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Gaelic Traditionalism is a culturally specific movement which emphasizes the Folk religion, culture and beliefs of the ethnic Gaels in Ireland and Scotland and especially in the Irish and Scots Gaelic diasporas. Image File history File links Stop_hand. ... The word culture comes from the Latin root colere (to inhabit, to cultivate, or to honor). ... Folk religion consists of beliefs, superstitions and cultural practices transmitted from generation to generation. ... Look up belief on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with one another, or are so identified by others, on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. ... The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, whose language is one that is Gaelic (Goidelic), an Insular Celtic language. ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Scots (ethnic group). ...

General

Gaelic Traditionalists state that "Gaelic Traditionalism" is about taking up into living practice the extant Gaelic cultural traditions as those are defined by the Gaelic speaking cultures alone. They also say that any alteration of the cultural materials through contruction, reconstruction, or other syncretism detracts from the cultural traditions as the cultures alone define those. Gaelic Traditionalists further state that as their path is about the extant cultural traditions as the culture alone defines them, that if there are syncretisms then the path is not truely Gaelic Traditionalism. Some Gaelic Traditionalist leaders feel that Gaelic Traditionalism has cultural roots tracing back to the pre-Christian Celts, but there is some dispute about this assertion. The first Modern self-identified Gaelic Traditionalist group formed in 1994, inspired by the nationalist Gaelic cultural revivals of the 19th and 20th centuries as well as some older, Irish political movements.^[1] St Francis Xavier converting the Paravas: a 19th-century image of the docile heathen Ansgar, the 9th century apostle of the North in an 1830 drawing. ... This article is about the European people. ... Modern can simply mean something that is up-to-date, trendy, new, or from the present time. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Nationalism is an ideology that creates and sustains a nation as a concept of a common identity for groups of humans. ... The Gaelic Revival of the Irish language was mainly promoted by the Gaelic League and Douglas Hyde for much of the late 19th century and early 20th century. ... Irish nationalism refers to political movements that desire greater autonomy or the independence of Ireland from Great Britain. ...

Some modern Gaelic Traditionalists are polytheists, while others are Celtic Christians. Traidisiún Sinseartha is a name recently adopted by some of the polytheists to describe their tradition, which is compiled from a combination of ancient Irish texts, extant folklore, customs and superstitions, combined with scholarship and research. They do not accept the label “neopagan”, and consider such appellations offensive. Adherents say the cultural aspects of the modern movement are largely differentiated along geopolitical lines (i.e., Daoine Éireannach - the Irish and Irish-descended Gael, Daoine Albannach - the Scottish and Scottish-descended Gael, and Deiney Manninagh - the Manx and Manx-descended Gael). A further differential exists between those who strictly adhere to the definition of Gaelic Traditionalism as an ethnic folk religion that is taken up as it exists within Gaelic speaking culture, and those who incorporate syncretisms, which are usually more likely to be found amongst Celtic Recontructionist methods. Polytheism stevenis gay, or worship of, multiple gods or divinities. ... Celtic Christianity is a term used for the form of Christianity practiced in Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and the Bretagne from the missions of Saint Patrick and Saint Ninian in the 5th century (also known as Old British Church, Celtic Catholic Church, Culdee Church), in Scotland from the mission of Columcille... Folklore is the body of verbal expressive culture, including tales, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs current among a particular population, comprising the oral tradition of that culture, subculture, or group. ... Customs duty is a tariff or tax on the import or export of goods. ... Superstition is a set of behaviors that may be faith based, or related to magical thinking, whereby the practitioner believes that the future, or the outcome of certain events, can be influenced by certain of his or her behaviors. ... Neopaganism (sometimes Neo-Paganism, meaning New Paganism) is a heterogeneous group of religions which attempt to revive ancient, mainly European pre-Christian religions. ... Geopolitics analyses politics, history and social science with reference to geography. ...

Clannada na Gadelica (or CnG) [1] was the first Gaelic Traditionalist organization to form in the United States, but today other groups like an Cónaidhm Tuatha na nGael (or ACTG) [2], and the Cáirdean Ceilteach Ameireaga[3] are active.

