Celtic Myths

Prior to Roman or Christian influence the Celts preferred to pass on their sacred teachings and myths orally. After the coming of Christianity in the fifth century onwards, the monks recorded the myths, and it is thanks to them that so many survive today.

One might expect Christian monks to have qualms about recording pagan tales, but this does not seem to have been the case. St Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland in 432, had his doubts about the old stories until he received a vision in which he was told to respect and record them.

Deities 

Some of the myths have been Christianized, especially those recorded in Wales. However, a particular feature of Celtic myths may have prevented this from happening more often: namely, the way in which deities have been euhemerized (given human form), so that, unlike the Greek myths, they are not obviously of a religious nature.

The god Lugh

We can see this ‘euhemerization’ clearly in the case of the god Lugh, who gives his name to the Irish summer festival of Lughnasadh. In the earliest Irish myths he is clearly a deity. As such, he offers himself as the saviour of the Tuatha dé Danann, the predecessors of the Milesians or Gaels. Seeking entry at the palace of King Nuada of the Silver Hand, at Tara, he announces each of his skills in turn – ‘Blacksmith, warrior, musician, poet, scholar …’. Each time he is refused entry, until he points out that no one else combines all these skills in one person, as he does. In the Mabinogion, the main source of British myths, Lugh has become the much more human Lleu Llaw Gyfes, nephew (and possibly son) of the magician Gwydion. He is skilled, and protected by charms, but he is not obviously a god: in fact at one point he appears to be mortal.

The Dagda, father of the gods

Lugh shares some characteristics with the Dagda, a larger-than-life figure prominent in myths of the Tuatha dé Danann. Like Lugh, he is powerful and omnicompetent. Yet he is often represented as a rather comic figure whose short tunic fails to cover his buttocks, and whose huge club has to be carried on wheels. He has great magical powers, and he possesses a harp which comes to him when he calls, and a cauldron of abundance which restores dead warriors to life (but without powers of speech, perhaps in case they say too much about the afterlife).

Goddesses

Powerful though these gods were, the Celtic goddesses were perhaps even more so. They were closely associated with the land, and in this identification they sometimes seem to be aspects of a single all-embracing Goddess. Their link to the seasonal cycles, to fertility and death, may partly account for the fact that a single goddess often takes three forms, or aspects – usually maiden, mother and crone.

Celtic goddesses could be life-giving and sustaining, but were also, in their dark aspect, associated with sex and death, which in Celtic terms are part of the round of life. The most powerful Irish example is the red-haired shape-shifting Morrigan, said to have coupled with the Dagda.

Sources of the myths

The surviving Celtic myths come from Scotland and Ireland, which were at one time closely related, from Wales (though many of these originated orally further east), and from Brittany. No myths survive from Romanized areas, such as Gaul on the Continent. They do not appear to have been written down in Latin.

The greatest body of myth comes from Ireland, which was untouched by the Romans, although much of its mythic material was destroyed by Viking marauders.

In these videos, if you are interested, you may see how Christy Kenneally explores the vibrant and mystical world of the Celts, examining the early settlements in Central Europe, and their later emergence in Wales and Ireland.

 These videos were taken from the THE LOST GODS channel on YouTube

Who are you in the Celtic Horoscope? )))

You may be interested what horoscope sign is yours. you can find out it now!

There are not official records about the exact date of creation of the Celtic Horoscope, nor by who or how the very first education of this horoscope was made. The transmission of Celtic traditions and rituals arrived until this era thanks to the communication from generation to generation, just as it happened with the transmission of many other cultures’ knowledge.

Within the known information about the Celts is that their priests (known as Druids) had a calendar that was divided in thirteen months, it was based on the cycles of the moon. The calendar was also associated to different trees that were considered sacred in the Celtic Culture.

The distribution of the trees was made as indicated next: There is a tree for each equinox, a tree for each solstice and all the remaining trees were divided in equal cycles in the Celtic calendar, except for the Poplar tree that rules over three periods of the calendar.

Amongst the traditions of the Celts, a tree was planted whenever a baby was born, but also whenever people died they were buried under their tree. Even though there were plenty of people that would rather to make an adaptation inside the trunk of the tree in order to be buried inside of it. This could also be one of the precedents of coffins.

The signs of the Celtic Horoscope are:

Fir: (January 2nd to 11th and July 5th to 14th). These are enigmatic people, with a certain air of mystery, distinguished and sometimes reserved and distant.

Elm: (January 12th to 24th and July 15th to 25th). Cheerful character, kind, with certain tendency to be controller, but also calmed and relaxed.

Cypress: (January 25th to February 3rd and July 26th to August 4th). This is the seductive sign in the Celtic horoscope, with a charming and flirting personality.

Poplar: (February 4th to 8th, May 1st to 14th and August 5th to 13th). Indecisive and sometimes these people might look coward when actually they show great courage when it is necessary.

Cedar: (February 9th to 18th and August 14th to 23rd) People with a proud personality that sometimes can be arrogant, hardworking and patient with artistic abilities.

Pine: (February 19th to 28th and August 24th to September 2nd). People that fall in love easily, they are also changeable and also known to be womanizers.

Willow: (March 1st to 10th and September 3rd to 12th). They are very intuitive, dreamers and they easily fall into sadness and melancholy.

Lime: (March 11th to 20th and September 13th to 22nd). Conforming, they do not like to make a big effort to get what they want and sometimes they stay in the same place without making any progress.

Olive: (September 23rd) This is the eternal defender of justice tough he/she might evade problems. These people also own high spiritual ideas.

Oak: (March 21st). People with strong character, active, challenge lovers and with the feet on the ground.

Alder: (March 18th to April 14th). Vanity is their second name, very elegant and refined, generous those who know how to win their heart.

Hazel: (March 22nd to 31st and September 24th to October 3rd). Pleasent and honest personality, but also can be temperamental.

Sorbus: (April 1st to 10th and October 4th to 13th. They can be imprudent, active and they are fond of dares.

Maple: (April 11th to 20th and October 14th to 23rd). Very spontaneous people, always creating something.

Walnut: (April 21st to 30th and October 24th to November 11th). Very unpredictable, at times kind and the next one very selfish people.

Chestnut: (May 15th to 14th and November 12th to 21st). Honest people but also irascible and insecure. They are also very sensitive.

Ash: (May 25th to June 3rd and November 22nd to December 1st). Egocentric, adventurous, charismatic and natural leader people.

Hornbeam: (June 4th to 13th and December 2nd to 11th). Generous people that enjoy living in luxury and comforts.

Birch: (June 24th). Kindand pleasent people that do not like to live in complications.

Apple Tree: (June 25th to July 4th and December 23th to January 1st). People with natural sensuality and sometimes frivolous.

Beech: (December 22nd) Enterprising, hard-working, well-organized and prudent people.

Sometimes there is another kind of Celtic signs:

The Celtic Horoscope is very easy to understand, it does not require advanced studies in astrology, but it does need people to be in touch with nature. 

As observed, there are twenty-one trees and in some cases, their cycles are repeated twice a year. That is because the Celtic Horoscope is based on moon cycles.

The Celtic culture is one of the most ancient ones, the Celts had an advanced knowledge in astronomy, mathematics and philosophy, getting to share their knowledge with the Greeks and promoting the interchange of students.

It is very interesting to understand the Celtic horoscope, for example if you already know the correspondent tree, you can plant it and follow the Celtic tradition and take care of it, or wait until the birth of your child. Besides this is great opportunity to contribute and make a better environment ))