Celtic Creation Myths
Sample Paper for Creation Myth Assignment
Prof. Susan Ruyle: Introduction to Humanities
National Endowment for the Humanities Seminar
Saddleback College
Summer 1997
Group Student Project
Saddleback College
Celtic Creation Myth and Culture
Pattern of Creation
Although one book attributes Celtic creation to the Horned God and
the Silver Moon Goddess, most books tell a very vague story --
with individuals, gods or goddesses, giants, or others creating
the various valleys, mountains, rivers, islands, etc. Though
Celtic mythology does possess the primal Mother Goddess, Celtic
mythology has most places existing already with the Celts naming
them such as it exists in Lebor Gabala Erenn (or, The
Book of the Taking Ireland) after invading new lands.
Attributes of Deities
Most of the various Celtic tribes had different names for their
gods, but in all there are around 33 gods and goddesses with a
tribal hierarchy. The gods are the ancestors of the Celts and are
both mortal and immortal, and some are revitalized after dying.
Many of the Celtic gods, especially the goddess, had shape-changing
powers. The gods are very human but heroic in their nature and
would influence human events.
Evil and the Afterlife
There are a few activities the Celts participated in that many in
today's society would consider evil (such as beheading) but again,
there is no real specific mention of evil or where it comes from
in many books. The Celts apparently had little, if any, conception
of a heaven or hell as a reward or punishment for their conduct
during life. The afterlife was thought to be automatic. This
belief in some kind of "Valhalla" may help to explain why Celtic
warriors typically seemed to have no fear of death. The barriers
between the world of the living and that of the gods and the dead
were somewhat hazy, but this barrier was thought to be at its most
thin during Samhain (this is a November event that, interestingly,
many other cultures celebrate for the same or similar reasons).
Values and Beliefs
Celtic society consisted of complex kinship ties and other ties,
such as guest-friendship (which was a bond that was formed from
providing hospitality to an outsider). Within this network
individuals strove to gain rank and prestige -- a famous name and
wide renown. Celtic lords were well-known for public displays of
generosity, and our research seemed to indicate their spot in the
pecking order was dependent upon it. They had a competition for
wealth that was deeply interconnected with war and agriculture
trade, (where most of their wealth came from). For this reason,
they had a fairly unstable hierarchy -- with nobles constantly
seeking new ways to boost their standing -- and thus those
dinnertable fights (often to the death).
Gender Roles
The lives of Celtic women have sometimes been misrepresented in
the male-oriented Classical sources, and it would be unfair to
make simple assumptions about gender roles of the Celts. While the
limited evidence there is suggests metalworking was men's main
realm, food production and other essential activities were likely
in the hands of women. Marriage seems to have been a rather equal
affair for both involved, where the husband and wife pooled equal
amounts of money and shared any gains. At death, the surviving
partner inherited everything. Some noblemen apparently practiced
polygamy, but this was in part to secure schemes for power.
Food, Drink and Nature
Feasts were and important social gathering for the Celts and at
least sometimes had ceremonial or religious overtones. Each person
would sit on the ground according to their rank (which sometimes
caused brawls) and the food was served by the youngest children.
Wealthy classes drank wine imported from Italy and the lower
classes drank beer. They hunted quite a bit for sport and keeping
down pests, but most of the time it was farm animals that made it
to the dinnertable. Those who lived near rivers ate fish, spiced
with salt, vinegar and cumin. They often had entertainment at the
feasts, with storytelling and poetry about nature. "To seek out
and watch and love Nature, in its tiniest phenomena as in its
grandest, was given to no people so early and fully as to the
Celt," wrote Nora Chadwick in The Celts.