Social Structure and Organization

Some polytheistic Gaelic Traditionalists, like those affiliated with ACTG, describe themselves as agrarian tribalists, who are organized into family-based clans or tribes. They call their groups tuatha (plural of "tuath"). ACTG defines a tuath as based around the kin-group, or fine (plural finte), which is comprised of a large extended family descended from a common ancestor. They say a tuath is comprised of two or more core finte, with other, smaller family groups making up the remaining membership.^[2] See also Clan (computer gaming) A clan is a group of people united by kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor. ... This article is on the social structure. ... In the distant past the term tuath signified a clan or tribal family. ... Extended family is a term with several distinct meanings. ...

Other polytheistic Gaelic Traditionalists, like those affiliated with the CnG, also uses the term tuath to describe their local groups, but without the trappings of ancient Irish tribal models - much like adherents of Ásatrú identify their groups and communities as kindreds. The members of CnG, believe that their groups should participate in the greater communities and societies in which they reside, much like the Jewish diaspora or other traditional ethnic communities. In these particular communities leadership positions are elected. However, the members of CnG advocate a common parcel of land to act as a ritual center for religious, cultural and educational gatherings and meetings. However, these modern uses of "tuath" is even further disputed by non-traditionalists, as historically it referred to groups of thousands of people, as well as the territory this population claimed. As the modern, polytheistic Gaelic Traditionalist groups seem to be small, this use of "tuatha" to describe themselves is seen by many as incorrect, and not in line with historic Gaelic tradition. These groups, though, counter that contention by saying that their uses of the term allows for their ethnic communities to retain their identities even while parts of larger mainstream communities. Ásatrú (Icelandic Æsir faith) is a new religious movement which is attempting to revive the pre-Christian Viking Age Norse religion as described in the Eddas. ... A Kindred is a term used by adherents of Ásatrú and some Germanic neopagans to describe a local worship group. ... The Jewish diaspora (Hebrew: Tefutzah, scattered, or Galut, exile) is the dispersion of the Jewish people throughout the world. ... An ethnic group is a human population whose members identify with each other, usually on the basis of a presumed common genealogy or ancestry (Smith 1986). ...

Religious beliefs

Adherents of the polytheistic Gaelic Traditionalism state that their religion is an integral component of the lore, language, values, beliefs, experiences and customs of the historically idealized Gaelic culture.^[3] An emphasis is placed on the sacrality of family & community and ethics such as honor, courage, personal responsibility and integrity, as well as the sacral bond between the tuath to the land. Lore is: A body of cultural traditions and knowledge. ...

They say that they gain their understanding about their gods by compiling from extant lore and ancient texts. This much as a Christian gains understanding about God from reading through the various books of the Bible. They state that they do not believe in their gods as archetypes. Instead, they believe their gods are individuals. The gods of the polytheistic Gaelic Traditionalists are the Tuatha Dé Danann, or the Tribes of Dana. These they believe are the gods of order and society. They also believe in those who came to be called the Fomhóraigh, beings believed to in control of chaos and decay. Polytheistic Gaelic Traditionalists point out that these two groups of beings are interconnected and interrelated. For that reason, the polytheists assert, one group cannot overcome the other, even as they are locked into an ongoing struggle that in one manifestation creates the seasonal changes of the year. A form of hero and ancestor worship is also common, wherein ancestors and heroes are venerated not as gods, but as powerful guiding spirits similar to the way saints are venerated by many Christians. ^[4] Polytheistic Gaelic Traditionalists also believe in an animistic aspect to the world around them, including a belief in living spirits, along the lines of genius loci of the land, sea, and sky. The Tuatha Dé Danann (peoples of the goddess Danu or erroneously tribe of Dan) were the fifth group of inhabitants of Ireland according to the Lebor Gabála Érenn (Book of Invasions) tradition. ... Ancestor worship, also ancestor veneration, is a religious practice based on the belief that ones ancestors possess supernatural powers. ... This article is about deities or gods from a non-monotheistic perspective. ... Spirits redirects here. ... General definition of saint In general, the term Saint refers to someone who is exceptionally virtuous and holy. ... In religion, the term Animism is used in a number of ways. ... In Roman mythology a Genius loci was the protective spirit of a place. ...

