Celtic Gods and Goddesses in Today's Society

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Celtic Gods and Goddesses in Today's Society

Are the Celtic gods and goddesses whom the ancient Celts paid homage to thousands of years ago, still with us today? The traditional answer is "no" but this may not be exactly true. The influence or the message of the various Celtic delties may be returning in perhaps a different form.

The names of Celtic deities are known world-wide because of famous landmarks such as the Danube river which was named after the goddess Anu (or Danu) who was an earth-goddess. The word "burbon" is usually associated with sweets and is derived from the god Borvo, the god of hot spings and healing waters. Amaethon, the Welsh god of argiculture, is a popular name used by farming businesses today such as Amatheon agri. Rosmerta, the goddess of healing and prosperity, is the name of a well-known character from the Harry Potter books and film series. References to Celtic deities may be found in today's society and are a testimony to the importance they had thousands of years ago.

A many-god (or polytheistic) idelogy is very difficult to understand for those brought up in a modern Christian society where the idea of one god is clearly understood. The attributes or qualities of Celtic gods and goddesses are possibly easier to understand. For example Loucetios, the Celtic god of lightning, would be possibly portrayed and understood today as a "superhero"because of his extraordinary ability to create electricity. Recent medical break-throughs now include hand transplants. Diancecht, the Irish god of medicine, made a prostheic arm for his brother Nuada, the king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. who were the ruling tribe of gods. Miach transformed the prosthetic arm into one of flesh and blood. The legend definitely has contemprary associations.

Diancecht and his son Miach may be the Celtic world's combined equivalent to Nostradamus when predicting the idea of a modern society. The comparison of the legend of a Celtic god who was worshipped in the Bronze age and today's newspaper headlines about hand transplants seems to be incredibly accurate. Diancecht's belief in a common law where the injured party should receive some form of payment has been realised with the modern legal term "suing". It is possible the ideals of a Bronze age society who may have considered the methods used by the Druids (who were the law-makers)unfair and are now realised in modern Celtic culture.

The Celtis lived a life-style that would be described today as "holistic". Holistic is defined as meaning "a form of healing that considers the whole person -- body, mind, spirit, and emotions -- in the quest for optimal health and wellness."( Holostic Medicine). The druids, who were thought of as spiritual guardians, would ensure each person would lead a holistic (or balanced) lifestyle that included exercise, a proper diet as well as proper spitiritual well-being. Holisitic, complementary and alternative medicines are popular in modern mainstream culture but do not possess the same legal status as traditional medical treatments.

Many Celtic gods and goddesses were associated with health. Borvo, the god of hot and healing springs, was worshipped in Continental Europe. Water was one of the four important elements in the Celtic religion because it could "soak up"and carry the magical power of prayers and spells. The power of water to heal is often referred to in myths such as the "Well of Slaine" which could heal the Tuath de Danann because Diancecht put all of the herbs of ireland into it. Healing Wells and springs could be found in most parts of the Celtic world where they were associated with healing and eye afflicitions (although the reason why this is the case is unknown). Health spas still exist in the same places where Celtic gods and goddesses were worshipped in Continental Europe, Britain and Ireland. Large numbers of people still have confidence in the therapeutic value of healing waters and springs.

The healing power of herbs is still used today in modern medicine. In March 2015 scientists at Nottingham University discovered a possible cure for the MRSA infection that was found in a thousand year old book about a herbal remedy for an eye infection used by monks (BBC). Medicine in the early Middle Ages had its roots in an Celtic tradition and folk practices.

Fire was another important element in the Celtic tradition and the sun was thought of as a source of healing energy. The festival of Beltane was a common and popular traditional ritual that embodied both these beliefs. Fires, which represented the Sun, were lit at the beginning of summer and cows were herded between the fires so the regenerative power of Belenos, the god of the Sun, would both cure and protect the herds of cattle from disease. The Beltane festival was recently revived in Scotland and Ireland where it is celebrated as an artistic festival on the traditonal date of 1st of May. It could be argued the Celts belief in the regenerative and restorative power of the Sun is still present today with solar energy now being used as a viable source of energy.

The Celtic religion was a nature based religion with the central concept of keeping a balance in nature. Chaotic consequences occurred if the balance was disturbed. The majority of Celts were farmers and lived in rural communities. They relied on rituals and ceremonies that were carried out by Druids ( or priests) to ensure the balance of nature was restored. The worship of Celtic deities such as Nantosuelta, the goddesss of nature and Anu (or Danu), an regenerative earth-goddess was thought to restore order and harmony.

The modern equivalent of an imbalance in nature with problematic changes in weather conditions is referred to as "climate change". The same uncertainties exists today as they did during the time of the Celtic era. These concerns are that countries and communites will not prosper if some form of action is not taken about the weather. The regeneration and healing of the earth is as popular today in the general population as it was thousands of years ago. The concept of ensuring agricultural land and produce is healthly is also present in modern culture with many opting for organically grown produce rather than produce grown using intensive farming practices. There is s general feeling that genetically modified food should be avoided because it is not natural and so unhealthy. Environmentally friendly or "green products" can also be found in any supermarket.

Accurately predicting weather patterns using animals and plants has been in use for thousands of years. Many methods used today date back to the Celtic era but are remembered in a Christian context such as saints and feastdays because the early Christians renamed celtic gods and goddess as saints. For example the Celtic festival of Samhain (the "blood month") which was celebrated on the 1st November is known today as "All Saints Day". According to the apparently precise myth, if ducks slide on icy in November, then they will be swimming in ice-free water in December and onwards (Weather-lore). A television weather presenter in Ireland recently gave a short televised lecture as to why the population should not use plants and animals to predict long-range weather forecasts ( RTE).

The Celtic religion was revived in the twentieth century and called the Celtic neopaganism movement. Practitioners of the relgion are now able to worship freely in today's more tolerent society. There is a re-newed interest in Celtic gods and goddessess and this may be due to the fact there is a similarity of ideas with modern society about (for example) treating the earth and mother-nature with respect.

Sky News reported in December 2015 that Paganism was the fastest growing religion in Britain. Thousands of people attended and celebrated the winter solstice on 22nd December (of each year) 2015, with the Sun rising over Stonehenge in Wilshire. "The Sun is directly overhead of the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere during the December solstice and is closer to the horizon than at any other time in the year, meaning shorter days and longer nights" (Daily Telegraph). Stonehenge is carefully aligned on a sight-line that points to the winter solstice sunset. "The solstice only lasts for a few minutes... It is thought that the Winter Solstice was actually more important to the people who constructed Stonehenge ...These observations informed our decisions about sowing crops, mating animals and judging food reserves between harvests. ...The Winter Solstice was a time when most cattle were slaughtered (so they would not have to be fed during the winter) and the majority of wine and beer was finally fermented." (Daily Express). Google has created the new Doodle which celebrates the December solstice.

The message of the various gods and goddesses in the Celtic religion is one voice among many who share the same ideas and concerns the ancient Celts did thousands of years ago. Their"status" seens to have been re-affirmed in modern culture due a growing intesest in the religion especially among the younger generation. The positive phrase of "new age" may be one possible future reference to the Celtic deities and their presence in our society is assured for generations to come.