An Introduction to the Celtic Traditions You may have heard someone say, “I follow the Celtic Tradition,” or “I believe in the Ancient Celtic Gods”. Perhaps you’ve wondered about these Celts – who are they and who are these ancient gods of whom they speak? If so, you aren’t alone. Historians since at least the times of Julius Caesar have wondered about this fascinating group. While we’ve learned who they were and what they were up to, unfortunately, little is known about their mythology despite the best efforts of scholars, historians, and even archeologists. Caesar left his Commentaries behind with his observations, but he painted the Celts with a Roman brush making accurate study difficult. What is known is a mixture of fact and conjecture. With as many opinions and theories as there are books on the subject, a person deciding to follow the Celtic Tradition embarks on a journey of sifting through information and theories in search of that which resonates within them. True Celtic Tradition or not. To begin with, the Celts were a race of people, never a nation. As such, they did not have a unified national religion. Believed to have lived in Central Germany, they eventually invaded Gaul, and spread to the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Hungary, Greece and Asia Minor. Burial grounds have been discovered as far away as the Ukraine and Poland. This group became known as the Continental Celts. A second group inhabited Northern Europe, moving into Great Britain and Ireland. This second group, the Insular Celts as they are known, is the group to which most pagans refer when they state they are following the Celtic Way.
		Then there are the gods and goddesses. Each tribe worshiped the gods and goddesses of their locality creating numerous mythologies under the Celtic heading. While some overlapping occurred, most tribes remained fiercely independent from each other including separation of deities. Some 400 deities are listed on various altar inscriptions and votive objects though no further information appears to help guide us to a better understanding of the attributes of these deities. Some names appear only once! Additionally, statues of animals, particularly boars, bears, birds, horses, and bulls appear to have been of significance in worship, though historians are unsure of the exact nature. They do note, however, that as other cultures began to influence the Celts, certain gods and goddesses were linked unalterably with specific animals: Epona and horses, Cernunnos and stags, Artio and bears, and Arduinna and boars. What seems certain is the interaction between humans and the Divine. Unlike the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses dwelling in remote and humanly unattainable places, the Celts saw the Divine in everything and walked among the gods. Rivers, fountains, and springs became gods and goddesses. High mountain peaks were revered as gods. Even after outside cultural influences took their toll, the names of these gods and goddess remained in the names of these places. So how does a person choose a Celtic path to follow when in fact no single path existed? Many choose to honor the Celtic deities for which we have known attributes, incorporating them into their own form of worship. The Dagda, the Morrigan, Bridget, Balor, Lugh, and Danu are only some of the names you might find along a journey through the world of the Insular Celts. Likewise, the journey may reveal the Gallo-Roman gods of the Continental Celts such as Mercury, Ogmios, Apollo, Mars and Minerva. None is more right than another.  Thus, when someone states he or she follows the Celtic Tradition, you can assume a basic idea of a tradition built around one or more of the known Celtic deities though not necessarily the ritual practices of that person. It bears asking which gods and goddesses, which rituals and traditions, and perhaps even to which group of Celts the person refers when engaging in a deeper discussion.
		Further information may be found by consulting the following sources:

© 2004 K Dickinson
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updated June 2006