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Celtic reconstructionism

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki


Celtic reconstructionism
The triple spiral is one of the main symbols[1]
AbbreviationCR
TypeEthnic religion
ClassificationModern Paganism
Orientation Reconstructionist
Scripturenon-scripture-centric
TheologyCeltic polytheism
AssociationsEuropean Congress of Ethnic Religions
RegionCeltic areas
Originmid-1980s

Celtic reconstructionism (CR), also known as Celtic reconstructionist paganism, is a polytheistic reconstructionist approach to ancient Celtic religion, emphasising historical accuracy over eclecticism such as is found in most forms of Celtic neopaganism such as Neo-druidism. It is an effort to reconstruct and revive, in a modern Celtic cultural context, pre-Christian Celtic religions.

Celtic reconstructionism originated in discussions among amateur scholars and Neopagans in the mid-1980s, and evolved into an independent tradition by the early 1990s. "Celtic reconstructionism" is an umbrella term, with a number of recognized sub-traditions or denominations.[2]

Origins[edit]

As modern paganism grew in scope and cultural visibility, some Euro-Americans saw the pre-Christian religions of their ancestors as being worthy of revival, and the study of mythology and folklore as a way to accomplish this.[3] While most Neodruid groups of the period were primarily interested in "revitalizing the spirit of what they believe was the religious practice of pre-Roman Britain", the Celtic reconstructionists focused on only "reconstructing what can be known from the extant historical record."[4]

Many of the people who eventually established Celtic reconstructionism were involved in modern pagan groups in the 1970s and 1980s. Much dialogue in the 1980s took place at workshops and discussions at pagan festivals and gatherings, as well as in the pages of pagan publications. This period, and these groups, are referred to in retrospect as "Proto-CR".[5] Later, with the establishment of the Internet in the late 1980s and early 1990s, many of these groups and individuals came together online. This began a period of increased communication, and led to the growth of the movement.[6]

With the growth of the Internet during the 1990s, hundreds of individuals and groups gradually joined the discussions online and in print, and the movement became more of an umbrella group, with a number of recognized sub-traditions.[6] In addition to the United States, a number of Celtic reconstructionist groups have formed in Britain.[7]

Practices[edit]

While the ancient Celtic religions were largely subsumed by Christianity,[8] many religious traditions have survived in the form of folklore, mythology, songs, and prayers.[5][9][10] Many folkloric practices never completely died out, and some Celtic reconstructionists claim to have survivals of Irish, Scottish or Welsh folkloric customs in their families of origin.[5][9][10]

Language study and preservation, and participation in other cultural activities such as Celtic music, dance and martial arts forms, are seen as a core part of the tradition.[5][11] Participation in the living Celtic cultures[12] – the cultures that exist in the "areas in which Celtic languages are actually spoken and in which Celtic traditions have been most faithfully handed down to the present day"[13] – is a vital part of their cultural work and spiritual practice.[citation needed] The protection of Celtic archaeological and sacred sites is important to Celtic reconstructionists.[14] When construction of the N3 motorway in Ireland threatened to destroy archaeological sites around the Hill of Tara, Celtic reconstructionists (among others) organized protests and a coordinated ritual of protection.[14][15]

Like many other modern pagan traditions, Celtic reconstructionism has no sacred texts and so personal research is stressed.[16] In order to more fully reconstruct pre-Christian Celtic religions, many Celtic reconstructionists study archaeology, historical manuscripts, and comparative religion, primarily of Celtic cultures, but sometimes other European cultures, as well.[17] Celtic reconstructionists are not pan-Celtic in practice, but rather study the documentary and archaeological evidence for a particular Celtic tradition.[7][18] According to NicDhàna, Celtic reconstructionists believe that while it is helpful to study a wide variety of Celtic cultures as an aid to religious reconstruction, and to have a broad understanding of religion in general, in practice these cultures are not lumped together.[5] In addition to cultural preservation and scholarly research Celtic reconstructionists believe that mystical, ecstatic practices are a necessary balance to scholarship, and that this balance is a vital component of any Celtic reconstructionist tradition.[19]

While Celtic reconstructionists strive to revive the religious practices of historical Celtic peoples as accurately as possible,[4][20] they acknowledge that some aspects of their religious practice are reconstructions.[21] Celtic reconstructionists state that their practices are based on cultural survivals, augmented with the study of early Celtic beliefs found in texts and the work of scholars and archaeologists. Feedback from scholars and experienced practitioners is sought before a new practice is accepted as a valid part of a reconstructed tradition.[22]

