Women in Celtic lore and legends by Will Kester

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

To discuss Celtic mythology, lore, and religions, we must first sort through some of the terms, and carify what might be confusing to many. 'Celt' (pronouced Kelt, not the same as the basketball Celtics) or 'Celtic' refers to a people who ranged across Western Europe before the arrival of the Romans. They were in Ireland, Britain, Gaul (France), Galatia, etc. Their religion was what we now call "paganism", "polythieism", or "Druidism". It can become confusing since not all Druids were Celts and not all Celts were Irish and not all lore is accurate.

We do find, however, more of the Celtic influence in modern Ireland than other areas, since their island isolation allowed them to continue their connection to Celtic lore more easily then areas closer to the Roman influence. It seems a bit incongruous that the Irish became so Roman Catholic as to fight over their religion for so long, and hold their Celtic legends in such high regard, both.

Celtic paganism as practiced by the Druids was very much about maternity and fertility, making women's roles in the religion a highly esteemed one. The men were represented by the Dagda, and the gods and goddesses were similar to the Greek, who could never be described as the god of any one thing.

Morrigan was a tripartite (there are many uses of groups of three) battle goddess acredited with both helping and hindering in the battle recorded in writing as "Tain Bo Cuailnge" even before the writing of "Beowolf".

The wily wit of the leprechauns lives on, drawn from the subeterfuge of Celtic lore. Where the Norse and Roman gods were warriors, Celtic heroes were more devious, tricksters, and won with inteligence, making women more honored than men, often.

Wales is another area where Celtic influences are still found. The Mabinogion is a collection of prose from medieval Welsh manuscripts. They draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and on early medieval historical traditions. (wikipedia) The Welch Godess, Rhiannon, and Modron ("divine mother") are revered. Modron bore Mabon, who became synonymous with the British god, Manopos, and the Irish god, Aengus Mac Og, blending Scots, Irish, British and Welch lore into a confusing but interesting history, not well documented in writing, but passed on through generations, morphing and adapting as legends grew and were infiltrated by Roman and Catholic influences.

When one reads of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, there is much Celtic lore and adapted name references intermingled with Catholic religion and concepts. The battles of Morgana and Merlin represented the old Celtic mythology, while the knights fought for Catholic ideologies.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

by Reverend Ashira Goddard

Goddess Rhiannon and the lore and legend as retold by an elder.

The Celtic people of the Old Religion lived in a land we call Britain along time ago. This is a story that was told to teach the youngest of those Celts about the Goddess Rhiannon.

Lord Pwyll was a powerful man who ruled the Celtics many, many moons ago. It was a bright morning like many others before, that Lord Pwyll went up onto a hill that many believed was a magical hill. It was whispered tat if you slept the entire night there beneath the full moon light, you would see something magical that none had seen before. So Lord Pwyll wanted to see what the magical imagery that would appear was after hearing so many whisper of It. He took his men and marched to the top of the hill and put sentry guards at the four corners to protect the men while they slept. The sentry guards were to awaken Lord Pwyll if anything should appear.

The night went on and nothing by way of magic appeared. It was near morning when the Moon was just about to disappear, a beautiful Lady atop an equally as beautiful white mare came riding down the path. The sentry guards called out to Lord Pwyll when they first saw her. Lord Pwyll trying his best to make fast work of arising yelled out to the sentry's "run before the mare and stop her!" Lord Pwyll yelled. However the sentry could not reach the path in time and the Lady disappeared. Lord Pwyll was cross with the sentry and remained that way for the entire day.

They remained for another night. The sentry determined not to fail the Lord again watched across the paths for any sight of the beautiful Lady. Once more, just before the Moon disappeared and the Sun arose in the sky the beautiful Lady appeared upon the white mare. The sentry yelling to Lord Pwyll that she was nearing, while mounting his own horse determined to catch up with her. As the sentry did not wish to feel the wrath of the Lord once more. As the sentry galloped down the path faster and faster, the Lady seemed to keep the distance between them perfectly equal. The sentry slowed, and so did the Lady. Finally the sentry returned with his head hung low to report to the Lord it was impossible to catch the Lady.

Lord Pwyll was now determined that He would be the one to stop her. So on that third night the Lord sat up with his own mare ready to gallop at the first sighting. The Lord knew his mare was the finest mare in all the lands. It was faster than any knights and he had proven it so many times. The Lord was sure that

there was no way the Lady would out run him. He was positive He alone would be the one to capture the beautiful Lady.

