What are Modern Celtic Totem Stones for?

The Celts believed the animals had magickal qualities and that each were manifestation from a particular God or Goddess in Earth form. The Boar for Cerridwen, Stag for Cernunnos or the Raven for the Morrighan are examples. They even chose animal, plant or tree totems to represent their tribes or clans. Trees? Yes the Celtic legends suggest that some tribes believed people were created from the trees. Other clans thought their mother was the source they lived by like Boann, the river which gave them life water and food.

Humans could be nourished by & learn quite a bit from each animal and get help from its spirit. They would thank the animal for sharing its gifts in the circle of life. The ancients were closer to nature then modern day persons. They'd listen to nature and watch the physical animal in its natural environment, and dress like them to dance with their spirit.

We can do this too, to begin to attune with nature again by learning about each animal and using totem stones as a starting point. By holding a Celtic Totem Stone & focusing your thoughts on it, brings appreciation for these teachings forward.

The making of the Celtic totem stone is done ritually. The space is cleansed of all other negative residual energy and spirit is invited to send attribute energies and teachings of the animal to rest in the stone before the painting of it. The practitioner is totally focused on the task at hand as well, in trance like mode. Stones then become Spiritkeepers of the past and present.

Real Shamanic Makers of these stones are hard to come by as there are many charlatons out there, that make no ritual. At the Celts and Vikings Store, each Celtic totem stone is handpicked by myself as the ritual starts from this point. Nature spirit is asked to guide the 'Vates' type roles of our tribe to the right stone. The Celtic totem stones are tagged and brought back to our sacred areas, a trance journey is done to see which spirit energy chooses to reside here.

The Celtic totem stones become individuals and should ALWAYS be treated respectfully as spiritual beings at all times. We Keep the totem stones in their own personal pouch, made just for them, in the proper colours and material. Some material does not go with the particular animal spirit and is a mistake often made with those untrained book taught persons.

When it comes to choosing one of our Celtic totem stones, most people go for their favorite animal or an animal they chose themselves to be their "power animal". This is not the way. You may want a particular animal quality, but they are not necessarily the one you need. The best way is to not look and choose, or put your hand across them all, not looking and take the one that draws you there.

Having said this, the best way to go, is to have several different Celtic totem stones, just like the tarot, and once every 3 moons choose one and work with it. I mean really work with it and fix the things within to watch the results in your outer world. Depending on the type of occasion presented the spirit will come for the right time. Choose no more frequently then 3 moons, as this is the time needed to work on a single thing and rid self of a stale or old belief no longer needed or was an untruth you carried around.

By LaurieLee Mills

Copyright February 09, 2012

History of Walking Sticks

The cane or walking stick, by the 1800's, was very much a part of a Gentleman’s formal attire. You didn't leave home without it. It was so popular that members of certain posh organizations had to have one. Military personnel, the Freemasons and many fraternities had the walking stick. The walking cane became a tradition in many places. But did you know that its history goes back long before this.

It was also used by Druids and Celtic warriors as a symbol of authority or a support for an exhausted traveller, or a weapon. For a Celt, it is an extension of one's own arms and reach; as a pole to vault over creeks, or a deep ditch. Celtic Druids (Shamanic persons) used a staff as both a symbol of leadership and as a tool for spiritual journey. Often carved with mystical symbols, Celtic runes, stories of Gods or animals, history of their territory or tribe, record a great battle, mythical beasts and magick. These were the Shamans tool to help guide the path of his/her workings as well as the clan they administered too. Used in many religious ceremonies and ritual throughout time. It was a form of status and the type of wood used depicted the rank of the person in the ancient tribes.

Shorter ones were called a sceptre and the tall ones a staff or stave. Travellers used the walking stick or staff for practical duties as well such as carrying their travelling packs over the shoulder, or heavy loads across both shoulders. It's been used to defend against attack, or even to gain an upper hand in a battle. It really replaced the sword which was the coveted thing prior to the walking stick. The walking stick was always a sign of respect given to the oldest or wisest citizen, and was carried not only as a functional support for walking but as a means of defence.