Celtic reconstructionists attempt to find ethical ways of integrating historical findings and research with the activities of daily life.[22] Many Celtic reconstructionists view each act of daily life as a form of ritual, accompanying daily acts of purification and protection with traditional prayers and songs from sources such as the Scottish Gaelic Carmina Gadelica or manuscript collections of ancient Irish or Welsh poetry.[19] Celebratory, community rituals are usually based on community festivals as recorded in folklore collections by authors such as F. Marian McNeill, Kevin Danaher or John Gregorson Campbell. These celebrations often involve bonfires, dances, songs, divination and children's games.[5] More formal or mystical rituals are often based on traditional techniques of interacting with the Otherworld,[citation needed] such as the act of making offerings of food, drink and art to the spirits of the land, ancestral spirits, and the Celtic deities. Celtic reconstructionists give offerings to the spirits throughout the year, but at Samhain, more elaborate offerings are made to specific deities and ancestors.[23]

The ancient Irish swore their oaths by the "Three Realms" – Land, Sea, and Sky.[24] Based on this precedent, reconstructed Gaelic ritual structures acknowledge the Land, Sea and Sky, with the fire of inspiration as a central force that unites the realms.[19] Many Celtic reconstructionists maintain altars and shrines to their patron spirits and deities, often choosing to place them at outdoor, natural locations such as wells, streams, and special trees.[citation needed] Some Celtic reconstructionists practice divination; ogham is a favored method, as are folkloric customs such as the taking of omens from the shapes of clouds or the behavior of birds and animals.[19]

Movement's labels[edit]

Some groups that take a Celtic reconstructionist approach to ancient Gaelic polytheism call themselves "Gaelic Traditionalists".[2] Preservation of the living traditions in modern Gaelic (and other modern Celtic) communities has always been a priority in Celtic reconstructionism.[citation needed] In the opinion of Isaac Bonewits this is partly because "Gaelic Traditionalists" is a term used almost exclusively by Celtic Christians.[2] As ní Dhoireann put it, "Gaelic Traditionalists" means "those living and raised in the living cultures and [who] are keeping their culture, language and music alive, not any of the American polytheistic groups that have been using it lately."[25] Most reconstructionists have been uncomfortable with the choice of other reconstructionists to call themselves "Traditionalists".[2]

Sub-traditions[edit]

While Celtic reconstructionism was the earliest term in use and still remains the most widespread, as the movement progressed other names for a Celtic reconstructionist approach were also popularized, with varying degrees of success.[2] Some Celtic reconstructionist groups have looked to the individual Celtic languages for a more culturally specific name for the tradition, or for their branch of the tradition.[2]

Pàganachd/Págánacht[edit]

Some Gaelic-oriented groups have used the Scottish Gaelic, Pàganachd ('Paganism, Heathenism')[19] or the Irish version, Págánacht.[15][26] One Gaelic Polytheist group on the East Coast of the US has used a modification of the Gaelic term as Pàganachd Bhandia ('Paganism of Goddesses').[5][19]

Senistrognata[edit]

In 2000, IMBAS, A Celtic reconstructionist organisation based in Seattle active during the late 1990s to early 2000s, adopted the name Senistrognata, a constructed "Old Celtic" term intended as translating to "ancestral customs". Imbas Template:IPA-sga is an Old Irish word meaning 'poetic inspiration'. The organization "promotes the spiritual path of Senistrognata, the ancestral customs of the Celtic peoples. It is a path open to Pagans, Christians, and Ag[n]ostics alike. This organization is currently inactive."[27][28]

Others[edit]

  • The Irish word for 'polytheism', ildiachas, is in use by at least one group on the West Coast of the US as Ildiachas Atógtha ('Reconstructed Polytheism').[28]

Relationship with Neo-druidism[edit]

Though there has been cross-pollination between Neo-druid and Celtic reconstructionist groups, and there is significant crossover of membership between the two movements, the two have largely differing goals and methodologies in their approach to Celtic religious forms.[4]

However, some Neo-druid groups (notably, Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF), the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD), and the Henge of Keltria) adopted similar methodologies of reconstruction, at least some of the time. ADF, in particular, has long used reconstructionist techniques, but the group has been criticized for their pan-Indo-European scope, which may result in non-Celtic combinations such as "Vedic druids" and "Roman druids".[29]

Terminological differences exist as well, especially in terms of what druid means. Some Neo-druid groups call anyone with an interest in Celtic spirituality a "druid", and refer to the practice of any Celtic-inspired spirituality as "druidry", while reconstructionist groups usually use[citation needed] the older[30] definition, seeing "druid" as a culturally-specific office that requires decades of training and experience, which is only attained by a small number of practitioners, and which must be conferred and confirmed by the community the druid serves.[31][32]

See also[edit]