Many, but not all, polytheistic Gaelic Traditionalists believe in reincarnation. All of them believe in an afterlife, called Tír na nÓg (The Land of the Young) by some, Tech Duinn (the House of Donn) by others.^[5] The polytheistic Gaelic Traditionalists also believe in judgement of souls (honorable v. dishonorable) and that this judgement is done by Bran (bran) and Sceolan (shkeolawn), two hounds they say belong to another mythological personage named Finn. The honorable dead go to the land of the dead, while the dishonorable dead are said to roam the skies as Slaugh (sloo) Sidhe. Those that believe in reincarnation believe that the soul can choose to return to An Domhan, or the world of the living, after a time, often along hereditary lines. ^[6]. Past Lives redirects here. ... Tír na nÓg, called in English the Land of the Young, was the most popular of the Otherworlds in Irish mythology, perhaps best known from the myth of Oisín and Niamh of the Golden Hair. ...

Gaelic Traditionalists celebrate four major agricultural-based festivals. Each of these holidays has substantial extant lore and custom surrounding it.^[7] These are Samhain, which is the old Gaelic New Year and the beginning of winter ^[8]; Imbolc, the festival celebrating spring. ^[9]; Bealtaine, a festival marking the beginning of summer. ^[10]; Lughnasadh, the celebration of the first harvest and the fall.^[11][12]. This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... Imbolc (a fire festival) is one of the eight holidays, festivals (4 Solar and 4 Fire/lunar)or sabbats of the Neopagan wheel of the year, with some origins in Irish mythology and the pre-Christian Celtic calendar. ... This article is about the Gaelic holiday. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Traditionalists employ dance, song, art, sacrifice of valuable items, and feasting to celebrate their secular and religious ceremonies. Sacrifice (from a Middle English verb meaning to make sacred, from Old Marcus Aurelius and members of the Imperial family offer sacrifice in gratitude for success against Germanic tribes: contemporary bas-relief, Capitoline Museum, Rome French, from Latin sacrificium : sacer, sacred; sacred + facere, to make) is commonly known as the...

Adherents say that theirs is a "heroic morality". This very much like the morality of Norse religions. They further state that Heroic morality was summed up by the Gaelic hero Caelte as, "truth in our hearts, strength in our arms, and fulfillment in our tongues". The primarily core ethic of the Traditionalist Gael is "Truth", which they define as both, being without guile in their lives, and, being a proponent of justice. A loss of Truth, they say, results in a loss of enech (lit. “face”), or honor. To them, their sense of honor is more important than life itself. Other principles which they say rank nearly as high as honor are loyalty, duty, courage, and hospitality. They follow an honor code which they have described as similar to that of a knight’s code of chivalry or the samurai code of Bushido. Ethics is a general term for what is often described as the science (study) of morality. In philosophy, ethical behavior is that which is good or right. ... Honor (or honor) comprises the reputation, self-perception or moral identity of an individual or of a group. ... This page is about the philosophical and semantic background of loyalty. ... // Ethics Duty is a term loosely applied to any action (or course of action) which is regarded as morally incumbent, apart from personal likes and dislikes or any external compulsion. ... Courage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... See also order of chivalry Woman under the Safeguard of Knighthood, allegorical Scene. ... Japanese samurai in armour, 1860s. ... Bushido (Japanese: 武士道; bushidō, way of the warrior), is a code of conduct and a way of life, analogous to the European concept of chivalry. ...

Politics

While Gaelic Traditionalist organizations have memberships which cover the entire political spectrum, most tend to be conservative in their political and moral values. Because Gaelic Traditionalism is steeped in culture and not race, racially motivated supremists are not tolerated. Gaelic Traditionalists view fascism, sexism, ageism, racism, and other forms of discrimination to be completely contrary to their love for freedom and equality.

Nomenclature

Sinsearacht - Another, shorter, term to describe Traidisiún Sinseartha. Literal translation: "Ancestry".

Éireannach - A Gael from Ireland or of Irish descent whose cultural and linguistic traditions are rooted in Irish culture.