Walking Sticks are now coveted as collectors items and family heirlooms. The walking stick tall or short, have been part our society for thousands of years. Walking stick status today is still done by how elaborate the walking stick is -- the symbols that are painted, wood-burned or carved into it. They are referred to as bragging staffs or staves. Both spellings are correct. They are a kind of like a totem pole depicting the life of the bearer, a record of ones long journey. If you go to the Masonic Museum, you can see an example of what I speak of, & each provides us clues to the ancient members accomplishments.

The staff can also be used to carve a story of any kind or one of mythology. Keeping a record of events in the carvings of a staff can be traced to the ancient Norsemen. Carving runes to tell a story or tale along it's shaft was a practical and common practice amongst these travellers. It was also used for numerical information, like the length of a measurement, a journey or trade. This numerical journal was called "skor". This method actually carried into modern day and we use it to keep 'score' during a game. This method of carving isn't unique to the Norse. It was done by many surrounding cultures. A popular walking cane today is based off of the walking staff with hook on the top which was associated with the shepherd and children of the Gods. The Shepherd was once a healer with his Staff turning into snakes. He was called Orphiuchus but the constellation picture has now changed to the Hero God Orion.

Walking sticks make a great gift. Master Craftsman Brahva, the founder of Maers Khohias and the owner of The Celts and Vikings Store, enjoys her work in her spare time. Each stick is made with a story in mind and a good energy put into the item. Any individual coming in to the store has the opportunity to choose their own personal statement by the staff they carry so it is important that she leaves some staves plain so they can choose what they'd like to see for décor, and see which one calls to them. Sometimes she feels the wood just sings to her and it becomes what it wants to be. Symbols are either carved, painted, or burned into the walking stick until the walking stick says no more. Brahva specializes in producing quality walking sticks containing as many personal distinctions as possible that the customer wants. Staffs can be topped with a totem of family or energy of the walking stick.

Collectors in Canada boast to have one of Brahva's staffs in their possession. Collecting walking sticks of all sizes is a growing hobby once again. It is a great investment. This leap in value sparked a new interest in handmade canes, both antique and new.

Custom walking sticks are available with anything the customer wishes. Most personalized canes sell at $150, with some custom works upwards of $300. Staffs are mostly shipped in Canada, but can be shipped anywhere should the customer wish to pay extra for shipping charges. The investment is very reasonable for a one of a kind item.

Brahva says a Walking Stick is also called a spirit staff and all have a magickal aura surrounding them, each with its own personality, depending on the type of wood. Once you receive a staff or one calls to you, you must find its name. Listen and it will tell you through the Universe. Once you name one, you feel more of a connection as the ancients did. There is a certain way to use the staff in Celtic ritual. Brahvas also teaches Classes on this subject and much more. The Celtsd and Vikings Store is more than 'just' a store.

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR STAFF

Trivia; In most modern Northern European Traditions, meaning those of non-eclecticism, you may not carry a Staff unless a person is one of the Druid classes of priest/priestesses, which can take up to 20 years of study. In this society of fast info and consumerism, most do not grasp this concept, and want everything now. The Walking stick that is given through process has much greater meaning and feeling of accomplishment than one not earned.

For everyone else, a walking stick or staff can be shaped to look like horns or prongs or topped with actual antlers of a deer, a skull of a small animal and decorated with leather, feathers, stones, and/or beads. The staff is unique to it's owner, giving special meaning to that person's life. A staff will call you by drawing you towards it. Some people like to decorate it as they desire so some are always left plain, just for those types.

A Walking Stick Staff take a long time to make from the time they are brought home to the finished product. Brahva always makes sure the grove is able to replenish and does not take more than is necessary. The Staff takes 30 to 60 days in a dry place and then 3 to 9 days to make, depending on how intricate the design. Just like wood has its own magical traits, so does the metals, stones, shells and symbols put on them.