At the precise time the Moon was disappearing and the sun was arising the Lady appeared. The Lord jumped astride his own mare and took off after the Lady determined to catch her. To his dismay the beautiful Lady remained the same distance from him. The Lord was not about to give up his chase though. Galloping over the hills and through valleys, never did the distance between them decrease or increase as though some magical boundary kept them parted. He slowed to rest his mare, as did the Lady. Seeing the Lady slow, the Lord with a hard spur of His heel raced forward to catch the Lady off guard. However, the Lady seemed to know the Lords moves and with ease speed her own mare up keeping the distance between them.

Finally when the Lord's horse could run no more the Lord stopped. The mare sweating and bleeding from the many spur's of the Lords heel into its flesh. When the Lord looked to the Lady's mare, it showed no signs of having just raced many lengths.

The Lord jumped from his horse and fell upon his knees yelling "Lady! For the sake of the one you love please stop!".

The beautiful Lady turned her head speaking in a musical melody, "I will gladly stop. And it would have so much the better for your horse if you had asked me sooner."

The moral of this story: As in all things, even love, it is better to ask than to try and take.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

by Ralph Lawrence

Part of our human richness is carried in the mysteries of the past. Odes and sagas, tales of gods and goddesses, mere mortal women and men searching for elusive fulfillment have painted glorious tapestries in our minds for ages. These heroic quests planted seeds of imagination in fertile ground. Some have borne fruit and thus became the legend of a solitary being, driven by duty of a greater good. Others inspired the history and folklore of a people, woven with threads of mystery and stitches of fantasy.

The mists of the Celtic mythology spread over the lands of ancient Britain, across the sea to France and into the magical regions of Gaul. From these roots of pagan superstition and eventual spiritual awakening came stories of chivalry and bravery. The virtuous and compassionate strove to enjoin the physical and supernatural in perfect harmony. Those who listened to these traditions gathered this treasure for all to share.

I went out to the hazel wood,

Because a fire was in my head,

And cut and peeled a hazel wand,

And hooked a berry to a thread;

And when white moths were on the wing,

And moth-like stars were flickering out,

I dropped the berry in a stream

And caught a little silver trout.

When I had laid it on the floor

I went to blow the fire a-flame,

But something rustled on the floor,

And someone called me by my name:

It had become a glimmering girl

With apple blossom in her hair

Who called me by me name and ran

And faded through the brightening air.

Though I am old with wandering

Through hollow lands and hilly lands,

I will find out where she has gone,

And kiss her lips and take her hands;

And walk among long dappled grass,

And pluck till time and times are done,

The silver apples of the moon,

The golden apples of the sun

The Song of the Wandering Aengus by William Butler Yeats.

In Celtic folklore, both gods and goddesses possessed a great measure of equality. Celtic goddesses were depicted with the same values and personifications of the ordinary woman. The earthly female Celt was able to own property, be sexually liberated and choose divorce. They could be doctors, priests, judges and were entrusted with the passing of lessons of the sacred earth and the harmony of all living things.

Yet the images of Celtic women in myth were myriad. Harpies, Druids, fairies, warriors and finally, when Christianity had taken shape and form in their society, some of the first female saints in the Church. In addition, being a mother-goddess culture, the revelation that Mary was the mother of the Christ encouraged a later Celtic society to embrace her as an eternal goddess figure. At the center of the religious universe, the very brilliance of her role portrayed a natural, beautiful and resourceful partner in a quest to achieve some higher plateau for the benefit of all.

So remember the varied woman figures, both ethereal and worldly that still live the legend of Celtic myth. Aine, Danu, the Morrigan, Banshee and Brigid, with their many sisters summon us. They still exist in the everyday mystical life of the Welsh, Irish, English and in the land of Brittany. Honor them. They were citizens and champions of the earth.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

by Kyla Rose Mccartney

The world Celtic comes from a word of Greek origin: Keltoi, which was a term used to describe the majority of their northern neighbors. The Celts are of Indo-European origin, and their impact on the modern world is incredibly deep, from the celebration of Samhain, and the final harvest, to the names of many of the European Rives: The Danube, The Rhine, The Thames.

