What a Medieval Feast Table looks like!

How to Put on a Fantastic Theme party - 

The Medieval Feast! 

Huge Medieval feasts were done on special holidays, special events like a wedding, or just because company dropped in.   A Celt was always big on hospitality, in fact there was an occupation assigned to this.  The virtue of hospitality was very high on their list.  No matter who the person was, stranger or friend, at the door, a Celt always took them in as a guest and gave them food, water, shelter and entertainment or be shamed.


We know that the dishes served at these Medieval feasts, depended on the type of food available in the area where the tribe or fine lived.  If the Celt was rich, he or she could order from abroad and would have more types of food available.  The key to serving the right amount for any guest, is to serve them above and beyond what you would serve yourself without harming your family financially.  There was no such thing as going cheap to the Celts!   You shared what you had with all!   A Celts is definitely not modest and at some Medieval feasts the guests were served up to 6 or more courses.


In Earlier years the people in the tribe worked for the Chieftains or Kings for free, at these affairs and within the tribe!  In turn, these Lords were responsible for provide food, training, & safety to them in return.   Everybody had their part to play at these feasts and every single person was considered important.  No one would be abused or starved and no one was without respect for each other, even the servants.   

The Grocery List

What will you buy to serve?  Don't panic.  Choose food that naturally grows in your area or food from the hosts particular culture, no matter what that is.  Please remember that the Celts were not a race, as they embraced all peoples and even adopted some customs and even treated all learned hostages with respect.  

Next, decide on whether your feast will be for peasants or nobility.  If nobility, you would have been able to import exotic meats, fruits, vegetables and nuts.  Nobility also had lots of spices and herbs to flavour the food.  Sugar would be expensive so you might want to use Honey instead, as this was the most popular in Europe in medieval times.

Hosting the Medieval Feast! 

  
Okay the grocery list is planned and now you must plan the evenings events.  Even though Medieval feasts were elaborate, don't let that scare you.   Its not that hard to put on a Medieval feast.    Just think of it as eating in a fancy restaurant with each course served separately.   Start out slowly.  For your first one, just do 4 courses!  I will guide you step by step.  You can get more creative, when you get good at it.  If you have a friend or two that can help serve even better but not necessary if a smaller crowd.  Just remember, light fruits and veggies at the beginning to more Heavier foods to digest go towards the end.   Cheese was always served before and after the meal because this is what physicians of the time believed was good digestion.

What are the Drinks?  

Water, ale, beer, mead, milk, and wine were flowing generously.   Cider became increasingly popular in later times.    Each of these drinks listed were believed to have magical properties.  Wine was believed to nourish the body, restore health, aid digestion, clarify ideas, open the arteries, cure melancholy and help in procreation.  Since, we drive vehicles in modern day, just have your wenches serve one drink between each of the courses.  To not embarass that person who loves to drink too much, have the girls have some entertaining distraction ready for them until the next course comes.

Whats on the Table Itself?  

Your guests will have a riot eating with their fingers, though sometimes a fork was used, but not often.  Usually the only utensil to be seen was the persons personal hip Dirk or sock Sgian dubh.  The forks were only used to either hold the food while you cut a slab off with your dirk (Dirk just means long knife).   
Put out cloth napkins, lemons and water bowls.  There were water bowls and cloth napkins, that yes everybody shared, so don't have one for each have one for every 3 persons who know each other.  Today, we do this for hygiene purposes and maybe you'd like to use the sanitary wipes for after. 

Don't forget they had tankards, drinking horns and goblets, both metal and wooden as well as clay.  A serving spoon would come from the kitchen help but soup was slurped and sopped up with bread!  Bowls and Plates were used and these were wooden and sometimes of precious metal but only for the hierarchy.  

What about Entertainment?

Medieval feasts would usually be followed by hours of dancing, singers, acts, and musicians but there were always acts in between the courses.

What about the Seating arrangement?

Always seat according to rank.  In the Fairs or royal house, this is where the Heralds (who were also trumpet and shield holders) would come in first in parade fashion and hang their parties shield in the appropriate place behind their seat on the wall before anyone would even see the guests.  The Kings table would always be seated prior to anyone entry to watch this parade done in very ceremonious way and no one would dare to get the order wrong.  In other words there was much training in every occupation & one was proud of each as was the Hierarchy of everyone who nodded in approval.

What about Dress? 

If you've been invited, or are going to invite people, to a medieval feast themed event, make sure you or your guests know if its going to be a peasant style feast or is it going to be more like high nobles, lords and kings. Everyone will need to know so they can choose what to wear for costumes to the Medieval feast. I personally enjoy having both with a head table. The fabric in the medieval days was very thick. If you plan on sewing your own costume, use upholstery fabrics. Stay away from pastel colors as they were nonexistent as well as certain patterns like stripes and polka dots. The colors should be bright and rich. Choose colors such as deep blues, deep greens, deep reds, bright yellows and chocolate browns. A good idea would be to ask the century they are thinking, as some centuries didn't have buttons yet.  Remember in Medieval times, the Celts were very different then in the time they were more nomadic.

Step by Step Medieval Feast Course 

1) Have appetizers and light beer and wine out as guests arrive and mingle.  Have the rules and things to do posted on a whiteboard for them to read and discuss.  This is a great way for guests to easier mingle with strangers and saves you some time.  All you have to do is show the way for coats and show them the white sign.  Have a lone harpist or violin or CD with medieval music playing in background.  if you are going elaborate, have your head table seated, and have the servants get the door.  If it is your own group, then have them come in in the order of hierarchy.

2) The 2nd round is a light one such as with a soup or salad.   Serve with water!  Make sure the second entertainer goes after this course, while the plates are cleared.   He or she has the shortest act - 10 to 15 minutes.

3)  Serve a drink now that will go with the 3rd course, just before it comes out.  Choose a watered down mead, if you have any, and a white or red wine.  In the Third Round you serve the meats and vegetables with bread to sop up the juices.  Have the third entertainer last approximately double the length of time as the first one while plates are being cleared.

4)  Serve another drink that will be a desert drink like a sweet Mead is a fantastic choice because the 4th course ends with something sweet. The general rule depends on the Medieval Feast occasion, the more formal, the more fancy the dessert.   The only thing different than today is the reasons for the choices of foods eaten.   Every recipe and preparation had to be done in a ritual protocol that could not be strayed from.

5)  Now that people are fed, have boasting events and other games start, the evenings left over acts.  If you have a Bard, he or she will be responsible for the order of the entertainers.  After about an hour and a half, put out more cheese and appetizers.

Brahva Cwmevos

Celtic Chieftain of Maers Khohias Tribe

Canada

http://www.celtsandvikings.com

 

The Celtic Symbolic Wearing of Circlet

Well the Circlet has been around for a long time and it has many styles depending on the culture. The wearing of it, or any jewelry for that matter was a form of status in the ancient days. Of course the Celtic symbol then for the tiara, circlet or headdress marked you as someone of importance. Someone of noble blood.
Of course the oldest ones found are suppose to be of ancient Egypt according to many articles I've read. Each culture had a very different style as they developed in their own lands as they settled, traded and so on. Some were extremely heavy, some simple and some ornate. We know the Celts have incredible detail in their work from the grave sites found. Did you know that some peoples wore a simple band of cloth tied around the head, exactly like we would wear a head band today. Now looking at the Egyptian ones, some were made of delicate wire, and we can only imagine that these too were worn by the Celts as well. In fact it is the stories of elves in Lord of the rings and other novels that were inspired by the ancient Northern European tribes of both Celtic and Scandinavian origin. We do know that they even wore simple crowns of real flowers as well. All this found in the descriptions found in remnants of mythology, which was how they kept their history.

As the Greeks were very friendly with the Celtic peoples, we know very much that they both traded with each other and in Greek finds we have gold and silver plated wreaths over real leaves. No doubt saved for sacred or ceremonial occasions.

