CELTS European Celtic Culture FEATURES relative absence of political centralization lack of urbanization writing not acquired until Christian evangelization gt ca 250 CE EVIDENCE ID: 689544
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CLCS 233S17TEST 2 REVIEWSlide2
CELTSSlide3Slide4
European Celtic Culture
FEATURES
• relative absence of political centralization
• lack of urbanization
• writing not acquired until Christian evangelization (> ca. 250 CE)
EVIDENCE
• archaeological
• accounts by Greek and Roman authors
• Irish and Welsh mythological textsSlide5
Continental Celts
archaeological
• social stratification (warrior aristocracy
)
• loose tribal culture; lack of political centralization
• absence of permanent shrines/altars
• cult of warfare (fortifications, weapons)
• ritual violence (head-hunting, human sacrifice)
• local male deities
• pan-tribal female deities
3
rd
-party accounts
• demonization
• assimilation (
interpretatio
Romana
)
Irish myths
• preserved by monks from 11
th
century onwardSlide6
Celtic Themes
Religious
animism
theriomorphism
transmigration
head-hunting
human
sacrifice
druidism
Mythic
triplism
local (solar) male deities
pan-tribal female
deities
cauldronsSlide7
druid
•
tasked with maintenance of tradition, religious rites, divination, law, poetry, education
• belief in natural magic, reincarnation, transmigrationSlide8
Continental Celtic Male Deities
Teutates
“God of Folk”
drowning
Taranis
“
Thunderer
”
immolation
Esus
“Master”
hangingSlide9
sídhe
•
sídhe
subterranean or aquatic
•
Tir
na
nOg
(Land of Youth) / Mag
Mell
(Meadow of Joy)
• located at bottom of lakes or wells, or on distant islands
• land of continual regeneration
• feasting of the gods
• music, board games, horse racing
• cauldron of
i
nextinguishable red ale
• cauldron of inextinguishable pork
• opening of
sídhe
at regular times of year
• humans lured into
sídhe
return unchanged years laterSlide10
Celtic Calendar
Samhain
1 November
• lighting of winter fires
• gates of
sídh
open
• disappearances and deaths
• sex
between giant
and goddess
Imbolc
1
February FORGET IMBOLC
• ewes come into milk
• Brigit
fire-goddess FORGET IMBOLC
• Christian St. Brigid’s Day
Beltaine
1
May
• beginning of planting season
•
return of lost individuals
• weddings
Lugnasadh
1 August
• summer harvest
• markets
• horse-racingSlide11
Lebhor Gabala
Erenn
(
Book of the Takings of Ireland
)
• 12
th
century compilation
• aims:
(a) preserve traditional Irish foundation myths
(b) synchronize Irish and Christian myths
(c) provide Irish myths with Biblical authority
• migration myth
• divine/destined migration
• narrative of invader
• encounter with indigenous OtherSlide12
Waves of Invaders
1.
Cesair
2.
Partholón
(Bartholomew)
3.
Nemed
4. Fir
Bholg
(“Men of the Bag”?
“Belgians”?)
5.
Tuatha
Dé
Danann
(“People of
the Goddess Danu”)
6. Sons of Mil
Espaine
(“Soldier
of Spain”) (Milesians)Slide13
Lebhor Gabala
Erenn
IMPORTANT DETAILS IN RED
1
Cesair
• all die in Biblical Flood except
Fintan
, who survives for the next 5500 years in a variety of animal shapes
2
Partholón
•
clear plains
, divide Ireland into 4 parts, establish agriculture, law, cauldron-making, ale-brewing, hospitality, fosterage
3
Nemed
• clear plains and form lakes
• defeated by
Fomoire
and
subjected to tribute of corn, milk, and children
4
Fir
Bholg
•
sacral kingship
: reign of
Eochaid
mac
Eirc
= "golden age”Slide14
Fomoire / Fomorians
• <
fo
[under] +
mor
[phantom] /
muir
[sea]?
