth, of Joy, of Fair Women. Saint brendon pic here ing monasteries wherever he landed, such as on Arran and There have been many reported sightings in folklore of other remote islands in the Hebrides off the west coast of the unreachable mythic island, cloaked in mist except for and detail to right... Scotland. He voyaged to Brittany with Saint Malo, one day every seven years, that lies off the south- a Welsh monk, met with Saint Patrick and west coast of Connacht in western Ireland. traveled extensively throughout the Celtic Elusive and shifting, the island is named lands inspiring many followers and after Bres, the son of Ériu, the mythical legends. Goddess who gave her name to Eire, In the more remote areas and whose father was a Formorian of Britain and Ireland a unique and sea god, Elatha— evidence that this inspirational interpretation of early was one of the earliest Irish legends. Christianity flourished where the old Many have tried to reach the island, stories and traditions merged with which appeared in maps found in the j the new and continued to honor the early Middle Ages, but few have ever spiritual elements within nature. The landed there. o stories of the Voyage of Saint Brendan Brendan set out on his mythic are part myth and part history, the Irish epic quest upon the sea with a company of poem Sancti Brendani, the Voyage of St. Brendan, intrepid monks to find the Land of Promise, u recounts his adventures. His legendary travels became Hy-Brasil. Sailing a simple curragh boat—a coracle of entwined with the ancient tales of heroes such as Bran who wood and leather—they set out into the unknown upon r journeyed to find the Land of Manannán—a mysterious the great ocean, putting their faith in God, the elements, Otherworld beneath the waves. and their great instinct for navigation by the stars (the Brendan is the archetypal sea hero, meeting mon- Celts navigated by the movements of the Pleiades). This n sters and strange sights upon his quest for the mysterious epic journey would take seven years. Finally, they arrived island of Hy-Brasil, who some say was the Americas. In AD at the beautiful land they called the Promised Land of the e 530 he climbed to the top of Sliabh Bhreandáin, Mount Saints, having had many adventures along the way. We Brendan, a 3,200-foot mountain on the Dingle Peninsula in hear details of their journey in a popular book written by a County Kerry on Ireland’s west coast, where there are still monk in the ninth century, The Navigatio. y Brendan and his brave seafaring monks are said to have ern Atlantic Ocean. This mysterious island in the west, still W come upon a mountain of glass floating in the ocean— depicted on maps in Columbus’s time, is thought to have probably an iceberg—and were raised up on the backs inspired him on his journey of discovery. of sea monsters, which could have been encounters with In 1975 Tim Severin sailed across the Atlantic in a I friendly whales who had not yet reason to fear boats, or traditional wood and leather Irish coracle boat, curragh, man. Their story was told to his contemporary Saint Colum- proving that it was possible for Brendan to have discov- ba, who recalled that they landed on a small island, which ered America. Severin believed that the prevailing winds N turned out to be a giant sea monster. would have taken Brendan close to Iceland and Greenland, Can Y Gwynt The Book of Lismore, an early fifteenth-century and that he probably landed at Newfoundland. Song of the Wind manuscript, relates: So Brenainn, Brendan made stops at D son of Finnlug, sailed then over many islands, building primi- Unriddle me this, if you can the wave-voice of the strong- tive monasteries there, and I was before God’s flood maned sea, and over the storm Detail from Saint Brendon Pic Here Norsemen have recorded without flesh or vein or bone of the green-sided waves, and meeting monks on the headless, footlessly I stride over the mouths of the marvel- islands during their voyages. nothing’s child, never born ous, awful, bitter ocean, where Although Severin did not when my breath stills, I am not dead they saw the multitude of the make the journey all the way no older now, nor ever young furious red-mouthed monsters, to America, he realized that I have no need of beast or man with abundance of the great sea- it was possible to achieve sea-whitener, forest-piercer whales. And they found beautiful it in a traditional leather handless I touch a whole field marvelous islands, and yet they curragh as described in The Time’s partner, Youth’s partaker tarried not therein. Navigatio, navigating the sea wide as the wide earth is wide This story has its paral- currents of the North Atlan- unequalled, masterless, never prisoner lels in Irish mythology and tic and following the winds landless, invisible and blind other traditions, including the westward as so many have done since that time. solitary and brash of manner biblical story of Jonah and the whale: the monster of the The story of Saint Brendan shows the Celts’ fluency gentle, murderous, and without sin j deep ocean is an ancient archetype. in sailing and natural navigation, their willingness to ex- I am no repairer of disorder After a long voyage of seven years they reached plore and trust to the elements of sea and wind, and their I am wet and dry and weak and strong o Terra Repromissionis, the Isles of the Blessed, a most beau- instincts to find Tir-na-nÓg, the Land of the Ever Young, as what am I? that the cold moon fosters tiful land with luxuriant vegetation that is thought by some promised in myths and legends of a more ancient time. and the ardour of the sun. to have been an early discovery of America. Movement lies at the heart of a once-nomadic u Over the course of his seven-year journey Brendan people, whose expansive view and eye on the horizon has Taliesin - Ancient Welsh Poet probably visited Greenland, and his discovery of a new helped them survive many challenges throughout history. r island far to the west was afterward placed on the maps. Translation by Robin Williamson Named Saint Brendan’s Isle, it was shown to be in the west- Song of the Wind is at once an incantatino, a riddle and a song of praise. n “As we are, though she is not, As we are, shall Banba be There is no King can rule the wind, e There is no fetter for the sea” y Alice Mulligan (1866) Butterfly - Pili Pala