Celtic tribes in the eighth to sixth centuries BCE, created elaborate headdress. A bronze crown was found in Suffolk, England, which was made somewhere between 2^nd and 4^th century CE. Interestingly, it is made almost the same as the gunstrup cauldron, in plate pieces. This time in the magic number of three. It was also amazingly adjustable to fit the wearer. The Celtic tiara means it is not a full circle. There are many tiaras in Europe.

Most made with metal wire of silver, gold, and bronze. These metals were associated with the Sun and moon gods and goddesses. The Northern European tribes had Sun Goddesses as well as Moon Gods and vise versa. The Kings and Queens of these tribes, just as the Egyptians believed, were thought of as divine. Modern day Tribalists believe the same.

Stones of course can be used, these are symbols in themselves and a matter for another article. But they could be shiny rhinestones, which are made of glass, and well made. Crystals were also used. Although today, we are talking about Celtic weddings, as what these would be used for. They are quite popular as there is a resurgence of interest in our own culture again.

We use the tiara to hold the wedding veil in place but some persons are going for more of a circlet look which they also wore. The circlet resembles a bridal tiara except that its placed on the forehead rather than in the hair on top of the head.

We know that the colour Red was only worn by Royalty in the Celtic tribes as was said throughout the myths as well as it represented sacred blood. Green represented regeneration and growth, and many a person wore it, I am sure at Bealtuinne.

by Brahva Cwmevos
Bibliography
I have read so many books that it is hard to say which books I exactly found my research so I shall instead list some of the more likely authors,
Jean Markale
John and Caitlin Mathews
Peter Ellis
LLoyd and Jennifer Laing
The mythologies of the Mabinogion
Arthurian sagas by several authors.

MODERN DAY GroundHog Day - February 2^nd

While I am here in Saskatoon, I thought I would share the celebrations and practices. of each month I am here.  In February some tribes celebrate a sacred holiday called "Imbolc" or "Imbolg" or "Oimelc" depending which area of Northern Europe your tribe was in. To our Norse, Swedish and other Scandinavian ancestors it was called "Oimelc" and later "Feast of Torches". Later the Christians changed the holiday to "Candlemas" or the "Feast of Mary" and today it is called Groundhog day.

Imbolc is a festival celebrated by our ancient ancestors around February 2^nd , and most new age pagans don't know why.  It really is because the Planet Venus is seen in the sky and she marked the halfway point between winter and spring. Venus was the original and famous Virgin Goddess of many cultures around the world. In the Celtic culture, she was seen as Brigid in Ireland (Christianized in the stories to St. Brigid). The British Celts called her Brigantia, the Scots called her Bridghe or Bride. The virgin bride. Mary mother of Christ later.

Today, Groundhog Day is a lighthearted day depicting the use of ancient weather divination in a humorous way which is followed both by the U.S. and Canada. But to the ancients, it was an important event because the success of agricultural crops and breeding or animal husbandry was essential to their survival. This would tell them when the growing season portion of the year would begin, thus when to start the seeds indoors and when the seeds outside would again begin to stir. The Ground Hog were used as they were more numerous in Northern but German farmers watched a hedgehog's shadow to predict the weather, other areas watched badgers, in the areas of snakes, like Scotland, some tribes watched snake holes.

So Oimelc was a day of great celebration, after the shut-in life of winter, and was celebrated with a festival of lights, representing small suns, and fertility (of the earth), marked with huge blazes and torches, also representing warmth of the sun and fertility or sexual desire chaste under the blanket of snow.

The word Imbolc means "In the belly" referring to the pregnant ewes. Oimelc means "ewes milk".

Gaelic folklore & Traditions

You would see a ladies wearing a crown of candles, weather divination, purification rituals such as cleaning house for spring, throwing out old thoughts to make room for new ideas and learning, and honouring the sun whose light was coming back to the people. This was the time for "Starting new things", which is another reason why I thought the signs pointed in the direction of moving to Saskatoon now was the best idea. 


Ewes milk and seed dishes were eaten like sesame breads, grains, bannock (yes this is Celtic not just Native American). Lots of fires lit in family hearths, holy wells visited for healing, and Smith-craft started.

A Scottish Gaelic proverb about the day is:

Thig an nathair as an toll
Là donn Brìde,
Ged robh trì troighean dhen t-sneachd
Air leac an làir.

"The serpent will come from the hole
On the brown Day of Bride,
Though there should be three feet of snow
On the flat surface of the ground."

Imbolc is the day the hag Goddess tries to hide the virgin 'daughter' and she gathers her firewood for the rest of the winter.   A repeating Celtic theme is a Winter God dueling with a Summer God, always trying to steal away the Spring Goddess.   In some parts of Europe we instead find the hag who intends to make the winter last a good while longer, she will make sure the weather on Imbolc is bright and sunny, so she can gather plenty of firewood. The weather prediction therefore stemmed from if Imbolc was a day of foul weather, as it means the Hag was still asleep and winter is almost over  so everyone breathed a sigh of relief.  It was NOT a good sign if it was a nice day.   One of these areas where it was the hag in play was on the Isle of Man.  There the hag could come in the form of a giant bird carrying sticks in her beak.

Girls and young, unmarried, women of the villages create a corn dolly to represent the virgin Goddess, each adorning theirs with ribbons, various baubles, shells or stones. They also make a bed for the 'Bride' to lie in. They then gather together in one house and have supper without the men or other villages stay up all night with the doll, and are later visited by all the young men of the community who must ask permission to enter the home, and then treat them and the corn dolly with respect.

The head of the household is the only one who can smother the fire and rake the ashes smooth, in tribal days this would be the Chieftain. They lay their strips of cloth or healing objects out by these ashes and in the morning, see if any mark was left on the ashes, a sign that Brigid had blessed the objects with the power of healing to use for the year. The girls then carry the "Bride" through the streets, from house to house, where the doll was welcomed with great honor of coins and snacks.
 

Brahva Cwmevos
February 15th, 2011

The Celtic Thought, their Tribal Structure & Laws

The Celtic People's Thinking

In order to understand the tribal Structure below, we must understand the ancient way of thought.  True paganism.  All of ancient Celts were organized in a similar fashion in accordance with a complex hierarchy within a Celtic tribe and the hierarchy extended within its occupations.  All the clans (tribes) of the area had some liberty to adhere to a main tribe, or ruling tribe.  The degree of dependence determined whether an effective part of that tribe and the distance of its commune (or gathering house), had influence it enjoyed within the main tribe council.  obviously then, the lesser tribes on the outskirts of the main tribal territory were the most independent communes.   In other words, everybody had a part to play and everyone's actions rubbed off on the whole of the tribe and working functionality of the tribe.

 

In order to assure some protection in case of war, the Chieftains and/or his/her representatives of these smaller independent fine/clan houses, who attended the gatherings of the tribe,  would each promise to send soldiers to the neighbouring tribes if the need arouse.  These troops were considered to be auxiliary troops, who had to obey the commanders of the main or central tribe.   

Having said this, it was very rare that the many tribes would gather together for the good of the whole.  There are only 3 times, I can think of, off the top of my head, - Vecingetorix, Caradoc and Arthur, (mythical or not), as all of these names are believed to be titles now rather than names, based on the clans or Royals totem, so Arthur could very well be real.  A study most people do not know is that Arthur is mentioned as far back as the 6th century and in the 9th century by the monk Nennius prior to any stories being written.  In his earliest written mythology form, he is all through the Mabinogi and right along side with the other Gods Mabon etc. 

