Celtic
Calendar
Celtic
Calendar
There
are three primary schools of thought regarding Celtic calendrical practice.
One of the most commonly accepted beliefs holds that the year was divided
into thirteen months with an extra day or so the end of the year used to
adjust the calendar. This theory states that the months correspond to the
vowels of the Ogmah or Celtic tree alphabet. Robert Graves is the major
proponent of this school. The evidence he gives is more poetic than archaeological.
His interpretation of an ancient poem, The Song of Amergin, appears to
be the basis for this calendar.
Dec.
24 - Jan. 21
I am a stag of seven tines
Beith the Birch
Jan.
22 - Feb. 18
I am a wide flood on a plain
Luis
the Rowan
Feb.
19 - Mar. 18
I am a wind on the deep waters
Nuinn the Ash
Mar.
19 - Apr. 15
I am a shining tear of the sun
Fearn the Alder
Apr.
16 - May 13
I am a hawk on a cliff
Saille the Willow
May
14 - Jun. 10
I am a fair amongst flowers
Huath the Hawthorn
Jun.
11 - Jul. 8
I am a god who sets the head afire with smoke
Duir the Oak
Jul.
9 - Aug. 5
I am a battle-waging spear
Teinn the Holly
Aug.
6 - Sep. 2
I am a salmon in a pool
Coll the Hazel
Sep.
3 - Sep. 30
I am a hill of poetry
Muinn the Vine
Oct.
1 - Oct. 28
I am a ruthless boar
Gort the Ivy
Oct.
29 - Nov. 25
I am a threatening noise from the sea
Ngetal the Reed
Nov.
26 - Dec. 22
I am a wave of the sea
Ruis the Elder
Dec.
23
Who but I knows the secret of the unhewn dolmen?
Most archaeologist and historians accept another calendar. This ca lender is represented by the surviving fragments of a great bronze plate, the Coligny Calendar, which originally measured 5 feet by 3-1/2 feet. This plate, found in eastern France, was engraved in the Gaulish language (similar to Welsh) in Roman-style letters and numerals. It depicts a system of time keeping by lunar months, showing 62 consecutive months with 2 extra months inserted to match the solar timetable. They appear to have worked with a 19-year time cycle that equaled 235 lunar months and had an error of only half a day. The third school of thought is an amalgam of both of the others. The proponents of this last theory believe that the first calendar pre-dates the Coligny discovery. They lend credence to Mr. Graves interpretation of the poem The Song of Amergin and believe that the Roman influence caused the celts to modify and record their system as represented on the Coligny Calendar. Of course they could just be polite archaeologists.
From
Caesar we know the Celts counted by nights and not days and in reckoning
birthdays and new moon and new year their unit of reckoning is the night
followed by the day. This concept survives in the English term "fortnight,"
meaning fourteen nights, or two weeks. Pliny ascribes this form of time
measuring specifically to the Druids, "... for it is by the moon that they
measure their months and years and also their ‘ages’ (saeculi) of thirty
years." Ancient Celtic philosophy believed that existence arose from the
interplay between darkness and light, night and day, cold and warmth, death
and life, and that the passage of years was the alternation of dark periods
(winter, beginning November 1) and light periods (summer, starting May
1). The Druidic view was that the earth was in darkness at its beginning,
that night preceded day and winter preceded summer a view in striking accord
with the story of creation in Genesis and even with the Big Bang theory.
Thus, Nov. 1 was New Year’s Day for the Celts, their year being divided
into four major cycles. The onset of each cycle was observed with suitable
rituals that included feasting and sacrifice. According to several sources
the Celtic year had eight primary festivals four coincided with the celestial
divisions dictated by the movement of the earth the other four, detailed
below, had special religious significance. Several celebrations of a more
local nature were scattered between each of the major celebrations. The
lesser holidays primarily commemorated battle victories or honored local
heroes. Some survive as saint’s days or other traditional celebrations.