At their height, the Celtic population stretched from the islands of Ireland and England, to the Alps, and as far south as Rome, and invading for a short period of time, Egypt. So why does the world Celt bring forth images of the England and Ireland? Because they're island countries. As such, they remained relatively secure and pure in their origins up until the invasions of Saxons. In Ireland, the Ancient Celtic life existed past the invasions of Vikings, and refused to fade away until the arrival of the English centuries after the rest of the Celtic world had become unknown.

Often, the role of women in the pre-Christian world is downplayed. It is assumed that the way they were treated later in history, was the same way that they were treated earlier in history, but this is not always entirely true.

In Egypt, women were nearly equal to men. No, they were not completely equal and they were not a head of the men, but they were not a down trodden member of society, and in fact, an Egyptian woman had complete control over her house hold.

In Ancient Sparta, women did nearly everything but go to war and rule politically. While their husbands or their fathers were nearly always absent, due to the military service they performed to the Spartan state, the women were left at home to run their households, be in charge of their family, and help make decisions for their villages and towns. Spartan women received the same education as their men- in some cases, better, because they were expected to be able to do the financial figuring while their husbands were absent. They received the same physical education as the men, and held onto the concept that a strong and healthy woman would give birth to strong and healthy children. Again, not quite equal, but not downtrodden in the society either.

In Germanic tribes, the women were far from equal, however, as with the other nation-states, they still held their own power. They were the driving force for their men to become warriors, they raised their children, and they went to war with their men. No, they were not expected to fight, but their very presence would remind their

men of everything that would be destroyed if they lost. It has been said that Germanic women would stand on the outside of a battle and yell reminders to the men about this, as well as insults at the enemies.

Celtic women were not only equal, but on some occasions, the ones holding the upper hands. As with the other countries, one only looks at the myths to be surrounded by images of the strong woman, but unlike in any other mythology, every deity of war is in the image of the woman. It has been noted historically that women often fought with their men, and the concept of a ruling Queen was generally accepted. One needs only look to the myth shrouded figure of Queen Maeve to see a warrior. Or Aine, who was said to be the Faery Queen of Munster, and who was known to be vindictive and strong, and more intelligent than most men.

There are few documents that survived from this primarily oral culture, but most of the myths and legends were passed down in a form that was nearly complete. Ireland provides the idea of the celts because the Celtic society existed there, longer than any other country. This is due to a combination of their own efforts, and the added bonus that they are a separate island from Briton.

There, myths, legends, and stories have been passed down that document women as Druids and Priestesses, Warriors, Goddesses, Queens and working women. On top of all that, the strongest deity in the pan-Celtic beliefs, was of Danu, or The Mother Goddess. Again, the concept of a mother Goddess showing that a woman can and does give birth. It might not be her entire purpose in life, but it is what keeps a society, be it nation or state, growing in population, and something only a woman can do. This gives her and added edge over the men. Women could train as druids, they could rule countries, they could go to war, they could fill occupations, and they could give birth.

This, of course, changed completely with the arrival of Christianity. The arrival of Patrick, and the English brought with it the belief that women were inferior, and the decline of the Celts was complete.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

by Sherry Law

Though the Celts had no written language their stories and legends have been passed down through time - first by the Druids and Druidesses of their day and later written about by historians. The Celts were spread over a wide area of what is now Europe; Wales, Ireland, Britain and even down into Spain and Turkey. Among the Celts, women were valued not only for their feminine intuition, spiritual wisdom, and beauty but also for their bravery . They often wielded as much power as there male counterparts as priestesses, judges, doctors, rulers and even warriors. An unknown Roman soldier once wrote of Celtic women, " She is as brave as she is beautiful." As a people, the Celts valued both cleanliness and fitness and the women were not without their vanity. They loved their baubles. Celtic burial sites have yielded up oak-lined chests filled with mirrors and jewelry - armlets, anklets, hairpins, waist chains and necklaces - gold, bronze or enameled metal with beads of glass, quartz and coral.

Celtic woman could be considered to be one of the earliest feminist role models. They were able to own and inherit property and were allowed to choose their marriage partners. Few were made to marry against their will, though families did influence the choice of a mate - many times for practical or material reasons. Unlike the marriage of the Romans, where the wife was viewed as chattel, the marriage of a Celtic couple was truly a partnership, an agreement to be together. Both of the partners brought a "dowry" of sorts to the marriage and either could seek a divorce and leave the marriage with the property they entered it with. Children were raised by both parents and both males and females were trained to fight with swords and other weapons at an early age. Roman historian Marcus Borealis left us a glimpse of the Celtic woman when he wrote "The women of the Celts are bigger and stronger than our Roman women. The flaxen-haired maidens of the north are trained in sports and war..."

