Before we go on, we would like to point out that the development of an honorable, historically accurate, and folkish "Cernic Rite" is now a part of the mission of the Camonica Club.
When reading Silvano Danesi's article about the excavation near Cevo, Brescia (Val Camonica), it's very clear that this occultic traditon was deep in astronomy. Early man, for so many thousands of years, looked to the stars for answers to many of the same questions that we ask today. Questions regarding god, the meaning of life, the spirit world, man's place in the universe, the cycle of life, as a compass, the cycles and patterns of the stars in relation to the earths seasons, and even astronomical patterns which repeat at longer patterns than just once a year (ex. "every twenty years").
It should be pointed out that "occultic" simply means hidden, therefore is neither good nor bad in of itself. As has been acknowledged more and more in recent times, most people have separated themselves from the natural world. Nothing reflects this more than the fact that many, or most, people don't even really see the stars in the sky due to the lights emitting from the urban sprawl. When viewing the night sky in a basically rural area, we can see the type of sky that the ancient Camunians saw. 'Our Haunted Planet' (1971), by the late John Keel, gave a deep look into the ancient past; as well as providing possible explanations for the direction of early man.
The Cevo site links the ancient past with the Middle Ages, spanning thousands of years. The megalithic circles connect complex ancient astronomy to the origin of Cernic tradition. One of these altars is in the form of a serpent's head, and is clearly tied to the Ofiuco constellaton, which was percieved by it's shape and symbolized by a man holding a snake. This early serpent cult represented the beginnings of what was to become Cernism. As the article stated: "local legends and feasts of the pagan hinterlands have survived and give the idea of an ancient cult linked with the serpent."
It should be noted that many stone formations were once foundations for structures. In the article, it's also interesting to note that these mostly circular standing stone altars are simply referred to as "churches." As stated in the article, the "Androla Chapel" has probably the best view of the sky in the Camunian Valley. The evolution of this faith over the centuries can be pieced together, and would include influence from the ancient Camunni, the early "serpent people," the Celts, and later Cernic witches who apparently also made use of the deep dark nearby tunnels leftover from ancient copper mines.
The legend states that the witches guarded the serpent of the golden ring in the Androla caves and the serpent is an element of great importance for the study of local traditions and in identifying possible ancient cults. In Andrista, for example, the tradition of the Basilisc is still observed. It's interesting to note how "the serpent" and "the golden ring" sound a lot like the snake and the torc of the depictions of Cernunnos (see image above).
From the article: "In January, according to traditions, the Brescian valleys and countryside, especially in Val Saviore and in Franciacorta, see the arrival of the Basilisc, a serpent that the legend says is stumpy with cows horns on its goatskin head." It continues: "The Cernunno is associated with many animals, but particularly with the bull and the stag and is similar to the mythical serpent with a ram's head (goat – ram). Usually the Cernunno is represented with stag's horns, accompanied by a serpent with a ram's head."
Many aspects of the ancient life in the valley, and the surrounding regions as well, were named after the Basilisco (from basilìskos, little king – the king of serpents). Everything from festivals of the seasonal equinox, to place names, to various local dishes, etc. They would seem to be connected in some way to the harvests and harvest festivals.
The "cult of the serpent" seems to have been mainly associated with the Celts, which would seem to mean that it was from a period after the ancient Camunni, which would be about 500 BC. This cult was also present in other parts of the nearby northeast Italian peninsula and southern ancient Germany. The basic gist of all of this is that the god Cernunnos was most often represented as a man holding onto a serpent and a torc in each hand. All of this originates with the Ofiuco constellation, and ultimately goes deep into pragmatic astronomy as it relates to our planet. It appears that the deeper that one wants to go, the deeper that it will take you as far as the meaning of all of this.
