Celtas, un pueblo de hierro (V): rituales y lugares de culto · La March

Updated: November 18, 2024

Fundación Juan March


Summary

The video provides an in-depth exploration of the diverse and interconnected religious practices of Celtic peoples, challenging stereotypes of barbarism through archaeological evidence. It highlights the significance of natural and constructed sacred spaces, such as caves and mountains, in Celtic rituals and offerings, shedding light on the spiritual beliefs and ceremonial practices of the Celtiberians. The evolution of Celtic religion under Roman influence, as well as modern misinterpretations and romanticized representations of Celtic rituals, are critiqued, emphasizing the complexity and richness of Celtic spirituality throughout history.


Considerations on Celtic Religion

The speaker introduces initial considerations about the plural nature of Celtic religion, highlighting the absence of a unified Celtic pan-European religion and discussing the varied systems and rituals present among Celtic peoples.

Belief in an Animated World

Discusses the common belief among Celtic peoples and ancient societies in an animated world with fluid interrelations between nature, humans, and gods, contrasting classical portrayals of Celts as savage and highlighting the interconnected view of nature and divinity.

Religious Systems of the Celts

Explores the religious practices of the Celts, including divine imagery, construction of closed spaces for gods, and human sacrifices, challenging stereotypes of Celts as barbaric and presenting a different perspective based on archaeological and iconographic evidence.

Sources for Reconstruction

Examines the challenges of reconstructing ancient Celtic religious systems based on Greco-Latin authors with biased views and textual sources from Irish and Welsh traditions influenced by Christian monks, emphasizing the limited literary productions of the Celts in religious contexts.

Sacred Spaces and Rituals

Discusses the significance of natural and constructed sacred spaces for Celtic rituals, focusing on topographic rituals, human sacrifice, and the religious landscape influenced by Roman threats, emphasizing the role of violence and ritual elements in post-conquest Celtic religion.

Religious Rituals in Natural Landscapes

Exploration of rituals and offerings in natural landscapes like thermal waters, swamps, and caves among the Celtiberians, including sacrifices, depictions, and symbolic objects.

Rituals in Swamps

Discussion on rituals performed in swamps, including offerings like butter barrels, wooden figurines, and anthropomorphic representations, possibly symbolizing sacrifices and divinities.

Cave Rituals

Explanation of cave rituals involving sacrifices, offerings, and symbolic acts in caves, portraying a connection to the spiritual world and the dead, with examples from various locations.

Mountain Sanctuaries

Exploration of sacred mountains and their significance, such as rituals, inscriptions, and offerings to deities, indicating the religious importance of these natural landmarks among the Celtiberians.

Built Sanctuaries

Insight into built sanctuaries like altars, sacrificial sites, and communal ritual spaces, showcasing the religious practices, sacrifices, and ceremonies carried out by the Celtiberians.

Reflections on Space and Altars

The discussion explores the concept of space created by Juarroz allowing reflection on cosmic rifts and supernatural realities, emphasizing the ritual activities concentrated in Celtic areas.

The Identification of Cernunnos

The identification of the God with Cernunnos in the Roman Empire, showcased in the Pilar de los Nautas under Notre Dame in Paris, is discussed. The chapter delves into the historical artifact found and its significance.

Associations of Cernunnos Image

The chapter discusses the association of images of Cernunnos with antlers and the reinterpretation of a ceramic piece from Numancia. It elaborates on the interpretation of the piece as an animal rather than a deity due to its original position.

Rituals and Ceremonial Centers

The significance of rituals in ceremonial centers like Tara or Raz Grogan is highlighted, exploring the practices within these ritual spaces for communal protection and identity building.

Human Sacrifices and Rituals

The chapter delves into human sacrifices, rituals, and their meanings, drawing insights from historical texts like Cesar's account of Celtic beliefs in the benefits of sacrifice and offerings.

