Celtic Religion

Celtic religion refers the pre-Christian religious beliefs and practices of the Celtic speaking peoples. Strictly speaking it cannot be called a religion, as there were several different nations which fall under the term and may or may not have regarded their religious beliefs as being the same. Also, their was no seperate institution of religion distinct from all other parts of their culture. Despite this, there are many common features of all known groups, such as having priests called Druids, and a number of Pan-Celtic Gods worshipped across the ancient Celtic world.

The indigenous Celtic beliefs and ways have had a large impact on the modern Celtic cultures. Mythology based off (though, not identical to) the pre-Christian religion was common place knowledge in Celtic speaking cultures up to today, though it is now dwindling. Additionally, many unofficial saints are believed in, such as Brìd in Scotland (Brighid in Ireland), which have the same names as known deities. Various rituals involving acts of pilgrammage to sites such as hills and sacred wells which are believed to have curative or otherwise beneficial properties are still performed.

Deities

Based on evidence from the European continent, various figures which are still known in folklore in the Celtic countries up to today or take part in post-Christian mythology can be known to have also been worshipped in those areas that did not have records before Christianity.

From post-conversion folklore and pre-Christian inscriptions at sacred sites, and some written mention, we can find that several gods were worshipped over a large area.

Some of these are: Lúgh in Ireland and Lugus in Gaul (and Lleu in Britain) Brighid in Ireland Brigindo in Gaul Maponos in Britain and Gaul, and a likely related god Oengas Mac Og in Ireland Nuada in Ireland and Nodens in Britain Badh Catha in Ireland and Cathobodua in Gaul

Differences in the names are accounted by diversion within the languages of the different groups.

Cosmology

Sacred sites

Often it is said that the Celtic peoples built no temples, and worshipped only outside in groves of trees. Archaeology has long shown this is untrue, with various temple structures throughout the Celtic world being known. With the Roman conquest of parts of the Celtic world a distinct type of Celto-Roman temple also was developed.

Similiarity to other religions

(Mention the indigenous Germanic, Roman, Greek, and other Indo-European religions here)

Misconceptions

Often the religious systems of the Celtic peoples are called "Druidry" or "Druidism". This is very much a misnomer, suggesting only the Druids were involved in religion, or that they had a distinct religion. This is akin to suggesting that Catholicism is Bishopry. The Druids existed as a functional part within a larger framework, as priests for instance. There are now numerous systems which have either been made up whole, or attempt to revive Celtic beliefs, and more often a mix of both called "Druidism". A problem with calling an attempt at reviving Celtic beliefs Druidism however is that, again, it would be like calling a revived Catholicism Bishopry or Judaism Rabbiry. Doing so goes beyond simply misnaming the religion but suggests a fundementally wrong (ahistorical) structure, such as a religion which consists entirely of priest figures, or is different somehow from people they serve.

The modern religion of Wicca created in the 20th century from numerous heterogenous sources is sometimes mistakenly believed to be a Celtic religion in whole or somehow related to it.

Revival

Some people of the modern Celtic cultures, and others descended from them in the Celtic diaspora, are attempting to revive what they regard as their indigenous religion.

References

See also

External links

Celtic Religion - What Information do we really have (http://draeconin.com/database/celtreli.htm)
What We Don't Know About the Ancient Celts (http://www.conjure.com/whocelts.html)