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Favonius Cornelius

The Celts

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Heh, I agree. With that I am just saying I find it refreshing to see someone take the current thoughts on their history for what it is rather than find every reason under the sun to blur and obfuscate to fit their romantic visions.

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No, no, it can not be true! :D

 

Nice research list. I'm posting it at the Tuatha. Where is it that you read about these things? I have yet to find a good source, and am too lazy to monitor more then one.

 

(at least some Celts are proud of their past enough not to be in denial about it):

 

 

I will lower the rep of anyone that dares to fall into that bait. :(;)

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Hmmm, I admit I haven't read the full link yet. The first bit about the reasons for human sacrifise looks quite good.

 

I agree that the harcore Wiccans tend to close their eyes to history and facts (revisionist historians as Favonius put it). It's a common trait amongst followers of religions. It's especially true for a religion that has been outdated for over 4000 years, longer then relevant human history itself.

 

The workshop seems to have little in common with the practise of Wicca though. It does explore the spiritual site of human sacrifise. Which is very valid, as the Celtic spirituality is what made them so unique.

 

Why exactly would it be wiccan?

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Why exactly would it be wiccan?

 

 

You know I hadn't honestly put much thought into that one link other than seeing it as somewhat flippant so I labeled it wiccan. :(

 

The other links are more valid though.

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So far that link has been a really good read. Very insightful. I have yet to detect revisionisme.

 

It's pretty obvious that the Celts did indeed practise human sacrifise. Am I happy to live in the 21-st century. :(

 

It will be a worthwhile past time in Roma Victor though. ;)

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I agree that the harcore Wiccans tend to close their eyes to history and facts (revisionist historians as Favonius put it). It's a common trait amongst followers of religions. It's especially true for a religion that has been outdated for over 4000 years, longer then relevant human history itself.

The ongoing problem with Wicca sites is precisely that the religion has not been around for 4000 years by any stretch of the imagination. As an organized religion, it's been around 50 or 60 years, though it does have roots in occult sects and romantic movements several generations before then.

 

A new religion is not necessarily a bad one, but any claims to ancient lineage are pure fiction. That's why when you see Wiccans talk about ancient Celtic practices, you have to take it with a grain of salt. The specific site Favonius linked to seems more scholarly than most, but I'm still skeptical.

 

 

On the subject of human sacrifice in the ancient British Isles, these would be the people to ask:

 

 

http://www.clannada.org/docs/whtisclt2.html

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Boadicea...does it mean cow woman? Does anyone know if the Queen's name was what she was born with or given to her? Did the Celts view the cow as a sacred animal?

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I was talking to this ultra pro-Celt person, and he seems to think that the name probably is related to 'cow' because the Celts often named things after animals and nature. He said the association to 'victory' is a later British historian invention.

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Dio Cassius Book 62 Chapter 7

 

Having finished an appeal to her people of this general tenor, Buduica led her army against the Romans; for these chanced to be without a leader, inasmuch as Paulinus, their commander, had gone on an expedition to Mona, an island near Britain. This enabled her to sack and plunder two Roman cities, and, as I have said, to wreak indescribable slaughter. Those who were taken captive by the Britons were subjected to every known form of outrage. The worst and most bestial atrocity committed by their captors was the following. They hung up naked the noblest and most distinguished women and then cut off their breasts and sewed them to their mouths, in order to make the victims appear to be eating them; afterwards they impaled the women on sharp skewers run lengthwise through the entire body. All this they did to the accompaniment of sacrifices, banquets, and wanton behaviour, not only in all their other sacred places, but particularly in the grove of Andate. This was their name for Victory, and they regarded her with most exceptional reverence.

 

 

Assuming the translation was not altered, then it was an invention of Dio Cassius and not a later British historian. (there is no original Greek version available on the web as far as I can tell)

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One thing that has always impressed me about the Celts is their pattern art. It is very beautiful, and almost psychedelic. :( Any info on how it was developed, or web pages of actual Celtic artifacts?

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