Women as Memory Keepers

Women were the depositaries of family memory, responsible for transmitting ethical and heroic values to men according to the Anthropology of honor and their culture of shame. The Roman Celtic provincial religion underwent radical transformations while retaining some elements of the Celtic religion.

Transformation and Resistance to Roman Element

The Roman Celtic provincial religion saw transformations, adaptations, adoptions, resistances, and innovations in response to Roman influences. Old Celtic religious practices were recycled, and selective rituals were forgotten, leading to the invention of a supposed ancestral tradition in modern Neopagan religions.

Neopagan Traditions

In the 21st century, Neopagan religions invent supposed ancestral traditions based on history and recycle old Celtic sites, selectively forgetting certain rituals. There is a critique of modern recreations of Celtic rituals that propagate false romanticized images of druids, megaliths, and sacrifices.

Misrepresentation of Celtic Culture

Critique of modern festivals and ceremonies labeled as Celtic but based on inaccurate romanticized concepts. The false portrayal includes associations with druids, megaliths, human sacrifices, and even the reuse of Santa Claus imagery in Celtic-themed events.

Literary and Musical Representations

Literary and musical works often contain elements of traditional Celtic religion, presented in a contemporary setting. Examples include novels where characters idealize the past Celtic era or encounter Celtic spiritual influences in modern times.

Celtic Horrors in Present Times

Exploration of the supernatural consequences when present-day individuals encounter Celtic religious artifacts and spaces, leading to disturbing and tragic outcomes. The book 'Echoes of Rome' discusses the challenging encounters with ancient Celtic gods and cultic spaces in the present.

Sonorous Landscapes of Rituals

Discussion on the immersive experiences of Celtic rituals through soundscapes and music. The song 'Sumis Lugue' by the Swiss metal band Fall, depicting a curse or lead prayer, evokes the lost rituals and experiences of ancient Celtic practices.


FAQ

Q: What are some common beliefs among Celtic peoples and ancient societies?

A: Celtic peoples and ancient societies believed in an animated world with fluid interrelations between nature, humans, and gods.

Q: What practices were associated with Celtic religious rituals?

A: Celtic religious practices included divine imagery, construction of closed spaces for gods, and human sacrifices.

Q: How has the reconstruction of ancient Celtic religious systems been challenged?

A: Reconstruction has been challenged by biased views in Greco-Latin sources, Christian influences in Irish and Welsh traditions, and limited literary productions in religious contexts.

Q: What were some rituals and offerings in natural landscapes among the Celtiberians?

A: Rituals and offerings in natural landscapes included sacrifices, depictions, and symbolic objects in locations like thermal waters, swamps, and caves.

Q: What significance do sacred mountains hold in Celtic religion?

A: Sacred mountains were significant for rituals, inscriptions, and offerings to deities, indicating the religious importance of these natural landmarks among the Celtiberians.

Q: How did the Roman Celtic provincial religion evolve in response to Roman influences?

A: The Roman Celtic provincial religion underwent radical transformations while retaining some elements of Celtic religion, recycling old practices and inventing a supposed ancestral tradition in modern Neopagan religions.

Q: What criticism is directed towards modern recreations of Celtic rituals?

A: Criticism includes false romanticized images of druids, megaliths, and sacrifices, with modern festivals often inaccurately labeled as Celtic and based on unrealistic concepts.

Q: What is the significance of literary and musical works in relation to traditional Celtic religion?

A: Literary and musical works often contain elements of traditional Celtic religion presented in a contemporary setting, exploring encounters with ancient Celtic gods, cultic spaces, and rituals in modern times.

Q: How do modern Neopagan religions approach ancient Celtic traditions?

A: Modern Neopagan religions invent supposed ancestral traditions based on history, recycle old Celtic sites, and selectively forget certain rituals, creating a blend of the old and new.

Q: What are some examples of the misuse of Celtic imagery in modern contexts?

A: Misuse includes associations with druids, megaliths, human sacrifices, and even the inappropriate reuse of Santa Claus imagery in Celtic-themed events.

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