Polytheism
We view the Gods as real, independent Beings. Whilst the myths told about them are metaphorical, the Gods Themselves are not simply symbols, or the half-arsed attempts of a primitive peoples to understand ecological processes (study the history, and you will see little about the ancient British and Irish that was primitive!)
When our group first formed, we used the medieval names of the Gods in ritual. After much discussion, we eventually decided to use the names given on Romano-British altar stones, or reconstructed by linguists, as this simply felt somehow more resonant (for lack of a better word.)
As we add to this site, we will include information on the deities that we are in most frequent contact with.
Ogmios
The Syrian rhetorician Lucian mentioned a depiction of Ogmios from Marseilles, which portrayed a bald old man leading a group of smiling followers with chains linking their ears to his tongue ~ an obvious symbol for the potency of words. He wore a lion skin cape and carried a club and bow. His name was also mentioned on some Austrian curse tablets. A few scholars have scorned the notion that Ogmios and the medieval Irish Ogma are one and the same deity, but personal experience suggests they are.
The two main titles given the god in Ireland are Cermait, (Honey-tongued), Trenfher (Strongman) and Grianianech (Sun-faced.) The first two reference his eloquence and power, the third his association with sunlight ~ perhaps also to his sunny disposition! Ogma is a god who weaves language, a patron of the filidh (Gaelic poet-seers.)
Irish mythical genealogies are often contradictory. He is either the child or brother of In Dagda, and husband to Etain. The identities of his children vary, but include Cairbre the satirist and Tuirenn. Mac Cecht, Mac Coll and Mac Graine are also linked to him. The first is son of the plough (Ogma is not otherwise associated with agriculture, so perhaps this is more to do with the mother.) The second is son of the hazel, tree of wisdom ~ an obvious link to learned Ogma. The third is son of the sun, echoing the epithet of sun-faced. Metaphorically he sired the Ogam alphabet, his wittling knife being the "mother", carved on four great pillars.
When Lugh sought admittance to Tara, one of the trials he underwent was against Ogma. The old man hurled a massive flagstone out into a field. Lugh picked up the stone and threw it straight back so it landed in its original hole. It's tempting to draw a poetic link between intellect and the power to move great stones, but far too much nonsense has been spouted on that subject already.
During the shoddy reign of Bres the Beautiful, Ogma was forced to give up poetry and made to collect firewood. Whilst the Tree Alphabet as popularised by Robert Graves is more fantasy than historical reality, the Ogam is nonetheless replete with arboreal imagery. Gathering sticks, therefore, is rather appropriate for a deity so bound to that alphabet. However, the fact that the wood he gathered was destined for the flames could be taken as symbolic that, during Bres' kingship, knowledge and language were discarded rather than valued. A mythical echo of the book burnings beloved of tin-pot tyrants the world over.
He took up arms during the battle to overthrow Bres and the Fomori, and defeated the sea giant Tethra, claiming Orna the magical talking sword. Orna is an Anglicised version of the girl’s name Odharnait, though the gender of Ogma's sword (if it had one at all) is not made clear in myth. The principle power of the sword was to sing the praises of its owner, recounting his many deeds of valour (essentially the same function as attributed to the Gaulish Bardoi, who formed part of a warrior's retinue.) He may have defeated the Fomori Indech during the battle, though some accounts described Ogma as the one killed. I am inclined to dismiss such tales as monastic propagandists either wanting to portray the old gods as dead and gone, or just not twigging the the quaint characters in the old stories were Gods (though I may be a tad biassed in that view.)
Some Gaelic deities have close parallels in Welsh myth. There is no direct cognate to Ogma. There are elderly learned figures, bardic figures, even bald characters (like Tegid Voel, husband of Ceridwen) ~ but we are not aware of any historical evidence (nor had any visionary experiences to suggest) that any of them are definitely the same Being. A pot inscription from Richborough bears the name Ogmia, suggestive of a British presence, but not conclusive.