The article goes on to state: "The reference to the serpent, however, could infer stars of particular interest when aligning the megalithic circles. The symbols of the Zodiac, correctly interpreted, should be based on 13 and not 12 signs. In fact, the ecliptic, in fact, after Libra enters Scorpio which occupies only a few degrees (241-248) and then in Ofiuco, which occupies from 248 to 266 degrees. Sagittarius arrives after Ofiuco. The Ofiuco constellation, associated with that of the Serpent, is represented by a human figure holding a serpent in his hands and sometimes entwined with it. The name derives from the Greek ofiòkos, or 'he who holds the serpent.' In the period between November and January, Ofiuco is particularly evident in the sky to the East, before sunrise. Therefore it is not improbable that 'he who holds the serpent' or Cernunno, was identified with Ofiuco.
"If we observe the sky of 1998, we see that the sun rises (at 7.40) for the first time in Ofiuco, abandoning Scorpio, on December 1st and rises for the last time in Ofiuco (at 7.55) on 18 December. The day after, 19 December, the sun rises in Sagittarius. In 1998, therefore, the period influenced by the presence of Ofiuco as a reference for sunrise goes from 1 to 18 December. If we now leap back to 500 B.C., in this period the Celts at Cevo could observe the sky through their megalithic finders. The sun rose at 6.50 in Ofiuco on 1 November leaving Scorpio where it had remained until 31 October. The sun remained in Ofiuco until 18 November (when it rose at 7.15), then to pass, on 19 November, into the sign of Sagittarius. The period influenced by the presence of Ofiuco in 500 B.C. was therefore that between the 1st and the 18th of November.
"Festivities linked to the serpent, therefore, will all probability can be collocated in the period between November 1 and 18 (now December 1 and December 18). A period in which there was the Celtic New Year which began at Samain (the solar rising of Antares with the Moon in a particular position) granting the possibility of contact between the human world and the divinities. The period was dedicated to Lug in his acceptance of Cernunno and the goddess Morrigan."
The article then goes on to many other facinating traditions and connections, many that directly tie in Cisalpine Gaul to Gaul itself. It also seems to prove that their were indeed Druidic traditions in Cisalpine Gaul, but the jury is still out on that as it's generally believed that their were no Druids there. There have been more than one study on this which say yes however.
It concludes: "Visits and the first surveys can reasonably lead us to affirm that the localities Androla and Molinello (we could add Dòs Merlin at Saviore) were places dedicated to the cult and observation of the sky. It is equally reasonable to think that the megalithic circles, dolmen and stone constructions are to be associated with the traditions relative to the 'serpent', or “divin biscio” (divine snake), which represent the survival of ancient cults concerning Cernunno (the Celtic god Lug), associated with the Ofiuco constellation. The number of places visited allows us to say that Cevo, with suitable studies and appropriate surveys, should be an area of considerable archaeological and anthropological interest."
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Friday, May 14, 2010
Cernunnos: The Astronomical Connection
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Luigi Bezzera: Milanese Inventor of the Espresso Machine
Espresso as a beverage and understood term dates back to 1901 when Luigi Bezzera patented the world's first "espresso" machine, a giant steam driven thing with two groupheads called the Tipo Gigante. Luigi's machine had been developed to help reduce the time his employees took for a coffee break. The owner of a manufacturing company, Bezzera needed to increase the production of his employees, so a faster "coffee maker" was the key, he thought. His invention yielded a coffee maker that used a combination of water and steam, forced under high pressure through coffee grounds, to rapidly brew the coffee. It was dubbed the "espresso machine."
However, there was a downside to Luigi's machine. Brewing with a combination of steam and hot water under pressure did produce a cup of coffee faster than other brewers of the time, but the resulting brew was bitter. Desiderio Pavoni, who purchased Bezzera's patent in 1905, was the first person to realize that the bitterness was the result of the steam and the very high temperatures it imposed on the coffee grounds. So, Pavoni began experimenting with various temperatures and pressures, and eventually concluded that brewing at 195 degrees with 8-9 BAR of pressure produced the best results. This is the basis for espresso as we know it today.
The modern day espresso machine dates back to 1947, when Gaggia introduced the Gaggia Crema Caffe machine. This was the first machine capable of consistently introducing pressurized water (8 BAR or higher) into a bed of coffee, and easily and cheaply enough for normal commercial use. Before that, almost every commercial and consumer espresso machine was steam driven and therefore, more akin to the modern day moka brewer.