A staff can be Consecration for a specific purpose so it acts as a talisman for the person it is being bought for - house decor, reenactment, modern pagan, respect of an elder in your family, wedding and so on. Consecration is a cleansing of their staff from all the energized of others who might have touched it, in a sacred ritual, then dedicated and charged with Divine energy to do whatever is asked for the new owner that shall receive it then wrapped immediately so no one else touches it. When the receiver gets it, he/she imprints their own energies upon the wood so make sure they are in a great mood. This process should be done afterwards, once a year, to clear the energy off the staff that has been sitting around as it will pick up all energies from any arguments, negative persons and so on around it. For an extra fee of $20, Brahva will do this for you!!

LaurieLee Mills

with permission

Copyright 2011

Celtic Modern Months

January –  Irish = Enáir. Scottish = an Faoilteach. Manx = Jerrey Gheuree. Welsh = Ionawr. Cornish = Genver. Breton = Genver.

February - Irish = Feabhra. Scottish = an Gearran. Manx = Toshiaght Arree. Welsh = Chwefror. Cornish = Hwevrer. Breton = C'hwevrer.

March - Irish = An Márta. Scottish = an Márt. Manx = Mayrnt. Welsh = Mawrth. Cornish = Meurth. Breton = Meurzh.

April  - Irish = An t-Aibreán. Scottish = an Giblean. Manx = Averil. Welsh = Ebrill. Cornish = Ebryl. Breton = Ebrel.

May - Mai Fodla = Red earth month (fertility) Irish = An Bhealtaine. Scottish = an Ceitean. Manx = Boaldyn. Welsh = Mai. Cornish = Me. Breton = Mae.

June - Irish = An Meitheamh. Scottish = an t-Òg-mhios. Manx = Mean Souree. Welsh = Mehefin. Cornish = Metheven. Breton = Mezheven.

July - Irish = lúil. Scottish = an t-luchar. Manx = Jerrey Souree. Welsh = Gorffennaf. Cornish = Gortheren. Breton = Gouere.

August – Irish = Lúnasa. Scottish = an Lúnasdal. Manx = Luanistyn. Welsh = Awst. Cornish = Est. Breton = Eost.


September –Irish = Meán Fómhair. Scottish = an t-Sultain. Manx = Mean Fouyir. Welsh = Medi. Cornish = Gwynngala. Breton = Gwengolo.


October -  Irish = Deireadh Fómhair. Scottish = an Dàmhair. Manx = Jerrey Fouyir. Welsh = Hydref. Cornish = Hedra. Breton = Here.


November - Irish = Samhain. Scottish = an t-Samhain. Manx = Mee Houney. Welsh = Tachwedd. Cornish = Du. Breton = Miz Du


December - Irish = Nollag Scottish = an Dubhlachd Manx = Mee Ny Nollick Welsh = Rhagfyr. Cornish = Kevardhu Breton = Kerzu


by Brahva
from M.K. texts
2002

Celtic Hairstyles, Grooming & Hair Decor

A lot of people have asked me about Celtic hair styles for both men and women.  They want to know about everyday lives and how they looked.
Celtic

Norse Priests

Norse Priest Names & Role -     In the Norse Tradition the Priests acted pretty similar to their Celtic brethren.  They were called the Gothar which is plural for Gothi (male) or Gythia (female). The word Gothar means "those who speak the Godly tongue". The Gothar would meet annually.  There are many accounts of 36 districts of Icelandic Gothar getting together to settle disputes, hand out justice to lawbreakers and discuss issues.

     The Norse Priests chosen had to be honourable folk in their daily lives, almost as wise as the all father. They also had to be strong, loving, confidant and ruthless or fearless warriors. For a Norse Priest, their strength was compared to Thor and the love to Freya. The Gothar led the blots. For both Celt & Norse this role was not taken lightly & could not be self-titled without years of training.  

The Norse High Priest was call a Alsherjargod.  Gyðja was the word used for the female priestess.