Ogma comes to us as a gentle professorial force who loves stories, poems, word games and books. He has a considerable sense of humour, liking puns and clever allusions. He dislikes to see books neglected, and approves of finding appreciative owners for them. He is most inclined to answer our questions by placing a book containing the answer sought in a charity shop, suddenly come across just at the right time. Unlike some of us, he has a high view of humanity ~ taking especial pleasure in seeing people learn and grow. We get the impression he finds humans fascinating. To convey a little of what Ogma means to us, we thought the best to do so in verse.
THE HONEY-TONGUED
Ogma, carpenter of song,
Harvest the forest of thought,
Carve the timbre of my voice,
That the nemeton be wrought.
Gnarled the Tree whence language born,
Old the God whom Ogam made.
Youthful yet the lips that speak
And the hand that wields the blade.
Orna praises the hero,
Makes memory history.
In Ogma's service he works,
Freed from dark Inis Toraigh.
Honey-tongue, caress my ears.
Amber tales in rivers run
Through the stream-beds of my heart,
Savoured by my loved one.
In the wildwoods of the mind,
Strange beasts rut, conceive new words
That sing in branches high above,
At the festival of birds.
Radiant-faced Ogma hears
The melding of words to verse.
Stories told, a joy to him
Who acts as Memory's nurse.
REFERENCES
Lucian, "Herakles"
Grey, E a (trans.), "Cath Magh Tuireadh", Irish Texts Society
Calder, G (trans.), "Auriacept na nEces", Four Courts Press
Some of our other Gods
The six other primary deities (in alphabetical order) we honour on a regular basis are ~
BELINUS – in later times called Beli Mawr by the Welsh, and Belenos (and variant spellings) amongst the Gauls; His shrines were located near healing springs, and a number of carvings show him with a wheel (which might represent the sun, or maybe the zodiac, or even just a cartwheel.) He brings healing to the sick, peace to those in conflicts, and happiness to the grieving. The brilliant light of the sun warms old bodies and fills the young with vigour and enthusiasm. He is life, colour, brilliance, joy and strength. Many believe the festival of Beltane to have been held in his honour. The Catuvellauni tribe took their name from him. Very little detail survives about him in the remaining myths.
BRIGANTIA – in later times called variously Brighid, Ffraid, Brigindo; She is the guardian of the hearth, instructing people in domestic skills and crafts. She is the guardian of Guest/Host Law. In Ireland she was seen as the three sisters: the goddess of the blacksmith’s forge; the healer’s fire; the poet’s inspiration. The blacksmith’s art was considered highly magical, drawing metal ore from rock, heating and transforming metal rods into swords, horseshoes, nails, chains etc. She guards the homestead, just as Nemetona guards the sacred groves. Hospitality is the virtue she most encourages. She grants flashes of insight and creativity. Her feast is Imbolc, and she has a particular interest in women and their protection (bearing in mind the strong legal status accorded women in ancient times.) She is a goddess of marriage and the home, but also of creativity, ingenuity and healing. When the Romans invaded Britain they thought of her as Britannia, the warrior goddess who guarded the whole island.
CERNUNNOS – who may be the original version of the Irish hero Conall Cernach; The antlered lord is the guardian of wild animals and places. His primary concern is for birds and beasts. He grants freedom from suffocating restriction, and helps people embrace their animal natures. The Great Stag asserts his dominance in the November rut, but spends his summers wandering in the woods in the company of his brothers. Depending on the season, he can be either the god of sexuality or of brotherhood and friendship. He is best honoured in wild places, far away from the intrusions of humanity. Caesar claimed that the Gauls considered themselves to be descended from Dis Pater (the Latin name for the God of the Underworld), and he may well have meant Cernunnos. Like the Roman Dis Pater, there are images of the antlered god pouring out sacks of coins. The Romans considered Dis to be the god who granted people access to the mineral wealth of the earth, and it may be that Cernunnos was also seen as being a granter of material goodies. Many people assume the image of the antlered man on the Gundestrop Cauldron is of Cernunnos, holding a ram-horned serpent. Birds, beasts and fish surround this figure ~ showing him to be a protector of wild creatures generally, and not just restricted to forest animals. No myths specifically about him have survived.
