The Druid Network

Ideas for honouring the Season of Beltane

• It is said that Beltane really starts when the Hawthorn trees blossom. When do fruit-bearing trees in your area grow blossoms?
• Where are you at with the plans you made at Samhain? You have reached the half-way mark of the year.
• Attend a Mummer’s Dance or Maypole dance
• Gather morning dew in a jar at sunrise. It is said to have healing powers.
• Begin planting your garden
• Plant or befriend a tree in your area
• Participate in a community clean up campaign

I. Celebrating Beltane

At this time of year, many Neo-Pagans are preparing to erect maypoles and celebrate the fertility in a number of ways, both public and private. But what of Beltane? Where did it originate? How was it originally celebrated?

With Beltane just around the corner, what better time than to examine this important day in the Celtic calendar?

Beltane is a Celtic festival, called Beltane in Ireland and Scotland, and Calan Mai in Wales. Cormac’s Glossary has two definitions attached to Beltane: the lighting of fires by the Druids for good luck (bel-tine) and the Chief Assembly at Tara. Cormac’s Glossary refers to this time as cet-sam-sin (‘first of summer weather’).

Beltane is the exact opposite of Samhain and is a celebration of life and the beginning of the lighter half of the year. (Samhain being the celebration of death and the beginning of the dark half of the year) This time of year marks the greening of the grass and the budding of the trees. Everything seems to be bursting with life! Some folks would not consider it to be true Beltane until all of the trees had produced leaves. This was also a time when the veil between the Otherworld and our world was thin, much like at Samhain, making divination a popular activity at this time of year as well.

The Celts celebrated this time of year by wearing bright colours, and engaging in dancing and revelry. The Druids would light two large fires, which the cattle would be driven between to ensure health and good luck during the growing and grazing season. (They would then be passed between two fires at Samhain to ensure survival through the winter) In Gaul, the fires were lit for the God Belenos, but they followed the same custom of passing the cattle between them.

In Wales and Scotland, nine men would light the fires with the nine sacred woods at dawn. Another dawn activity was to go and stand on a hilltop when the sun rose and bathe in the early morning rays. Some young folks would do this after an all-night vigil (perhaps involving gratuitous sexual activity). Collecting of dew was also popular and it was believed my many that the dew collected at this time could be bottled and used all year for healing purposes. The sun and water were then joined in a sense, with the sun’s rays illuminating the dew, making it especially potent.

Two figures of ritual note at this time are the Flower Maiden and the Sun Youth, more commonly knows at the King and Queen of the May. Folks would celebrate the marriage of this couple (Bloddeuwedd and Llew, Culhwch and Olwen, the release of Mabon and his subsequent marriage, etc.) with pageantry, such as a procession and “marriage ceremony”.

Why have I not mentioned the May Pole yet? Well, to be honest, the Maypole as we know it today, was not a part of the revelry in ancient times. The tradition of weaving ribbons around the pole while dancing is an English custom, which may have originated from the older practices of dancing around a hawthorn or birch tree (no ribbons). Sometimes the hawthorn tree would be cut down (or just a branch or two) and brought into the community as a gesture of castrating the forest lord and controlling the spread of fertility. In Cornwall, it was not uncommon for communities to steal each other’s poles!
The cutting down of the hawthorn tree or at least a branch could be representative of the forced surrender of power to the youthful Sun God from the Lord of the Forest. “What of the King Stag when the Young Stag has grown?” asks Marion Zimmer-Bradley in the “Mists of Avalon”. As the elderly man must eventually surrender to the younger man, so too does the Forest Lord of the winter surrender to the Sun God.

This giving way to the younger also occurs in the female sense with the Cailleach giving way to the Flower Maiden. However, the Cailleach is often not as gracious in this giving way as we well know here in Alberta where we often get the nastiest snow storms in May!

Some girls in Ireland would make a flower maiden doll and parade it around while singing songs appropriate for the season.