• malevolent beings
• misshapen: goat- and horse-headed
• one eye, one hand, one foot/leg
• gigantic / elvish
• plague and famine
• control of agricultural fertilitySlide15
glám dícenn
• <
glám
[satire] +
díchen
[destroy]
• uttered while standing on one leg, one arm behind back, one eye shut
• blisters face of victim, causes witheringSlide16
Lebhor Gabala
Erenn
5
Tuatha
Dé
Danann
• arrival on
Beltaine
•
four talismans: Lia
Fáil
(Stone of Destiny), Sword of
Nuadu
,
Gáe
Assail (Spear of Assail), Cauldron of Dagda
• defeat of Fir
Bholg
•
maiming of King
Nuadu
forces abdication; succeeded by King
Bres
• revolt of
Tuatha
;
Bres
cursed;
Lugh defeats Balor
in 2nd Battle of Mag
Tuired
•
Bres
spared death after teaching
times for plowingSlide17
Lebhor Gabala
Erenn
6
Milesians
• defeat of
Tuatha
• poet
Amairgin
receives authority from triple goddesses of Ireland (
Ériu
,
Banba
,
Fodla
)
•
division of Ireland into upper and lower: Milesians rule upper world;
Tuatha
rule Other-world, below ground in
sídeSlide18
Euhemerism : theory that myths are originally accounts of historical figures and events that over the course of time become inflated, with the result that originally human beings are represented as deities
Reverse Euhemerism : process by which mythic/religious accounts become deliberately historicized, with the result that originally divine beings are represented as humanSlide19
Celtic Social Classes
CLASS
DEITY
ATTRIBUTE
king/priest
Nuadu
Airgetlam
(“silver arm”)
lia
fáil
and sword
warrior
Lugh
Lamfhada
(“long arm”)
gae
assail
producer
The
Dagda
(“good god”)
cauldronSlide20
The Dagda (“Good God,” “God of Goods”)
• potbelly, horsehair boots, short tunic, exposed rump
• club kills 9 with one end, resurrects 9 at other
• cauldron inexhaustibly full of stewed pork
• emerges from
sídh
at Samhain for
hieros
gamos
Slide21
Mercury ~ Lugus
=
Lugh
CONTINENTAL
OLD IRISH
Lugus
LughSlide22
Machas 1 :
Macha
(“Meadow”)
Machas
1
Macha
gives birth (and name) to
Emain
Macha (“Twins of Macha”); inflicts
noínden
on men of Ulaid
Macha
Macha
Badb
Nemain
Mórrígan
Badb
Mórrígan
Slide23
Machas 2 :
Badb
(“Crow”)
Machas
2
Badb
black crow of battle
eel,
wolf, red
crow
-----------------------------------------------------------
pregnant hag (
cailleach
)
young bride (
be find
) with red ale of kingship
Macha
Macha
Badb
Nemain
Mórrígan
Badb
MórríganSlide24
Machas 2 :
Badb
(“Crow”)
Machas
2
Badb
black crow of battle
eel,
wolf, red crow
-----------------------------------------------------------
pregnant hag (
cailleach
)
young bride (
be find
) with red ale of kingship
cailleach
(“Veiled One
”)
•
approaches young king-to-be for sex
• transforms into
be find
(beautiful woman) after sex
• confers kingship (
flaith
) with gold cup of red ale (
laith
)
• Sovereignty GoddessSlide25
Machas 3: Mórrígan
(“Great Queen,” “Nightmare Queen”)
Machas
3
Mórrígan
Nemain
-------------
Badb
-------------
Mórrígan
magically causes battlefield panic
----------------------------------------
eel, wolf, crow
perches above the dead or dying
pregnant hag
(
cailleach
)
young bride (
be find
)
----------------------------------------
mates with
Dagda
at
Samhain
Washer at Ford (
bean
nighe
)Slide26
The Washer at the Ford
(
bean
nighe
/
bean
sídh
/)
• spirit of woman who died in childbirth
• ugly hag
•
washes grave-clothes/armor of those about to die
•
bean
sídh
(“woman from the
sídh
”)
banshee
• prophesies upcoming deathsSlide27
Sheela-na
-gig
•
=“old
cunt hag
”?
• territorial / war / sovereignty /
fertility
/ sexuality
goddess ?
• positioning over doorways and
other entrancesSlide28
Myth of ÉtainSlide29
Triangles in Étaín
(NOTE: highlighted details important; others not.)
YOUNG LOVER
SPOUSE
YOUNG WOMAN
COMMENT
T1
Echu
Ollathir
(=
Dagda
)
Elcmar
Boand
9 months = 1 day
T2
Oengus
mac
Oc
Elcmar
Bruig
na
Boinde
1 day =
eternity
T3
Mider
Fuamnach
Étaín
E. = butterfly
T4
Oengus
mac
Oc
Fuamnach
Étaín
E. rescued
T5
Aillil
Angubae
(=
Mider
)
Echu
Airem
Étaín
E. reborn 1012 years later; 1000 years pass
T6
Mider
Echu
Airem
Étaín
E. = swan
T7
Echu
Airem
Mider
Étaín
1 (mother)
E. = 2 (and 3)
T8
???