DANUVIA (or DANUVIUS) – in later times called Danu, Danand and Anu by the Irish and Don by the Welsh; The River Danube is named after her (having been called the River Danuvius in ancient times, and held sacred in the same way that the Ganges is by Hindus today.) She is both the earth and the fresh waters that flow across it. As the Great Mother she nurtures and sustains others, caring for all her children both good and bad. A healthy river is a flowing river, and Danuvia teaches us that change, movement and growth are vital to avoid stagnation. Water is eternally dancing, and the land constantly changing through the seasons. Even the continents are not static, but slowly shift about. Danuvia is both the fresh water we drink and the Earth beneath our feet. Making offerings to sacred pools and rivers was common throughout the Celtic lands. It may be that Danuvia was the goddess who carried the offerings over to the Spirit World. She is a goddess to whom farmers and gardeners should give especial attention. No myths specifically about her have survived.
LUGUS – in later times called Lugh by the Irish and Lleu by the Welsh; God of skills and craftsmanship. He is the master of a thousand skills, and advises people to learn new talents and make the most of old ones. As a god popular with merchants, he brings financial opportunities and career advancement. His name appears to be related to the word for taking an oath, reminding us not to give our word idly and to keep promises once we have made them. Oath-breakers have no honour. Irish myths describe him as a golden light from the east, and he may be thought of as both the light of sun or fire, but also the light of the mind ~ cleverness, resourcefulness, inventiveness etc. He is, perhaps, the most “human” of our seven deities. He was said to have instituted the festival of Lughnasadh as a means of remembering the goddess of agriculture, who died from exhaustion after feeding her people (probably another version of Danuvia.) In Irish myth Lugh was sometimes accompanied by ravens, whilst in Welsh myth Lleu transformed into an eagle.
NODENS – in later times called Nuada by the Irish and Lludd and Nudd by the Welsh; Lord of sea and sky reminds us that there are many forces outside of our control, forces that can disrupt our plans or push them in new directions. Some people consider that his silver hand may show an association with the moon. The Irish legends also show a leader who put his tribe (rather than his ego) first, and one who wields the Sword of Light ~ symbol of justice. The ancient temple on the River Severn depicted images of salmon, and an old myth connected to that watercourse involved the Salmon of Wisdom. In Irish myth the warrior-druid Fionn ate the salmon, and he was considered the grandson of the Irish version of Nodens. One of the titles given to the Irish version was “Cloud Bringer”, reminding us of the importance of rain to the lifecycle. The Welsh version of this god had a son, Gwyn, who led the Wild Hunt across the stormy skies. Several images of hounds can also be found in the temples of Nodens. There is no record of a specific annual festival being held in his honour.
As well as these main deities, other Iron Age gods you might be interested in reading about or meditating with include:
VINDOS – The god of storms and hunting.
MORRIGANIA – The goddess of death, warfare and crows.
DAGO-DEUS – The god of feasting, generosity, law-giving and Druid skills.
EPONA – The goddess of horses and travellers.
GOBANNOS – The god of brewing and blacksmithing.
BOVINDA – The goddess of cows, fertility and motherhood.
DONNUS – The lord of the dead.
In getting to know the deities, try chanting their names whilst visiting places appropriate to their characters (a forest for Cernunnos etc) or engaging in activities suited to them (lighting the hearth fire or cooking a meal for Brigantia etc). See what ideas or images flow into your mind as you chant.
Newcomers may be interested to know the origins of the word worship, as for many it might carry baggage of grovelling before an indifferent altar. The word comes from Anglo-Saxon weorth-scipe and simply means “to give worth / praise” to someone or something. Every person, possession or idea that we love or hold dear and sing the praises of, we essentially give worth to, or worship. The Gods are no different, in that they are yet another group of Beings whom we value. A ritual is not about bowing and scraping, but about expressing love and respect in the same way we would for friends or family. Consider how you would go about expressing your affection for a friend or relative, how you would let them know the esteem felt for them if they were to come to your house.
Create a free website at Webs.com