This also seemed to be a good time for assemblies and meetings throughout the Celtic world. The High King would host the Chief Assembly at Tara, while in Gaul, this time of year was reserved for the annual meeting of the Tetrarchs, a council of 12 higher ups (Druid-Kings?). This council of 12 would hold a sort of court of law where disputes could be settled, murder cases tried, etc. Caesar mentions this assembly in his writings about the Gauls.

This would be a natural meeting time for Celts as a nation, since the weather was fine for traveling and people were definitely in the mood for socializing and feasting after a long winter. The planting had already been done and there would not be a lot of work around the farms and such for about a month or so yet.

The basic focus was to celebrate life, ensure a good growing season…and have a lot of fun!

In Celtic Mythology, this time of year marked some important events: Partholon, the sons of Mil, the Nemedians, and the Tuatha De Dannann all landed in Ireland at this time! Bloddeuwedd was said to have been made at this time for Llew to marry and Mabon was said to have been released from his prison. Quite a substantial time of the year!

In Beltane of 2004, Awen Grove did a humourous enactment of the wooing of Emer by Cu Chulain. I wrote a song and folks in the ritual team and audience participated in a pantomime (complete with kazoos).

The Wooing of Emer

Cu Chulain was a warrior type
The best in all the land
His greatest challenge lay ahead…
To request fair Emer’s hand!

Enemies both strong and skilled
Young Cu Chulain defeated
The territory he sought to take
Was where Emer was seated!

Emer’s Dad, a wily man,
This courtship would not bless…
Despite the fact that it was
Sanctioned by King Conchobhar Mac Ness!

He devised a plan that would surely
Bring the Hound of Chulain down
“To gain some skill in war” said he
And sent the hero out of town!

Off to Schathach’s Isle went Cu’
And faced many fearsome foes
Many dangerous wastelands
Added to his woes!

Upon his arrival, he did come
Across the bridge of great peril
Which flipped him off, but he
Overtook with a leap of Salmon’s skill!

Cu Chulain then learned from her
The arts of love and war
She bade him lead her army
Against her sister Aoife Mor!

The battle won, his task then done
Cu Chulain passed the test
A warrior of exceptional skill
He went home to show his best

Emer’s dad had heard the news
And he began to fret
The Hound of Chulain should have died
Not come back to claim his get!

What to do? He thought in haste
And called forth his fighting men.
Around the fort he set them up
‘Til secure he felt again.

A year it took for Cu Chulain
To fight up to the door
He then performed his Salmon Leap
And met Scibar, Cat and Ibhor!

The brothers three fell to his sword
Why did they even bother?
The Hound of Chulain ran to meet
Their cunning, wily father.

Across the battlements Old Forgall ran
Away from Emer’s Mate
But in his haste he toppled off
And fell to meet his fate.

Cu Chulain found his lady fair
With her sister in a keep
Under each arm did he take them
And over the walls did leap

With gold and silver did he run
With Emer and Sis in tow
He met up with a few armed men
And forced them all to go

At last he reached Emain Macha
Where he and his bride were wed
And such a feast was held for them
With mead and barley bread

To what extent will a man go…
How low or high above?
What perils would he will to face
For the sake of a woman’s love?

A man in love would walk the earth
And face a thousand guys
Just to see the light of love
Shine through his lover’s eyes.

Written by: Athelia Nihtscada /|\
April 19, 2004

Sources:
“Celtic Rituals: An authentic guide to Celtic spirituality” by Alexei Kondratiev. The Collins Press, Ireland, 1998. Page 155
2 “The Celtic World” by Miranda J. Green. Routledge, London, 1995. Pages 436-7

II. Sacred Trees

In this day and age, we rarely ever think about the hearth fire since we have central heating. When we do actually light a fire, how many of us actually pay attention to which woods we are burning? We usually just buy a cord of it at the gas station and that’s the end of it.

