Wendy Celtic Women: Myth and Symbol by Wendy

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

~~~Celtic Women; Myth & Symbol~~~

 

 

 

 

 

The Celtic people have long been an enigma to the world, for their historically independent thinking and for their kind of natural mysticism. The Celts have also been known for their tendency for both their progressivism as evidenced in their early law codes and for their conservatism, as seen in their attachment to native pagan traditions in the face of pervasive Christianity. There is much scholarly debate as to which historical observer has told the most reliable accounts of the Celts or which literature retains the most accurate portrayal of Celtic life. This is especially true of ancient times of the Celtic women. The body of literature that we have was 'tainted by Christian monks and subject to Christian moralizing. 

Observers, who were usually members of the conquering people, were often woefully inaccurate in their interpretation, using their experience as a lens through which they viewed the Celtic people and as a measure of what was'acceptable' and what was not.

 

It was the intention of the writer to explore the myth of the ancient Celts - and focus on the female deities, in this discussion. As the he continue to talk about the the myths, he talked about the how the myths suggested that the ancient Celts female had the dominant role in the Celtic Society that was at one time matrifocused that is, focused on only women....He further, goes into the evolution of these Celtic myths of the female and suggest a distinct shift in the consciousness shaped [ of the Celtic Women] by the warrior ethos, Christianity and patriarchy.  He says' The female goddess, once held sacred, now becomes violent like warriors. Her life-giving qualities brought instead only death and destruction.' But the Celtic women found power in this new developement. He goes on to say the female members of this society who had enjoyed much freedom and equal status among men, were made to suffer at the hands of violence as well if the were caught...

It is my belief that the Celtic women, while certainly not a direct relection of the Celtic goddesses, was at one time honored for her life-giving ability. thou ght of as wise and treated as an individual.. As the people seem to suggest this way in the Mythology o the Celtic women.

 

 You must remember this is one person perspictive on what the Celtic women & Ancient mythogy was like.....

 

Larrington -  describes the goddess in this way, she was a 'dual-natured female figure, beautiful and hag-like looks too, into an gift of great power.' The goddesses were especially depicted in three's, such as Eriu, Banba, and Fotla, all goddesses of sovereignty. in the eleventh century, Ireland was often called Eire and also called ' the island of Banb of the women' [ Mary Condren, The Serpent and the Goddess, Women, Religion, and Power in Celtic Ireland,] Goddesses, according to Larrington, were often hybridized by Roman and Greek influences, but this did not seem to obsure the native elements. For example , Julius Caesar liked one Celtic goddess to Minerva, a classical deity. in fact some Celtic goddesses seemed to share certain of their characteristics. However there were no Celtic goddesses of love.

 

Condren describes the female warrior goddesses respect  for death, as a natural part of life, which seemed in translate into ' real' life as well. This is best seen in the symblic marriage betwween the king and the goddess of sovereighty.. This union was to ' ensure fertiliy for the land and for his people in the year to come. The King traditionally had to embrace the goddess in the guise of a hag who would then turn beautiful after reciving his kiss. Condren impressively states here that the king of that time was a man who respected both life and death and imprtantly, respected the giver of life. The king then must marry such a notion that embrace of the natural.

 

Condren describes not only the role of the goddess in Celtic Ireland, but also the important inter-relatedness of goddess and human woman: 'Since the souce of life was so integrally associated with women, it would seem to follow that the origins of life were female. At times of joy or moments of pain, humans would turn to the Goddess who was honored in her many guises' It would not seem strange then to worship a female deity and consequently treat her female subjects with respect and honor. Descent was also otfen traced through the mother and a strong emphasis was placed on the mother relationship. However, conservative  scholars are quick to point out that the power did not entirely rest on women, rather the focus appears to be on women. Life was of tremendous value in what appears to be the most natural, physical sense. Hence the importance of the women, goddess or human.

 

        'Women were highly honored, female symbolism formed the most sacred images

         in the religious cosmos, and the relationship with motherhood was the central 

         elements of the social fabic the society was held together by common allegiance

         to the customs of the tribe loosely organized around the traditions of the goddess'

 

What appears to have dismantled this society was the warrior culture and the spread of Christianity into Ireland. The story of Macha is and instructive example of the 'fall' of the Celtic goddess and in some sense the fall of the Celtic woman. Macha (Ulster Epona, the horse goddess) marries Crunnchua mac Angnoman a rich widower. The two together until one day, Crunnchua wishes to go to the annual assembly of the Ulsterman. Macha pleads with him not to go, but Crunnchua insists.  While at the assembly , Crunnchua witnesses a horse race. Those in attendance with him, including the king himself, declare that none can

run faster than these horse. Crunnchua knows that his wife can outrun these horses with no problem and decides to challenge the declaration. The king, angered at Crunnchua's 

arrogance insists that Crunnchua bring Macha to them for a match. Macha comes reluctantly, but before doing so, pleads, "Help me, for a mother bore each of you. Give me, oh, king, But a short delay until i am delivered. "Macha is pregnant. This request and the King's subsequent refusal are striking reminders of the changes that took place not only in the Irish sagas such as this one, but also the changes in the societies that became the goddesses women. The King's ultimate responsibility  was to allow the 'creativity of women to prosper. "Kings were to promise that no one would die in child birth, food should grow plentifully, and the traditional dyeing  would not fail. These promises were related  to take care of the cultural and fertility needs of the clan, symbolized by these women's activities, the King would be overthrown" 

 

The King as evidenced in this story, violated the promises he made and instead of being overthrown, is permitted to continue his reign with no apparent resestance from his constituents. This portrayal of Macha is actually the last of the three major  In the first she was brillant, strong mother-goddess. In the second she is a helples but wise wife, and the third she is relegated to an existence of shame and forced to abandon her life-giving gifts, 

adapting to the new warrior ethos. This is how she had trditionally become associated with the three war-goddess spiral, joining Badb and Morrigan. They appearance of the war-goddess appears to develop as a result of the change inCeltic society to one of violence and 

paradoxically, and Christianity.

 

 As the ending of the Celtic women and Goddess evolves into a warrior-goddess as the simultaneously the status of women decline in societies constantly under attack, where emphasis is placed on death and bloodlust rather than on life and respect for death. With this, men began, according to Condren, to feel threatened by women as well, by any force seen as competition. Importantly another aspect of the decline was the christians who began to satirize the goddesses because of their patriarchal  and their beliefs in pagan/ stood in direct contrast to the worship of  a female of a deity.  

 

[miyoko canter]

love this.