Celtic Theogony

[MattyG]

I've decided that I'd like to dedicate some time to writing my own version of a Celtic-inspired theogony. I plan on dedicating some time to researching some Hellenic and Indian theogonies in order to gain a broader understanding of Indo-European beliefs, as well as more thoroughly engaging with the Book of Invasions in order to determine which elements seem vital and which might not be necessary (like perhaps Noah's flood). I'm interested in making a story that best reflects my own religious understanding of beginnings, endings, and the nature of the universe. I'm not necessarily trying to make an incredibly detailed myth, but at least something that covers the broader strokes. And I'm not trying to retell the Book of Invasions or necessarily expand on it. I'm just trying to make something that is "True" to me.

That said: does anyone have any advice about things I might want to check out? Like anyone else who may have tried something similar (I had a book of Celtic myths once where somebody tried something like this, but after reading more source material, I'm not very satisfied with it)? Or other sources that might help me refine my philosophy?

[MattyG]

That said: does anyone have any advice about things I might want to check out? Like anyone else who may have tried something similar (I had a book of Celtic myths once where somebody tried something like this, but after reading more source material, I'm not very satisfied with it)? Or other sources that might help me refine my philosophy?

 
Ohh! And I'm not limiting myself to the sources I've mentioned. If anyone has any other Celtic sources (perhaps from the Welsh) or artifacts (like from the continental Celts) that shine any light on these issues, I'd be interested in those too. Or, for example, I really like the way that the Shinto theogony represents the relationship between the gods and humans: that is, we are related to them, not created by them. I feel like this idea is highly compatible with Celtic philosophy and I might incorporate aspects of that into my own. If you know of any other cultures that articulate ideas that might seem relevant to a Celtic theogony, I might be interested in checking those out too.

[Sophia C]

I've decided that I'd like to dedicate some time to writing my own version of a Celtic-inspired theogony. I plan on dedicating some time to researching some Hellenic and Indian theogonies in order to gain a broader understanding of Indo-European beliefs, as well as more thoroughly engaging with the Book of Invasions in order to determine which elements seem vital and which might not be necessary (like perhaps Noah's flood). I'm interested in making a story that best reflects my own religious understanding of beginnings, endings, and the nature of the universe. I'm not necessarily trying to make an incredibly detailed myth, but at least something that covers the broader strokes. And I'm not trying to retell the Book of Invasions or necessarily expand on it. I'm just trying to make something that is "True" to me.

That said: does anyone have any advice about things I might want to check out? Like anyone else who may have tried something similar (I had a book of Celtic myths once where somebody tried something like this, but after reading more source material, I'm not very satisfied with it)? Or other sources that might help me refine my philosophy?

 
That sounds fascinating! I personally see the Book of Invasions as a kind of theogony - I think it has far more hints of creation myths, including the emergence of the gods, than people often think. But that's just my interpretation. I'd love to read others' interpretations on this, beyond the academic stuff that's often too dry and/or to complex for me to understand.

I'd like to try writing (or painting) something that at least reflects my cosmology, if not theogony. It would include the Tree and the Well, land/sea/sky, and the things that dwell in each realm. Not sure where it would go beyond that, though.

[Gilbride]

I've decided that I'd like to dedicate some time to writing my own version of a Celtic-inspired theogony.

The Body of Adam text strongly implies the existence of a Celtic equivalent of the Purusha myth.

[MattyG]

I'd like to try writing (or painting) something that at least reflects my cosmology, if not theogony. It would include the Tree and the Well, land/sea/sky, and the things that dwell in each realm. Not sure where it would go beyond that, though.

 
Exactly. Honestly, I'd like to do this as poetry, but I have absolutely no skill with poetry. I'm a bit of an academic, so a rough draft of this might look something more like a research paper or encyclopedia article, but eventually I'd like to at least get it into a nice prose version.

[MattyG]

The Body of Adam text strongly implies the existence of a Celtic equivalent of the Purusha myth.

 
That's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for! Do you know of any good translations?

[MattyG]

I recently found a group that tried to create an Irish creation myth using reconstructionist methods on the story of Cessair (http://www.irishtribes.com/articles/2012-11-lost-celtic-creation-myth-in-english.html). I'm interested in what other think of their rendition to help me with my own. I just recently read it, so I don't really have thorough complaints, but what immediately springs to mind for me include:

1) I'm not sure how I feel about Bith being represented as the First of the gods and creating Woman, instead of Man and Woman having a mutual existence (like Gaia and Uranus). It seems overly driven by men for my liking.

2) The myth's cosmology leaves out many important aspects of Celtic cosmology, like the distinctions between earth, sea, and sky or the Otherworld.

3) The Fir Bolg are non-existent.

4) The Flood occurs after the events of the Mythological Cycle take place. It seems to me that if a Flood is to be part of the Creation myth, it is more likely to be the state of the world before creation.

5) It doesn't seem fitting that the Tuatha De should play practically no role in the creation of the cosmos.


This isn't really me critiquing the story as a work of reconstruction, as I don't have the credentials to do so, but these are just the things that make the story seem spiritually inauthentic to me. I'd love to hear anyone else's input.