Our Celtic ancestors held a higher degree of reverence towards wood seeing as it was the only form of heating they had. The Irish even had certain types of wood written into the law with regards to their status and price of compensation should one be cut down without good reason!

With the weather still being a little cold before going from “Springy-Winter” to “Wintery-Spring” to “Summer in a pinch…which lasts almost as long” (So famous in Alberta!), we may find ourselves building a little fire to warm the house at any time of the year. What wood are you burning?

Also, we are approaching the prime time for tree planting! (Spring and Autumn are the two times for planting trees) If you are planning on planting a tree this year, either in your garden or as part of a tree planting project, this week’s Celtic Wisdom may help influence your decision on what to plant!

Trees are vital for a number of reasons, some of which are below:

• They keep the soil enriched where they grow and prevent soil erosion
• They conserve water in the soil
• They support other life who live within or upon them
• They provide essential oxygen and help clean the air of harmful carbons
• They provide needed shade

Many cities have tree planting programs in place. The City of Calgary in Alberta is known for not having enough trees (the goal is one tree for every two people) and it has instated a program called “Forever Green” to motivate communities to plant trees.

Corporations sponsor the program and donate money, services and trees to communities that have applied for three planting program due to a need for more trees. The goal is to plant 4000 trees per year in Calgary.

The program runs every Saturday between May and October. Volunteers plant the trees during this time and promote awareness in communities about the need for trees. Communities receiving the trees host the program by hosting barbeques, picnics and fun events to encourage people to come out and help or learn more about trees.

If you were to consider what the world’s oldest living organism is, what would you think it is? A giant 300 year old whale? Certain strains of bacteria, such as the B. permians which are 250 billion years old? You’d be pleasantly surprised to know that some of the oldest living organisms of the world are groves of trees!

Tasmania seems to be the home of some of the world’s oldest trees and plants: there is a 43,000 year old bush growing which is called “King’s Holly” (Lomatia Tasmania), as well the Huon Pine trees, which take up about 2.5 acres of land and whose newest plants have the same DNA as the oldest ones.

One biblical website (http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v17/i3/living_tree.asp) says that the discovery of these trees disproves the world flood story of Genesis. If the world was really 6000 years old and a flood happened worldwide 5000 years ago, then these trees should not exist.

Many American scientists believe the oldest living organism is a Bristlecone pine, located high in the mountains on the California-Nevada border. This tree is just over 7000 years old.

While not the oldest, the Aspen Clone which grows near Salt Lake City in Utah is definitely the largest living organism with 47,000 stems, weighing in at a hefty 6,000 tonnes! Several clones of this nature grow in Canada as well (mostly in Alberta), but may or may not be as old as the one in Utah. This phenomena is due to the way Aspen trees reproduce via “suckering” where the roots grow outwards and stems arise from them to form new trees. All of these trees are male and all have the exact DNA.





Magnificent Trees from Myth and Legend

Trees have always held a special place in many world mythologies:

• The Garden of Eden from the Old Testamant (Genesis) contained the Tree of Knowledge, which God had forbidden Adam and Eve to eat from.
• Buddha gained his enlightenment while spending a lot of time meditating under the Bodhi tree in India. This could be why Bodhi is the root word of Bodhisattva which means “Enlightenment being” or someone who has done the work and is able to attain Nirvana, but chooses to postpone it in order to help others attain enlightenment. A compassionate act indeed! Bodhichitta is the mental state of someone who has chosen to undertake becoming enlightened in the Buddhist tradition.
• The Axis Mundi or the axle that the world spins upon was known as the “World Tree” by many cultures. They saw the tree as being the support and center of the world.
• Before the person (or persons) who wrote Genesis, wrote of the Tree of Knowledge, the ancient Sumerians offered to the Lord of the Tree of Truth. A cup was found from this period and it was dedicated to the Lord of the Tree of Truth.
• J.R.R. Tolkien wrote of the “Ents” or tree people in his Lord of the Rings series of books. They were characterized as being wise, powerful and notoriously slow to take action on anything unless it affected the trees and forests directly.