Festivals

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Bonewits, Isaac (2006) Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism. New York, Kensington Publishing Group ISBN 0-8065-2710-2 Search this book on .. p.132: [Among Celtic Reconstructionists] "...An Thríbhís Mhòr (the great triple spiral) came into common use to refer to the three realms." Also p. 134: [On CRs] "Using Celtic symbols such as triskeles and spirals"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Bonewits (2006) p.137: "There are, by the way, groups of people who call themselves "Gaelic Traditionalists" who have a great deal in common with the Celtic Recons. Some of these GTs started off as CRs, but consider themselves different for some reason or another (usually political). Others are Catholics looking to restore old (but Christian) Gaelic customs. ... The key with understanding these terms, or others such as Celtic Restorationism, Neo-Celtism, Senistrognata, Seandagnatha, Ildiachas/Iol-Diadhachas, etc. is to find out what each person using them intends them to mean."
  3. ↑ Adler, Margot (1986). Drawing down the moon: witches, Druids, goddess-worshippers, and other pagans in America today. Boston: Beacon Press. p. 233. ISBN 0-8070-3253-0. Search this book on
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Gallagher, Eugene V.; Ashcraft, W. Michael (2006). Introduction to new and alternative religions in America. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. pp. 178. ISBN 0-275-98713-2. Search this book on
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Varn, C. Derick (December 2006). "An Interview with Kathryn Price NicDhàna: Celtic Reconstructionism". The Green Triangle. Archived from the original on 2008-01-21. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Bonewits (2006) p.131, "The Celtic Reconstructionist (CR) movement among neopagans began in the 1980s, with discussions among amateur scholars in the pages of neopagan publications or on the computer bulletin board systems of the pre-Internet days. In the early 1990s, the term began to be used for those interested in seriously researching and recreating authentic Celtic beliefs and practices for modern Pagans."
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Blain, Jenny (2005). "Heathenry, the Past, and Sacred Sites in Today's Britain". In Strmiska, Michael. Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. p. 184. ISBN 1-85109-613-2. Search this book on
  8. ↑ Sjoestedt, Marie-Louise (2000) [1949]. Celtic Gods and Heroes. Dover Publications. p. 3. ISBN 0-486-41441-8. Search this book on
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Danaher, Kevin (1972). The Year in Ireland. Dublin, Ireland: Mercier Press. pp. 11, 12. ISBN 1-85635-093-2. Search this book on
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Nagy, Joseph Falaky (1985). The wisdom of the outlaw: The boyhood deeds of Finn in Gaelic narrative tradition. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 2. ISBN 0-520-05284-6. Search this book on
  11. ↑ McColman (2003) p.51: "Many Celtic reconstructionists stress the importance of learning a Celtic language, like Irish or Welsh,"
  12. ↑ Kirkey, Jason (2009). The Salmon in the Spring: The Ecology of Celtic Spirituality. San Francisco: Hiraeth Press. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-9799246-6-8. Search this book on
  13. ↑ Kennedy, Michael (November 2002). Gaelic Nova Scotia: An Economic, Cultural, and Social Impact Study. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada: Nova Scotia Museum Publications. pp. 12, 13. ISBN 0-88871-774-1. In developing their own concept of Druidry, no reference was made by the [romantic] revivalists to the native spiritual and intellectual traditions of living Celtic communities – particularly to bards and priests who would have been the closest modern inheritors of any modern druidic tradition, slight as it may have been. ... Although the [romantic "druidic" revival] movement has continued to grow ... it is still almost entirely absent from areas in which Celtic languages are actually spoken and in which Celtic traditions have been most faithfully handed down to the present day. As Prof. Donald Meek has pointed out, this process of romanticism and cultural redefinition is actually greatly assisted by ignorance of the minority group’s language. ... The major reason that they tend to offer such a confused and contradictory picture of the “inherent” nature of Celts or Celtic culture is that they generally make no reference to existing Celtic communities, to living Celtic cultures, or to the best available Celtic scholarship. In fact, attempts to suggest that these should be the first sources of authority for the interpretation and representation of Celtic culture are often met with skepticism and even open hostility. Search this book on
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Nusca, Andrew (12–18 March 2008). "Reconstructing Ireland at Home". Irish Voice. 22 (11): S23.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 NicDhàna, Kathryn; nic Rhóisín, Raven (October 2007). "I Stand with Tara: A Celtic reconstructionist (Págánacht) ritual for the protection of the sacred center: The Tara-Skryne Valley in Ireland". paganachd.com & paganacht.com. Retrieved 26 October 2007.