Here are some other milestones in the history of the espresso machine and the resulting beverage.
Espresso Machine Time Line
1901 - Luigi Bezzera patents his Tipo Gigante, the precursor to what would become espresso machine technology for the next fifty years. Luigi wanted to reduce coffee break times so he made a machine that brewed “coffee” much faster using pressure. Espresso (in a loose translation) means “fast” in Italian.
1905 - Desiderio Pavoni buys Bezzera's patents. La Pavoni was the first manufacturer of espresso machines to be used in coffee bars. Also, Pier Teresio Arduino founds Victoria Arduino, the company that would do more to spread early espresso culture than any other with its advertisements and philosophy behind the drink.
1912 - La Cimbali founded. They are makers of fine high-end home and large capacity espresso machines.
1922 - Universal enters the espresso machine business and soon becomes the leading machine maker with a wide range of products through the 1920s and 1930s and beyond. (They have since disappeared from the market).
1927 - La Marzocco founded. The first espresso machine comes to America as NYC's Regio's Bar installs a La Pavoni two-group machine that is still on display today.
1929 - Rancilio founded by Roberto Rancili.
1932 - La San Marco starts a 10+-year trend towards total Deco design in machines with the introduction of the La San Marco 900. Every company would move to this design style.
1936 - Simonelli founded, who later became makers of medium to heavy-duty espresso machines.
1938 - M. Cremonesi developed a piston pump that forced hot, but not boiling, water through the coffee. The piston pump was quite an improvement as it eliminated the burnt taste of coffee, which occurred in the Pavoni machines.
1946 - Faema founded by Ernesto Valente.
1947 - Gaggia introduces the revolutionary piston lever Crema Caffe machine and modern day espresso in the commercial establishment is born. Many will follow.
1948 - Gaggia introduces the Classica, a 2-group version of the Crema Caffe; La Pavoni, other companies introduce new brewers based loosely on Gaggia's revolutionary system. True espresso, as we know it today, becomes common.
1950 - Elektra experiments with hydraulic pressure machines.
1950 (circa) - Officine Maffioletto makes one of the first machines capable of brewing real pressure espresso, but in the home. It was a piston model with a 1-liter capacity.
1950's - Piston operated machines, both spring action and direct pressure, many direct copies of Gaggia's ground breaking Crema machines, flood the market and make modern day espresso common.
1956 (circa) - Gaggia Gilda machine, not marketed for, but suitable for home use is brought to the market - a dual lever piston single group machine.
1958 - La Marzocco Crema Espress single group lever machine is introduced.
1961 - Faema introduces a very revolutionary machine, the E61 - the first heat exchanger, rotary pump driven espresso machine. Elektra Micro Casa a Leva and La Pavoni Europiccola Lever machine for the home are introduced. Micro Casa had "steam on demand" ability.
1966 - Alfred Peet opens first Peets Coffee in Berkeley, CA later serves as inspiration for the founding of Starbucks by visiting Seattlites.
1971 - Starbucks first opens in Seattle as a roastery.
1974 - La Pavoni Professional Lever machine for the home is introduced. Pavoni introduces "instant steam" and brew machine.
1982 - SCAA founded. Originally called the Specialty Coffee Advisory Board or SCAB; they would soon change their name to something more pleasing to the ear.
1983 - Howard Schultz of Starbucks travels to Italy and becomes immersed in espresso culture.
1985 - Starbucks installs the first espresso machine in their Seattle shop.
1989 - Acorto brings to market the world's first truly complete and marketable commercial super automatic machine, including groundbreaking features such as the self-contained refrigeration system for milk, and different frothing choices on demand.
1990 - Rancilio introduces the Rocky Burr Grinder - a grinder that blurs the line between commercial and home grinding appliances.
1991 (circa) - Saeco brings out the world's first super automatics designed specifically for home and small office use.
1992 - Illy collector cups first introduced, bringing artistry to the cup itself, as well as what's inside the cup.
1994 - Solis brings the SL-90 consumer espresso machine to market, one of the first successful automatic espresso machines for the home.