Our ancestors knew of the sacred place trees held in daily life and the truth that trees can hold through their long and slow observance of the world around them. Can you imagine how much wisdom the King’s Holly in Tasmania or even the Aspen Clones in Alberta and Utah must hold?

Some legends tell of Druids lighting a fire of sacred woods which, when burned on the shore, would be used to create a “magical wall” which would confuse those who wished to invade by sea. Very practical this practice was. Slightly damp wood, when burned, will create quite a bit of smoke. Mix a lot of slightly damp wood and burn it by a misty sea side, and you’ve got yourself a surefire recipe for a smokescreen! Certain trees, such as poplar, create a lot of smoke as it is.

The Scottish folks had a little poem of advice for householders about which woods were the best to burn in the hearth (ash being the favoured one):

Beech-wood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year.
Oaken logs burn steadily
If the wood is old and dry.
Chestnut’s only good, they say
If for long it’s laid away.
But Ash new or Ash old
Is fit for a Queen with a crown of gold.

Birch and Fir-logs burn too fast –
Blaze up bright, but do not last.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house you’ll see,
It is by the Irish said,
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
But Ash green or Ash brown
Is fit for a Queen with a golden crown.

Elm wood burns like churchyard mold –
E’ere the flames are cold.
Poplar gives a bitter smoke:
Fills your eyes and makes you choke.
Apple wood will scent your room,
With an incense-like perfume.
But Ash wet or Ash dry,
For a Queen to warm her slippers by.

(Taken from “Kindling the Celtic Spirit by Mara Freeman)

The Scots have also provided us with a list of 9 sacred trees that they used to start the Beltane fires:

Choose the Willow of the Streams
Choose the Hazel of the Rocks
Choose the Alder of the Marshes
Choose the Birch of the Waterfalls
Choose the Ash of the Shade
Choose the Yew of Resilience
Choose the Elm of the Brae
Choose the Oak of the Sun.

(Also taken from “Kindling the Celtic Spirit by Mara Freeman)

You’re probably noticing that there only eight trees listed above. No, I have not forgotten how to count. The ninth tree was left out on purpose by the Scots to remain a mystery. Or perhaps it was left out to be the choice of the person lighting the fire?

In the story of the Sickbed of Cu Chulain,, Cu Chulain’s charioteer, Laeg, went to the Mag Mell in the Otherworld to check out the lay of the land for the battle against Senach Siaborthe and Eochaid Iuil, and Eogan Inber for one day that Cu Chulain was to aid Labraid in.

When he arrived, Laeg discovered many wonders, including the trees. When Cu Chulain asked him what the lay of the land was, Laeg responded as follows:

At the doorway to the West,
Where the sun sets,
A herd of grey horses, bright their manes,
And a herd of Chestnut horses.

At the doorway to the East,
Three trees of brilliant crystal,
Whence a gentle flock of birds calls
To the children of the royal fort.

A tree at the doorway to the court,
Fair its harmony;
A tree of silver before the setting sun,
Its brightness like that of gold.

Three scores of trees there,
Whose crowns are meetings that do not meet.
Each tree bears ripe fruit,
For three hundred men.
…
A pity that the son [of Deichtine] did not go himself,
With everyone asking for him;
He could have seen for himself
The great house I visited.

If I possessed all of Eriu
And the kingship of yellow Brega,
I would give it all, no bad bargain,
To live in the place I visited.

(Excerpts from “The Wasting Sickness of Cu Chulaind” from “Early Irish Myths and Sagas” by Jeffrey Gantz – Penguin Classics Series, 1981)

The punishment laid upon the sons of Tuireann by Lugh upon the murder of his father, Cian, involved gathering items that would be life threatening to pursue. One such item on the list was “three apples from the Garden of Hespirides”. These apples could cure any ailment, and when thrown, they would always hit their mark. They were also guarded night and day so that no man could get one!