Below is a list of the major festivals and their dates on the roman calendar:
Major Festivals of the Celtic Calendar
Samhuinn or Samhain1 November Samhain (pronounced sow-en) meaning "Summer’s End," is celebrated on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. A solemn occasion. As darkness overwhelmed the world, the days grew short, and the earth became barren and cold and the veil between the mortal and the supernatural was temporarily drawn aside. Samhain is the beginning of the Celtic new year. This is the time when the rising of Pleiades, heralds the triumph of night over day. Now it is the “time of the little sun” and the portion of the year which is ruled by the realms of the moon. In the three days preceding the Samhain, the God of Light Lugh, dies at the hand of his Tanist, who is himself as the Lord of mis-rule. Lugh then passes through the veil between the worlds on Samhain. The Tanist is a stingy and harsh King who while shining brightly in the skies gives no warmth to the land. He cannot warm the north wind which is the breath of the Crone, Cailleach Bheare. This is indicative of the cyclic harmony of seasonal dominance which teaches us that neither Life nor Death can ever hold permanent sway. Death was never far from our ancestors, and there was not the fear of it that permeates the society we live in. Yet while death itself wasn’t feared, it was held important to die with honor. Through dying well, people had the promise of living on in this world through their clan and at “Fleadh nan Mairbh” (Feast of the Dead). It is at this time the ancestors were honored and the dead were remembered. This feast took place on Samhain Eve. In many ways it is very similar to the Mexican "Day of the Dead.” This is one of two times in the year when the veil between this world and Otherworld, the Shield of Skathach, is at it’s thinnest. For this reason it was a time of divination. This day was considered to be a day that did not exist. Because of this the Spirits of the Dead and those yet to be born of the clan walked freely amongst the living. Food and entertainment were provided in their honour. In this way the clan remained in unity with its past, present and future. The common modern practice of carving pumpkins in the States, and turnips in the old countries stem from the days when our ancestors were active head hunters. They believed that the spirit resided in the head. They also believed that if they controlled the head of a foe they had killed in battle, and displayed the head at Samhain, then that foe could do them no further ill during this time when they could again walk in this realm. This practice was modified in the times after the rise of Christianity. It was however remolded into the practice of carving vegetables with the same intent. That being to keep away harm intending spirits. Samhain was a time of fairs and festivities. As with all the fire festivals, fires were lit on the hilltops at Samhain. This festival was one of the two when all hearth fires were extinguished and re-lit from the communal bonfires. The cattle were driven back from the mountains where they had been sent for the summer. At this time of their return they were driven between two bonfires to purify and protect them. People and cattle both had now returned from the hills and glens to their winter quarters and were engaged in actively re-tying the social bonds. Just prior to this, the stores that had been put up had been assessed. Part of this assessment was how many could be fed during the cold months ahead. Rather than have whole herds starve to death in the winter, the herds were culled and the weakest harvested and the meat was preserved. The taking of life was done in a sacred way, and the utilitarian killing of the excess livestock had a sacrificial nature. Another area were the religious philosophy is addressed was in the bonds of kinship which were renewed in the clan spirit that was invoked at this time of year. Traditionally Samhain begins the time of storytelling by the fires of the hearth, as there isn’t much to do outside during this “time of the little sun.”
Alban Arthuan or Winter Solstice21December
Imbolic or Oimelc1 February The next festival on the Celtic calendar took place on Feb. 1st or 2nd and was called Imbolc. It centered around the fertility goddess Brigit and was concerned with the fertility of livestock and other pastoral matters. Brighid is invited into the house on the eve of this holiday. Candles were blessed. Auguries were often taken at this time. This was the season when lambs were born. From from Samhain to Imbolc was considered the winter. As there were few daylight hours during the season of cold work outdoors, the family spent their time round the fire which was the source of their light, heat and warming food. It was also the gathering point for the seannachaidh (story teller) who, with the fire of inspiration, would tell the stories of the people. The sacred fire is strongly associated with Bride. Her name translates as 'fiery arrow'. One of her aspects is the Goddess of poetry and it is She who is the 'flame of inspiration'. Another term given to Bride is 'the flame in the heart of all women'. This relates to the absolute authority of the woman in the house. Imbolc was a fire festival only for the household. During Imbolc, particular attention was paid to the hearth fire. Throughout the day it was kept specially fueled with specific woods, to welcome Her arrival. In the evening a rowan rod was placed in the heart of the fire. The following morning, before it was opened up, the fire was checked for the signs of a blessing from Her. The mark in question was a shape that looked like the foot print of a goose or swan. If a mark was found there was an extremely fortunate time ahead for the family. The associations between Bride and the goose or swan is also found in some of the incantations in the Carmina Gadelica by Alexander Carmichael. “The Language of the Goddess” by Dr. Maria Gimbutas goes a long way toward helping understand the meaning of the “Bird Foot Goddess.”
