A Polytheistic Culture |
To Read Part II
There were 7 separately, related Celtic nations: Alba, which is now Scotland, Breizh, which is Brittany , Cymru, which is now Wales, Eire, which is Ireland in the Old Irish, Galatia, which is now Spain, and France, Kernow, which is Cornwall, and Mannin, is the Isle of man, & all of which were of the celtic culture.
To these heroic people, Honor, Courage, Truth, Strength, Wisdom, Eloquence, & the "spoken word" were their values and their "Laws" if you wish to call them such. Their religion revolved around them & not around any specific rules or regulations.
'Oineach' is the traditional Irish word that is generally translated as "honor" (by way of 'ainech') and it goes back to the Olde Irish 'enech' which originally meant "face" (from Old Celtic 'eniequos'). Thus "Honor" is related to saving one's "face". Another word, often mentioned in the same contexts, is that of 'clú' ("reputation" or "fame"), which comes from an Indo-European root meaning "to hear" and refers to what is being said about someone. To be honorable, is to maintain "face" and to be spoken or heard of in a good way.
Although these things were highest on their list of values, the Celts seemed unconcerned as to the Law of Three or the Wiccan Rede. In fact, they had no knowledge of these things as they were not invented until more recent centuries. The Celts did not go around worrying about what to call their deitiies or what "wonderful" magick they were going to perform that day. Instead this was a lifestyle for them & absolutely natural. Magick was secondary to their worship of the deities. They didn't just "do magick". They lived it. There has never been a more honorable people than that of the Celts, who placed Honor, Responsibility, Courage, & Duty above all else.
These were a highly educated people and considered to be the scholars of their times. They studied not only the magickal but the elements as well. To the Druids, there were 9 elements that corresponded to 9 seperate parts of the human body with the "head" being the most sacred. These can also be seen to correspond to the chakra, the colors, etc. To learn more about these 9 elements or 'dúile' as they were called, you can go to this page: The Nine Elements of the Celts
In many branches of religion today, such as Wicca & modern Paganism, the Rede is the main value on which they stand, & I'm not saying that there is anything wrong at all with the Rede of "An it harm none, Do as Thy Will." In fact, I would call this practice extremely admirable, & try hard to practice it myself. And although the Ancients did not have these words in their day to day practices, the practice of Honor & Responsibility pretty much sums it up. You can not harm someone or something without "just" cause, & do so with Honor. Responsibility means taking control of your life and your actions and then accepting the consequences of whatever you have done. But please remember that sacrifice was deemed mandatory in most religions of the times, and although there is no absolute proof of sacrifice by the Celts, it is highly likely, especially considering the way they revered the head. To take an enemies head not only gave them power, but prevented that enemy from continuing his "journey" in life. The soul was then passed on to the one that owned the head.
To a practitioner of either sect, the ancients or the Wiccans of today, energy is the source of magick and thus even negative thought patterns can be considered harmful for this is personal energy, and so saying, if you send out a passion filled thought about how you wish someone would fall down & skin their butt just because they called yours BIG, even though you may not mean it or be only temporarily blinded by your anger, then you have already broken the Law of "An it harm none". But to the Celtic Crafter, this would not necessarily be "harm", but perhaps a sort of justice, if it actually happened ,to anyone that could be so cruel. That persons negativity has just known the law of "Cause & Effect" & it was very eloquently put to him or her. lol! Does this not also constitute "The Threefold Law"?
And now my friends, you may see why I must follow the Olde Way, the Celtic Way, because my values match these exactly. This is not what I believe however. It is WHO I AM. It was given to me by my Celtic forebears, my grandparents who spoke the gaelic and attempted to pass it down. Honor, Courage, Duty, Truth: These things are not my beliefs. They are MY HEART! Have you ever seen an Irish Man or Woman or a Scot that would just overlook a cruelty or injustice so as not to bring anyone "harm"? *snorts* Right! I didn't think so. Well, there you have it.
So as you see, the Rede is not a Celtic belief, but a Wiccan one. It is not the Way of the Celtic Religion for they were a fierce & heroic people that believed your word was your bond. They fought many battles & continue to do so. They just can't seem to help it. lol! There are times, I believe, when it takes a good fight to defend you honor and stand up for the right thing. These people also believed that to shirk ones responsibilities or duties was to hang your head in shame. So to bring about harm for no justified purpose could very well be said to be dishonorable, I would think. And although I imagine one of the Olde Ones would punch your lights out much quicker for dishonoring their loved one than would one from Celtic Wicca, I still think that these two aren't that far off from each other. After all, the years have civilized us all a bit, I hope. Now what are the major beliefs of the Celtic People? The Ancients? Read the Triads below:
The Triads are the traditional old laws, customs, and acknowledged learnings of the Celtic people of what is now known as Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Below you will find some of these listed. Three things from which never to be moved:
The three highest causes of the true human are: Three candles that illuminate every darkness: |
Individually
N ow one last thing: The major belief of the Celts could be summed up in one statement & I learned this as a child. In fact, it wouldn't have been anymore effective if they had pounded it into me with a sledgehammer. The Law of the Celts? It's simple.
Honor above all else.