These persons mentioned above, were made a sort of 'High King' which means the Top dog or War Chieftain who unites all the lesser tribes for as long as the threat lasted.  This usually would last a year and a day, and then everyone went back to being faithful to their own tribe.  As you can see then, this title was short lived and therefore these people would NOT actually be listed as a King in historical documents but as ancestral heroes, godlike as they believed.  The most repeated and rewritten story branches of Celtic mythology, lasting longer than any other Celtic tribal regions faiths, about one of these such 'Kings', is that of the Arthurian tales whom followers, unbelievably, still exist today.  These tales began when Britain and Wales were one, yet he is known in Scotland as well.

 As with many cultures, all tribes could be broken down into subtribes, and these subclans broken down again into fines or family units and the bonds to these connecting tribes were always way more stronger than any religious beliefs.  I want to clarify that Clan and Tribe in the ancient days, was the same thing.  Today it is different as clan now refers to individual family names.  They did not bicker back and forth about what is right and what is wrong about their beliefs, as the ridiculous banter that goes on today, they each had their own way period BUT each followed a land law based on an honour code system, one of the virtues that was gladly adhered to by all.  

As said in one of my other articles, so many people focus on making a religion exclusively to the Celts as a whole, confusing the Celts to all have the same ethics or be of a 'race', failing to understand they were all different and the Celts are NOT a race.  They share a similar language.  But regardless of all that the most important point of all they did all share - Tribalism.  None of these other things matter, if you do not keep of one's promise, the promise to be ever faithful to the tribe.  Their word to another, no matter what disagreements came their way, was like gold.  They were loyal to the end, as a lie meant never to be trusted again and shamed.  Tribalism was so important, that no matter what came, the tribe would grow and thrive, as a unit.  You can't join a tribe then a few years later change your mind even if it was a disagreement.  It worked together and 'faced' their fears, for the facing of each other, was the most courage one could show and the most growth in advancement of enlightenment and life lessons.

Those who spoke truths about even their feelings, right or wrong, were always helped as nothing was kept in.  No one had to tell them what to do because every occupation and purpose was clearly defined and every single person was important to keep this running smoothly.  If someone did get out of line, everyone had an honour price, and whatever was handed down in judgement was carried out to save 'face' and show others that they can be trusted.  This real wealth (as in money is not real it is a promissory note) affected the entire clan.

What is interesting is that the people whom we would think would be in power did not have the same kind of power as we would view it in modern day thinking.  For one, Kings or Queens were elected by the people.  When it came time to choosing a successor, the entire tribe voted.  In fact the higher you were in the hierarchy chart, the less rights and the more obligations and geasa you had put upon you.   The people ruled period.  It was never until later when they met the Roman and Norse areas influence that the successor was the first born.  Kingship was not inherited by birthright.

The freemen or working class peoples were put into occupational castes ad this was done by inheritance but not forced upon one if they possessed the interests or natural skills to choose another.   Following in your parents footsteps was a honour to your families name.  Wealth for the Kings was not handed down to their own family.  It would be used for the tribe.  If they had personal items and passed away, these things would be acquired by their fine.  

Now here is another example where their virtue Honour and their tribal system, becomes was a more important way of life, then any religion system.  Kingdoms are too big to rule for one person so each Clan was responsible for the actions of every member.  If you had one bad apple, you were all labeled the same.  This alone kept everyone in check.  The worst punishment was to be sent out on your own, alone in others lands, with no honour price.  If you made a wrong, you had to pay for the crime usually your honour fee and the clan paid it if you didn't.  Every action you took, the clan was responsible for.   You can see how no one would want to turn their back on their own family or even a member that pissed you off.  This would not happen unless the greatest of crimes was done.    Family always stucktogether through thick and thin, it was a responsibility, sadly people do not get this today.

Self initiators of todays newer pagan traditions, do not get  this concept.  They even thumb their nose up at sacred lineage, usually because the those untrained traditionally are not taught the reasons behind initiation or its lineage.  

Lineage behind you gives great power and, as with any power, it must be held in a responsible manner, not to be just given over to another without permission from the original tribe who holds it.  It provides a tangible link to the tribe, its tribal area and its proof of permission to be included in thus family, is given only at the ceremony and permission by the one who is the leader of the tradition that passed it to you.  Anyone caught doing so without permission, or even giving the secret and/or similar ritual, even if parts were changed, is thought of as dishonorable.   You cannot take claim of the common ancestor unless adopted for life by that tribe.


Lineage ensures the right to form your own clan, teach that way, or use the clan's items.  It gives one legal protection to an individual.  Even the apprenticeship of a Celts occupation song dance, rite or the holding of a particular tools, must be given in honour.  For example, a warrior cannot just choose to carry a  sword or carry a blade, without the rights handed down.

EDUCATION STRUCTURE

When the occasion arose, that a person showed a talent for a different profession, he would be shown to the teachers of that profession and accepted for training there as an adult.  As a child, all went to a foster clan for their coming of age to adulthood.  Unlike the quick give me a title attitude of the new-age pagans today, the priest Castes took 20 years to receive their titles and they went by a sort of degree system, receiving a new title to show where they were in their training.

The warrior caste made lots of work for the tribal blackmith who was considered a brilliant magical artist.  One piece of Armor that I find funny is that they associate the vikings with horned helmets yet none have been found there BUT the Celts had a horned helmet, like two cones, and these have been found.  For a great view of it, see - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celts   but don't put much credence in some of the article. ... or mine for that matter.  It is best to weigh every scholars writings with others and things you've found in order to make an educated opinion, let alone voice it.

The art of true learning is to listen.  Those that spend time talking or disputing do not know how to truly listen, but that is another lesson & that is not what this article is about.

Each clan was responsible for the education of the entire tribes young.  At certain ages, the child was sent to be fostered by a neighboring clan thus ensuring the bonds of the whole of the tribe.   He would first training to learn its cultural knowledge then move on and become an apprentice at his or her chosen or inherited profession.  

The women had gaitherin's in the 'Sun' room or kitchen ceilidhs where both male and female elders, Grandparents and so on, would pass down these tales, sacred clan or tribal song or skills such as knitting.  The clan always helped each other in accordance with abilities per age groups so that they could produce their share and occupation for the entire tribe.  Sometimes, this made the children closer to their foster parents then their blood parents as shown with the 'games of Lugh' which he held in honour of his foster mother or the tales of Lancelot or other legendary heroes based on relationships with foster mothers.  This foster training system was still going on in some areas up until the 18th century.

Structure of the Banquet Festivals

Seating at these affairs was always done with great ceremony, with the trumpeter or orn blower ( the Announcer) introducing the entrance of the Chieftain leader of that Clan and each clan sitting in order of rank.  They had even a special task for the honoured shield carrier who would come in and place their shields on the walls for their leaders in a procession prior to the entrances as well.   The meat was first served to the chosen champion (warrior) who had showed the greatest courage .

Depending on the tribe, some celebrated four festivals, some a different four, some 6 and some 8, depending on the surrounding influences and tribal ideas.  More on this, in my Medieval Feast article.

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A chart from top to bottom of the Whole tribe & how each part is run.

In this section, we will look at the breakdown in tribal structure and the laws that govern that.  On closer observance of the law books, we can really start to understand the terms used in the groups within groups of the tribes. It really was quite brilliant, and almost the same as a company needs to be run today. Any company or group, that truly wants staying power, must have a hierarchical chart, as without one, all groups will be short lived. If you never learn your place and find the importance of one's place, all vying for false 'power', for title does not mean power.  Title means to serve other, not that one is more important, better than, or more intelligent than others.  All of this can be studied in more detail in Volume four of "The Ancient Laws of Ireland", translated then printed in 1879.

Oh by the way, keep in mind that this was written down when Christianity was prevalent, so some of the laws were adjusted to this new age & but most was maintained.  It doesn't give any light on woman occupations but does give insight into their rights in relationships.  We do know from other evidence that women also ruled and led armies.