Celtic women were more sexually liberated that the women of other cultures of the time. Polygamy, though not widely practiced, was not unheard of, with a woman sometimes having more than one husband or sharing her husband with other women. This led to the Romans and Greeks viewing them as uncivilized and seeing their women as flamboyant and uninhibited. The Celts, of course, viewed their behavior quite differently. When the Roman Empress Julia Augusta accused a Celtic princess of promiscuity, the outspoken

princess is said to have replied "We fulfill the demands of nature in a much better way than do you Roman women, for we consort openly with the best man, whereas you let yourselves by debauched in secret by the vilest..."

Probably the most well-known and documented of the Celtic warrior-queens was Boudica. A priestess to the Goddess Andraste (goddess of war and victory), it is speculated that she may have been a Druidess, as well as a queen. In 61 AD, she was widowed in her mid-30's and left to rule the kingdom of Iceni. Unwilling to see a woman on the throne, the Romans sent a legion to unseat her. After being publicly flogged and watching her young daughters raped by the Romans, she rallied the people of Iceni and the surrounding area and led an effort to resist the Roman conquest of Britain. She is said to have called upon the Goddess Andraste for aid and actually sacrificed captive Roman women to her. Though she was eventually defeated, it was not until after she and her followers had annihilated a large portion of a Roman legion and destroyed London (Londinium) and several other Roman towns. Nothing more is heard of her and she is thought to have committed suicide rather than be captured by the Romans.

Another popular Celtic figure is that of St. Brigit. Named for the main goddess of Ireland, she was born of a Druid father and foretold the coming of Christianity to Ireland. She was baptized by St. Patrick and later became a nun, founding the Abby at Kildare near a Celtic shrine to her namesake.

Boudica and St Brigit, as well as the other Celtic women, were inspired not only by the Goddess Andraste but by numerous other goddesses and heroines of Celtic lore. Among the other war goddesses are Scathach (who according to legend trained many of the greatest Celtic warriors and is the patron of not only warriors, but blacksmiths); Andarta (Gallic goddess of fertility and warriors); the Irish war goddess Nemain; Macha, the Messenger of Death, Badb (who influenced the outcome of the battle by using magic to cause confusion among the fighters); Maeve (a mighty warrior who was not above using sex to "buy" a victory and is also connected to the mythical island of Tara) and the Irish goddess Mhor Rioghan. Mhor Rioghan or "The Great Queen" was not only the goddess of war and death, but also of prophesy and physical passion. In the Arthus legend she appears as Morgana le Fay.

Not all of the Celtic goddesses were connected to war and death, however. The namesake of St. Brigit was the goddess of poets, hearths, healers and blacksmiths. Boann is the goddess of bounty and fertility, while Arianrhod is said to be the goddess of fertility, childbirth and reincarnation. Cerridwen, often depicted with her cauldron, is the goddess of wisdom and poetry. Branwen, or "The White Crow" was worshiped as a goddess of the moon and of love, while the goddess Aeval was know for holding midnight courts to determine if husbands were meeting their wives' sexual needs. The goddess Korrigan's worship involved sacred prostitutes; while Epona, though a fertility goddess, was a virgin and the protector of horses, riders and stables.

Both the actual women and the Celtic goddesses they worshiped and were inspired by displayed the many and varied facets of the female psyche - passion, love, hate, wisdom, impulsiveness. As we learn more about them, we may also be gaining some insight into ourselves.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

by Christine G.

 

NO DUMB BLONDS ALLOWED!

"One of the things I find so refreshing in the Celtic myths is that the women are honored as much for their minds as for their bodies. The dumb blond would not stand much of a chance in ancient Celtic society".
Moyra Caldicott, 'Women in Celtic Myth'

The Celts, who dominated Europe and the British Isles for about 800 years (700 B.C. until around 100 A.D.), had no unifying political structures, no common religion, and no written language. Their law, history, and mythology were transmitted orally by the Druids, who functioned as lawgivers as well as priests. This information was not written down until the 6th and 7th centuries, long after Celts had virtually disappeared. There are many variants in how the stories were told, and how the names were spelled. The unifying traditions were law, kingship, and truth, along with other basic values which held society together.