The butterfly - Pili Pala in Welsh, is a multicultural symbol of the beauty of Nature, and also of transformation. Emerging from its chrysalis, the butterfly flies free dancing in the air with painted wings. Feminine, and magical, fairies are often pictured with butterfly wings. The Greek words for butterfly and soul are the same. Some believe a soul can become a butterfly, others only become a caterpillar. A butterfly can see above the surface.

In this design, the butterfly represents the symbol of freedom and transformation through the power of poetry, art and mythology. Our psyche dreams, consciousness is born and on awakening spreads its beautiful wings.

Older Welsh people used to say that white moths were the souls of the dead, who in this form were allowed to take farewell of the earth. When any kind of moth fluttered round a candle, people said somebody was dying, and the soul was passing.

Marie Trevelyan Folk-Lore and Folk Stories of Wales 1909 The god Lugh always comes in the old stories from WINDS OF MIGRATION The journey is both physical and spiritual, representing Legends tell of the adventurers settling in the the north-east, while the goddess Morrigan comes transformation throughout a turbulent history. Mississippi Valley, where they connected with some of the W from the north-west. The fierce wind raising the Scot- hospitable Native American tribes-people, sharing their tish Goddess of Spring comes from the south west. Migration is represented by the creatures of the air. ancient Celtic stone fort-building skills and eventually The early Christian monks took to the currents Alll over Britain the fairies come from the west on Each spring and fall, flocks of wild birds take wing to the settling together, raising families and merging some of of the sea and the prevailing winds that filled the sails of I eddies of wind like the Greek nereids. In Scotland the north or the south—to survive cold winters, or to return their Welsh language and customs with those of the native their humble curragh boats to make great journeys into evil working giants come from the black north. It was home to lay their eggs and nurture their young in the fertile people. the unknown, to land upon the remote northern islands— believed that the dead went westward or southwest- place of their birth. Their unerring instinct for navigation there better to serve their God of the elements and of all N ward towards Paradise. was admired by the Celts, who appreciated the wisdom and loyalty of the birds who returned each year to their season- things, in their humble dwellings. Myth of the Welsh Indians. It is said that Saint Brendan the Navigator Louisville, Kentucky was once home to a colony of Welsh- Donald Mackenzie 1922 - Ancient Man in Britain al homes upon the winds of their journey. D Birds are natural masters of the currents of the was the greatest traveler and speaking Indians. In 1669 the voyager of the Irish saints. His Reverend Morgan Jones was air. Free they fly; joyful it seems, they skirt the high tops Roads of trees, glide down mountain canyons. Undizzied, they mythic voyages exploring the captured by a tribe of Tuscaro- sit upon the ledges of our tallest buildings and make wild, uncharted seas were also ras called the Doeg. His life was journeys into the supernatural No need to wonder what heron-haunted lake spared when the chief heard their nests there. They make great sea journeys, migrat- lay in the other valley, ing impossible distances to lands far away. Birds held the realms of the unknown. Along Jones speak Welsh, a tongue or regret the songs in the forest secrets of the sky before we learned to follow with our with the myth of the Voyage of that he apparently recognized. I chose not to traverse. metal-winged machines, and still they keep the mystery of Bran to the Land of Manannán Stories of Welsh Indians were feathered freedom and of knowing their way home. Not so beneath the waves, the tales so popular that even Lewis and No need to ask where other roads long ago we could only dream of that bird’s eye view, could of his adventures to find the Clark were ordered to look out only experience something of communion with the heav- shifting mist shrouded island might have led, for them on their epic journey ens from the highest mountain peaks. of Hy Brasil, the Isle of the since they led elsewhere; of exploration across the Amer- Within Celtic folklore birds are messengers be- Blessed, has fueled the Celtic for nowhere but this here and now ican continent. tween the earth and the sky, carriers of the souls of the imagination to follow the ad- is my true destination. At the time of the Revo- Winds and storms take their place in Welsh lore. newly born and the newly dead to and from the Other- venturing west winds. lutionary War, some light- world. Birds evoke ideas of freedom, the human soul liber- The river is gentle in the soft evening, skinned, bearded Mandan j In the North the raising of the whirlwind was attribut- ated from the body at death. Madog ab Owain and all the steps of my life Indians were discovered in ed to the eagles of Snowdon; in the South they said have brought me home. North Dakota whose language it was brought about by wicked and malicious elves Gwynedd was a twelfth- and customs were said to have and fays, and in Mid-Wales they said it was raised West Winds have persistently pushed the Celtic peo- century prince from Gwynedd similarities to the Welsh. It was o by the devil and his hosts when they had a meeting ples over many centuries. The tribal nomadic Celts made who sailed westward with a recorded that they used a small Ruth Bidgood, Welsh poet born 1922 among the Black Mountain. their homes in the mountainous and more remote western small fleet of ships—his was round boat almost identical to u coastal areas, especially Britain, Ireland and Brittany. They the Gwennan Gorn. Adventur- the Welsh coracle—made from In the past the old people regarded the wind to be came to rest in the lands of the misty ancient places and ing westward, he is said to a hide stretched over a willow both hungry and thirsty for it was customary to throw still they journey, seeking the freedom of the West Wind, to have landed at Mobile Bay, Alabama in 1169 over three frame. Unlike the other nomadic tribes in the Mississippi r out a handful of flour, barley-meal, or oatmeal into