Celtic Paganism

1. Celtic Paganism By: Katherine Esteve, Emily Wright, Juhi Kapadia, Lucy Yuan, and Kathy Guo

2. Celtic Paganism • Polytheistic Religion • A lot like Norse Paganism • Followed by Celts during the Iron Age • Also known as Celtic Polytheism

3. Geographic Origin Celtic paganism originated in Northern Europe and Western Europe Modern practices of Celtic paganism can be found in the United States, Britain, but also in Scandinavia, Slavic Europe, and Latin Europe

4. Celtic Beliefs

5. Beliefs • Celts gathered to sacrifice animals, fruits and vegetables during Samhain • Lit bonfires in honor of the dead and to help the dead on their journey. • Ghost’s, Fairies’ and demons

6. The Ovates • Worked with death and regeneration (sacrifices) • “Native healers of the Celts” • Conversed with ancestors and prophesized the future • All creation has its own spiritual force and holds the wisdom of nature

7. The Druids Professional class in Celtic society • Led rituals in surrounded by sacred trees • Trees were believed to have a strong spiritual presence • Fuel for heat, cooking, building materials and weaponry • understand all energies (plants, stars, moons, gravity)

8. Shamanism • Trees connect the lower, middle and upper world • The upper world consists of the stars and the god’s while human’s live in the middle

9. Lug • God of Sun and Light • Celtic equivalent to Roman god Mercury • Had variations to his name such as Lugh or Lleu

10. Nodens • He was one of the Gods of healing, the sea and hunting

11. Morrigan • A war goddess, forerunner of the Arthurian Morgan La Fey • Also the Goddess of Victory • Morrigan “traid” which includes her sisters Badb and Macha

12. Epona • Goddess of Horses • Usually portrayed riding a mare or a foal • Associated with Celtic horsemanship

13. Danu • Mother goddess, an aspect of the Great Mother • Mother of the Tuatha Dé Danann • She was the mother of the Triple Goddess

14. Dis Pater • Originally a god of death and the underworld, but later chief god of the gauls • The Gauls believed that Dis Pater was the ancestor of all Gauls

15. Brighid • Also known as Brigit • She is the goddess of healing and craftsmanship, especially metalwork • Also a patron of learning and poetry

16. Major festivals/holidays

17. Imbolc • February 1; 1st full moon in Aquarius • Time of cleansing and newborn lambs • Festival of Lights, marks beginning of spring • Ceremonies involve water, candles pledges and planting a hope or a seed, making candles • Candles are lit , Yule greens are burnt to send winter on its way • Evolved into Ground Hog’s Day

18. Beltane • May 1; 1st full moon in Taurus • A fertility festival with offerings to nature; celebrates new life in all its forms • time when the Goddess and the God are united in sacred marriage, symbolically fertilizes the animals and crops for the coming year • Bonfires of sacred wood are lit in honor of the Celtic god Beli • Evolved into May Day

19. Lughnassadh • August 1; 1st full moon in Leo • harvest festival in honor of god Lugh’s wedding to mother earth • Celebrates the beginning of harvest season, the decline of summer to winter • Time to dismiss regrets, farewells, and prepare for winter • Ceremonies involve breads, grains and harvest corn dolls

20. Samhain • October 31; ending of the Celtic year • Night the old God died, and time when the Crone Goddess would go into mourning for her lost son  temporary darkness • aka Feast of the Dead/Ancestor Night • Feasts are made in remembrance of dead ancestors • A time for settling problems, throwing out old ideas and influences • Evolved into Halloween

21. Rituals

22. Background • Celtic religion was strictly oral and as such, there is very little written history • Sacred texts and teachings were memorized by heart

23. Human Sacrifice • Early Celts preformed human sacrifices to make lands fertile • Over time, this ritual was replaced with spells

24. Daily Rites • Prayers or rituals performed in the morning and evening • Preformed to strengthen the bonds between them and the gods

25. Burial and Afterlife • People were buried with food, weapons, and ornaments • Funerals were intended to be celebrations of the deceased’s life rather than a time of mourning • Sometimes placed in burial mounds

27. Newgrange Burial Mound

28. Burial and Afterlife • Believed that the soul was immortal and death was a passing from one world to another • Druids believed in Transmigration of the soul • Belief in the Otherworld – a realm of “fairy folk” and other supernatural beings

29. Why were Druids so important? A. Druids were integrated within society B. Druids were the upper social class that directed kings and queens C. Druids worked with nature and nature was extremely important to Celtic society

30. Who was the mother of the Tuatha Dé Danann? A. Morrigan B. Epona C. Danu D. Brighid

31. Which festival celebrates the coming of Spring? • Imbolc • Beltane • Yule • Samhain

32. Which God/Goddess was important to horsemanship? • Epona • Danu • Lug • Morrigan

33. Why is there still so much speculation around Celtic Paganism? • No one actually researched Celtic Paganism • The gods erased all the information • The Celtic people erased all the information • Much of the history about Celtic Paganism was told orally so some information may not be accurate.

34. Sources • http://gorddcymru.org/atlanta/holidays/index.htm • https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/barnold/www/lectures/holloween.html • http://www.taracelebrations.org/ • http://www.gaolnaofa.com/articles/daily-rites/ • http://www.scns.com/earthen/other/seanachaidh/godcelt.html

35. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_polytheism#Burial_and_afterlifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_polytheism#Burial_and_afterlife • http://www.ancientspiral.com/Celt.htm • http://www.liafail.org/mids.html • http://druidry.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=PagEd&file=index&topic_id=1&page_id=184 • http://www.britannia.com/wonder/michell2.html • http://www.unc.edu/~reddeer/god_dess_es/celtic.html

36. http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/celtic.htmhttp://spells-witchcraft.org/pictures-of-greek-gods-and-goddesses.htmlhttp://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/celtic.htmhttp://spells-witchcraft.org/pictures-of-greek-gods-and-goddesses.html • http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/celticdeities/tp/CelticDeities.htm