The Norse priesthood never took on the famous roles of the Celtic Druids. This was because their Norse shamanistic tradition was maintained by all women, called Volvas. The Kings seemed to have instead evolved out of a priesthood style office, like the Celts who had Kings as the head of a smaller  group of families in the kingdoms (for this social structure, that is parallel to the Celtic structure.  The Kings were like Norse Priest Chieftains.

The Norse priests also had sacrificial burials where slaves and wives as well as weapons and riches and animals would be killed with the King.  There is an account where a woman slave volunteered to joined the corpse of a man on the funeral pyre so she would become the man's wife in the next world, an obvious increase in her status.

Most of the existing records on Norse mythology date from the 11th to 18th century and are no less tainted by Christianity then the Celtic myths.  In fact even the religious worship of the Blot, resembles that of the Celts.

Dress of the Norse Priests -Just as the Male Celtic leaders & Priests dressed as women, so too did the Norse Priests when they took over from the women.  This sacred knowledge was formerly a property of only women, thus they dressed this way as to be accepted by the nature spirits and/or Gods.  Many wore womens clothes for the rites.  In fact a two-spirited person in many ancient cultures was sacred.  Even Tacticus writes that among the Germanic tribes, the Norse Priests at the sunrise and sinset rituals dressed as women in honour of the heavenly twins which they called Haddingjar.   

As to jewelry, We know Mjölnir pendants were worn by Norse pagans  in 9th and 10th centuries from the hoards found.  How far back is unknown to me at this time.  Heck, even Thor, their thunder god, when he received his magic hammer, was only filled with power after he put on the garments of the Goddess Freya and pretended to be a bride.

There an ancient sacred Norse Priest feast spoken about called “Feast of Wantonness” (Hubritska) , where the tribe joined and the men became women by wearing women’s dresses and veils, temporarily assuming feminine powers in violation of a specific taboo.

Of course then  the power hungry man made religion of Christianity condemned the practice as devil-worship, because of its fear of strong women and its oppressive techniques to keep man in power in the new religion.  They wanted all persons to forget the implication that spirituality could only be felt by using feminine sides even if it was simple sexual connection through masquerade.

Here is a poem about a Norse Priest from a medieval Norse version written about 1225 by Snorri Sturluson;  

Thangbrand the Priest

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

SHORT of stature, large of limb,
Burly face and russet beard,
All the women stared at him,
When in Iceland he appeared.
"Look!" they said,
With nodding head,
"There goes Thangbrand, Olaf's Priest." All the prayers he knew by rote,
He could preach like Chrysostome,
From the Fathers he could quote,
He had even been at Rome.
A learned clerk,
A man of mark,
Was this Thangbrand, Olaf's Priest.
He was quarrelsome and loud,
And impatient of control,
Boisterous in the market crowd,
Boisterous at the wassail-bowl,
Everywhere
Would drink and swear,
Swaggering Thangbrand, Olaf's Priest.
In his house this malcontent
Could the King no longer bear,
So to Iceland he was sent
To convert the heathen there,
And away
One summer day
Sailed this Thangbrand, Olaf's Priest.
There in Iceland, o'er their books
Pored the people day and night,
But he did not like their looks,
Nor the songs they used to write.
All this rhyme
Is waste of time! "
Grumbled Thangbrand, Olaf's Priest.
To the alehouse, where he sat,
Came the Scalds and Saga men;
Is it to be wondered at,
That they quarrelled now and then,
When o'er his beer
Began to leer
Drunken Thangbrand, Olaf's Priest?
All the folk in Altafiord
Boasted of their island grand;
Saying in a single word,
"Iceland is the finest land
That the sun
Doth shine upon!"
Loud laughed Thangbrand, Olaf's Priest.
And he answered: "What's the use
Of this bragging up and down,
When three women and one goose
Make a market in your town! "
Every Scald
Satires scrawled
On poor Thangbrand, Olaf's Priest.
Something worse they did than that!
And what vexed him most of all
Was a figure in shovel hat,
Drawn in charcoal on the wall;
With words that go
Sprawling below,
"This is Thangbrand, Olaf's Priest."
Hardly knowing what he did,
Then he smote them might and main,
Thorvald Veile and Veterlid
Lay there in the alehouse slain.
"To-day we are gold,
To-morrow mould!"
Muttered Thangbrand, Olaf's Priest
Much in fear of axe and rope,
Back to Norway sailed he then.
"O, King Olaf! little hope
Is there of these Iceland men!"
Meekly said,
With bending head,
Pious Thangbrand, Olaf's Priest.