Knowing this now, here goes the actual terms of the Structure;

Fine - The original Family the Irish called the "Geil Fine".   This family must have the male parent and four children.  The geilfine means the "Chief" of this fine but others say it means "hand family".  When this Chief dies, the sons split from this group and form their own.  If not each stays and becomes larger.  So the largest a fine can be of 5 males. 

Sept - Once a family becomes larger than five original males, these males with four sons of his own must form his own own fines.  When there are five fines, they can now can grown up to 17 men large and these are called Septs, but all these still belong and are under the rule and sometimes protection of the original Chief.  Now if any one of these sons or his sons sons made the Sept have 17 members, the eldest of the Sept would be booted out and lose all his privileges of being first son but this would never be the original Chief who would always remain.   It is written that these children could be also be adopted so these clans were not necessarily of the same blood.


Clan/Tribe - The five groups from the Four Septs and the original one, each of 17 persons.  Family rank was by the youngest or newest member, not the oldest or longest like we would do today and of course still with the original Chief or Chieftain.  The youngest would recieve all the inheritance when Chief died and the eldest would be kicked out or lose dignity as he aged.

*Tribal land was called a kingdom. If you study ancient Ireland alone, there were approx 150 kingdoms. There were no measured borders, just as far as the eye could see.

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Conclusion

After reading the above, the most important thing that I want you to take away from this is that nothing was considered 'owned' by an individual, including knowledge, it was the clan or tribes alone.  So in modern terms, You could not be trained by a group, then take this training elsewhere without permission from the whole, or the founder of that tribe or tradition.  Not even the land where they held their rites can be used by others as the ancients did not consider land individually owned but shared by "the people" (the tribe) whose traditions and Gods are there.  

Another silliness of modern persons is taking and worshiping somebody else's Gods.   For one they are not on your land, they are tied to the land they come from.  They are not "out there" in the sense of the Christian God, they are the energies in your particular lands surroundings.  They bare also considered that lands ancestors.  You cannot choose to take someone elses' mother.

Miscelaneous Celtic Facts

• Goddesses mostly ruled the land and the Gods the sky in later iron age and possibly bronze.
• Kings before they married a bride had to undergo a ritual to marry the land itself. (Gerald of Wales (1146 – 1223 CE). Sex with white mare, drank broth from flesh.
• Kings have to be perfect. If they are missing any body parts or are scarred in anyway or if they could no longer have sex, they could not be King. Why because they strongly believed he would cause the land damage.
• If you disrespected the Goddess you would cause wasting of the land as well.
• The Hero to be King, it was said, had to go through severe testing by the goddess to make sure they were worthy of her hand. The earliest tale of this is Niall and his brothers. Arthurian legends retains it as well – Gawain and Raglan, and also if a King treats his Queen badly. Queen most definitely is directly linked to the Goddess in physical form.

• We see from historical facts that Cartimandua (sleek pony), leader of the Brigantes, and Boudicca, leader of the Iceni, they were warrior queens in their own right and clearly were considered Goddess by their very names.
• If a Queen rules , the King is only her consort – Queen Maeve shows this.
• Wore torcs for divinity or aristocracy

• we know for sure they had a need to sacrifice valuable objects to their gods.
• - we know there were in Swizerland tribes as the bogs filled of Celtic items 100 BCE, lake Neuchatel.

SUMMARY

Some of this way of life, in my opinion, should return to modern day and with it would come more respect for our fellow man and the earth and its creatures.  We need to learn to live on natural replenishing resources, not irreplaceable secondary products that will be used up like oil and gas. 

Brahva Cwmevos

"LaurieLee Mills"

Copyright February 08 2011

The origin of Wands

A wand was carried by those who were of a specific office. Not everyone was allowed to carry a wand. In traditional modern paganism, the same thing goes. Only once you reach a certain level would the apprentice be bestowed a wand. The wand becomes a symbol of their power. The same thing goes for a ceremonial mace, a sceptre or a staff. The wand was also translated as 'the rod'. All show a different office or position. The wand is seen as a masculine energy as it is phallic shaped. In some modern Wiccan traditions they see it fit into an element - either fire or air. Celtic practitoners use it in a very different sense.

Wands are very unique to the Celtic culture. There are others who say the priests of Zoroastrian religion but theirs is very thick and involve many twigs to make a thick branch. There is more lore dealing with wands with the Celts than any other culture. According to Peter Ellis, Mannanàn Mac Lir carried a wand of apple. Apples in Celtic myths are always on an isle surrounded by water so this would make sense. Since this God is the Isle of Man.

Looking at some other cultures in literature, like in the Key of Solomon Book 2, "The staff should be of elderwood or cane, and the wand of hazel or nut tree, in all cases the wood being virgin, which means no more than one year's growth. To me this means the ancients were very careful not to have the wand absorbing too much energies so that the owner can imbue it with his or her own energies. Imagine how powerful a wand would be when it was passed on to the successor from a powerful magick user. It was written that the wand had to be cut from the tree in a single stroke, on a Wednesday, at sunrise. The characters shown should be written or engraved thereon in the day and hour of the planet Mercury."

Most modern day people, including the play acting witches don't really believe in magic. The only difference is the untrained book witches want to believe it works. The ancients were nearer to knowing the truth about Science than those who called themselves Scientists today. Science has taught us much But there are still mysteries, and beneath them even more.

The wand on top of being a tool to show hierarchy, it was also used to hold, draw or direct energy. The wand itself cannot perform the magic, it is the power from person behind it. Those who do not practice, and instead are all talk or study instead of hands on, are not powerful people. The wand also holds the metaphysical properties of the material it made from and as everything in nature holds a spirit. It is believed it has life within. To the Druid, the tree had a life force called the dryad, thus it was very important to name your tool. When the wand was cut from the tree, this spirit was asked to stay in the wand as well.

Because most wands were made of wood, very few have been found and dated, but many were written about all through the myths, as said especially in Northern cultures. In Egypt, wands were found made of hippopotamus ivory.and were shaped in a semi-circle with many symbols and drawings carved on them. Many with specific animals. The Wands of Horus are hollow cylinders filled with a variety of special stones for healing. In this culture as well, different roles possessed different wands depicting certain levels of training, some taking many years to acquire.

The Harry Potter type wands we use today are in the style of the Northern tribes, like the Celtic and Scandinavian tribes. The Druids and Godi were the shamanic priests of the Celts & Scandinavians.  In many cultures where Tribes consisted of many different clans, the leaders, druids and/or healer would carry a decorated staff or wand so that others would know how to identify these positions. The Celts are the same as the Canada Indian tribes, when it comes to a customs of taking the head of a fallen enemy to be placed on a staff and displayed outside the village. This was to capture the power of the enemy and to honor the valor of the enemy as well. Now some wands are pronged, like the ancient caduceus (in its most ancient form) appears as a forked or cross rod forming a loop. To the alchemists of the time, the person holding the caduceus meant that he learned “that which poisons can also heal”. For the Norse, Völvas means "wand carriers". 
 

Rods are just another version of the wand but longer. A person who carried a rod that had been charged during a storm of both thunder and lightening, had the power to settle all disputes. Thus giving that person judge and mediation authority. If it was empowered under the full moon of Samhuinn, it gave the carrier great authority over spirits of heaven and earth. Other rods were purposely charged for individual events like childbirth.  To sum up this essay, you can learn alot about the gods by the wands they carry.

Brahva Cwmevos

(Laurie Lee Mills)

Copyright January 2011

Authentic Mead

Drinking Mead among the Northern European Tribes

Because of my tribe's Bard who makes the most delicious mead that I've EVER tasted, I wanted to write about mead. Not only is it all through the stories drank by the Gods and the peoples, it has a past of magickal power. Lets explore further;

 Mead is not a beer nor is it a wine as both involve processes and ingredients not used in the making of it. Sadly, some mead makers, along with those who sell to liquors stores, use ingredients unneccesary and the taste is just not the same at all. Mead was an ancient drink that was much beloved by all Northern European tribes and the peoples of Europe. You don't need any of those and its shelf life is for years.  Liquor store mead IS not will not ever be the same, neither is the crap that some pagan groups make - fortified mead, or the other that tastes like turpentine lol!!