Last week’s activity encouraged us to go out and get to know established trees in our gardens, wooded areas…or even downtown at a bus stop where a lonely little oak wanted a hug.

Here is a tip on how to really get in touch with trees: planting them! How much more connected can you be with a tree than by being its first contact and nurturer in its new home?

How to Plant a Tree

One can attain a tree from a garden store or a nursery online or in person. (I would recommend making this purchase in person so you can get a feel for the tree and to see if it is healthy)

Trees are sold in one of three ways: with the rootball wrapped in burlap, bare root or container grown.

Below are tips for all three types from Tree Help (http://www.treehelp.com/howto/howto-plant-a-tree.asp):

Things to remember:

• Plant in late Winter/early Spring or Fall when it is not too cold.
• Never plant in a hole that is too deep or too wide.
• Loosen the soil at the bottom and sides of the hole with a garden fork to avoid “glazing” and allow the roots to grow out.
• For all trees, dig a hole that is the exact height of the root ball/structure and 2 – 3 times the width of the root ball/structure.
• When filling the hole with soil, enrich it with compost or manure enriched soil.
• Use your hands to tap down the soil in the hole. This allows for you to really get a hands-on feel to the planting process to see if everything is going well for your tree…and it prevents you from over compressing the soil which would be hard on new root growth.
• Water your tree thoroughly. Let the water settle and water again to give the tree a good start.
• Use a good root-starting fertilizer in the hole and around the hole to promote healthy growth.

Bare Root:

1. Ensure the roots look healthy and have lots of little hairs on them.
2. Trim any damaged or dead roots, but retain as much of the root structure as possible.
3. Plant as soon as possible since there is no water or soil around the roots to sustain them. Keep the roots moist in between purchase and planting.
4. Make a little mound of the soil in the center of the hole. This will act as a little “seat” for the roots to rest upon.
5. Set the tree upon the cone and splay the roots about it. Ensure that the flare of the trunk is visible and the top of the roots (where they flare down) is just above the soil line to allow for settling.
6. Refill the general hole with soil and put a little extra soil around the edges to form a catch-basin. Water thoroughly.
7. Mulch can be placed around the tree but avoid getting it too close to the trunk.
8. Gently tap the soil down with your hands so you do not over-compress.

Container Grown:

1. Remove the container and check the roots
2. If the roots are pot-bound or compressed, gently spread the roots out with your fingers or a blunt instrument. Be sure not to tear the roots if possible.
3. Seat the tree in the hole you dug originally and fill it up with enriched soil to the same level that the soil was in the container.
4. Gently tap the soil down with your hands so you do not over-compress.

“Ball and Burlap” or “B & B”:

1. Measure the root-ball width and depth. The hole will need to be the exact height and 2 – 3 times the width of the root-ball.
2. Do not lift a B & B tree by its trunk. Always lift it from the root-ball.
3. Remove the burlap and bindings
4. Using enriched soil either with compost or manure, back-fill the hole taking care not to over-compress (tap soil down with your hands as opposed to a shovel). Fill only up to the top of the root-ball.

Questions to ponder:
1. Have you ever planted a tree before? What sort of “connection” did you feel with that tree?
2. Do you feel your city has enough trees?
3. How can you promote awareness of the benefits of trees and take action in your community? Does your city or town have a tree planting program in place?



Mature Crabapple tree in blossom – Taken by Athelia Nihtscada in Calgary, Alberta Canada, May 2002 (When the trees are in bloom, Beltane has come)

III. Celebrating Animals

Almost every Celtic legend features an animal or a group of them, who present a special meaning for the story. Some animals are people who have shape-shifted, some are beloved pets, some lead characters in a story to a sacred place, others are sacred to certain deities, while others are a totem animal or one that is protected through a person’s Geas.