1997 - Rancilio introduces the Rancilio Silvia, which raises the bar in the home espresso machine market and starts a trend towards better, more professional machines for the consumer. Pasquini markets the Livia 90 (made by Bezzera), one of a new wave of prosumer, heat exchanger-equipped machines for consumers instead of commercial businesses.
1997 - Aabree Coffee Company goes on the web.
Of course, this list is by no means complete. It is presented to give you an idea about several things, including the fact that espresso existed long before the big coffee chains were around. And even though those chains and espresso are somewhat reliant on one another, I'd wager that espresso will far outlast any of the chain coffeehouses you and I know so well. With its unique culture and growing number of devotees who are ultimately dedicated to the betterment of the brew, I'm ready to see what the next hundred years has in store for espresso.
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Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Iron Crown to Ironwood III
Another piece of information that was brought to my attention from one of our friends, is that certain Lombardians, especially from the Bergamo Alps, were prized as lumberjacks. Probably due to their long rugged Alpine roots. Many did seasonal work in France, for example; or continued their work in the American Northwoods or Canada.
I should point out here that I had made an error in this 'Iron Crown to Ironwood' series. I mistakenly referred to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as "northern Michigan." The Upper Peninsula, or U.P., is a historically remote region which is totally disattached from the main part of Michigan. I had the region correct, just the name was incorrect. The U.P. was originally given to the state of Michigan long ago as part of a settlement with the state of Ohio. Ohio wanted the Great Lakes port city of Toledo, which was part of Michigan at that time.
Natives of the U.P. are known as "Yoopers." Yoopers have their own regional dialect, which is sometimes referred to as "Finglish," or Engish with imput from the many Finnish and German pioneers of the region. The remoteness of the area had much to do with this as well. There are many light-hearted jokes about Yoopers and the Yooper dialect, in the same way as there are with any regional phenomenon, like "Cajun Country." For example, here is a Yooper "glossary." Another example from YouTube: In Search of the Elusive Yooper. There is even a traveling comedy show called "Da Yoopers."
[Above: From Wikipedia >>> "Ironwood is home of the 'World's Tallest Indian' : a 52 ft (15.8 m) fiberglass statue of tribal leader Hiawatha."]
When looking at the history of the Ironwood area from the 1890s onward, it seems clear that Ironwood was very blue collar and socially conservative. The Knights of Labor had a chapter in Ironwood, which was on the Michigan side of the Montreal River. On the Wisconsin side, there was Hurley. Hurley was the "Deadwood" frontier town of this region. It had an outrageous reputation for vice and violence, especially on Silver Street. All of this was, of course, long ago. However, even today, tiny Hurley is known for it's small strip clubs along Silver Street. A small reminder of the towns' past.
Lastly, I just wanted to mention that today, Hurley is 30.3% "Italian." This is the usual vague demographic or descriptive catch-all term that we have become accustomed to our entire lives. From what I have been able to gather, a high percentage of that must be Lombardian. There were also some immigrants from Southern Italy.
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8-3-10 Addition: One good link which is appropriate here is one for local businesses, sites, and organizations in the Ironwood/Hurley area, for anyone interested in visiting.
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6-27-11 Addition: Somewhat coincidently, since I have roots in Hurley, I discovered that race car driver Tony Ave is from Hurley. I don't know if he has roots in Lombardy or not however. Last Friday I was at the time trials for the NASCAR sprint cup at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, and I saw Ave race. He didn't make the time trial, but it reminded me that I had read that he was from Hurley.
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Thursday, March 25, 2010
Ancient Camunic language and modern Camunian dialect
Camunic language (from Wikipedia; with images):
"The camunic language is an extinct language, spoken in the I millennium BC in some valleys of the Central Alps (Valcamonica, Valtellina) and not deciphered.
"The epigraphic corpus is carved on the rock, as similar as the rock engravings of Valcamonica, in one variant of the north-Etruscan alphabet, known as camunian alphabet or alphabet of Sondrio.
"It is possible that the language was related to camuna Rhaetian language; its name derives from the people of the Camunni, who lived during the Iron age in Val Camonica and was the author of much of the stone carvings in the area.