the New World. hundred years before Christopher Columbus’s voyage in area, they practiced agricultural farming and lived in round the wind, and it was generally followed by a bowl of In recent times many have left their homelands, fleeing 1492. huts surrounding a communal center, similar to many water or a cup of milk. These offerings were sup- poverty, famine, persecution—seeking a new life but with It is not entirely impossible for early Welsh settlers Celtic-style villages. Also around the Ohio River Valley are n posed to pacify the storm. They also breathed their the heaviness of hiraeth, or longing for all that is left be- to have arrived in the Americas back in the early twelfth old-style Welsh hill forts and inscriptions in Colbren, the wishes to the balmy west and south winds, and the hind. (no paragraph change Jen)This movement is a com- century. It is known that the Norwegian Leiv Eiriksson old Welsh alphabet. e soft breezes of summer foretokened pleasant news. pelling force within the psyche of the Celtic folk. The West was the first European to set foot on the shores of North Today this evidence is mostly refuted by schol- Wind represents this character, the adaptation and change America in 1001 and that Viking explorers reached Canada ars, but these are fascinating stories believed by many that are essential to keeping the culture alive and renewed. Folk-lore and Folk Stories of Wales - Marie Trevelyan 1909 around 1100. throughout history—including Queen Elizabeth I, who y used the legend as justification for a war against Spain, The Journey to the New World is an inte- The Twilight People W claiming that the British had title to the empire of the gral part of the modern history and mythos of the Celtic Americas! people. The Folk-Soul is permeated with the ever-chang- It is a whisper among the hazel bushes; The myths have survived and continue to ignite ing culture of these evolving nations. Many of the early It is a long, low, whispering voice that fills our imagination, partly due to the strong affiliation the emigrants were Cornish, Irish, Scottish and Welsh farm- With a sad music the bending and swaying rushes; I Welsh feel for their ancient connections with America. ers, miners, preachers and traders—and all those forcibly It is a heart-beat deep in the quiet hills. Indeed, there are few families back home who do not have exiled from the lands of their birth on political or criminal Twilight people, why will you still be crying, a relative who has emigrated to this country, and a cultural grounds to begin a new life in the New World. Crying and calling to me out of the trees? N brotherhood extends between the two lands. In Nova Scotia, New Scotland, on the rugged the CELTS TODAY D northwestern coast of Canada, in places such as Cape Breton Island, there are people who still know the Old Modern Celts are a diverse people. Many proudly Tongue. There are musical traditions and old Celtic songs remember the enduring beauty and inspirational strength here that have disappeared back in the depopulated Heb- of their cultural heritage. In the New World countries that ridean islands: so many of the young people have left the have been settled by many from the Celtic lands, the life of crofting behind. Folk-Soul finds fertile soil for the seeds of a spirit that is not (Crofts are small pieces of agricultural land on dependent on time or place. which tenants build their cottages, grow some food, and The modern Celt does not necessarily speak the an- often graze animals on shared community areas. Crofters cient tongue, is most probably not of direct blood ancestry usually need income in addition to their small holdings to those westward wandering Indo-Europeans and may not to provide for their families. Until the 1886 Crofter’s Act, even live in the same lands as the tribal people of history. which gave security to the tenants, many crofters were Today the traditional spiritual homeland of the forcibly evicted from their land and their homes.) Celtic Folk-Soul lies in the modern Celtic countries of Wales, Although some refused to leave their traditional Ireland, Scotland and Brittany, where Celtic languages are communities, and many are now returning to the remote still spoken. It also lies in Cornwall, on the Isle of Man and in Scottish islands, it is remarkable that aspects of their j parts of Gallacia on the Atlantic coast of Spain where Celtic culture took root in lands far away, continuing to reso- musical and folk traditions continue to be enjoyed. ( I would nate through the songs, dances and music that had once prefer the word -and concept of -continue .. is that ok ? Jen) brightened the dark nights at the hearths of the humble o Celtic culture has migrated beyond the traditional croft cottages. heartlands to take root in the New World as Celtic im- migrants have continued to journey westward into our The Great Hunger, An Gorta Mór, is the u times—to the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, Canada great famine of Ireland that devastated the country be- and beyond. There are strong Celtic communities today tween 1845 and 1849. Two million refuges left, with much r in places far from their traditional homelands, such as in suffering, to seek a new life in a new land. Over half a mil- Welsh Patagonia in South America, Nova Scotia in Canada, lion Irish men, women and children died due to the failure For under the quiet grass the wise are lying, and in urban centers of North America such as New York of the potato crops. People were cruelly evicted from their And all the strong ones are gone over the seas. n and Chicago. tenant farms, and the Irish Diaspora depopulated the small And I am old, and in my heart at your calling Their migration is a wandering refrain, and the songs of villages and remote lands of Ireland. Her people brought Only the old dead dreams a-fluttering go; hiraeth and longing for the home left behind have deeply their traditions and culture with them to thrive in the new As the wind, the forest wind, in its falling e colored the Folk-Soul—they are an inherent emotional homes they created. Today, Irish Americans are a proud Sets the withered leaves fluttering to and fro. response in her people. and strong community of people whose ancestors made y Poetry Seumas O’Sullivan (1879) the often terrible journey to the new shores. Their culture