Celts had no hang-ups about the status of women. For the pagan Celt, the essence of the universe was female, and women were the spiritual and moral pivot of culture. Even after their ways were greatly altered by Christianization, women became priests and even bishops.

Celtic goddesses were in charge of the traditional female areas of love, fertility, childbirth, harvest, domestic crafts, healing and fate, but their powers ranged well beyond that One of the best-known was the crow goddess Morrigan, whose area of influence was battle frenzy and death. She was often found in a triple aspect, and chose who would live and who would die. She was also the queen of phantoms, demons, and shape-shifters.

The Gaulish dog goddess was the patron of patron deity of sea traders. The Welsh Olwen, "the golden wheel", was the goddess of sunlight. The Scottish Scathach ("she who strikes fear") was a warrior goddess and prophetess who taught martial arts. The Irish Badb was a shape-shifting warrior goddess who symbolized the cycles of life and death, wisdom and inspiration. The Welsh Ceridwen was the keeper of the cauldron of renewal, as well as goddess of the moon, magic, agriculture, science and astrology.

Celtic women were free to become warriors, druids, judges, poets, physicians or political leaders. Their female stereotypes did not include passive victims, shrinking violets, or empty-headed beauties. They could own property, and retained it when they married. They were free to choose their own partners, divorce, and claim damages if molested. They often had outstanding abilities. Boudicca,

the famous warrior queen, was chosen as war leader by all the tribes who banded together to fight the Romans. Meave of Connaught, a mythological warrior queen in the first century AD, bore thirteen children by five husbands and a consort, and boasted of sleeping with thirty men in one day. Queen Sgathaich headed a famous military academy in Skye, where men came from far and wide to train.

One of Sgathaich's pupils was Cuchulainn. The woman he wanted to make his wife, Emer, the niece of Ulster's King Tetara, had refused to marry him unless he proved himself first. She did not want to marry a boasting youth, but a great champion. When Cuchulainn returned from Skye, he was equipped with magical weapons and amazing skills, including a compelling battle rage. (He also left behind an unborn child in the womb of Sgathaich's sister Aoife, who later gained her revenge by tricking Cuchulainn into killing his son in combat.) Cuchulainn used his new skills to abduct Emer from her father's stronghold and kill all the warriors who pursued him.

In a war of words to prove her worthiness, Emer described herself this way:
"There is no woman comes up to me in appearance, in shape, in wisdom; there is no one conies up to me for goodness of form, or brightness of eye, or good sense, or kindness, or good behavior.
"No one has the joy of loving or the strength of loving that I have; all Ulster desires me; surely I am a nut of the heart. If I were a light woman, there would not be a husband left to any of you to-morrow.
"And my husband is Cuchulainn. It is he is not a hound that is weak; there is blood on his spear, there is blood on his sword, his white body is black with blood, his soft skin is furrowed with sword cuts, there are many wounds on his thigh."

This is a woman who knew her value! Later, when Cuchulainn had an affair with Fann, a fairy queen, he left her because he realized that he loved Emer more. He lost his life on the battlefield because he refused the love of the Morrigan. Though he was a great hero, females shaped his life.

A selection of resources:
http://www.pabay.org /skyeviews.html
Women of the Celts

http://www.shee-eire.com/
a guide to ancient Ireland, with over 17,500 pages

 

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

by Sandra Douglas

Enchantment permeates the Celtic myths. Visions of mystical cities shrouded in mist and inhabited by priestesses who possessed spells and magic are all part of the lore. The roles of women in Celtic lore and legends tell us more about their society than simply an entertaining story.

The early Celtic society was matrilineal, meaning that descent was traced through the mother and society placed a strong emphasis on the mother relationship. Power did not rest entirely with women but since the source of life is the woman, it is natural that lineage was traced through the female. Worshipping a female deity was all part of the birth-life-death-birth process.

The goddess in pre-Christian Celtic society was a dual-natured female figure, both beautiful and hag-like. Goddesses were often depicted in three's, such as Eriu, Banba, and Fotla, all goddesses of sovereignty. The warrior goddesses, also a trinity, were Morrigan, Nemain, and Macha. The female warrior goddess had a respect for death as a natural part of life. There was no Celtic goddess of love. The goddesses were often associated with fertility and the natural cycle of life, including death. The goddesses represented creation, especially as it related to giving life.