"Today there are known at least 170 inscriptions in camunian alphabet, that are written in lines even from right to left than left to right. The iscriptions are formed mainly by one or two words, and many are those ending in "-au".
"Were found few alphabetaries (a series of letters aligned to forming an alphabet) in Nadro (Zurla and Foppe localities) and in Piancogno, next to the Annunciata. These alphabetaries presents variants of each other, but allow us to date the inscriptions from the 4th to 5th century BC to 100 BC-50 AD)."
The modern Camunian dialect is a variation of the "Eastern Lombard" dialect, which is eastern Lombardy. As we have pointed out before, and stated on this Wikipedia page: In Italian-speaking contexts, Eastern Lombard is often generically called a "dialect". This is often incorrectly understood as to mean a dialect of Italian, which actually is not the case, it's not a dialect but a language. Eastern Lombard and Italian are different languages and are not mutually intelligible. Eastern Lombard is, in turn, a sub-branch of the Lombard language.
Mauro Fiora has assembled an online Italian-Camunian translator, which has the lists of words by letter, as well as a Babelfish-syle translator. Needless to say, and please look for yourself, "Italian" (Tuscan) and Camunian are as different as English and Polish. What is further remarkable, is that the village of Sonico, and it's immediate surrounding area, speak even a sub-branch of the Camunian dialect!
I wanted to give just a few examples of Camunian words. First, Al Camònega stands for Valle Camonica, with the "Al" meaning "Valley." As with many words, it's different in "Sonican," ..... "Valàr." Also remarkable is that about half the words do not end in a vowel. Many resemble ancient Germanic or Celtic words, but have a unique flavor of their own, very different than the European regional languages that we may be familiar in the English speaking world: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, etc.
One way to get a real sense of the language is to go to the Italian Wikipedia link: Comunità Montana di Valle Camonica. Then see the list of Camunian villages down on the right side. Click each one, taking you to that respective page, where you can see at the top along with the Italian name.... the Camunian name of that village. In other words, the REAL name. For example, lets take the first one: Angolo Terme. The proper Camunian name is Angól. Monno is Mòn, Gianico is Janec, Borno is Búren, etc.
On the Italian Logos translation website, which seems to be still in the developmental stage, one can search various words in many different languages. Included in these are "Bresciano," "Bergamasco," "Bolognese," "Furlan," as well as other variations of French and others. The translated word, for example, of "family" is family (Engish), famiglia (Italian), familia (Spanish), famille (French), familie (German), familje (Albanian), famija (Brescian), famigghia (Sicilian & Calabrese), famèe (Furlan), and numerous other words in numerous other sub-branches of French, German, etc. "Bresciano" is basically Eastern Lombard, and family in Camunian is famìa. In fact, in Sonican it is Baghècc.
On the television program 'Cake Boss' on the Learning Channel, the show begins with the proprietor of the Hoboken bakery, Buddy Valestro, a Sicilian-American, proclaiming "Mia Famiglia!" Actually, that's TUSCAN. The Sicilian word for "family," as we covered above, is "famigghia." It sort've makes me feel like using the word baghècc just to disagree with the forced paradigm.
I searched the word "market," which earlier had brought me a number of interesting linguistic variations, but it's not working now. In Bresciano, it was "mercàt," (same as in Camunian), as opposed to the Italian "mercato." This is no small potatoes. A language is the birthright of a people! I'm not referring to the United States, as we, or our recent ancestors, accepted the English language.
The Italian book entitled 'Vocabolario Bresciano-Italiano' by Giovanni Battista Melchiori is a more official source for the Bresciano/Camuno dialect of the Lombard language.
[4/12/10 NOTE: Apparently the word "family" is translated as "famija" in all of the Lombard dialects, except Camunian which is "famìa." Also the sub-Camunic variant of "family" is "baghècc" in Sonican, as was covered.
Lastly, I couldn't help but add one other word that really drives home the variations down to Camunian, and Sonican. The word "council" is "consiglio" in standard Italian (Tuscan), "Consèi" in Brescian/Camunian, and "Fabrisiér" in Sonican!