is followed the Battle of Culloden in 1746, when prohibitive intrinsically woven into the Australian, Canadian and espe- land rents drove Scottish farmers away from their beloved W cially the American landscape. country in large numbers to settle in America and Canada. Most of the poor Irish immigrants settled in the By 1890 there were over 250,000 people born in cities. By 1850 the Irish made up a quarter of the population Scotland living in the United States. Many place-names I in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore. reflect the surnames of the Scots and their communities, The 1851 census reported that about one third of the including eight Aberdeens, eight Edinburghs, and seven inhabitants of Toronto, Canada were Irish. Glasgows! The Scots immigrated as families rather than N The Irish have produced many well-known individuals, and worked hard to bring over their relatives politicians and US Presidents, including the legendary once settled in the New World. dynasty of the Kennedys. Many Irish immigrants supported They were educated, literate people who became D and became leaders of unions, understanding the plight of tutors, and were active in printing and publishing. They the workers and the power of organizing. They also became were tradesmen, craftsmen, jewelers and shopkeepers. religious leaders and used their native wit and charm The Scots were among the earliest to make the successfully in journalism, entertainment and sports. journey westward across the American continent and were The identification with Irish heritage continues, some of the first non-Spanish inhabitants of California, and today many people who are interested in tattoos with the gold rush of 1849 bringing many more out west. choose Celtic patterns to decorate their skin. Celtic art, Particularly in the northwestern states of Oregon and music, dance and mythology are still widely enjoyed and Washington, there are many place-names beginning with appreciated—not only by the Irish but by many who feel Mac and Mc. connected to this heritage that has taken root in their Today, groups and societies that seek to preserve land. Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated in the four corners interest in Scottish heritage and its traditions are popular, of the world, with the wearing of festive shamrock green, meeting to celebrate the Gathering of the Clans, with traditional music and food and plentiful libation at the athletic games including the tossing of the caber (a large many colorful street parades and gatherings where Irish wooden pole), Scottish dancing and music, bagpipe pride is honored. competitions and the wearing of the tartan. Today, many Irish are returning to the native j homes of their grandparents and Ireland has created The Welsh—Cymraeg, emigrated from the towns a booming economy. But the songs and tales of the and villages, valleys and hills of their green homeland due o sufferings of the Irish people will likely never be forgotten. to poverty and persecution that was both cultural and religious— they left to create a better life. Often, the only The Highland Clearances—Fuadaich nan employment that had been available to them was badly u Gàidheal, the expulsion of the Gael—is named for the brutal paid, dangerous industrial work—and this in a country eviction of thousands of crofters from their land in the where the political power was not in the hands of her early nineteenth century, ending their ancient warrior clan people and most of the profits went into the pockets of r subsistence farming, and forcing many to emigrate. wealthy English land owners. Most Scots left for Canada, and many came to the Children were punished for speaking their native n United States to farm and work, to create a future away language in schools up until recent times, and there was from the persecution and injustices forced upon them back much disrespect toward Welsh culture in all realms of life. home. Some were sent into exile to Australia as criminals or Poverty and everyday hardships made it almost impossible e political enemies of the English. to escape a hard living with little gain, or hope for a better Scottish immigration began in the eighteenth future. century after the destruction of the clan system that Miners and furnacemen left for Canada, Australia y and America by the hundreds of thousands. In the 1900s style. a large number of Welsh immigrated to the expanding Today, there are many authentic Welsh chapels and W industrial centers of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York traditional teahouses along the valley, where traditional state. They came to farm in Wisconsin and Illinois, Iowa and Eisteddford festivals—bardic competitions of Welsh Wyoming. In 1900, with over 100,000 folk of Welsh blood, singing and poetry—are still active, as they continue to be I Pennsylvania contained a third of all Welsh stock in the in Cymru, the Land of Our Fathers, as Wales is known. The United States. settlers contributed to the progress and development of A major religious revival as early as the 1730s their adopted land, and they became Argentine without The Song of Wandering Aengus N and 1740s established many small churches in rural losing their Celtic roots. Welsh Patagonia has indeed communities. In the early 1800s the massive growth fulfilled the dreams of the original settlers—to preserve I went out to the hazel wood, of nonconformity in Wales saw a breaking from the their culture even in a land far from their birth. Because a fire was in my head, D established Anglican Church, and large numbers of And cut and peeled a hazel wand, evangelizing, preaching missions left for the New World. Hiraeth is the Welsh term for longing and sadness And hooked a berry to a thread; The preachers traveled with their enthusiastic for things lost or left behind. Many live Beyond the Ninth And when white moths were on the wing, style of oratory and rousing sermons. Their nonconformist Wave of the home of their birth, especially in today’s global And moth-like stars were flickering out, religion, with emphasis on independence and self-reliant society. Although recent emigrants, may often feel the I dropped the berry in a stream And caught a little silver trout. community, appealed especially to the Welsh workers who heavy heart of homesickness, we are more fortunate than