Brahva Cwmevos

Copyright August 30, 2011

Is a Celtic Creation Really Lost?

Iron Age Items found of the British Celts

Items found of the Celts in Iron Age period.

A Carnyx - a wind instrument used like a trumpet of the iron Age Celts.  They say this type was used between 300 BCE to 200 CE.  Most were made of bronze.  They were so intricate and the mouth pieces were styled in the shape of animal heads.  It was most likely used in warfare, or to announce a Chieftain when they were ceremoniously brought in according to rank to a feast.  This would be an instrument to frighten the other troops or to inspire the tribes but definately loud so the warriors could hear across the field. Here is an exact replica of one found in Deskford, Banffshire at the Scottish museum.
 
[Image]Spear heads - this was the main weapon although many today love to carry the swords, they were not actually the common weapon of that period.  Here are some examples of the shape of them from the Iron age.  This first one was found Traprain Law in East Lothian.  It dates from between 0 and 400 AD.[Image]

 [Image]These ones are from the British museum.

More coming soon........

by Brahva Cwmevos
Copyright March 26th, 2012

Naming Your Modern Day Tribe / Clan

When finding names, it is very important to know that many kindreds have divine ancestors, & in Gaelic tradition's they had a strong tree, plant or animal associations which are referred to as the tribe's Totem. These they believed their were descended from and thus an ancient ancestor.  

Lets talk about totem.  New age practitioners who've never been taught traditionally are sending out incorrect information of what totem really means in the Celtic tradition.  They even confuse the term with spirit animal.  Totem and spirit animal are two very different things.  For their spirit animal, they choose an animal that seems cool or the first one they see etc.  Just nonsense.  As a totem, one cannot choose to be descended from something lol, its like choosing someone else's mother and claiming her as your own.   Totems have to do with lineage and nothing more.  

Celts didn't mix two animals or trees together to name or represent any clan, so do not make this mistake in naming your modern day clan/tribe like the owl and the snake clan.  Utter nonsense. This would never happen.  No one, in their right mind, would put two mortal enemies together for one, and for two the Celtic tribes named themselves after the god/dess they were descended from.  Totems are very sacred in the Celtic tradition and so is honouring their ancestor or kinship object of representation. 

In Gaelic tradition, the Scottish clans in particular, it is interesting to note the way each clan was closely associated with a particular tree.  Trees were of central importance in Gaelic tradition as metaphors, symbols and models for society made manifest in nature. How was the image of the tree used as a metaphor. Tribal trees were very important for both kings and túatha. The Feara Bile and Fir na Craeibe of the early first millennium are examples of this. There is a number of strands of belief, again depending on the tribe, which played a part in the clan badge (suaicheantas) tradition. 1) strand takes some tree-type predominant in the homeland to symbolize the clan. 2) the belief of the use of badges from a particular tree. 3) another belief sees the tree badges were a kind of amulet worn for protection.  Thus some tribes were named after their totem tree.

Within all the tribes, there was hierarchy.  The nobility and their totem was of special importance, whether they had association between a special trees or totem animal, or plant & their use in kingship inauguration, has very ancient roots. We know that the badge system was adopted prior to the 16th century, but to be frank, exactly when, we do not know.  You can see the animal and trees in the crests or badges.  Thus if an animal was abundant in their area or seen a lot, the tribe might call themselves after that animal for it provided them with sustenance as a mother or father.  Thus some tribes were named after an animal, bear tribe, stag etc.