A society that holds women in high regard will reflect those values in their lore. The myths and legends created by the members of ancient cultures helped the community to understand the mysteries of birth and death, the seasons, the sunrise, growing crops, and everyday life. As societies evolve, so do their myths.

The Celtic culture was powerful and extended across the continent as far east as Asia-Minor, until the Romans and Julius Caesar defeated them in 58 BCE, but even then, they continued to worship their own gods and goddesses. After the fall of Rome, Christianity became the dominant religion and we can see the influence on the Celtic myths of a male-dominated patriarchal religion that worships a supreme male god. In the evolving myths, the goddesses are often slain or made subordinate to the gods of the patriarchal conquerors. In Celtic myth, the female goddess, once held sacred, became violent. Her life-giving qualities brought instead death and destruction.

In the story of Macha, a warrior goddess, we can see the fall of the Celtic goddess. Macha's husband, Crunnchua watches a horse race when he hears the king declare that no one can run faster than these horses. Crunnchua challenges the declaration, knowing that Macha can run faster.

The king insists that Crunnchua bring Macha for a match. She comes but pleads with the king to give her a short delay because she is pregnant. The king refuses.

The king's refusal is a sign that change took place in the society that authored the tale. The king is allowed to continue his reign without apparent resistance from his constituents for such disregard to the needs of women.

Macha evolved into a warrior-goddess at about the same time that the status of women declined in societies constantly under attack, where emphasis is placed on death and bloodshed rather than on life and respect for death. Any force seen as competition to men was a threat. Goddesses became as violent as the society that created them. They were raped, murdered, and often died in child birth. The stories of violence show that the goddesses were much like the people they represented.

The stories of Arthur, Guinevere, and the mystical city of Avalon are full of goddesses who use all sorts of debauchery to accomplish their goals. Legends of Celtic romance often involve love triangles in which two men, one loved and the other despised, seek the hand of a beautiful woman. The woman is like as not to use their love to achieve her own goals. Love triangles were as popular in Celtic lore as they are today for their tension, drama, and colorful characters.

In the stories of King Arthur and the mystical city of Avalon, Guinevere, gentle and beautiful wife of King Arthur, was also the secret lover of the King's loyal knight, Sir Lancelot. The love affair weakened the unity of the Round Table and ultimately ended with the death of King Arthur and his nephew and heir Sir Modred. Guinevere became a nun and died at Glastonbury. Sir Lancelot died a priest after receiving a vision of the Holy Grail.

Another love triangle exists between Morgan La Fey, High Queen of Avalon, half-sister to King Arthur, and lover to Sir Accolon of Gaul. Morgan uses her dual gifts of healer and priestess of dark magic as she plots the downfall of King Arthur. It is Morgan who steals the magic sword Excalibur and gives it to Accolon who then challenges Arthur to combat. During the battle, Arthur discovers the ruse, retrieves Excalibur and slays Morgan's lover. Her duality is shown later when King Arthur is mortally wounded by his nephew Sir Mordred. It is Morgan La Fey and two other priestesses who accompany Arthur's body to Avalon where he can be healed.

The gods and goddesses of Celtic lore were not averse to using their magic on each other. The Lady of the Lake, Nimue, enchanted the wise merlin with her magic, binding him under the base of a thorn tree.

Brigit, goddess of healing and fertility, was said to be the only goddess who survived Christianity. She is known as St. Brigit, one of Ireland's patron saints who may have been a priestess to the goddess Brigid prior to her conversion to Christianity.

It is this mingling of the old with the new, the Celtic with the Christian, that has brought our understanding of this ancient religion to where it is today. It's true history is lost somewhere beyond the mist.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

by Jess Howe

Rhiannon. Brigid. Boudica. Guenivere.

These are probably the first names we think of when it comes to women of Celtic lore. They are goddesses and warrior queens, dangerous and beautiful. Guenivere is possibly the most famous due to the legends of King Arthur (Bray, F.C.: "Bray's University Dictionary of Mythology", Apollo Edition 1964, p. 13), for instance. The tale regarding her and Arthur comes from the Welsh "Mabinogian", their major mythological cycle, which dates to before 1100A.D. (http://www.timelessmyths.com/ arthurian/women.html).