had suffered from years of oppression and exploitation the first settlers to be able to return often to our families When I had laid it on the floor and were determined to hear the word of God in their own and homes. The heart of exile keeps close the love left I went to blow the fire a-flame, language, from their own clergymen. behind. But our roots are stretched, not broken and interest But something rustled on the floor, The preachers often spoke of political issues from in cultural inheritance more keen for moving far away. And some one called me by my name: the pulpit, representing the exploited and common folk, It had become a glimmering girl helping to galvanize workers rights: theirs was the voice As we journey into the complexities of the With apple blossom in her hair of the disenfranchised. They brought as well a great love modern world, with our many environmental and spiritual Who called me by my name and ran And faded through the brightening air. of singing and an emotional connection with religion that challenges before us, we may experience hiraeth for

was so vital within the nonconformist Welsh chapels back the time before when the rivers ran clear, the skies were Though I am old with wandering home. These independent churches are still a powerful unpolluted, and the earth held her gifts unravaged by the Through hollow lands and hilly lands, j political and spiritual force today, inspired by the early industries that we rely so heavily on today. I will find out where she has gone, Welsh preachers who set fire to the souls of the New World. We are compelled to move forward by the organic And kiss her lips and take her hands; o nature of things. With the mythic winds at our backs we And walk among long dappled grass, Patagonia in Argentina was settled in 1865 by an seek the shifting island of Hy Brasil—the earthly paradise And pluck till time and times are done adventurous group of Welsh immigrants whose ancestors which, although unreachable, yet summons us toward its The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun. u still speak Welsh today. They were people in search of a vision of hope. A hope that the people to come will not land where they could protect their lifestyle, which had forget the beauty of the old stories, songs and ways. That Song of Wandering Angus W.B. Yeats become endangered in their native Wales. They set out in the Folk-Soul continues in her journey of transformation r their sailboat, The Mimosa, and 150 of them survived to through art, poetry and mythology—always dancing with found a self-sufficient colony along the Chubut River in the the westward wind. n Punta Cuevas area, near today’s city of Puerto Madryn. They hoped to build a new Welsh nation, and after a difficult beginning with many challenges such as e drought, depression and poor quality land, they managed to build Argentina’s first railway and many fine buildings and chapels, all done in native North Welsh stonework y Birds of Rhiannon

