HOME     "The shaman is the servant of the sacred, rather than its priest." 
                                     --John Mathews (The Celtic Shaman)

The Celtic tradition has existed for over 2700 years and was a religion practiced by the Gauls in Central Europe. They lived in the areas we now know as Southern Germany, Austria, the Slovakian countries, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Closer to the common era (CE) we see the Celts being pushed into Western Europe and then finally being exiled into the British Isles where many of the traditions are still practiced today. 

There were three traditions within the Celtic religion and each serve a specific purpose. The Bards were musicians, singers, and poets who served as historians. These people had to learn many different songs and verses throughout their lives. Everything they sang or played was in some way expressed as a metaphor. It was the highest honor to be a Bard. When the Church took over as the main religion in the British Isles, Bards were still used but as an entertainment and not for a religious purpose. 

The second tradition was that of the infamous Druids. The Druids were the priestly and judicial class and were exempt from military service. They also received tax breaks from the Roman governments who took over their land. The Druids, according to Julius Caesar, tended to be a wealthy class of people who dominated over the commoners. It has been said that Stonehenge was built by these people, but more recent discoveries have been made to show that it is actually older. The Druids learned their lessons completely by oral training and had to memorize tens of thousands of verses. It could take up to 20 years to learn the lessons of a Druid. Although much of their life was oral, they did use Greek for their business
transactions. 

The last tradition in the Celtic religion would be the Vates. The Vates were sages who practiced dream interpretation and divination. They were extremely adept in knowledge of nature and it's workings. They believed that they were in direct contact with the gods of nature. In today's society, many people who follow Wicca can relate to the Vates in some way. It is said that Wicca originates with the Celts. 

 

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