Such animals include:

Land Animals:

• Horses – So vital for travel, the horse is sacred to Epona, Rhiannon and Macha.
• Cats – Cats are still employed by farmers to keep mice away from the barns. The Goddess Brighid was said to have a cat for a companion. Warriors called upon the spirit of the cat for courage in battle.
• Cows/Bulls – Livestock was important to the Celts for a number of reasons: food, milk and leather being the three most obvious ones. Cattle were used as a type of currency and are still valuable for trading and breeding to this day. One could pay the services of a bard or for a funeral with cattle. A white cow is said to accompany Brighid during her wanderings at Imbolc and she is the patroness of cattle. Daghda was said to have a cow called “Ocean” in his possession. The most famed cattle story is that of the Cattle raid of Cooley in which Cu Chulain was a prime figure.
• Pigs/Boars – Pigs and boars feature in almost every story in Celtic legend. A boar led to Diarmuid’s death, Culhwch must kill two boars in his search for Olwen, Merlin composed poetry to a pig in the forest and Mannann MacLir cooked up a wondrous pig for Cormac. Warriors called upon the wild spirit of the boar in battle. It was an honour to receive the best cut of pork or boar at a banquet. The pig played an important role in society. Cian, the father of Lugh, changed into a pig before being killed by the Sons of Tuireann.
• Hounds – Faithful companions in the hunt and at home, hounds are protective and loyal. Cu Chulain is probably the most famous hero associated with hounds, since his very name means “Hound of Culain”. He was forbidden to eat dogmeat and when he did, his life came to a quick end.
• Stags/Deer – A favourite prey of the hunter, the stag and deer play important roles in Celtic lore and myth. Beautiful, graceful and majestic, deer and stags were often considered the “cattle of the fairies”. Pwyll was hunting a stag when he met Arawn. Fionn MacCumhail married a woman of the Otherworld who shape shifted into a deer. The stag in the legend of Mabon was only a bit younger than oldest animal, the owl.
• Hares/Rabbits – The hare was well known as an animal of spring and a symbol of fertility. In March, rabbits have a strange habit of battling with each other, hence the term “Mad as a March Hare”. In Ancient Britain and Ireland, it was forbidden to eat the meat of a hare. This changed over time and it became lucky to carry rabbit’s foot. It was unlucky to have a rabbit’s foot on a ship, or to even mention the word “hare” at sea.
• Snakes – Close to the earth and capable of movement without legs, the snake was a mysterious creature indeed. Sacred to Brighid, snakes represent fertility and healing. Druids were said to have collected the eggs of serpents as magical items. They could also be representative of the Underworld because of their tendency to live in dark places.
• Oxen – Their strength was used in farming and was also invoked by warriors in battle.

Birds:

