The Bard's Path
The Ancestors
By C. Leigh McGinley
[Ed. Note: The Henge of Keltria Correspondence Course is intended to assist members of the Henge to improve their understanding and practice of Keltrian Druidism. This is part one of three parts to be run in Henge Happenings of Lesson X of the Henge of Keltria Correspondence Course.]
Anyone who has spent any time around young children, as a parent, grandparent, or caretaker, knows that a common question young children ask is, “Where did I come from?” This is the beginning of the quest for identity. Even in our very early years, we seem to want to know who we are, and seem to instinctively know that one way to answer this question is to know who came before us. Children will at first seem satisfied with knowing that they came from their parents, their first ancestors in a long line of many ancestors. When they get older, they realize other relationships within their direct line of descent, such as grandparents and great-grandparents.
Without a doubt, knowing one’s ancestry provides a deeper sense of identity, a sense of belonging to and being a part of something greater than oneself. It provides a foundation of knowledge upon which to build or understand aspects of one’s own unique personality.
Ancient Celtic society followed a clan system structure, where the family collective was more important than the individual. In keeping with this type of social organization, they also venerated their ancestors – so much so that memorizing lineage was a full-time job for some Druids and/or Filidh, and reciting long lists of genealogy was a common occurrence at the major Feasts, where many different clans gathered together.
In this lesson, you will learn a bit about the ancient Celtic concept of the Otherworld, why it is important for Keltrian Druids to honor the Ancestors, and in what ways they may be honored. You will get some ideas about how to work with your ancestors, and you will learn the difference between genetic or personal ancestors and “ancestors of spirit.” You will also learn the importance of having a “Keltrian Lineage.”
The Isles of the Dead
Our ancestors are sometimes called “the Honored Dead.” Traditionally, after leaving this life, the dead go to the Otherworld. In Irish tradition, the souls of the recently deceased go to Tech Duinn, the “House of Donn,” which is said to be an island off the southwestern coast of Ireland, also referred to as “Skellig of the Spectres.” From there, they are guided to a particular region or regions of the Otherworld.
Tech Duinn is presided over by Donn, who has been equated by some scholars as a Dis Pater figure, the father of mankind, or the progenitor of humans — an eponymous ancestor. Dis Pater was the first human to live, and so he was of course the first to die, and thus he acquires control of the Underworld. So it is to him that the spirits of the dead return after their earthly life. It is interesting to note that Donn was a Gael, one of the eight sons of Mil, and, from the Irish literature, we find that he was the first Gael to die in the Milesian invasion of Ireland. His name means “the brown or dark one” and he stands apart from other Gods.
There is a striking similarity from Scottish belief, where the dead are thought to go to the “Land under the Waves” or to the islands beyond the Sea, where they then migrate to various parts of the Otherworld. In Welsh tradition, the island of the dead seems to be Avalon, or the Isle of Apples. We can take an example from the Arthurian literature, where Arthur is taken to Avalon after his death at the Battle of Badon to be “healed” by Morgan and her sisters, who keep the sacred cauldron of rebirth. This “Isle of Apples” seems to also correspond to Emain Ablach in Irish tradition, a special island in the sea where Manannan mac Lir is said to live.
Similarly, a number of tales and poems portray the Otherworld as a series of islands to the west or “in the direction of the setting sun.” The old Welsh poem “Preiddeu Annwn” (The Spoils of Annwn) depicts the Otherworld by several different titles and aspects, and the one that is especially interesting in this respect is Caer Wydyr, or “Fortress of Glass.” When Arthur and his company happened upon this fortress, they found it difficult to obtain a response from those within the fortress. The Irish Immrama, which are clearly voyages into the Otherworld by western sea, also depict a tower of glass where no one within would speak. The silence of the dead is a distinguishing mark in Celtic and certain other traditions, and certainly this glass tower or fortress could be a representation of the Land of the Dead within the wider Otherworld.
Because of this central idea among the ancient Celtic peoples that the Dead live somewhere in the Western sea, the Ancestors are associated with the Realm of Sea in Keltrian tradition.
Ancestors of Blood and Spirit
Ancestors are certainly blood relations – those from whom we can trace direct lineage. Mothers, fathers, grandparents, great-grandparents, and other kin can be included in blood ancestors. These are any of the people in our genetic heritage who have come before us and are responsible for our being here now.
But there is another kind of ancestor that we recognize, and these are what we might call “ancestors of spirit,” who may not be blood relatives but may share in the goals of our soul. For instance, one may feel a strong kinship to Cuchulainn, to Cormac mac Art, or to Amergin Whiteknee for the qualities of personality and skills they possess. We can consider any character from Celtic history or myth an “ancestor of spirit” because they are people from the past that have contributed to our spiritual heritage. The Irish clan structure included fosterage, in which a child from one family would go to live and learn with another family for an extended period of time, forming bonds among the foster family that were many times stronger than their direct blood ties. In keeping with Irish traditional social structure, these “ancestors of spirit” could be considered “kin by fosterage.”
Of course, you may be lucky enough to find that your genetic ancestors and your “ancestors of spirit” are sometimes one and the same!
Part 2 of 3 to be continued next issue.