I couldn't easily search out what the word is in Lombard or East Lombard, but we can plainly see that one little community of villages (Sonico) can literally develop it's own language over centuries of continuity. How do we know that this tiny regional dialect wasn't some surviving remnant of ancient Camunian, ancient Langobard, Celto-Alpine, etc?]
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Sunday, February 7, 2010
Interview with a Gaelic Polytheist
CC: You previously mentioned that you were a “Gaelic Polytheist.” What is Gaelic Polytheism, and is it the same thing as a “Celtic Reconstructionism?”
GP: Gaelic Polytheism is a branch of Celtic Reconstructionism. We recognize that the various peoples who are today called “Celtic” were, in fact, distinct societies, each with their own language, culture, and pantheon. As Gaelic Polytheists, we practice the Gaelic tradition exclusively; that is, the traditions of Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.
CC: Does it primarily deal with the pre-Christian pagan traditions? (as opposed to focusing on all aspects of culture and history)
GP: Gaelic Polytheism is based in pre-Christian Gaelic spirituality, though it incorporates a great deal of living tradition from the Gaelic lands. We recognize that the Gaelic peoples have living cultures, and that much of what we find as folk traditions in those lands are survivals of pre-Christian traditions. We do not want to practice the religion as it existed 2,000 years ago; we want to practice it as we believe it would be today if it had never died out.
CC: Are you also a actual practitioner of some aspect of what is referred to as “Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism? If so, what specific tradition?
GP: Yes, Gaelic Polytheism is the Gaelic form of CR.
CC: How would you assess the power of the Druids in Western Europe, prior to Roman influence? Some people believe that they had tremendous influence.
GP: We find clues to the what the role of the ancient Druidh was in the Gaelic lore. I do not speak for the other “Celtic” traditions, but we see that in ancient Ireland and Scotland, the Druid was highly respected, often having a place of honor beside the king, and being his top advisor. He also was known for having powers of magic and divination. Unfortunately, most of this knowledge has been lost to us.
CC: Is the concept of a predominantly male-dominated Druidic system, and the predominantly female-dominated Cernunnos-based Witchcraft tradition, exaggerated, or even true?
GP: Cernunnos was not a deity known to the Gaelic peoples, so I really have no answer to this.
CC: You had previously stated how eclectic and historically inaccurate the Wiccan or neo-pagan movement is. Can you comment on that? Also, do you believe that these modern movements have served any type of modern psuedo-political agenda?
GP: Neopaganism is a new religious movement which is largely based upon post-modern philosophy, medieval ceremonial magic, and some ancient Pagan traditions. However, most of the actual Pagan tradition that has been blended in has been altered from its original form and made to fit into the Wiccan or Neopagan mold. This is nothing short of cultural theft, and while we must respect their right to practice whatever spirituality they wish, I do not condone the co-opting of Gaelic deities or traditions into Neopaganism when they are not accurately portrayed.
CC: What are some of the chief symbols used by Wiccans, which you do not attribute to a Celtic or European origin?
GP: The most common is the Pentacle, which had no place in Gaelic or any other Celtic culture. The Triple Moon symbol is a 20th Century creation and was unknown to any ancient people.
CC: The Wiccan Revival of the twentieth century seemed to have been brought about by Freemasonic men in the UK. Might this initial Freemasonic influence, itself eclectic, Eastern, and universalist, have rubbed off on modern Wicca?
GP: Wicca certainly seems to have been influenced by such movements as Freemasonry and, without doubt, by ceremonial magic.
CC: Historically speaking, both spiritually and in social relations, how would you describe the interaction between the “Gaulic, Gaelic, Druidic” cultures, and the more Teutonic/Odinic peoples?
GP: These two peoples were closely related and there was a frequent exchange of population between them. They share nearly all of the same values, and some common themes appear in their lore. Some scholars believe that the Germanic peoples may have branched off of some paleo-Celtic people group. Whether this is true, the fact is that these two cultural groups have strongly influenced one another.
CC: Can you elaborate further on Gaelic Polytheism. What does it mean to you?