If we look at the history of wine it goes back 6,000 years, but mead goes way back. We can trace it to approximately between 20,000 to 40,0000 years to Africa by following the honey bee which has been around for at least 1,000,000 years. We know that nectar can experience spontaneous fermentation as a result of the action of wild yeast so who knows when the ancients discovered this.

Everything was magickal in these times and Bees discovered yeast a million years before we understood the many ways it could affect honey.  Man discovered this yeast in the old homes of the bees discarded in the dry seasons.  When the rains came, these places would combine the 3 ingredients together (water, yeast & honey) and lo and behold - Mead was born.  Is it really that 3 was a sacred number to the Celts and can you imagine what the ancients thought when they first tasted this nectar of the Gods and the 'magickal effects' took hold on their body and mind.

Eventually the nomadic peoples of Europe began making mead. Surprizingly Europe was the last to hold on to the tradition of mead drinking, the art only fading away some 500 years ago, where as other countries left it over 1500 years ago. The reason for this was wine became more of a Kingly drin as it was perfected. But, still today in Britain there are still monasteries that still produce mead. You notice it was Priest like occupations that kept the bees as ceremonial candles were important to have on hand and bees provided the wax for this purpose. During its time of popularity it was often available only to royalty who could afford to hire a druid or later the monestaries that had bee keepers kept this tradition.

In the stories it is Kings and Gods that partake in the merryment of mead but that is not to say the free people did not partake. There just wasn't anyone writing of those who did not strive to make a name for him or herself through their occupation and mazers (mead makers) are no exception. The best mazer, blacksmith and so on would be sought out for Royalty suppliers.

We've had no real commercialized industry for mead making since the 1800's but it is making a come back since the interest in the ancient religions of Europe has risen again. Now there is an actual organization that represents the global mead market, called the International Mead Association or IMA. I strongly suggest that mead makers check it out so that we can bring this industry back and you can possibly be acknowledged for your own unique concoctions.

Anyway, when you speak to our bards, they speak of not only the wonderful explotion of taste of each mead brings to your pallet, but also the hidden treasures within it and the process of making it. Whats even more greater about it is that the keeping of it is so easy. Its shelf life is of great length and sustainable for months that we know so far as most gets drank before 6 months is up so I cannot personally verify longer than this time frame. But once you've drank your first mead, I am positive that you will be hooked and will go wassailing. I invite you to come, if you live in Calgary to join in one of our mead tasting gatherings and sit round and listen to the entertaqinment planned by our clan. We welcome all.

Now lets talk about customs, celebrations and times when mead was used.  Mead had fantastic healing properties, once thought as myth but now these 'myths' are slowly being proven today as fact. They also believed that mead helped fertility.  Did you know where the word honeymoon comes from.  Yes mead. The couple would go for one full moon cycle drinking mead together after the rite of marriage, to make sure they would conceive.  

Contrary to popular belief, many modern pagan groups seem to think that May was popular for marriage, it was not.  In fact May was very unlucky if one were to actually read the stories. June is the month considered to be the luckiest and its moon is called the honey moon.  May marriages always end in disaster. Even in Queen Victoria's time, she believed it was a bad omen to marry in this month.  This myth  is repeated throughout Northern European culture from Norse to Ireland and in the Arthurian areas, where the Winter God always wins the spring Goddess away from the Summer God.

The Making of Mead

Mead was made of water and honey only. Today, this is called a Traditional mead and some persons call it a sack mead but Sack mead is sweeter than traditional using more honey. The practice of adding herbs to it only came about in the middle ages as far as I've found so far. Please remember in every article I write, more and more knowledge will surface as more texts are still being translated and as archeaology discovers more with DNA testing and so on. We do know that they did add fruit to it, as we can see this in Roman areas.

Now there are some that make a sparkling mead but this is not a mead, in my opinion. These are the others made today that are still traditional ;

Metheglin - with added spices

Melomel - made with fruitiness

Hippocras - spices and fruit

There is much more kinds being made today, and those you can research on your own if you get the passionate desire to make it. If you need help be sure to join our facebook group and start a discussion for mead and our Bards would be haopy to help you out!!! It actually seems fitting that our bards make the mead in our modern day tribe as Bards were sought after performers in ancient times who traveled from tribe to tribe or Royal to royal, entertaining people with song, story, music and dance in exchange for great hospitality. When a Bard arrived the people celebrated as the people could take a break from working and daily routines and enjoy the feast of the tribe. Mead of course would be plenty and enhance the experience of the mood a Bard could create. Our Bards still do the same thing and you are welcome to come!!.

You haven't lived until you try our Bards mead. So Got Mead? Happy Wassailling!! Drink up and enjoy mead!  Drink it in Tankards, goblets, horns or glasses.

Brahva Cwmevos

Copyright  August 2010

The List of Northern European Celtic Tribes

The List of Names of the

Northern European Celtic Tribes

 The Picture above is from the era the Celts thrived prior to Christianity.  600 BCE to 100 CE.

Grouping the Celtic Tribes

Galatians - Northern Italy and Asia minor

Gauls - France and Southern Germany.

Iberian Celts - Spain - moved to become eventually the Irish.

Britons - Britain area 

Arthurian - Wales and Germany area.  The Angles moved to join tribes in Wales. 

Brythonic (newer language) - Britanny, Cornwall and Wales branch 

Goidelic (older language) - Scots, Manx and Irish branch.  First Irish Celts were known as Dal Riadans (the Kingdom became Argyll.
Scots or Scotti - the irish who broke of and moved to the area now called Scotland.

Note -  The people in Britain we refer to as Anglo Saxon but this is not true we should be calling them Anglo-Celts

BEST LIST OF CELTIC TRIBE NAMES YOU WILL FIND! 

If I found the meaning of their names I've written it here.  You will see just like the first nations people again, the Celts also referred to themselves as 'the people' and added from the main God they were descended from. Many believed they came from animals, now whether these be constellations in the sky or animals on earth we don't know but others believed they came from trees.  The Celtic Begae for example, believed they were descendants of Epona.  Some of the Scottish tribes believed their ancestor was the seal and honoured the Selkie Mother Goddess. You can do this as well.  Those tribes of far North and West were hard to track down because they had little contact with the Romans and did not exist on the ancient maps of Ptolemy Geogrophy.  

This List of Celtic tribes are as follows;

•  the Aduatuci tribe - L Meuse R. Their name means "people who live next to the water".  The Aduatuci or Atuatuci Germanic and Gallic peoples. were, according to Caesar, a tribe formed in east Belgium from descendants of the (proto-)Germanic Celts called the Cimbri , Teutones, and Ambrones tribes. In Date: 57  B.C.E. the Aduatuci sent troops to assist the  the fearsome Nervii, (Nervians) with the Atrebates, and the Veromandui, in the Battle of the Sabis.  These tribes were forming against Ceasar on the opposite side of the Sambre River.  History could have been changed as the Romans were almost wiped out if it weren't for two legions that happened to be arriving on a returning baggage train. and the cavalry also returned  The Aduatuci arrive late and were later defeated by the Romans after withdrawing to a fortified Aduatuci city. During the night however, thinking that the Romans would lower their guard in light of the surrender, the Aduatuci stormed the Roman lines hoping to catch them by surprise. The attempt failed and nearly 4,000 men were killed with the rest retreating to the fort. In the first of many perceived brutalities Caesar would be merciless with the Belgae who betrayed him. The next day the Romans stormed the fort capturing it quickly. He then claimed that 53,000 people were captured and sold into slavery, virtually wiping out the Aduatuci. 

