Celtic Reconstructionism

An introduction to the CR religious/cultural movement.

The CR FAQ:
http://www.paganachd.com/faq/

Category:

Education

Tags:

• humanities
• paganism
• celtic
• reconstructionism
• polytheism
• druidism
• faith

[Catubrannos]

If you truly believe in a pantheon of gods, can you explain why these gods allowed their worship to be usurped by christianity? Is the christian god better than yours or did the ancient Irish etc fail in providing enough sacrifices and the gods deserted them?

[fiacharrey]

That's a question anyone of any faith has to deal with. It seems that deities, Judeao-Christian or Pagan, tend to stay out of political conflicts, content to allow the winner to be the one with the most guys with the biggest guns.

[heidelbergerin]

Great video. I love the paganacht website, thank you.

[fiacharrey]

My pleasure, as always. :)

[CahanTiarnan]

@CahanTiarnan

(Just to name a few of their disciplines). So, if one is truly wishing to reconstruct the Druids of the Iron-ages, one must go to university and receive a few doctorates. Most people today, are unwilling to go through this much advanced education however, thus today’s Druids are a watered down version of the Iron-aged Druids, with some very rare exceptions.

[jajohnson7809]

I'd be curious to know how Celtic Reconstructionism differs from modern Druidry. Do CR's practice magic, and observe rituals of the wheel of the year? Thanks.

[CahanTiarnan]

@pscucailin Explain this then: (during the first crusade) Radulph of Caen a Catholic eyewitness to events at Ma'arra, in 1098, wrote, "In Ma'arra our troops boiled pagan adults in cooking-pots; they impaled children on spits and devoured them grilled."

The Chronicler Albert of Aix seemed to rank Muslims lower than dogs when he wrote: "Not only did our troops not shrink from eating dead Turks and Saracens; they also ate dogs!"

Murder + Cannibalism = Christian Justification and Justice!

[CahanTiarnan]

@pscucailin Adolph Hitler was a devote Catholic, Not a Pagan, but a very powerful Christian! Look at all the Nazi paraphernalia, it has a lot of Catholic symbols throughout.

[CahanTiarnan]

@CahanTiarnan • Law • Education • Religion and Theology • Astronomy • Astrology • Political Science • General Medicine • First Aid • Herbology • Bardic Arts o • Reciting Stories o • Genealogy • • Be able to play at least one musical instrument (The Harp was the preferred musical instrument by the Iron-aged Bards). • Natural Magic

[CahanTiarnan]

grate video fiacharrey! I, myself, am not a Druid, for I do not have the vast university education needed to become a true, modern day, Iron-age re-constructionist Druid.

The Druids of the Iron-ages were more than just a religious group. They were the educated class of Celtic society. A Druid could be a Doctor of medicine, psychology or some other kind of doctor. (Doctor = most educated in a particular field of study). Most Druids had a firm knowledge of the following:

[TsugaC]

@Catubrannos I didn't say I thought it was a *wise* plan. ;-)

*

Bottom line, having read both Norse and Irish mythologies, one cannot help but notice the lack of a cohesive morality offered by either earlier faith. Both the Old Testament and the New offer a system of morality, the New offering a path to salvation, as well. These older faiths were killed not by the sword (look how long the Jews have been hated & oppressed), but because they were ultimately found wanting.

[Catubrannos]

@TsugaC

Dumb plan as we don't even know who they are anymore. We have fragmentary evidence from Irish and Welsh myths, lots of inscriptions with names of local gods, but no real idea of how they interconnect. Compare that to the Norse gods who are still relatively well known thanks to the extra 1000 years they had before the Norse converted to christianity.

[TsugaC]

@Catubrannos The Torah (Old Testament) is replete with examples of Yahweh allowing misfortune and brutality to befall the Jews because of their failure to keep His commandments and strictures. Archaeological digs have recently revealed that before the Babylonian Diaspora, the Jews frequently offered prayers and small sacrifices to other deities besides Yahweh. Look up the Public Television NOVA program "The Bible's Buried Secrets".

*

Might the Celtic deities be doing the same thing?

[Catubrannos]

@3rosesred

It was the wealthy and powerful who after converting demanded that their subjects do likewise. It was commonsense on the part of the missionaries to convert the leaders for that reason. It's no different to companies using celebrities to promote their products today, the mass of the people still do what their stars and leaders tell them is best.