And yet other tribes might associated themselves with other things in nature that acted as their caregivers (parents), like a river that gave them fish and so on.  So Campbell came from the words crooked mouth, being the tribe was by the river.  One such Goddess was the river Boanne for example.  Learned Gaelic persons, such as their Priest called Druids, organized social and intellectual schemes onto nature and the Gaelic society itself reflected nature. 

So as a conclusion, the clans of today, classified all sorts of objects, animals, food, trees, etc. into noble and servile groups, selecting them according to their physical features and traits.  When it comes to lineage, it is most important to focus on the totem, and people neglect this important fact.  Much of the Gaelic Relations can be found in fact, when it comes to lineage, by tracing the uses of tree words and mottos. For example, the word 'craobh' not only means tree, but can be used as a verb meaning "to propagate." The term craobh-seanchais, literally "tree-knowledge", is used to mean the knowledge of one's lineage and descent. Similarly the term craobh ghinealaiche is used to designate one's genealogical tree.

If you take the the roots of these peoples trees and home from the soil, you leave in its place a stranger's land. For example, The Anglo-Saxons moved in to take over England.  They tried to do the same thing in Ireland but could not get a foot hold strong enough, and those were mostly the Danes that got that small piece. What was left was broken fragments, for it is language, land and totem that makes this kinship spirit which holds us together as family and is the only way you can make the true makings of a tribe.

Cha b'e sneachd is a' reothadh bho Thuath

It's not the Northern snow or frost

Cha b'e 'n crannadh, geur; fuar bhon Ear

It's not sharp, withering cold from the East

Cha b'e 'n t-uisge, is an gailleann bhon lar

It's not the Western rain and storm

Ach an galair a bhlian bhon Deas,

But the blight that withers from the South

Blath, duilleach, stoc agus freumh

Bloom, leaf, trunk and roots,

Cánan mo thréibh 's mo shluaigh...

The language of my people...

Nuair a spion iad a fhreumh ás an fhonn

When they tore the roots from the soil

'N áite Gáidhlig tha Cánan a' Ghoill...

In Gaelic's place is the stranger's tongue...

    In the making of your name, don't dishonour tribal societies existing today or be the joke of serious Celtic Scholars everywhere, by naming yourself or your tribe by picking cool animals.  You'll only be fueling the ridicule of serious practitioners - garbage being passed on by untrained, self-titled & eclectic authors of both new-agey book and many internet sites..

The Ancient Clan names, as listed in one of my other articles, one can see clearly that they referred to themselves as "the people" and some with their declaration of the God or God totem they were descended from.  These were animals, water bodies, trees or other nature places where they resided.  In other words you cannot worship a God or Goddess in the same sense as the Christian or Wiccan concept that God is one and everywhere.  You cannot worship a God who is tied to a spiritual area such as a mountain or river that is non-existent in USA or Canada.  That is just plain ridiculous.   Both Scandinavian or Celtic God were very much attached to their own tribal areas.  Other than the planetary or weather gods, you have to be careful which gods you are choosing.  But even if you wish to choose the weather or planetary gods, their names were not chosen from these Gods. Those Gods are of a different level on the tree worlds.


 The other reason Northern European pagans get upset is that you cannot claim someone else's Mother.  Its disgraceful.  Notice the names of the 1st nations people today then go an look at other tribes around the world.  Now look at my other article and the meaning of their name.  They were all descendants from the animal or tree or god of their own people.  You were not adopted into their tribe so why would you try and steal their mother or father.

Wiccans believe all Gods are one and that is not wrong, that is their beliefs.  The problem is that most of the garbage written and repeated over and over again all over the Internet for Celts is written by Wiccans not Celtic pagans.  The articles obscure the actual facts, for any serious Northern European student, and delays the learning process.  Sadly Most of these New Age authors, have never studied traditionally, let alone picked up a translated copy of any of the actual ancient books they just blindly follow repeating the same garbage that other untrained people are saying. Having said this, I am not trying to disrespect the Wiccan religion at all, as I too started there.  The earlier form of the religion was a very beautiful one.  But it has been warped and changed beyond recognition and the actual religion and traditions are mostly gone.