• the Aeduii Tribe - (also called Haedui or Hedui)  from today's central France - French Celts.  They had rituals adopted from the Greco-Roman culture.  Way before the Cesar era, this tribe had already attached themselves to the Romans, and were considered blood kinsmen of the Roman people. The Sequani tribe was their neigbours on their other side, and as with all Celtic tribes, they continually warred with.  When Ceasar came they turned to their own people, surprisingly against Rome, even though in 58 BCE he restored their independence.  Once they saw they were losing, they returned their allegiance to Rome.  The Aedui were the first to receive from Emperor Claudius the distinction of 'jus honorum' (the rights to vote and to office). There is evidence where they adopted a Roman type political system where there was a 'magistrate'.  The Chief magistrate of the Aedui was called Vegobretus (which if I remember correctly what i read somewhere, means "judgment worker". This position was elected annually, and possessed powers of life and death, but was forbidden to go beyond the people living in their own area. The Aedui (tribe) means "living sun fire people". Divitiacus is a famous Druid of the Aedui who supported Rome.  Was a Senator for his tribe and escaped a massacre by the forces of the Sequani tribe. 

• the Albini tribe - means 'White moon people' and they lived by mountains with a similar name Albanese mountains.

• the Allarte tribe  -name became Allard, Alhers, Allart, D'Alare and many other variations today.  They were from tribes around the area that was run by what I call the  French Celts and some came to Quebec.  Others say sub-clans of Allard joined in the area of the Anglo-Saxon (Norman) tribes of Britain.  Was first made into a last name when taxes were put upon people and the Coat of Arms granted to the Allard family is a silver shield with three red bars, on an azure canton a gold leopard's face.I am unsure at this point its meaning.

• the Allobroge tribe - A Gaul  Celtic tribe, Ceasar mentions them in ancient writings, "the Segusiavi were were the "first tribe outside the province" on "the far side of the Rhone." SE France - near Lake Geneva. Ceasar said he marched from the Allobroges to the Segusiavi (the east bank of the Rhône & into the Roman province). The Greek Historian Plybius is the first to record a reference to the Allobroges. He tells how they  unsucessfully resisted Hannibal when he crossed the Alps in 218 BCE.  Apparently their major healing God was Borvo & not Apollo, as they were very Romanised.  Allobroges - means "white cow people" according to one lady but it is a word I believe, that comes from the Belgium or Spain area Celts.  If you split the name in Galacian essentially means Allo is "alternate" or "other" & broges becomes Broghan or Brogue = which means shoemaker lol. Bro means brothers.  So I believe it means Brothers of the shoemaker possibly.

• the Ambarri tribe - Mid-France kinsmen of Aedui.

• the Ambiani tribe - Norther France near Amiens.

• the Ambiliati tribe - allies of Veneti

• the Ambisonte tribe - lived in the Alps..   

• the Ambivareti (Ambivariti) tribe - Subclan of the Aeduii and lived North of Meuse R.

• the Ambrone tribe - Celtic tribe that lived by Denmark, France and central Europe. 

• the Anacalite tribe - resided in SE England.

• the Anani tribe - An Italian Celtic tribe living in Western Emilia, Po Valley.  The name Anani means cloud people I heard - don't quote me.  if anyone comes up with proof otherwise let me know.  there is the (Anari) who lived in South Po Valley, not sure if its the same people branched.

•  the Anarte tribe - lived near the Danube.

• the Andecavi tribe - (also Andicavi or Andes) were a people of ancient and early medieval Armorica.  Ceasar says they provided winter lodgings for Publius Crassus, who accomplished bringing several tribes into relations with Rome.  Lead by Dumnacus, in the huge war against Ceasar. 

• the Ande tribe - North lower Loire R.

•  the Aquitani tribe - Aquitania, south of Loire.

•  the Arevacian tribe - Spanish Celts in North Spain.

• the Armoricani tribe - were a tribe living in the area now called Brittany and all along the coast up to Dieppe in Normandy.  These people still there in the Iron Age as what people now call Norse or Scandinavians but there is plenty of evidence that their earlier settlement, both Strabo and Poseidonius describe, as they belonged to the Belgae at one time. 

• the Arri tribe - according to Christine O-Keefe means fertile people.  

• the Arvaci tribe -

• the Arverni tribe - Southern France by the Auvergne Mountains.  Gauls who had the famous Vercingetorix as their leader who was executed 46 B.C.E.

• the Aquitani tribe - (Latin for Aquitanians) were a people living in what is still called Aquintane, France. The name Aquitanian seems to be related to an older form of a deity called Basque. 

• the Artrebates tribe - resided in Southern England and Northern France.  

• the Atuatuci tribe - France

• the Aulerci tribe - Southern France

• the Ausci tribe - Aquitanian tribe   

• the Averni tribe - violently opposed to the Romans. Lived in the elevated region in South central of France in mountains and plateaus.  One of the most powerful tribes of ancient Gaul.  During the 2nd and 3rd centuries they were guided by their King, Luernios.  It is written that either his son or his grandson, Bituitus, was defeated by the Romans in 123 BC, and there after the Aedui and Sequani became the dominant tribes.

• the Baiocasses tribe - elected their leaders annually. The Baiocasses were located east of the Venelli and west of the Belgic Veliocasses. The latin name for their territory was the Pagus Baiocensis. 

• the Batavi tribe - Rhine delta.  

• the Belgae tribe - Celtic tribes SW England, and Belgium. 

• the Belli tribe - mention of it, most likely a Belgium tribe.  

• the Bellovaci tribe - Northern France - again might be from Belgium.  

• the Bibroci tribe - lived in SE England.   

• the Bigerrione tribe - S France

• the Biturge tribe - Mid-France, Bourges

• the Boii tribe - more of a nomatic tribe were in the Alps, Northern Italy, middle France, Austria but were originally in Bohemia. These are Germanic style Celts. Central Emilia-Romagna (Bologna).  They minted base gold, silver and billon (base silver) coins. Most of the coins show a Celtic male head on one side with a very elaborate hair style and on the other side a horse and chariot rider with a lyre above or below or else a boar.  A number of these are in existence.  They believed they were descendants of Belenus.  Belinus 'the shining one", his name means bright or brilliant. Their name meant People of the Bull or Bull people. Bull is a common totem for the sun as well as other horned animals like the Stag.  

• the Brannovice tribe - People of the Raven.  

• the Breuci tribe - lived in Yugoslavia area.

• the Bretons - 

• the Brigantes tribe - is a very large tribe that were settled in Northern England from seas to sea.  These are the English or British Celts who came in 3rd to 6th centuries CE.  and were called Saxons because they came from region of old Saxony and does not refer to an ethnic group though there is still debate.  This Germanic language was spoken in Britain before the arrival of the Normans who spoke French - descendants of French Celtic tribes perhaps?  As time passed the two languages joined and made English - Anglo-Saxons. 

• the Britons (the Britanni tribes) - Southern England. Its is funny that the people living in England today (2000's) call foreigners who move to England 'Brits' or 'British' although it is they the 'English' or the invading Anglo-Saxons that are the foreigners in reality. Original Britons were once Painted people too as even in 208, they were said to tattoo their bodies with coloured designs of all kinds of animals.

• the Caerini tribe - also spelled Carini, lived in Sutherland area, west of the Cornavi.  Their name means People of the Sheep, especially the Ram.  (Here we see again a reference to zodiac or sky Gods) 

• the Caledonii tribe - also spelled Kaledonioi or Calidones means (firm, tough, severe and/or hardy) live from the Bay of Lemmanonia to above them the Caledonian forest.  Their name is still preserved in 9th Century Dun Chaillden and Schiechallon.  They were 'world' (Roman) renowned for their fighting skills.  Had Red hair and large limbs.  One of the leaders was called Calgacus (means swordsman). Also referred to as Picts in 367, it is believed they were also called Dicalidones. 