The women of Celtic lore are just like its history so entangled in half-truths and myths, that it is sometimes hard to tell the reality of it. We know that Rhiannon and Brigid at least were - and by some still are - considered as and worshiped as goddesses ("Bray's," pp. 8,18). Boudica, on the other hand, a Britannic queen, rebelled against the Romans in either A.D. 60 or 61, after they conquered her kingdom of Icenia, in Eastern Britain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Boudica). She was forgotten of by the Middle Ages, but appears in the works of Tacitus the historian, during the Renaissance when they are rediscovered (ibid). It's at this point that plays and poetry are written of her, and later Queen Victoria was seen as her namesake, giving her the fame we know today (ibid).

There are some women, however, of which less is known. There's Etain, for instance, who is most famous in lore in "The Wooing of Etain". Fuamnach, the first wife, is jealous of her, and turns her into a moth (or a fly, depending on the version). Etain must fly around Ireland for seven years, becoming the child of Etar only because Etar drinks her in a wine glass ("Lady Gregory's Complete Irish Ornithology", John Murray Publishers 1994, pp.71-78).

Not all women of Celtic mythology are so weak. In "The Children of Lir," it is Finoola who keeps her siblings alive and together, after a jealous witch turns them to swans and curses them ("Lady Gregory",pp.103-113). The Morrigu (or Morrigan), on the other hand, was a warrior goddess of whom many tales are told, usually bloody (ibid, p.68-69).

The Celts at their time of full power, however, were not only in the British Isles. Their empire spanned all of Europe, out toward the Caucasus Mts (http://www.resourcesforhistor y.com/map.htm), including some who traveled to China in 1500 B.C. and are written of briefly in "The Three Kingdoms" ( http://www.white-history.com/h wr6a.htm). The Celts of Spain, called Arevacians by Strabo and Ptolemy, are written of by Miguel de Cervantes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ La_Numancia). In his play "La Numancia", a being called "Spain" appears and she calls the river god when the Romans attack. Both consult the stars and decide in the play that the town of Numantia has to surrender(ibid). It's because of the empire being so spread out that we get such different versions of stories such as "The Children of Lir" and "Cinderella", not to mention the tale of Arthur and Guenivere.

However, in the tales of Europe, whatever is truly left of the Celtic heritage has been so diluted it's hard to find. Women of myths such as Maedb or Etain are the ones we remember as "Celtic", till the historians and archeologists dig up something more. So until then, Brigid's flame will still burn at the chapel at Kildare, a reminder of just one of the many interesting Celtic Goddesses (http://inanna.virtualave.net/ brigit.html#Cult).

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

by Andrea D. Hutchinson

In Celtic lore the women were goddesses,hags and harpies, as they often were in Greek and Roman mythologies. They were Druids, wise women and political in nature as well. Celtic goddesses were many and they served as powerful symbols of the Celtic culture.

The Celts were an ancient and elusive people. Having no cities, empires or even a written language, they were a short lived culture. They existed as a "hidden people" in Europe to the British Isles for about eight hundred years; from 700 BC to their absorption into the Roman Empire at about 100 AD. Interestingly, having had no written language, their culture managed to spread from Ireland to the shores of the Black Sea. Wondrously their culture and legend intrigue us, even now. Especially those of us of Irish, Welsh and Scottish decent.

The word Celt in Greek is Keltoi meaning hidden people'. The 1607 definition, from the Latin, Celta, singular of Celt, also from the Greek. Keltoi, was Herodotus' word for the Gauls (also called Galatai;an interesting tidbit: when the term Galatai was investigated it came back Galatia, as in the book of Galatians. The term Celt was used by the Romans of continental Gauls, but apparently not of the British Celtic tribes. The 1715 definition, from the Latin, Celt is a "ghost word", believed to be a misspelling of the word Certe in the Book of Job 19:24. The KJV the verse is written " They were graven with an iron pen and lead in rock forever."

In the absence of a written language, all Celtic lore or legend were memorized by the Druids or "wise men" of the time. The legends and stories were passed down through the generations, by mouth. The Druids, who were regaled as the lawgivers as well as priests, could read and write Greek and Latin. Yet, they chose to pass the chronicles of their culture orally in verse form.

As it was Celtic women could reign in their own right, many were warriors, as well. Many a Celtic Queen's reputation took on the personality of her predecessor Mythological Queen. Maeve was an Irish Warrior Queen whose reign took on the reputation of Mebd, who was her mythological mirror image, a Warrior Queen in lore.