• Ravens – The most intelligent of birds, ravens and crows are sacred to Macha, Morrighan, Bran (his name means Raven) and even Lugh. They are scavengers, often seen gathering around battlefields, thus their deep association with death, war and transformation. Ravens are held in high regard at the Tower of London to this day, for it is prophesied that when the ravens leave the Tower, Great Britain shall fall.
• Cranes – Beautiful, mysterious and extremely patient, the crane is a bird very sacred to the Celts. At one time, it was considered taboo to eat the flesh of a crane. Unfortunately, this taboo was lifted and it became a delicacy to eat crane meat. Unfortunately, the crane is an endangered bird. Manannann Mac Lir had a bag made of craneskin that contained many wondrous items. It then became a possession of Cumhail’s and then ended up as Fionn’s. Cranes will stand still for a long time, staring down at water, awaiting a fish to pass by before darting its beak down in a flash to catch it. Cranes are said to carry the soul to the Otherworld.
• Eagles – A formidable looking bird of prey, the eagle is sacred to many spiritual traditions around the world. The eagle is said to fly the highest of the birds, thus they can carry prayers to the Gods. Warriors would call upon their strength and good eyesight in battle. Llew Llaw Gyffes changed himself into an eagle to keep from dying after Blodeuwedd’s lover attempted to kill him. Gwydion was able to find Llew in his eagle form and save his life. It is said that the burial place of King Arthur, high in the mountains of Wales, is guarded by two eagles, so it can never be violated. The eagle, like the stag, owl, salmon and the blackbird, is said to be one of the five oldest animals of the world (the salmon being the oldest).
• Hawks – Another bird of prey, the hawk was domesticated by people and used for hunting because of their far sight. (Hence the phrase “Watching you like a hawk”) Hawks were a symbol of nobility and status. One of the oldest creatures in Irish mythology was the Hawk of Aichill who told the story of the coldest night, which was actually a Beltane Eve. (He must have been hanging around Alberta at the time when the snows can fly in early May!) His story sounds very much like the ice ages.
• Blackbirds – The blackbird sings a beautiful song at twilight (dawn and dusk), much like the Robin. The Irish word for blackbird, translated into “Black Druid”. The blackbird is one of the five oldest animals and is said to have a connection to the Otherworld, hence its song at the threshold times. The Birds of Rhiannon, whose song can heal and cause forgetfulness, are said to be blackbirds.
• Swans – The most popular story in Celtic mythology that features swans is the tragedy of the Children of Lir. Turned into swans by their evil stepmother, the children of Lir were cursed to spend hundreds of years living as swans before becoming human and dying on dry land. While cranes are said to carry the soul, swans represent the soul itself. Oenghus Mac Og dreamed about 151 maidens who turned into swans and wore gold chains, the tallest of whom wore a gold chain. Oenghus found these swans and courted the one with the gold chain, called Yewberry. He turned into a swan and the two flew together around Newgrange and lulled the folks to sleep with their song.
• Owls – Silent predators of the night, the owl is one of the oldest animals of the world and one of the wisest. Bloddeuwedd was punished by Math by turning her into an owl so that she could never show her face in the day. That is why the owl’s face is like a flower. The owl is said to be a symbol of transformation and death being a new beginning.

Water animals:

• Otters – Otters are playful and hold family in the highest of regard, their cubs staying with the parents longer than most other animals in the wild. Sacred to Mannanann MacLir, these playful water mammals are also sacred to Cerridwen. Cerridwen turned into a female otter in her pursuit of Gwion Bach. Otters were portrayed as being helpful to people when Maelduin and his crew landed upon the Isle of Otters and were served salmon by the friendly otters.
• Salmon – The oldest of the five oldest animals, the salmon is also the wisest. It was the salmon who helped the warriors of Arthur find the imprisoned Mabon. Fionn MacCumhail gained his Otherworldly wisdom when his thumb was burned by the splattering juice of the salmon of knowledge. From that day forward, he only had to put his thumb in his mouth to attain knowledge from the Otherworld for any situation. Connla’s Well or the Well of Segais are surrounded by nine hazel trees and contain salmon who swim about and eat the falling hazelnuts, which are said to carry wisdom. Salmon are also known for working against the odds, due to their mating habit of swimming upstream in order to spawn before dying of exhaustion.
• Seals – Seals were used my mankind for a number of things: oil for waterproofing, light and medicine, and meat to eat. Some Irish families claim to be descended from the union between man and seals. There are many tales in Scotland and Ireland about the Selkies or Silkies, seals who can become human and mate with humans before returning to the sea with their children. One can be very happy with a Selkie mate, but one must also take care not to follow them after dark or steal their seal-skins.

Insects:

• Mayflies – These short lived insects are featured in the story of Cu Culain’s conception. While at her wedding feast, Dechtire swallows a mayfly that was swimming in her cup of mead. The mayfly was the seed of Lugh, who would later be born as Cu Chulain.
• Bees – Responsible for making the honey that made mead, the bee had a sacred place in many societies. Honey is the only food on earth that is not supposed to spoil, symbolizing immortality and making honey a sacred food. Beeswax was used for practical things like candles and seals and propolis (a antiseptic that bees would smear their hives with) was used for healing. The bee colony was a symbol of perfect community and bees and hives were protected by law in Ireland and on the Isle of Man. On the Isle of Man, the punishment for stealing a hive was death.