• the Cattraighe tribe - Eastern Lombardy (Brixia, Cremona).  Name means Cat folk.  The Shetland Isles earliest name was Insli Catt meaning Cat islands referring to the wild cat totem of this tribe.  This name is still survive but is now Caithness.  The Gaelic name for Sutherland is Cataibh meaning "among the Cats".  The island is now showing strong evidence of Scandinavian population who mixed with the tribes there. 

• the Carnonacae tribe - also spelled Karnonakai.  Lived in the Creones.  Their name means trumpet or horn people but could also be referring instead to the rocky surroundings as their name is also similar to Welsh word for Carn or Cairn. It is a Scottish tribe.

• the Cartagena or Carthagenians tribe - Spanish Celts are Ibernian Celtic mix.

• the Cayvupnor tribe - (Name means Bear People - most likely Arthurian tribe or other Bear cult who focused on Bear constellation).

• the Cenomani tribe - Eastern Lombardy (Brixia, Cremona) 

• the Cornavii tribe -Caithnessarea, means People of the horn or Horn People which meant of the horned one or horned animal.  They were strong believers in Kernnunos / Cernunnos.

• the Creones tribe - Creones is of course Latin version Kreones (Gr.).  They are also referred to as  Cerones and lived north of the Epidi. My guess is that the Romans got it wrong and this was a sub clan under the same tribe as the Carnonacae and Caereni. Unfortunately, the meaning of their name is unknown but if I had to take an educated guess, being that the Celts identified with sky, land and animals as being descended from, so it could refer to a leader naming himself after Cernunnos or adipted from the regions itself and if so the closest Celtic word to it would be 'pile of stones' or 'prominent stone'.  

• the Damnoni tribe - whose name literally means "men under the goddess of the deep".  Could be a reference to them being miners. Associated with Drumchapel & settled in Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire, Dumbartonshire & parts of Stirlingshire, Devon, Britanny & Ireland. They spoke P-Celtic similar to Welsh and say they were descended from Semion of the Nemeds. Nemedians revolted against the Formorians but lost & the survivors  left Ireland to colonize Britain.  When they return they are now called Fir Bolgs and the People of Dana. Interestingly the Strathclyde Damnoni have their own myths.

• the Decantes tribe - Decantes (Lat.), Dekantai (Gr.)  Also spelled Decantae or Decanti. Modern day Decan.  This tribe lived north of the Caledonii there was also a tribe with the same name that existed in North Wales according to Rivet and Smith. Their name means the 'noble ones'.

• the Durotrige tribe - lived in the Dorset area of South Britain. 

• the Daesitiate tribe / also called Dacii (Dacians by the Romans)-  Wolf people / descendants of wolf. They were unquestionably stretched from the Southern Adriatic to the Danube in the North. To this day a large number of their fortress remains and it's almost sure that the Daesitiates & their Romanized descendants lived in them.

• the Eburones tribe -Boar People according to .  And again according to Christine O'keefe they were (Winter Goddess People).  Both sounds a little fluffy to me since the tribe was Belgic, very Celtic back then, not quite developed the full Dutch language yet.  They also lived around Namur, France.  Eburoni: *Eibe means yew and is from the place names around the area this the most likely meaning, not 'boar'.  In Dutch. 'Boer' = farmer, also not boar. Eburon is plural of Ebur or eibboer. During the late Roman Empire the region was called Taxandria (sometimes Toxandria) in Latin: taxus also means yew . Yew grows reasonably well upon sandy soils and we know most of their territory is sandy. This tribe's farmers was also know for growing and selling yew to supplement their income. Yew was and still is the traditional wood of making archery bows like the famous English longbow.  In fact, Yew from Taxandria was famous throughout Gaul.  The Eburonians used a special para-Brythonic name: eburo for Yew.  It is important to note that these Northern European tribes did not call themselves the names given to them by the Romans.  For example, the Eburoni called that by Romans, called themselves Tunger Tribe (also spelled Tungri) = meaning  "those who speak our tongue".   According to Caesar, they were Germanic but we know that these tribes all mixed and moved.  In his day though, these people inflicted the greatest military defeat to Caesar during his campaign in 'Gaul'. Some 7500 men were slaughtered. Sadly, as a measure of revenge, Caesar officially declared genocide, and wanted to wipe out the entire tribe. But we know that a complete genocide was never able to carry through because many people were once one.  Later, the Eburoni re-appeared declaring their own name the Tungri written in the official Roman nomenclature, actually honouring the 'divine' Caesar. Again, you cannot believe everything written from the period, especially when they are written by those who have a predujice against these people.  The names of this tribes Germanic Kings, also shows proof that all these tribes were once Celtic - Ambiorix and Catuvolcus.  The upper echelons were Celtic with both language and culture.  Another proof is their  tribal name meaning 'yew'-tree'  This gives Caesar's story some deeper meaning - that King Catuvolcus committed suicide by taking in the poisonous juice from the yew-tree an extra layer of meaning. The other issue saying that the Germanic language of a later era - ebura means 'boar', is not well represented in any ancient record but there is much more evidence backing up the local peoples in that time spoke a form of Gaulish language.  Even Dutch proununciation comes from a Gallo-Roman accent when the Eburones no longer existed. 

• the Epidii tribe - lived by Kintyre.  name means Horse people/people of the horse.  Lived next to the Damnoni tribe.  Most likely horse breeders and their gods would have been the constellation now called Pegusus but by them called Epona.  This is hard to reference or prove outside Roman Empire and writings so this is my opinion and best educated guess at this time.  Rhiannon (Reti, Reta, riata) means riding a horse. Similar tribe had a leader Reuda and Bede states "They are still called Dalreudini after this leader."

• the Eravisci tribe - occupied Hungary and Danube river.  Very strongly Celtic even during Roman invasions. Hungarian-Germanic Celts. 

• the Gamanrad tribe - means Stork People. 

• the Graioceli tribe - lived in Northwestern Piedmont in the Alps

• the Helvetii tribe- who lived in the Switzerland area - a Celt-Norse culture as they did moved to Gaul, then back again. 

• the Harpstedt tribe - a representation of early Germans which developed a sound change which differenciated from the Gaelic /Indo European dialects in this general area.  They lived right at the foot of the Danish penisula.

• the Iceni tribe - (sometimes spelled Eceni) we all know well as from this tribe comes the famous Celtic warrior woman called Queen Boudicca (original spelling - Proto-Celtic).  My husband says I remind him of her.....I'm not so sure lol.  They are from East England in the Norfolk / Suffolk areas & quite wealthy tribe, even making their own coins. Due to these coins we know they were a horse worshiping tribe.  English Celts or Britons.

• the Insubre tribe - Western Lombardy (Milan)

• the Lepontii tribe - Northern Lombardy, North-eastern Piedmont and Switzerland in the Lepontine Alps.

• the Ligones tribe - North-eastern Emilia-Romagna (Ferrara), Po Valley 

• the Lugi tribe - they lived next to the Decantes and joined to the territory of the Cornavi. Their nme means Raven people. 

• the Marini (Morini) - the tribe's name means people of the is derived from the 'sea' or 'lake' but their name does not mean from the sea, it means "people from the salty marshes" (salt from the sea).  The German style of adding 'in' makes it plural.  This is a Belgium tribe.