GP: One of the most important things for me is knowing that I am helping to revive and perpetuate the traditions of my ancestors. In fact, reverence for the ancestors is a strong theme in Gaelic tradition, and we definitely seek to reconnect with and honor them.
CC: Can you comment on the ancient seasonal “Wheel of the Year” as far as where it fits into history, and it’s significance?
GP: It seems to be a 20th Century fusion of traditions from various cultures. The ancient Gaels knew four seasonal festivals, which we as Gaelic Polytheists still observe today: Samhain, Imbolg, Beltain, and Lughnasadh. The ancient Gaels knew of the solstices and equinoxes, but there is not evidence that they observed these dates as religious festivals. A few GP’s may follow the 8-festival Wheel of the Year, but that is not the norm.
CC: You had stated that you do not believe that there was a definitive "Celtic culture" in the ancient world. Without necessarily mentioning names, what is your opinion of the current international groups which were organized to facilitate this "Pan-Celtic" concept?
GP: I think to some degree they are helping to perpetuate an interest in the various cultures that have come to be called "Celtic", even though the Pan-Celtic concept itself is a modern fantasy. I used to be Pan-Celtic myself several years ago, and the more I studied the ancient traditions, the more I realized that they were very distinct. I then learned that reputable historians agree with this assessment.
Also, it should be noted where the word "Celtic" itself originated. The ancient Greeks referred to the bararian tribes who lived to the north of them as "Keltoi". It is ironic that so many centuries later, some people decided that the term should be applied to the inhabitants of the British Isles, who are not the descendants of the Keltoi, and are only distantly related to them.
CC: How would you quickly sum up the affect of early Christianity on paganism, especially in what were considered regions of Celtic settlement?
GP: The conversion of the Gaels was not as bloody or brutal as the conversion of the Germanic peoples and some others. The early Celtic Christian Church simply blended traditional Gaelic spirituality with the Christian faith to create a system where followers were free to honor Christ at the same time as Brighde, Daghda, etc. This period of blended faith lasted several centuries, and in fact, it could be said to still exist today, since many Gaelic Christians still honor Brighde as a saint, and may give honor to the spirits of nature as well.
CC: We have a concept that we would like your opinion of. The chief deity, of which the Wicca religion is based on, appears to be the horned god Cernunnos. Correct?. Since one of the alternate names for this deity is “Cern,” couldn’t this tradition be called “Cernism” in a revisionist direction? (in the same way as Odin and Odinism)?
GP: Again, Cernunnos is not a deity known in our tradition, so I’m not really qualified to speak to this.
CC: Where do the hundreds of very ancient megalithic monuments located largely in the British Isles, like Stonehenge, fit into the Gaelic Polytheist belief system?
GP: Stonehenge itself is in an area that has never been the home to any Gaelic tribe, so it is pretty irrelevant. We do see other stone circles, such as Calanais, which are in the Gaelic lands, but these predate the Gaels. Likewise, Newgrange in Ireland, which is aligned to the Winter Solstice, is of pre-Gaelic origin.
I'm sure many Gaelic people appreciate these sites as historical landmarks, and even for their spiritual significance, but they were not constructed by Gaelic people, and I'm sure they had much greater significance to the people who actually did build them.
CC: Are there any other subjects which we have missed, but are of importance? If so, can you elaborate on them?
GP: Thank you for the interview. This is actually my first chance to speak for Gaelic Polytheism to people outside our movement. You will find some variation within GP and some may have even answered these questions differently than I did. But I believe I have represented our movement accurately, as far as what the concensus would be on these subjects
We simply seek to restore the spiritual traditions of our ancestors within a modern context. Though some things have been lost, we would rather fill in the blanks with our own innovations which are rooted in our knowledge of Gaelic lore and tradition, rather than borrow from another culture or from a Neopagan tradition.
Being a Gaelic Polytheist is as much about culture as it is religion. To follow this path, one must be willing to study and immerse oneself in Gaelic lore, folk tradition, values, language, art, culture, music…basically, to carry on not only the religion of the ancient Gaels, but the traditions of the living Gaelic cultures. This is an ethno-cultural tradition.