The Welsh Goddess Rhiannon (Great Queen) was accompanied by totem birds whose songs could "awaken the dead and lull the living to sleep". Birds possessed supernatural powers, and throughout Celtic myths, divine entities frequently shape-shift between human and bird form. Birds are a potent force in Celtic mythology, often symbolizing the flight of spirits to the Otherworld. Herons, Cranes, Storks, Pelicans are related to the Gods and Goddesses that preside over the mysteries of reincarnation, acting as guides to the Underworld. Birds evoke ideas of freedom, the human soul liberated from the body at death. Often three birds appear together in symbolism, all pointing to the Three Fates, the Sisters of Wyrd.

Cranes are long legged wading birds, usually associated with willow trees and water, mysterious as the fringed marshes along which they dwell. Within the Celtic tradition, birds are soul carriers between the worlds, and the White Crane is particularly associated with the spirit of the trees. There are many stories within Celtic mythology of beautiful young women enchanted into Crane form by jealous rivels, and ill-natured women transformed into the large bird with the bony toes and uncanny shriek. Manannaman the Irish Sea God, makes his Shaman Crane Bag from the skin of a crane that was once a young woman. The Druid’s Bag holds Otherworldy treasures - spiritual power objects such as stones and sticks for divination, herbs and plants for healing and giving wisdom, nets and strings for spirit traps. When the sea was full, its treasures were visible, when the fierce sea was in ebb, the crane - bag in turn was empty.

These Cranes form a Brighid’s Cross,traditionally woven from stalks of corn, or rushes into a whirligig pattern on the eve of St. Brighid’s Feast (Imbolc, Candlemas, February 1-2) Cosses were woven, blessed with prayer and ritual, and placed under the eaves of the house, amongst the thatch, in hopes for protection and prosperity in the coming year.

BEYOND the ninth wave

The willow, whose harp hung silent when it was withered in winter, Now gives forth its melody - hush! Listen! The world is alive.

Welsh - Thomas Telynog Evans 1840 - 64

epilogue All of nature is alive, interconnected within our mys- death. Harsh realities coexist with vision and hope. Winter n B terious, creative universe. What the Ancients knew as a pro- is balanced by summer, night by day, death with life—the ninth wave found truth, now our most brilliant scientists are confirming lunar female with the solar male. By revealing the symbols and archetypes of the dark as well as the light, balance is BEYOND as cold, hard fact. i E achieved and insight and knowledge replace denial and