Eterscélae
Étaín
3
Mes
(child)Slide30
Transformations of Étaín
Étaín
1
wife/mother
Étaín
2 (
Étaín
Óg
)
young pregnant woman
Étaín
3 (
Étaín
Mes
)
child, fosterlingSlide31
EPISODE 1
EPISODE 2
Pwyll
violates custom (his dogs steal catch of otherworldly dogs)
Pwyll
encounters otherworldly male (
Arawn
) at end of summer
Pwyll
encounters otherworldly female (Rhiannon) on Mayday
Arawn
seeks
Pwyll's
aid against rival
Hafgan
("Summer White")
Rhainnon
seeks
Pwyll's
aid against marriage to
Gwawl
Pwyll
travels to (otherworldly) kingdom of
Arawn
Pwyll
travels to (otherworldly) kingdom of
Heveyyd
(“Summer Old”) on Mayday
Pwyll
stupidly offers Rhiannon to
Gwawl
Pwyll
kills
Hafgan
with a single blow one year later
One year later,
Pwyll
beats
Gwawl
in
a game of
"badger in the bag”
Pwyll
marries Rhiannon on Mayday
Pwyll
returns to Dyfed
Pwyll
returns to Dyfed
Pwyll
=
ArawnSlide32
EPISODE 3
Infant
Pryderi
is
mysteriously abducted one day after birth (Mayday)
Teyrnon
Twrf
Liant's
mare foals every Mayday, but the colt disappears
Rhiannon is falsely accused of infanticide
Rhiannon is punished by treatment as horse for seven years
Teyrnon
attacks clawed creature (=boar?= badger?) as it attempts to steal colt
Teyrnon
discovers abandoned child
Teyrnon
and wife raise child as
Gwri
Golden Hair; child is given colt
Pryderi
is returned to
Pwyll
and Rhiannon
Rhiannon is acquitted
Households of
Pwyll
and
Teyrnon
are united
Households of
Pwyll
and
Teyrnon
are united
Pwyll
=
Teyrnon
Teyrnon
=
PwyllSlide33
Tale of Mabon
Mabon
, son of
Modrun
,
born
Beltaine
infant
Pryderi
,
Teyrnon’s
colt born Mayday
Mabon
disappears
3 days after birth
Pryderi
and colt disappear 3 days later
hero seeks
Mabon
to help capture a boar
hero finds aged
Mabon
in fortress
Mabon
captures boar on
Samhain
Teyrnon
fights boar (badger?)
Mabon
gives hero boar’s comb
hero marries woman on
Beltaine
hero
=
Mabon
?Slide34
Cú Chulainn Pattern
BIRTH
Mixed Status
(b)
Deichtine
swallows homunculus (=
Lugh
?) while drinking water before marrying
Sualtam
. She crushes fetus.
Sualtam
impregnates her, and she gives birth to
SétantaSlide35
Cú Chulainn Pattern
CHILDHOOD
Signs of Election
appearance
defeat of 50
Ulaid
boys at
hurley
onset
of
riastrad
defeat of hound of
Culann
defeat of
sons of
Nectan
Scéne
attack
on
Emain
Macha averted by nudity
immersion in three vats of water
Slide36
Cú Chulainn Pattern
DEPARTURE
Exploits
beheading contest with giant
bachlach
murder of son
Connla
journey to Otherworld
single-handedly defends Ulaid against army from Connacht
defeat of one-eyed giant
Goll
mac
Carbada
defeat of
Cailitin
and 27 childrenSlide37
gessa
Cú
Chulainn
Connla
stop all trespass
refuse no hospitality
eat no dog meat
yield to no one
refuse no combat
conceal
nameSlide38
Synopsis of Táin
(
1)
Conchobar
mac Nessa becomes king of Ulaid.
(2)
Crunniuc
boasts that even though pregnant, his wife
Macha
can outrun
Conchobor's
horses.
(3) She wins, but then dies as she delivers twins and the curse of the
noínden
.
(4)
Cú
Chulainn
born.
(5)
Cú
Chulainn
trained by
Scáthach
.
(6)
Cú
Chulainn
kills his own son
Connla
.
(7)
Queen
Medb
of Connaught invades
Ulaid
to steal the finest bull in Ireland.
(8) The
Ulaid
men are stricken with the
noínden
. (9) Cú Chulainn single-handedly defends Ulaid against Connaught’s best men.(10) Cú Chulainn
fights and kills his foster-brother Ferdiad.
(11) Cú
Chulainn successfully beats back army of Connaught.Slide39
Death of Ferdiad
(1)
Ferdiad
and
Cú
Chulainn
evenly matched:
Ferdiad
covered with impenetrable bone armor/skin;
Cú
Chulainn
armed with
gae
Bolga
, which pierces everything.
(2)
Ferdiad
shamed into fighting
Cú
Chulainn
, and vice-versa.
(3)
Ferdiad
and
Cú
Chulainn
fight chivalrous duels on three days.
(4)
Cú
Chulainn
kills
Ferdiad
with
gae
Bolga
.Slide40
Death of Cú Chulainn
(1)
Cú
Chulainn
kills
Fomoire
Cailitin
(
2) Wife of
Cailitin
bears 3 daughters and 3 sons.
(3)
Medb
mutilates children
and
trains them in druidic
magic.
(4) 3 hags offer
Cú
Chulainn
meal of dog meat; hand that touches it withers.
(5)
Lugaid
mac con
Roí
tricks
Cú
Chulainn
into giving up
his weapons.
(6)
Lugaid
mac con
Roí
beheads
Cú
Chulainn
to avenge death of
Cú
Roi.(7) Conall Cernach beheads
Lugaid mac con
Roí to avenge death of Cú
Chulainn.