Rituals
· Oral tradition
· Human sacrifice (for Gods)
· Hunt animals with respect
· Wicker men
· The practice of prophecy- through Druids (priests)
E.g. crows and ravens depict death
· Places of worship temples- lots of money: jewelry, money, vessels with food, human and animal bones
· Worship of animals
E.g. Horses, bulls, bores and stags – speed, ferocity, fertility, courage and beauty
· Ceremonies
· Reciting of Runes
· Festivals such as Sacred Fire Festivals
E.g. “Samhain”
- Summers end
- Village extinguish fireplace and ceremonially relight with kings fire
“Beltane”
- Representative of new life and fertility
- Villagers sleep outside and make love and return home next day with flowers in their hair
- Dancing around may pole- symbolic of world tree
- Tied ribbons to pole, women danced around holding on to the end of them, represents turning of seasons.
“Imbolc”
- The first day of Spring. It is celebrated on 1 February
“Lughnasa”
- August 1st
- Celtic god Lugos
- Big feast
- Massive community festival
· Express religious truths through poetry and analogy rather than analysis
· Symbolic in nature and were passed on through stories, poetry, prayers and song and in remembered rituals, customs and festival celebrations.
· Three main classes of gods - those requiring sacrifices by fire, those by taking breath and blood and those requiring sacrifices by water
· Human sacrifice (for Gods)
· Hunt animals with respect
· Wicker men
· The practice of prophecy- through Druids (priests)
E.g. crows and ravens depict death
· Places of worship temples- lots of money: jewelry, money, vessels with food, human and animal bones
· Worship of animals
E.g. Horses, bulls, bores and stags – speed, ferocity, fertility, courage and beauty
· Ceremonies
· Reciting of Runes
· Festivals such as Sacred Fire Festivals
E.g. “Samhain”
- Summers end
- Village extinguish fireplace and ceremonially relight with kings fire
“Beltane”
- Representative of new life and fertility
- Villagers sleep outside and make love and return home next day with flowers in their hair
- Dancing around may pole- symbolic of world tree
- Tied ribbons to pole, women danced around holding on to the end of them, represents turning of seasons.
“Imbolc”
- The first day of Spring. It is celebrated on 1 February
“Lughnasa”
- August 1st
- Celtic god Lugos
- Big feast
- Massive community festival
· Express religious truths through poetry and analogy rather than analysis
· Symbolic in nature and were passed on through stories, poetry, prayers and song and in remembered rituals, customs and festival celebrations.
· Three main classes of gods - those requiring sacrifices by fire, those by taking breath and blood and those requiring sacrifices by water