• the Menapii - Name means = people of a commune next to water. The Menapii is NOT a tribe but several independant villages with different communes.  (a commune or mens (meens) = a main large common house where people gathered, justice was spoken, decisions proposed, discussed and voted.) The middle syllable refers to 'water'.  Some towns in Holland still contain words that refer to water - Apeldoorn (Appe+ thorn) = thorny [field] near water, even the famous avalon refers to being by or surrounded by water.  The Menapii 'waters' stretched from the North Sea up to Germany.  Caesar described them as Germanic and had great trouble in subduing them because he had to conquer village after village as each tribal commune could decide independently whether to surrender or not. So, despite popular belief, the Menapii were not a tribe in the classic sense of the word but more a string of villages. They were found from the mouth of the Scheldt river up to the modern border with Germany along the Rhine. 
• the Miathi tribe - may have sprung from the Votadini who would've been divided by the Antonine Wall but this is unsure.  The reason for my judgement here is Cassius Dio in describing an evnt in 208 says "There are two races of Britons, the Calendonians and the Maeatians." Their name also reflects this separation as it means "People of the larger part". Dun Miathi means "hill for of the Miathi". Stirling was known once as Manau or Manaw in the place name Clackmannan, sometimes called Manau Goddodin. In the 5th century, the Royal dynasty of Gwynedd was led by a Chieftain of the Manaw Gododdin who brought his warband to wales to aid his cousins there against the Irish. Geneticist James Wilson backs this up by finding an unusual haplotype within the Y-dna in John McEwans chart that seem to be localized around Stirling reflecting the Miathi. This might explain the gold torcs found there dating to 300-100 BCE which were irish and Scottish in style.  The other torcs, however, were more exotic, possibly from south-west france and one from the Mediterranean. Either way this tribe were Atlantic Broch builders at one time. 

• the Nervii tribe -these were Belgium Celts from northern Gaul.  Sadly they were wiped out by Ceasar but put up a tremendous fight.  Nervius is a single person from the tribe.  (plural: Nervii) Th first syllable in their name means something close to 'near activity' or 'productive site'.  Or it could be closer to the Dutch verb 'to make money' or 'to happy benefit' which originally came from 'farm, factory, enterprise'. The last syllable is from a word meaning 'woven panel, wall, house' and corresponds with 'wattle'  The word ‘Nervia’ means therefore: people from the land of the (big) farms. The modern region, where they lived is still known for its castle farms. During the battle, the three castle farms on the battlefield played a decisive role.

• the Orobii or Orumbovii tribe - lived in Central Lombardy (Bergamo)

• the Orcoi tribe - lived in the Orcades islands once called Insi Orc now called Orkney.  This tribe's name means 'people of the pig' which could refer to a number of legends from Arthurian cults of Meyrddin to Cerridwen the sea pig goddess, but may be in reference to wild boar. Orkney was later taken by the Vikings. An in old Norse 'orkn' means seal. Thus Celtic version could have been a seal Goddess.  Irkney islanders later brought back from Canada, Native American wives.

• the Parisii tribe - lived where Paris is today. French Celts.

• the Picts - this is NOT a tribe.  This is a name given to describe the tribes of the Scotti, Caledonii, and other tribes North of the Roman border. All of these so close to each other, painted with woad for blue and iron ochre for other colours.

• the Remi tribe -  Elected their leaders annually. 

• the Salassi tribe - lived in Aosta Valley and Canavese - Northern Piedmont.

• the Scordisci tribe - a powerful Celtic tribe who tried to settle in Greece but went back to central Europe between the rivers Drava and Sava.  Their name was Latinized to Scordisci which meant 'evening vespers'.

• the Scotti - not a tribe are the Scottish people whom are actually the Irish people from Ireland who moved across to Scotland area.  The North-eastern tip of Scotland is noted for its brochs (tall, round, stone built, hollow walled Iron age tower houses.  They were also found in Skye, Orkney, Outer Hebrides and Shetland Islands  and often close to the sea. The Celts living in what is now called Spain also had these brochs but even more complex.

• the Seguini (or Cottii) tribe - Western Piedmont on Cottian Alps (Susa). This tribe had Germanic and Italian Celts.  One  had the assistance of the Germanic chieftain named Ariovistus in battle sometimes.The other made a small independant kingdom in northwestern Italy which included a very important road connecting Gaul to it.  It became part of the Roman Empire in 64 AD.  Now to add to the confusion there is also the Cotti and this was a large and strong tribe of the Scots who were already mixed with Picts.  Whether these others were once all come from there originally, I have not uncovered this mystery as yet.

• the Senones tribe - S-eastern Emilia-Romagna (Rimini) & Northern Marche (Senigallia).

• the Smertae tribe - (Smertai) Various meanings I found for this tribe's name were "far-sighted ones" and "providers".  They lived west of the Lugi. 

• the Taecali tribe - lived north of the Vacomagi tribe in a town named Devana.  Their name might be after a God named Taxis and the town named after the River Deva, (present day Dee), which simply means Goddess. 

• the Taurini tribe - Piedmont (Turin area) .  People of the Bull, Bull people. Again showing reference to zodiac or sky gods. 

• the Taurisci tribe - People of the Bull, Bull people. 

• the Tochrad tribe - means Boar People. 

• the Treveri tribe - Treveri means "people of the forest villages." Their alleged capital was the modern city of Trier in Germany. This place was actually a civitas, which was most probably founded just outside the traditional realm of the Treverians, again for political reasons. The Treverians are known to be the ancestors of the modern people of Luxemburg. Luxemburg is still a land of forests. The original land of the Treveri was bigger: It stretched way into modern Belgium and once comprised most of the east part of the modern Ardennes.This is a Belgium Tribe.

• the Trinovantes tribe - were in eastern England just north of the Thames. 

• the Una tribe - means "Sun people" according to according to Christine O-Keefe.  She says Una Bluebell are flowers that grow but doesn't state whether they grew in their area which was by the Una river in Yugoslavia.  These Celts called this land Dalmatia (Leaf land).  I looked it up myself and the name seems to mean lamb people but who knows on the net people post whatever for name meanings these days so don't quote me, but I could be right lol.  Just showing you to not believe everything you read as new info surfaces all the time!! 

• the Vaccael tribe - means the slender Goddess people according to Christine.  According to whoever wrote the wikipedia for them it is more likely to mean slayer people. Celtic tribe living in Yugoslavia by the Vuka river.  They were also in Spain as the Vacaei tribe but could be two different tribes all together.  The spain tribe were strict egalitarians, very warlike and practiced land reform and food distribution.

• the Vacomagi - Lived next to the Caledonii in Bannatia, Tamia, and Tuesia. Their name means 'inhabitants of the curved fields'.  They set up a camp at one time which might shed more light on what they were about called "Pinnata camp which meant "camp of the feathered emblem'. 

• the Venicones - a tribe  south of the Vacomagi living in a town called Orrea. Once a Roman fort whith a Granary providing food to the fleet. Their name means 'kindred hounds' in reference to hunting hounds or hounds of the hunt.

• the Venetii tribe - this was a maritime tribe who loved to trade around Amorican peninsula who were defeated by Ceasar at sea and those who survived were sold as slaves.

• the Vertamocorii tribe - Eastern Piedmont (Novara) 

• the Verturiones (Lat) Fortrinn (Gaelic),  Waerteras (OE) -  Pictish tribe as they were divided into Dicalidones and Veruriones. Lived in shores of Moray Firth and were the core of Pictish Kingdom.  Bridei was their earliest noted King and was said to be the son of Beli.  Their name means 'very powerful". 

• the Volcae tribe - were from central Europe and some of this tribe branched off and formed the Volcae Tectosages and one part went to Gaul (France) and the other Anatolia.  Formed a Turkish Celtic tribe and French Celts.

Copyright October 2009

Brahva Cwmevos
(LaurieLee Mills)


If you'd like to use this, please write me and ask permission by stating what you shall be using it for, and always give the author credit.

Bibliography

Bibliotheca classica, or A dictionary of all the principal names and terms ... By John Lemprière

Taliesin - John Mathews 

http://www.proto-english.org/e7.html

the Celtic Tribes main page