  16. ↑ Bittarello, Maria Beatrice (2008). "Reading Texts, Watching Texts: Mythopoesis on Neopagan Websites". In Llewellyn, Dawn; Sawyer, Deborah F. Reading Spiritualities: Constructing and Representing the Sacred. Aldershot: Ashgate. p. 191. ISBN 978-0-7546-6329-4. Among traditions that recognise themselves as Neopagan or Pagans are (Neo) Druids, (Neo) Shamans, Wiccans, Odinists (also called Heathenists or Asatru), Hellenic, Roman and Celtic Reconstructionists. Such complex phenomenon is characterized by the absence of normative sacred texts and a hierarchy that controls authoritative sources and by a stress on personal research and choice. Search this book on
  17. ↑ McColman, Carl (2003). Complete Idiot's Guide to Celtic Wisdom. Alpha Press. p. 12. ISBN 0-02-864417-4. Some groups have gone even further, trying to use archaeology, religious history, comparative mythology, and even the study of non-Celtic Indo-European religions in an effort to create a well-researched and scholarly "reconstruction" of the ancient Celts. Search this book on
  18. ↑ Davy, Barbara Jane (2007). Introduction to Pagan Studies. Rowman Altamira. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-7591-0818-9. Some pagans embrace the idea of a pan-European Celtic culture, but some practice regionally specific reconstructionist traditions. Search this book on
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 Laurie, Erynn Rowan; O'Morrighu, Aedh Rua; Machate, John; Price Theatana, Kathryn; Lambert ní Dhoireann, Kym (2005). "Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism". In Telesco, Patricia. Which Witch is Which?. Franklin Lakes, New Jersey: New Page Books / The Career Press. pp. 85–89. ISBN 1-56414-754-1. Search this book on
  20. ↑ Bowman, Marion (1996). "Cardiac Celts: Images of the Celts in Paganism". In Harvey, Graham; Hardman, Charlotte. Paganism Today. London, U.K.: Thorsons. p. 244. ISBN 0-7225-3233-4. There are differences in and outlooks between reconstructors, whose priority is to piece together as exact a picture of the Celtic past as possible, and revivalists, whose main concern is not so much to replicate as to reinvigorate. Search this book on
  21. ↑ Littlefield, Christine (8 November 2005). "Rekindling an ancient faith". Las Vegas Sun. Las Vegas. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Bonewits (2006) p.132
  23. ↑ "A to Z of Halloween". Limerick Leader. Limerick, Ireland. 29 October 2009. Archived from the original on 2 November 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2009. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  24. ↑ Mac Mathúna, Liam (1999). "Irish perceptions of the Cosmos" (PDF). Celtica. 23: 174–187. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-02-04. Retrieved 2007-04-13. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  25. ↑ Varn, C. D. (February 2007). "An Interview with Kym Lambert". The Green Triangle. Archived from the original on 2008-01-21. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
  26. ↑ "Pàganachd/Págánacht". Paganacht.com / Paganachd.com. 2006. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
  27. ↑ "Imbas". imbas.org. 2004. Archived from the original on June 16, 2004. Retrieved 2004-06-16. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help) In an alt.pagan post, "Senistrognata", dated 18 March 2000, Danielle Ni Dhighe announced that "Senistrognata [...] is the term which our membership have democratically chosen to replace Celtic Reconstructionism/Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism", stating that the word is reconstructed "Old Celtic" with a meaning of "ancestral customs" (c.f. forn sed as a parallel term used in Germanic neopaganism).
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Bonewits (2006) p.137
  29. ↑ Bonewits (2006) Chapter 9, "Solitary Druids and Celtic Reconstructionists" pp.128-140.
  30. ↑ MacKillop, James (1998). Dictionary of Celtic mythology. Oxford University Press. p. 151. ISBN 0-19-280120-1. Search this book on
  31. ↑ Bonewits (2006) p.135: "But because the word druid is used by so many people for so many different purposes, Celtic Recons, even those who get called druids by their own communities, are reluctant to use the title for fear that others will equate them with folks they consider flakes, frauds or fools."
  32. ↑ Greer, John Michael (2003) The New Encyclopedia of the Occult. St. Paul, Llewellyn Worldwide. ISBN 1-56718-336-0 Search this book on ., pp. 139, 140, 410.

Works cited[edit]

  • Adler, Margot (1979) Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today
  • Bonewits, Isaac (2006) Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism. New York, Kensington Publishing Group ISBN 0-8065-2710-2 Search this book on . Chapter 9: "Celtic Reconstructionists and other Nondruidic Druids"
  • McColman, Carl (2003) The Complete Idiot's Guide to Celtic Wisdom. Alpha Press ISBN 0-02-864417-4 Search this book on .
  • Nusca, Andrew (March 12–18, 2008). "Reconstructing Ireland at Home". Irish Voice. 22 (11): S23.
  • Telesco, Patricia [editor] (2005) Which Witch is Which? Franklin Lakes, NJ, New Page Books / The Career Press ISBN 1-56414-754-1 Search this book on ., p. 85-9: "Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism"

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]


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