Fantasy Animals:

• Dragons – Dragons, whether they exist or not, are mentioned in a few legends, the most famous being that of the white and red dragons at Vortigern’s castle. Vortigern, was trying to build a castle, but the castle would fall in on itself. His advisors told him that the blood of a fatherless boy would settle the castle. Merlin was the fatherless boy in question, but he challenged the advisers, ordering the foundation be dug up. What was found was water and under that, two fighting dragons. The white one represented the Saxons, the red represented Britain. The red dragon won and became the emblem on the Welsh flag.

With animals taking such a prominent role in the mythology of the Celts, one can determine their importance in Celtic society. Some animals were protected by law and other protected by their sheer sacredness.

Our ancestors domesticated animals for plowing, hunting, traveling, keeping predators away from farm animals, eating, etc. They also kept animals as beloved pets like we do today.

Wise folks could watch the patterns of migrating birds to determine weather and seasonal patterns. Many cultures have used the lifespan, or ages, of animals to determine the earth’s age or the passage of time. Such texts have been found in Greece, Germany, Portugal and Spain.

The Book of Lismore (Ireland) has an excellent example of this lore:

A year for the stake,
Three years for a field,
Three lifetimes of the field for the hound,
Three lifetimes of the hound for the horse,
Three lifetimes of the horse for the human being,
Three lifetimes of the human being for the stag,
Three lifetimes of the stag for the ousel (blackbird),
Three lifetimes of the ousel for the eagle,
Three lifetimes of the eagle for the salmon,
Three lifetimes of the salmon for the yew,
Three lifetimes of the yew for the world from its beginning to its end.

Scotland had its own version of this lore, from the book Gaelic Proverbs and Familiar Phrases by Sheriff Alexander Nicolson, written in 1881:

Thrice a dig’s age, age of a horse;
Thrice a horse’s age; age of man;
Thrice a man’s age; age of the deer;
Thrice a deer’s age, age of the eagle;
Thrice a eagle’s age, age of the oak.

Animals are still important to people today. Many folks keep animals as pets while others work with animals, such as ranchers.

Today, it would seem that many people have lost touch with their connection to the animal world and do not give them respect they once had. Our ancestors were deeply connected with animals, while modern people are not, seeing them as only here for our use or entertainment.

We forget that we too are animals in our own right and we are to share this world with them. Animals can be powerful allies.

Many disabled people employ service animals, such as seeing-eye dogs, who become cherished companions and a key to independence. Many people who do shamanic work also realize the spiritual power of animals as they act as guides. Some shamans, going through the sacred first death (the mysterious near-fatal illness that is usually part of initiation and not planned) may report being dismembered by a totem animal and put back together again as an aid to their transformation.

I found out who one of my patron deities was through an animal, the raven, who followed me everywhere. I still say hello to every raven and crow I see, passing on regards and blessings to Morrighan and Lugh, as well as the birds themselves who serve as their messengers. Magpies are a symbol of death in my family, as my grandmother’s garden was full of them upon the death of my grandfather in England. Every once in awhile, I catch glances of owls (moreso in the last few years than ever), which have signified strengthening changes in my life. I saw one before I got married and one before we moved into our house. I hear the songs of blackbirds in the morning and at dusk and feel the connection to the Otherworld. One of my cats always knows when I’m ill or upset and is always able to help me feel better with her purr.

The animals have a lot to teach us and tell us if we simply respect and listen to them.

Questions:
1.What animals do you feel particularly drawn to? Why?
2. Have you found any connection to a patron deity or totem animal in your meditations?
3. How can you help endangered animals today?