Since the dawn of its time the Celtic culture has been passed down to its children by word of mouth. It is said that, the original Celts were a race of peoples with little, or no, writing skills. The learning process therefore, was an essential characteristic of Celtic life and equally so was the teaching.
The way in which the culture is passed down through our family lines, be it by art and craft or song and tale, has, it is fair to say, been an important part of the continuing influence of the Celts. The Celts influence, throughout history, can best be recognized in their symbols that show in many cultures over the entire planet.
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The Adventure Begins
My interest in the way of the Celt originally stems from my own family in Liverpool.
(Archaeologists and historians tell us that this culture traces back to a time in the early Bronze Age that is around 400 to 500 B.C and it was around 7 B.C before they reached Britain and Ireland. Obviously by the time I was born the stories and songs had adapted to fit with the times.)
My mum and dad both had a unique view of Celtic Culture in that mum and her family were from Ireland and dad's family from Scotland (I now live in the kingdom of fife.)
Dad told tales of Warrior heroes (Scotsmen) who walked into battle with bagpipes playing outlawed tunes. Mum told tales of Celtic deities and a mythical Culture of fairies, Dragons and magical and witchcraft including witchcraft spells. We would all sit around the coal fire (or the hearth as mum would call it) and listen intently.
Dads family Wallace and Dennis had moved to America and Australia therefore, Mums family was the influential role. The Hogan's and Manning's have a wondrous mix of belief systems from Christians to Druids and their crafts ranged from Cabinet making to Jewelry design.
Similar to the original Celts the family took a very prominent role in the passing of information on our Culture, in part by design i.e. crafts and in part by what might be considered poetic license. Historically it was by word of mouth that the cultures of the world survived. Today we read books written by historians and scientists who present their arguments on Celtic history by use of documentary evidence and or archeological fact. This, by its very nature, is an ever-evolving fountain of knowledge through our increasing forensic abilities.
We once truly believed the world was flat and documented it as being a fact. It was stories told of distant lands that gave us the impetus to question the alleged wisdom of scholars and scientists. As a qualified scientist myself I too question the stories of my youth, but it is these stories that make us the people we are and passing them on to my own children only added to the joy of what is my own culture therefore, no matter how science changes the future or my opinions, I feel it is keeping these stories and ways of old alive that will fuel the generations to question and learn. Join with me on my journey of discovery of the old ways and places of my family. We will have some fun and learning along the way and seek out and enjoy the treasures the Celtic story brings to us today.