illusion. The Celtic Folk-Soul is inspired by a living tradition, n Y Blodeuwedd must destroy her master before she forged by the spirit in Nature, illuminated through art, mu- can individuate, find her true self and become the wise t sic and poetry. This is the language of our creative psyche. Owl. The first born are sacrificed to Cromm Cruach to O The Selkie finds her skin again, and returns to the sea. The ensure the plentiful harvest, and Hen Wen—the old white radiant boy sings prophesies from his basket in the salmon Sow—eats the rotten flesh of the wounded eagle Lleu h weir, and the Hounds of Annwn call to us as the wild geese before he can be reborn. The Hunter and the hunted are N from stormy skies. integrated in the dance of life and death, the one necessary Beyond the Ninth Wave is a metaphor for our vi- However, our folk memory continues, woven into for the other. sionary journey. The Ninth Wave contains the waters of the the myths, artwork, songs and traditions that each gen- w D sacred triplicity, and is referred to by poets for its powers of eration shares with the next. Connected by this delicate creativity and rebirth. It represents the liminal boundaries thread, our ancestors speak to us still. Symbols rooted in All the sweetness of nature was buried in black winter’s grave, a of our perception, of the mortal and the Otherworld. This a world of greater balance teach us of the living spirit of And the wind sings a sad lament with its cold plaintive cry; is the greatest wave that takes us out to sea, or brings us the land, and respect for the fertile dynamics of nature But oh, the teeming summer will come, bringing life in its arms, home again. and psyche. Using this organic language, we may create v new myths, new expressions that continue our innovative will strew rosy flowers on the face of hill and dale. inheritance. e The Ninth Wave was also considered by the Celts to In lovely harmony the wood has put on its green mantle, set the limit of the known world, of the land herself. To be And summer is on its throne, playing its string-music; of those who sent into exile—Beyond the Ninth Wave—was considered We carry the visions and hopes The willow, whose harp hung silent when it was withered in winter, came before, for those who are yet to come, as at the a punishment worse than death. It is said that those who Now gives forth its melody - hush! Listen! The world is alive. betrayed the ways of their people were sent adrift on a beginning of the twenty-first century we move Beyond the Ninth Wave into the unknown—and perhaps uncertain— boat, without oars or rudder, with only a knife and some Welsh - Thomas Telynog Evans 1840 - 64 fresh water. Those who survived this test by the elements future. were fated to perform great deeds, and could return home We need to perform great deeds, to become as heroes, sharing their gifts of wisdom and experience. heroes. Reaching within our cultural heritage we find that In Celtic Art, In Celtic Art, there is constant interplay be- In Jungian terms the Shadow represents our dark- This is a profound symbol of the journey of the we have brought with us on our journey greater tools than tween the negative and positive areas within a design—the est fears or mysterious (often repressed) aspects of our Folk-Soul, of the adversity and, often, forced migration of a simple knife and plain water—we have the gifts of the background spaces can create visually meaningful patterns in loose symmetry with those of the immediate foreground. unconscious. In Celtic mythology the enigmatic Shadow her people. Beyond the Ninth Wave is also an allegory for Ancestors. elements are often the key to the Mystery itself. The entire our exile from the natural world. The interchange and balance between shape and form, the inner and outer, and the ever-changing center of things, are range of human experience is expressed—sorrow, love, Every nation of the world has its Soul, and every perhaps the most revealing clues to the true character of fury, lust, revenge and hope. The myths explore a wide Our environment has changed physically and psy- nation can find it, if it will, and the Soul of every people the Celts. complexity of human and animal archetypes that exist at chically. The great ancient forests are nearly gone. Many – whose lineaments may be found, not in the the root of our deepest nature. creatures of power and beauty are becoming extinct, and We may have lost integration with our true, inher- mythical Gods themselves, but in what they Forged by patterns of both darkness and light, our spiritual relationship with a living breathing cosmos represent – is destined each to find its altar in the ent power—both personal and cultural. To move confi- the Folk-Soul recognizes the forces inherent in all aspects of dently into our future with the skills of creativity and wis- grows ever thin. Much of the old wisdom has been lost, and Temple – which is the world life. Mythic figures journey through darkness and despair, dom, we need to understand and accept the primal forces we can perhaps never return—we are exiled from those rage, battle and descend into the Underworld, and venture of nature, bring them into our consciousness so that they traditions in many ways. Eleanor G. Merry 1936 Beyond the Ninth Wave to seek the treasures of eternal may lose some of their underlying destructive influence. “The Flaming Door - Mission of the Celtic Folk Soul” love and youth, the land where there is no sickness or n The Celtic tradition presents us with an often confus- The Mission of the Folk-Soul is to know beyond our B ing strangeness, a sometimes bizarre symbolic fusion of seeing, and see beyond our knowing. To dance our rhythms Mar a bha, i bird and beast, pattern and organic elements. There is an upon the earth and sing her stories out loud. To nurture innate honesty, the sense of a key to our latent authentic Mar a tha, the creative spark—the Awen—looking forward as well as n E nature that lies just beneath the surface. backward while keeping hold of the connective thread that Mar a bhitheas will bring us home. t Y This is our heritage. The western tradition has roots Gu brath, reaching back to the first people. We may learn from the A Thrithinn wisdom of many ancient cultures around the world that This book is an offering to our green home. To the h O speak of the Mysteries of Life, each in their own language ancient place of my birth, soft and sinewed, forged by great Nan gras! and with their own mythic interpretation. In the contempo- light and deeper darkness. Haunted by the Earth, the Sky, Ri traghadh, N rary societies of the west we sometimes forget that we have and all that lies between, her memories are forged with the our own deep traditions to draw from, and to relate to. mystery of beauty, kindled by the vision of the myth mak- ’S ri lionadh! w D The Celtic tradition is particularly relevant for many today, ers. For the gifts of the wise Salmon, the valor of the fierce A Thrithinn as a powerful and profoundly beautiful expression of these Boar, the call of the wild Geese and the touch of Manan- a Mysteries, communicated through the cadence and rhythm nan’s wave—and all the secrets that lie beneath the waters. Nan gras! For the Celtic Folk-Soul, long may she dance. of our cultural inheritance. Ri traghadh, v In 1895 Fiona Macleod writes: ’S ri lionadh! As it was, e “There is no law set upon beauty, it has no geography. It is As it is, the domain of the spirit. And if, of those who enter there, he is welcome for what he brings: nor do we demand if he be dark As it shall be or fair, Latin or Teuton or Celt, or say of him that his tidings Evermore, are lovelier or less lovely because he was born in the shadow of Gaelic hills, or nurtured by Celtic shores. It is well that each O Thou Triune should learn the mother-song of his land at the cradle-place Of grace! of his birth . . . . But it is not well that because of the whistling With the ebb, of the wind in the heather one should imagine that nowhere else does the wind suddenly stir the reeds and the grasses in its With the flow, incalculable hour.” —from Studies in the Spiritual History of O Thou Triune the Gael Of grace! We live—often literally, always figuratively— With the ebb, Beyond the Ninth Wave of the realm of our Ancestors. And so a Celtic Blessing to all our journeys into the However, through the knowledge and inspiration of the unknown, especially those that take us Beyond the Ninth With the flow. Aois Dana, the Poets, we can heal ourselves and our world, Wave: planting the seeds from the ancient Tree of Life into the fertile furrows of our psyche. “May the road rise up to meet you, and the wind be always Old Scottish Blessing at your back.” Carmina Gadelica - Collected by Alexander Carmichael 1899 TREE OF LIFE - Y Goeden Bywyd