Alban Eiler or Vernal Equinox21 March
Beltane or May Day1 May This holiday was called Beltaine, probably because of the name Belenus, the god of light. At this time, all household fires were extinguished and great bonfires were kindled on hilltops. From these sacred fires all household fires were relit, thus gaining the blessings of the gods. People and cattle jumped across the bonfires in a symbolic ritual of purification and protection from evil; getting the cattle to jump over the fires must have been a difficult matter, even though cows are capable of clearing five- or six-foot fences. Might this ancient practice have been the origin of the nursery rhyme about the cow jumping over the moon? It is ironic but true that many so-called "children’s" nursery rhymes were based on some very "Grimm" realities. The following is a poem translated out of the Gaelic by the Dal Riadh Celtic Trust and said to be written by Finn himself:
May, clad in
cloth of gold,
Cometh this
way;
The fluting
of the blackbirds
Heralds the
day.
The dust coloured
cuckoo
Cries welcome
O Queen!
For winter
has vanished,
The thickets
are green.
Soon the trampling
of cattle
where river
runs low!
The long hair
of the heather,
The canna
like snow.
Wild waters
are sleeping,
Foam of blossom
is here;
Peace, save
the panic
In the heart
of the deer.
The wild bee
is busy,
The ant honey
spills,
The wandering
kine
Are abroad
on the hills.
The harp of
the forest
Sounds low,
sounds sweet;
Soft bloom
on the heights;
On the loch,
haze of heat.
The waterfall
dreams;
Snipe, corncakes,
drum
By the pool
where the talk
Of the rushes
is come.
The swallow
is swooping;
Song swings
from each brae;
Rich harvest
of mast falls;
The swamp
shimmers gay.
Happy the
heart of man,
Eager each
maid;
Lovely the
forest,
The wild plane,
the green glade.
Truly winter
is gone,
Come the time
of delight,
The summer
truce joyous,
May, blossom-white.
In the heart
of the meadows
The lapwings
are quiet;
A winding
stream
Makes drowsy
riot.
Race horses,
sail, run,
Rejoice and
be bold!
See, the shaft
of the sun
Makes the
water-flag gold.
Loud, clear,
the blackcap;
The lark trills
his voice
Hail May of
delicate colours
tis May-Day
- rejoice!
Amonst the folk lore of this holiday is that which survives to this day, young women will wash their face in the dew of Beltaine morning to preserve their youth. May dew was indeed considered to be holy water. This day was one which saw visits to the holy well. A visitor would walk three times around the well, then they would throw in a silver coin, after which while thinking of their wish they would drink from the well using their hands. When those things were done, they would then tie a bit of colored cloth or a piece of clothing to a branch of a nearby tree. The above had to be done in complete silence as well as when the sun wasn’t in sight. The final part of the procedure had the visiting person well out of sight of the well before sunrise. In many places, a May Queen was elected. She was crowned by an elder lady of notoriety, after the new queen and her court had arrived at a predetermined place. Some believe that in the older times, it was the May Queen who lead the hymns to the rising sun, as all the people congregated on the appropriate hill at Beltaine. She is also believe to have led some of the “marches” in the older times.