If you wish to follow a Norse, Odinistic, Asatru or Celtic path, you must dig deeper than them.  The point here is not to ridicule or blame any one religion, it is to point out that nobody want to truly work for information.   Our younger society (born in the 70's and up) seems to want the short version, fast info, right now, on a silver platter, & a quick Internet certificate so they can say they are a Priest, or even worse the title of 'Reverend', in a year or less.  They don't want to honour or worship Gods, nor keep the same Gods, they want to do divination and magic.  I know a couple that changed their Gods 3 times in 5 years.  Worst of all the new generation want it free, they want their way, on their own time & they want it today.  If they don't get their way, it becomes the teacher that must be bad in their eyes, not the disrespectful student.  How can a teacher, teaching their own tradition be teaching it wrong?  Disrespect is everywhere.

Over time, as ancients advanced, the Goddess was replaced with the Hero Gods who still had to do Her challenges in order to find thier power, reflective of their initiatory practices for young warriors.
So you can 1) name your Tribe/Clan something that reflects your group as a people from where you are & what most describes nature in your area and Gods residing there.   2) from the earlier most ancient Goddess (which was a major Food source a clan lived by like the life giving waters provide food (fish) & water or Her totem.  The Goddess then would be the river.  Or 3) You can also choose the later times, or the Heroine Gods, who are involved in the magic of changing of the seasons, & the rites of passage that came with agricultural times instead of sun movement, the original.  And lastly 4)  there were Battle Gods which from interpreting the myths they seem to be Gods to whom sacrifices were given.  BUT for all 5 choices, make your own names & places for the Gods for unless you are living in Northern Europe you are not close to where those Gods reside.

---------------------------------------------------------
I cannot list all  Gods as there are almost 400 Gods found in the Celtic tribes alone, let alone Scandinavian ones.  Just as each tribe in 1st nations people have their own gods, so to did the Northern European tribes.  I will list a few here but the key is to find out what the name means and you can pretty much see from there the absurdity of worshiping gods in another country in Canada or USA when they aren't even here.  


People need to get out of the Christian concept of god as spirit, and realize that their gods they could see and touch as they were the energies in certain places.


Mothers


Cailleach - (Irish) - she is a Mountain range in Ireland, with one being her chair another her residence.



Beira (Scottish) - Legend - made the mountains and hills and shaped them with her hammer.  Great Mother of the Gods and Goddesses.  Winter Goddess or the "Start" of the year.  Her staff freezes the ground and she herds Deer.  Mother Goddesses are associated with one of the Celtic Creation Myths in which most pertain to local land features. Yes there are Creation myths, unlike as said prior, what you read on the internet.  One complete one in an ancient manuscript too, along with planet names etc., but that is for you to study, not me to prove.  Again you can see the mountain is cold on top and it just makes sense that that cold descended and a legend was born.


Cailleachan (Scottish) means literally old women.  Washes her plaid in water and when finished it is pure white.  (snow.).  She resides at Ben Cruachan, the tallest mountain in Scotland.


Abnoba - means river.  She is a mountain in the Black Forest which is the source of the Danube.


Ceridwen - when broken up into syllables - literally means go to white.  There again is winter.  Her sons,  Creirwy, Morfan and Taliesin.


Creirwy seems to refer that he is an egg or a return to the egg.


Morfan literally means Sea point, exactly.




Taliesin means shining brow according to some but the name is not Irish, it is Welsh.  I cannot say for sure as more research is necessary and I will leave this to other scholars for now.  Welsh pronunciation: [talˈjɛsɪn]).  Anyway from these names and my research into translations, her children would represent the three seasons which were the way the year was originally split up for seasons, winter, summer and spring.  Fall was considered spring like or in-between summer and winter or winter and summer. 

Brahva Cwmevos

Copyright July 27, 2011