Arianrhod, "Silvery Wheel" , a major Kymric/Welsh goddess was the daughter of the Mother goddess Don and Beli. She was considered the goddess of childbirth, the moon, fertility and fate. Her name is a derivation of Milky Way, the zodiac and the moon. Arianfhod is represented by silver, wheels and the sheaf of wheat.

Morrigan, "The Great Queen" was the greatest

archetypal Mother goddess of the Irish Celts. She represents the goddess of war, death, the prophesy of death and passion. Together with Badb and Macha she built the "Triad War Goddess". Morrigan often was represented by the crow, particularly on the battlefield. The name Morrigan is a deriversion of the Irish, Mhor Rioghain, meaning "Great Queen". The alternate spelling is Morrighan.

Epona, Gallo-Celtic Horse goddess / Divine Mare appears to have no relations. This indicates that she was possibly a Great Nature Mother goddess and a virgin. A self producing Great Mother. Epona is the protectress of horses, foals, riders and stables. She is documented as the incarnation of fertility, often represented as the Divine White Mare. Epona is frequently addressed as Eponabus, the plural. This indicates relation to the three Matrones, and she is thought to be three-formis, and a fertility goddess. Epona is represented by whips, harness and the key to the doors of the Otherworld. The pre-Christian Roman documentation indicates that almost every stable in the Roman Empire had a shrine to Epona.

Brigit, "Exalted One", a great triple goddess of the Celtic people. She was the High Mother goddess of Ireland and she was the only goddess to survive Christianity. Brigit is the protectress of smiths, healers, and poets. She is the goddess of Fires and Hearth. She was probably a sun goddess and is reported to be the daughter of Dagda. In legend her son, Ruadan, was murdered and Brigit sang the first "Keening" for him. She is represented by solar signs, St. Brigit's Cross, the spear and green mantle. The name Brigit, as derived from Brigh means power and Bride the beautiful, it also means Fiery Arrow. Other name interpretations are Bright Arrow, Bright One, The Powerful One and The High One.

Badb, Irish War goddess is the sister of Macha, Morrigan and Anu. She is apart of the Triple Goddess of Fate. The sisters are collectively known as Morrigan; the Messenger of Death. Badb is also represented by the Crow or Raven, at which time she is referred to as Badb Catha, the battle raven. Badb took part in the battles and influenced their outcomes by causing confusion with magic.

Macha, Celtic War Goddess. Macha appeared in three shapes- The Red Macha (Macha Mongruad) Macha is apart of the triad goddess Morrigan; The Messenger of Death.

There are many other women or goddess within Celtic Lore. Their roles range from High Mother goddess to hag. They represent a stronger and higher power, they

are immortal yet have very human traits. Celtic views on the spiritual and mythic are limited, as the information has not stood up to time. Conversely, one can find Celtic lore traits in the Roman and Greek deities, as the Keltoi was absorbed into their cultures.

Goddesses of Celtic legend were a life force to the culture's imagination, as well as their worship. Scholars viewed the savage war-goddess archetype odd and out dated, if not obscure, mysterious and cruel. However, these myths uncloak a people of a beautiful and intellectually vast array of faith and beliefs.

The personification for the universe was female. All creativity was female, too, and all traces of the pagan Celt culture was such that women were pivotal to all that was spiritual and moral. Fertility, sovereignty, love and healing are representative of the spirit of the universe, and were the basis of their role in the Celtic culture. The Celtic woman is prominent in myth, she holds prominent and mighty positions. They represented women of the day in practical and ordinary Celtic life. The women in the Celtic culture bore arms, held religious and political positions, engaging in arenas their sisters in other cultures did or could not. An example being Greek mythology.The Greek Goddesses held these positions, but the positions of power were not apart of the reality of Greek womanhood.

When we think of Celtic women today many images immerge; beautiful warriors, romantic and tragic heroines, vengeful goddesses, hags and harpies. We find wise women and the Druid ( comely wise women of age), to the female saints of early Celtic-Christianity (Brigit).

A quote from Moyra Caldicott in the book Women in Celtic Myth' is an acknowledgment of the culture, "one of the things I find so refreshing in the Celtic myths is that the women are honored as much for their minds as for their bodies. The dumb blond would not stand much of a chance in ancient Celtic society".