Alban Heruin or Summer Solstice21 June
Lughnasadh or Festival of Light 1 August August 1 brought the feast of Lugh, the sun god; the feast was called Lughnasadh. The Celtic religion, like that of ancient Egypt, was basically solar-oriented; hence, this festival was an important one. It was primarily an agrarian occasion, mainly concerned with harvest time; it was a relatively happy period in the lives of the Celts, when the most benevolent aspects of the gods were in evidence. We can trace Lugh back to the Pretanic Celts. Here He is the son of Arianrhod and Gwydion. While Arianrhod gave birth to him, Lugh was taken away by his father, who was also his uncle, and raised by him. However, by the old traditions there are certain things that can only be given by the mother. One of these is the name and Arianrhod refused to do so when Gwydion brought him to her. She said, "Why do you prolong my shame? He shall have no name until I give it to him." The next day Lugh was practicing when Arianrhod remarked, "The fair one has a skillful hand." Which is the meaning of his name, “skillful hand”, amongst the Pretani. She was absolutely livid at having been tricked so she swore that he would have no weapons lest they came from her hand, as this is the next thing to come from the mother. Gwydion proceeded to determine how to circumvent this problem and after having done so presented Lugh as a champion in need of weapons. It was only after she had presented them that she realized who he was. She then swore Lugh would have no wife, for this was the last blessing to come from the mother. However, by the work of Math, Gwydion created a woman made of the blossoms of oak, broom and meadowsweet. She was named Blodeuwydd which means “flower face”. But that is a whole story unto itself and we’ll leave it for our Pretani cousins to take those up. Lugh came to the Gaelic peoples just prior to the Second Battle of Maige Tuired (moy tura). In the lore is told how He came to the Tuatha de Danaan who were being led by the Dagda. He presented himself to be a help in the coming fight against the Fomore. He was asked several times what his skill was. Each time he told of a skill he was told that one of the Tuatha already possessed that skill. Finally he broke the stalemate by asking who amongst the Tuatha had all of the skills, as did he. None did, and so he was not only admitted into the company of the Tuatha but also given the title Il Danach which showed that he possessed all of the skills. When the mighty battle finally roared and Tuatha warrior met Fomore warrior on the field of honor, Lugh had been kept far away from the scene. Finally, going against the wishes of the Dagda, he went out to the scene of battle himself. The battle had gone hard for the Tuatha even though the weapons of Goiban repaired themselves and the healing of Dianecht brought back those who had fallen. Lugh certainly saved that day. For he put out the evil eye of Balor before it could do more damage. Yet even with the help of Lugh, the Tuatha suffered loses with the death of Nuada and others. Lugh became permanent in the company of the Tuatha. Lugh, the God of Light, was eventually wounded himself on the day that is named after him, Lughnasadh. His death, however, comes in the three days preceding the Samhain, when He dies at the hand of his Tanist (his other self) who is the Lord of mis-rule. This is said to be the festival of Lugh. However, this harvest festival usually dedicated to Lugh was very often dedicated to his foster mother Tailltu. There is quite a bit of evidence that Lugh stepped into the shoes once worn by Trograinn, the son of Griann. This is the time when the warriors returned from the fields of battle to begin harvesting the crops. At this time fairs were held. Traditionally, this was also the time when marriages were contracted. There were many games and races. A great number of records still exist which show that this date held importance across all of the Gaelic lands. One of these, the 12th century manuscript of 'The Book of Leinster' tells of a fair, an 'aenach', held at Carmun in Leinster (probably south of Kildare). This fair was held once every three years; it began on 1st August and ended on the 6th. Another example is the Curragh of the Liffey which is the most celebrated race course in Ireland. However, from the ancient lore we see the God of Light Lugh Himself, instituted the great fair of Tailltenn (now called Teltown) in honour of his foster mother Tailltiu (pronounced Telsha). The lore relates how Tailltiu's heart broke under the strain of clearing the plain that carries her name. Lugh then ordained that the fair, with feasting and games should be held there annually for all time as a memorial to Her. Tailltiu was in fact a Goddess of the Land who founded the kingship of Ireland under the Fir Bolgs, in the time before the coming of either the Tuatha de Danaan or the Gael. It is said that the Fir Bolgs landed in Ireland at Lughnasadh, hence this festival seems to have a great deal of association with the older races of that land. The site of Tailltenn was also an ancient sacred burial place for the men of Ulster, which is traditionally the stronghold of the Fir Bolg warriors. The Fir Bolg peoples were closely associated with agriculture. Lughnasadh was an important land festival within the communities of