The Celts, a people who lived between 700 BC and 100 AD, are believed to be the original founders of magic. The Celts were gifted artists, musicians, storytellers, metalworkers, expert farmers and fierce warriors, to the point of being feared by the Romans. The Celts were also a highly religious people, and trained priests called the Druids. For three centuries after the Celts were defeated by the Romans, the Druids still remained in power. The Druids were not only priests, but, teachers, judges, astrologers, healers and bards. It took twenty years of study to become a Druid. The Druids were also peacemakers, and were able to pass from one warring tribe to another unharmed.
The Celtic months were named after trees, which were worshipped highly, the oak in particular. Mistletoe, which grows as a parasite on oak trees, was a powerful herb used in their ceremonies and for healing.
The Celts also gave us many Halloween customs from their festival Samhain (“summer’s end”) which marked the beginning of the new Celtic year. It was the time of the final harvest, as well as of the “Festival of the Dead” where they honored their ancestors and deceased loved ones.
The religious beliefs and practices of the Celts grew into what later became known as Paganism. Paganistic beliefs and rituals blended with those of other Indo-European descended groups, and over several centuries spawned such practices as concocting potions and ointments, casting spells, and performing works of magic. These practices, along with many of the nature-based beliefs held by the Celts and other groups, became collectively known as witchcraft.
Homework:
When did the Celts live?
What were the Celtic priests called?
What was their most sacred tree?
What is Samhain (a sentence or two, please)?
