"The Celtic Inheritance and its significance in Europe today." Christopher Vipond Davies; preliminary notes - April 22, 2015
The name Europe comes from Greece and many people see Greece as being the cradle of European civilization. The French Establishment sees France as being the central inheritor of this Europen civilization, via the Roman Empire,; and Winston Churchill in his famous post World
War Two speech encouraged France to take a leadership position in the creation of a United States of Europe. He didn’t mention this in his speech I think, but he saw Britain’s place in the world as being with the “English Speaking Peoples” – the USA and the Empire / Commonwealth. Today, many would first think of Germany as being the leading European nation, and its population size, economic strength and geographical position would support that idea. Yet before the European Union, before the European nation states and their attempts to maintain the balance of power, before the city states of the Enlightenment Age, before the Germanic invasions from the east, even before the Roman Empire engulfed what is now France and other countries, there was a cultural grouping that spread from Austria to Ireland, from Scotland to Spain, into Italy, even Greece. It was not a political union and there is limited knowledge of it, except as recorded by its enemies, since its leaders chose, not out of ignorance or incompetence - its scholars and orators were respected and engaged by the Roman establishment – to maintain an almost exclusively oral culture, knowledge being passed on by word of mouth, particular through the bardic tradition. This culture was celebrated by a great exhibition in Bologna some decades ago, entitled “The Celts, the Fathers of Europe”. I would suggest that more appropriate might be the Parents of Europe, anyway to include the notion of Mothers of Europe, since mother is more fundamental and the Celts still maintained respect for the Mother Goddess, that was the primal deity of earlier peoples. They also seemed to have greater respect for women who would also fight alongside their men in battle. And to have a closer sense of and respect for the natural and spiritual worlds. My proposition is that if we wish a true “European Union” we need to connect with this native culture, as well as respecting and honoring and including the Graeco-Roman Classical / Latin and Germanic traditions, as well as the Slavic, Nordic and other traditions, including those of peoples relatively recently arrived in Europe from Asia and Africa, including via the Americas.
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= Importance of Native traditions & cultures
= Roles of Germany, Britain & France
= European Union being a creation of politicians and financial & business interests, culture a poor third, and no appreciation of native & popular culture.
= Shamanic understanding of need for “souk retrieval”. – CVD: not only individuals, but groups, nations, continents! Myths of King Arthur, the Round Table, Holy Grail – start in Britain (Wales), added more in France & Germany – not just a story or good advice for individuals, but also governance. Roles of Merlin & Taliesin & Lady of the Lake – Arthur, Gwynevier & Lancelot.
= The Celts origins & travels: Hungary (Georgia?), Austria, Switzerland, France and more, “finally” Britain & Ireland.
= Christianity: Roman Catholic, Orthodox & Celtic, Protestant.
= Role of Anglo-Celts in missionizing & education & advisors
= Rock and roll and popular music…