the 'common folk'. Throughout Gaelic lands Lughnasadh is to this day known as "the festival of first fruits". It does in a very real way honor Thallium, who as a Goddess of the Land (and sovereignty), is the Earth Mother. When considering the agricultural perhaps we can best establish the idea of the intent of this festival time by exploring the Gaelic language itself. By doing this study, we find that the name Lugh, transliterates to “the least.” As the People were still by and large living on the stores or the previous years harvest, this was the time when the stores were at the least. It was a time of looking forward to the harvest time just starting. It must to be pointed out directly, to avoid confusion, that this festival either in veneration of Tailltiu or Lughnasadh, has no connection to any concept of Corn Kings or harvest festivals, such as referenced to in Frazer’s “The Golden Bough”. Tailltenn was the scene of the final battle between the Tuatha de Danaans and the Gaels. The Gaels here defeated the Tuatha, and it is here that they buried their three kings. After this the Gaels divided Ireland between the sons of the Mil. It seems that a common element was the prevalence of horses at the fairs associated with Lughnasadh. Of course the White Stead is a common companion of Lugh in the lore. Even in the Ulster Cycle, the foot race between Macha and the chariots of MacNesa speak of this. The emphasis on horse races and horsemanship seem to drive home the point. This is very significant, for the horse is the embodiment of the Goddess of Sovereignty. In this her task seems to be to deliver spirits to Otherworld. A telling custom related to this belief which was once widely practised in the coastal lands of the Gaidhealtachd was for people to drive their horses down to the beach and into the sea on Lughnasadh. The Fair of Tailltenn, became a major annual event held on the 1st of August, which was attended by people of all classes in Gaelic Celtic. It had all the usual attractions of a great festival, but was particularly renowned for its excellent games and its 'marriage market'. Lughnasadh was the season of handfastings, or trial marriages that lasted a year and a day. After that time the couple had to return to the same place at the fair the following year to make their contract a permanent one. They also had the right to declare themselves divorced by walking in opposite directions away from each other. Trial marriages of a year and a day lasted up until recent centuries in many Gaelic areas. During this time young people would often simply *pair up* with a 'brother' or 'sister' for the duration of the fair, after which they went their separate ways. As a matter of fact, even into the 18th century the ribald flavor of the Teltown Fair (Teltown being the Anglicized version of the place name) was held to be quite scandalous. In some places one whole day was dedicated to horse and chariot. In addition to the games, there were recitations of poems, genealogies and romantic tales. Music was provided by “cruits” (harps), timpans, trumpets, horns and “cuisig” or “piob” (pipes). Feats of horsemanship were performed. There were also jugglers and clowns. It seems that there were usually three distinct market places; one for food and clothes, one for livestock and another for luxury goods. If it rained during this festival, it was believed that Lugh himself was present. Like the other fire festivals, this one too was once celebrated with great bonfires in every district. These fires lasted well into the nineteenth century in many places. In many places the elderly women would go to the cattle to tie red or blue threads onto their tails, while repeating incantations. For the milk to retain its goodness, a ball of cow's hair or 'ronag' was put into the milk pail on this day. Curds and cheese were specially prepared from that day's milk. In many places, after the rise to dominance of Christianity, the pagan bannock became the 'Moilean Moire', dedicated to Mary. In this way the ancient customs were carried on under a thin veneer of Christianity as La Feill Moire, The Feast day of Mary. This festival falls on August 15th, very close to the ancient date of Lughnasadh before the Gregorian calendar changes. We can see many similarities between Mary as mother of Christ (the Sun King) and our ancestral Goddess of the Earth, Tailltiu, foster mother of the Sun King Lugh. La Feill Moire has retained much of its pagan roots. It is not very difficult to back-engineer this verse to regain a wholly pre-Christian expression. I shall however, leave that for the reader. In this rite the father of the household breaks the bannock, giving a piece to his wife and his children in order of age, then the whole family walk sunwise round the fire singing the rune of Mother Mary 'Iolach Mhoire Mhathair':
On the feast
day of Mary the fragrant,
Mother of
the Shepherd of the flocks,
I cut me a
handful of the new corn,
I dried it
gently in the sun,
I rubbed it
sharply from the husk
With mine
own palms.
I ground it
in a quern of Friday
I baked it
on a fan of sheep-skin
I toasted
it to a fire of rowan
And I shared
it round my people.
I went sunways
round my dwelling
In the name
of Mary Mother
Who promised
to preserve me
Who did preserve
And who will
preserve me...
(Translated
from the Gaelic by the Dal Riadh Celtic Trust)