The Tree of Life is an esoteric philosophy common to many cultures and mythologies. Creatures representing the elements—the sacred Salmon, Heron, Horse, Dog and the Folk figures are entwined within the greening vines of life. Salmon is wise, and is associated with water. The Heron is also great in esoteric knowledge, and is associated with both water and air. The Horse is a solar symbol, symbolizing fertility and strength, representing the Fire of the Heavens and the Earth. The Dog is loyal protector of the tribe, connected with the Earth and the underworld of Annwn. The Folk-Soul is woven within the branches and roots of the Tree of Life. The figures represent the spirit of our Ancestors, ourselves and our children not yet born. For many people today, with different religious beliefs throughout the world, the Tree of Life is a universal symbol expressing an ancient philosophy of the forces of nature and of spirit—of life itself.

The Folk-Soul is supported within the Tree of Life, which is an organic circle representing the interconnection of all living things. The interlacing branches symbolize Celtic belief in the Continuity of Life, with roots growing deep in the ground, branches reaching high into the heavens.

The Celtic Tree of Life represents the mysticism of the Old Religion in which the trees, the creatures and the land are a strong and vital force, connecting the folk within a living universe. In the New Faith, the early monastic traditions of Celtic Christianity continue to celebrate the Spirit of Nature, and the Tree of Life is a powerful symbol of creation.