I may recommend a couple of websites if you wish to have more information.
http://www.gaolnaofa.com
This is a GP organization in which I hold membership. The website has a great deal of information and resources.
http://www.paganachd.com
This is another Gaelic Polytheist website, which has an excellent and very lengthy FAQ about the movement.
Thanks again for the opportunity to speak with you..
froach222@yahoo.com
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Monday, January 4, 2010
"Cernism" and the Camonica Valley
This entry is something of a continuance to the October 25, 2009 Padanian-American League blog entry entitled "Cernism: Finally giving a proper name to an old tradition." The subject of the Celtic pagan deity, known today mainly under the title of Cernunnos, can be a little bit confusing when we try to search for an origin. Although usually attributed as being born from Celtic/Gallic culture, there seems to be at least some overlap with the Germanic world. Also, to add to the confusion, as stated in the Wikipedia Cernunnos webpage: "The earliest known probable depiction of Cernunnos was found at Val Camonica in Italy, dating from the 4th century BC, while the best known depiction is on the Gundestrup cauldron found on Jutland, dating to the 1st century BC." However Wikipedia does clarify part of the issue, as it went on: "The Cauldron was likely to have been stolen by the Germanic Cimbri tribe or another tribe that inhabited Jutland as it originated from south east Europe." One of the best depictions of Cernunnos exists on Gotland Island near Sweden (see Wikipedia link above for a good image of it). Despite that, the tradition clearly is most identified with the Celts.Although there was some later Celtic influence at times in the Camonica Valley, it does seem odd that the earliest depiction of Cernunnos is found there. That is, the earliest depiction anywhere in Europe. The ancient Camunni were not Celtic, but an Alpine tribe, with roots that go back many thousands of years. The roots of Celtic culture has been strongly linked to what is today the southern reaches of the German-speaking world. Could this spiritual tradition have been passed from the Camunni to the earliest Celtic tribes of the more northern Alpine region? That might seem like a stretch, until we consider that there was a distinct type of culture in the Camunian Valley that has been estimated as being as old as ten thousand years. Scholars seem to at least give a safe estimate at about eight thousand years, but still very old. The Hebrews only go back six thousand years!
The "Cernism" article was mainly to put out the idea that Cernunnos is basically the origin for what passes as modern "Witchcraft" or "Wicca." Wicca is eclectic and universalist, and is only very loosely tied to ancient European Witchcraft. In other words, to add Cernism to the lexicon of neo-paganism once and for all, and present it as an alternative for those who have been disappointed with the direction of Wicca.
The answer to the question of the true origin of the Cernic tradition may never be definitively satisfied. One thing is certain, Cisalpine Gaul, and more specifically the little ever-spiritual Camonica Valley, were a very early part of it. Also, it strongly defines the chief, pre-Roman, spiritual tradition of most of Western Europe.
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2-5-13 Addition: I wanted to add a small item from the news in the last week to one of the posts regarding the Cernic tradition... one that I thought was relevant to it. Leading up to Super Bowl XLVII, and also regarding professional athletes from other sports, a small degree of controversy surrounds the use of a performance-enhancing product called by some "deer antler spray." To quote the the UK's 'Daily Telegraph': "Manufacturers claim the product is made from the velvetlike tissue that covers the antlers of male deer..." (see also 'Does Deer Antler Spray Work?' from LiveScience.com). Although perhaps only in a superficial way, this concept ties into the perception of how the antlers of a stag were considered a symbol of male virility, strength, and courage in ancient European cultures. Cernunnos was a "stag god," and was depicted as a man with antlers.
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Saturday, December 5, 2009
The flags that we use
We can view ourselves, beyond a regional or ethnic group, as a large family spread out over a vast land mass. We would like someone in Anchorage to feel just as connected to us as someone in Chicago. Let us think of the entire continent, from the Aleutian Islands to the Panama Canal, as possibly where our Euro-Camunian kindred may be living or working
The other flag over on the top left, is a modern colorized flag based on the symbol of the ancient city of "Cividate Camuna" from Roman times. The Romans, after conquering the region, formed administrative cities like this to tie them into the empire. It showed that the Romans clearly saw the Camonica Valley as a distinct region.