History:
– Celtic paganism descended from Proto-Celtic paganism, derived from Proto-Indo-European paganism
– Many Celtic deities have counterparts in other Indo-European mythologies
– Examples include Celtic Brigantia with Roman Aurora, Welsh Arianrhod with Greek Selene, and Irish Danu with Hindu Danu
– Celtic paganism left a legacy in Celtic nations and influenced mythology
– Medieval Irish mythology figures are believed to be versions of earlier deities
Origins:
– Celtic paganism is linked to Proto-Celtic and Proto-Indo-European paganism
– Many Celtic deities have cognates in other Indo-European mythologies
– Examples include Celtic Brigantia with Roman Aurora, Welsh Arianrhod with Greek Selene
– Irish Danu with Hindu Danu, and the namesake of rivers like the Danube
– Celtic paganism shows connections to various Indo-European belief systems
Legacy:
– Roman conquest led to a syncretic Gallo-Roman religion in Gaul and southern Britain
– Gauls converted to Christianity from the 3rd century onwards
– Celtic paganism was replaced by Anglo-Saxon paganism in England after Roman rule ended
– Celtic populations in Britain and Ireland converted to Christianity from the 5th century
– Celtic neopaganism emerged in the 20th century, drawing on Celtic paganism
Revival:
– Various Neopagan groups claim association with Celtic paganism
– These groups range from Reconstructionists to New Age eclectic groups
– Reconstructionists aim for accuracy in practicing ancient Celtic religion
– Neo-Druidry is a notable Neopagan group inspired by Celtic mythology
– Celtic neopaganism is a modern revival movement based on ancient Celtic beliefs
Sources:
– Limited knowledge about Celtic paganism due to fragmentary evidence
– Celts did not document their religion, leading to gaps in understanding
– Archaeology, Greco-Roman accounts, and early Christian literature provide insights
– Druids were the priests, but little is definitively known about them
– Ritual practices like offerings, sacrifices, and sacred sites are known from various sources
Ancient Celtic religion, commonly known as Celtic paganism, was the religion of the ancient Celtic peoples of Europe. Because there are no extant native records of their beliefs, evidence about their religion is gleaned from archaeology, Greco-Roman accounts (some of them hostile and probably not well-informed), and literature from the early Christian period. Celtic paganism was one of a larger group of polytheistic Indo-European religions of Iron Age Europe.
While the specific deities worshipped varied by region and over time, underlying this were broad similarities in both deities and "a basic religious homogeneity" among the Celtic peoples. Widely worshipped Celtic gods include: Lugus, Toutatis, Taranis, Cernunnos, Epona, Maponos, Belenos, Ogmios, and Sucellos. Sacred springs were often associated with Celtic healing deities. Triplicity is a common theme, with a number of deities seen as threefold, for example the Three Mothers.
The druids were the priests of Celtic religion, but little is definitively known about them. Greco-Roman writers said the Celts held ceremonies in sacred groves and other natural shrines, called nemetons, while some Celtic peoples also built temples or ritual enclosures. Celtic peoples often made votive offerings which would be deposited in water and wetlands, or in ritual shafts and wells. There is evidence that ancient Celtic peoples sacrificed animals, almost always livestock or working animals. There is also some evidence that ancient Celts sacrificed humans and, though possibly imperial propaganda, some Greco-Roman sources claim the Gauls sacrificed criminals by burning them in a wicker man.