Albannach - A Gael from Scotland or of Scottish descent whose cultural and linguistic traditions are rooted in Scottish culture. Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ...

Manninagh - A Gael from the Isle of Man or of Manx descent whose cultural and linguistic traditions are rooted in Manx culture.

Gaeilge - The language of the Irish people. Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ...

Gàidhlig - The language of the Scottish people Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig; IPA: ) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ...

Gaelg (or Gailck) - The language of the Manx people, whose last native speaker, Ned Maddrell died in 1974. It is curently being revived, due to renewed interest. Manx (Gaelg or Gailck), also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Goidelic language spoken on the Isle of Man. ... Edward Ned Maddrell (1877?–December 27, 1974) was a fisherman from the Isle of Man who was arguably the last surviving native speaker of the Manx language. ...

Notes

1. ↑ Potter, George W. (1960). To the Golden Door: The Story of the Irish in Ireland and America, p. 13, Little, Brown.
2. ↑ ACTG. The Ideology and Validity of Tribal Communities. URL accessed on 2006-03-22.
3. ↑ RDNA. The Druid Missal Any?, Volume 19, Issue 1, Page 661, Column 2, Para. 3. URL accessed on 2006-03-22.
4. ↑ CnG. Ancestors, Reincarnation and Ancestor Veneration, Belief and Practice From Classical Times To Present. URL accessed on 2006-03-22.
5. ↑ CnG. An Exploration Of Death In The Gaelic Paradigm of the Classical Age v.1.4. URL accessed on 2006-03-22.
6. ↑ CnG. Ancestors, Reincarnation and Ancestor Veneration, Belief and Practice From Classical Times To Present. URL accessed on 2006-03-22.
7. ↑ CnG. Festivals Part 1 - Preface v.1.1. URL accessed on 2006-03-22.
8. ↑ CnG. Festivals Part 2 - Samhain v.2.0. URL accessed on 2006-03-22.
9. ↑ CnG. Festivals Part 3 - Imbolg. URL accessed on 2006-03-22.
10. ↑ CnG. Festivals Part 4 - Beltaine. URL accessed on 2006-03-22.
11. ↑ CnG. Festivals Part 5 - Lughnasadh. URL accessed on 2006-03-22.
12. ↑ ACTG. Lùghnasadh. URL accessed on 2006-03-22.

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Further reading

• Bennett, Margaret (1992). Scottish Customs From the Cradle to the Grave, Polygon. ISBN 0748661182.

• Carmichael, Alexander; edit. C.J. Moore (1992). Carmina Gadelica - Hymns and Incantations Collected in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland in the Last Century, Lindisfarne Press. ISBN 0940262509.

• Danaher, Kevin (1962). The Year in Ireland, Irish Books & Media. ISBN 0937702137.

• Gregorson, John; edit. Ronald Black (2003). The Gaelic Otherworld: John Gregorson Campbell's Superstitions Of The Highlands And Islands Of Scotland And Witchcraft & Second Sight In The Highlands & Islands, Birlinn Publishers. ISBN 1841582077.

• Lenihan, Eddie; Carolyn Eve Green (2003). Meeting the Other Crowd: The Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland, Jeremy P. Tarcher. ISBN 1585422061.

• MacDonagh, Oliver Thomas (1983). Irish Culture and Nationalism, 1750-1950, Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0333328582.

• MacNeill, Máire (1962). Festival of Lughnasa, Oxford University Press.

• McNeill, F. Marian (1988). The Silver Bough Vol. 1 - Scottish Folklore & Folk Belief, Hyperion Books. ISBN 0853351619.

• McNeill, F. Marian (1988). The Silver Bough Vol. 4 - The Local Festivals of Scotland, Hyperion Books. ISBN 0853350027.

• Newton, Michael (2000). A Handbook of the Scottish Gaelic World, Four Courts Press. ISBN 185182541X.

• O'Grady, Standish (1970). Silva gadelica (I-XXXI);: A collection of tales in Irish with extracts illustrating persons and places, Lemma Pub. Corp. ISBN 0876960093.

• Ross, Anne (1976). The Folklore of the Scottish Highlands, Barnes & Noble Books. ISBN 1566192269.