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Hello
Feb 16, 2017 20:42:16 GMT -1
Post by darren on Feb 16, 2017 20:42:16 GMT -1
I found this forum from your other site. I'm interested in finding out about Brythonic polytheism so I hope I'm in the right place. I'm doing some research on polytheism in Britain. On the Tairis site I found a specfic Gaelic focus and thought here would be specific to Brythonic. But I see in a recent post there is reference to an Irish deity too. Are you more pan-celtic or do you include other indigenous polytheisms in your definition of Brythonic? Presumably Gaulish too?
I need to have a good look around which might answer some of my questions, but would also love to hear your views on these matters.
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Hello
Feb 17, 2017 10:36:31 GMT -1
Post by lorna on Feb 17, 2017 10:36:31 GMT -1
Hello Darren and welcome We're primarily Brythonic but recognise the strong links between ancient Britain and Gaul and the cross-overs between the Brythonic deities and deities from other Celtic cultures (such as Gaelic/Irish) too. Do feel free to look around and we're always willing to answer questions so please ask!
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Hello
Feb 18, 2017 15:51:31 GMT -1
Post by Heron on Feb 18, 2017 15:51:31 GMT -1
I found this forum from your other site. I'm interested in finding out about Brythonic polytheism so I hope I'm in the right place. I'm doing some research on polytheism in Britain. On the Tairis site I found a specfic Gaelic focus and thought here would be specific to Brythonic. But I see in a recent post there is reference to an Irish deity too. Are you more pan-celtic or do you include other indigenous polytheisms in your definition of Brythonic? Presumably Gaulish too? I need to have a good look around which might answer some of my questions, but would also love to hear your views on these matters. Welcome Darren. What you say about Tairis being a very specific Gaelic focus is probably because the site is more or less the production of a single person who has a very definite idea what Gaelic Polytheism is, as well as what it's not. Brython, by contrast has developed from initiatives from a range of different people, some of whom are no longer active but whose presence is still felt. That does make us more eclectic and , although our main focus is on the Brythonic - and closely related Gaulish - gods, we are also aware of common origins with Irish deities such as Lug in Lugus. Some of us at least are also responsive to local gods, land spirits and the like which may not have a specific cultural identity, and are also aware that this land has had other gods such the Germanic ones who are still presences in the landscape. So while our main focus is on the Brythonic gods, because those are the gods which, as individuals, we have a direct relationship with, my view is that as polytheists in the land of Ynys Prydain we should seek to be responsive to all the gods who are here and who make themselves known to us.
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Hello
Feb 20, 2017 9:10:58 GMT -1
Post by darren on Feb 20, 2017 9:10:58 GMT -1
Thanks Lorna and Heron for your responses. The explanation of why you are different to Tairis in the way you have developed makes sense. Also your desire to acknowledge local spirits that don't have a cultural identity. Could it be said that as individuals you worship Brythonic deities but as a collective you might be described as 'British' rather than 'Brythonic' polytheists?
Since last posting I have also found your Wordpress blog, which is even more heterogeneous. I hope I'm not being negative here. What you are doing is admirable. But I wonder about that 'Brythonic' designation, though that is probably just my need to create neat categories for my research.
By the way, I also found another Wordpress blog called Clas Brython, which is not recently active but seems to overlap with yours. Is this another part of your collective or is it, or are you, a breakaway?
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Hello
Feb 22, 2017 13:42:51 GMT -1
Post by lorna on Feb 22, 2017 13:42:51 GMT -1
Thanks Lorna and Heron for your responses. The explanation of why you are different to Tairis in the way you have developed makes sense. Also your desire to acknowledge local spirits that don't have a cultural identity. Could it be said that as individuals you worship Brythonic deities but as a collective you might be described as 'British' rather than 'Brythonic' polytheists? Since last posting I have also found your Wordpress blog, which is even more heterogeneous. I hope I'm not being negative here. What you are doing is admirable. But I wonder about that 'Brythonic' designation, though that is probably just my need to create neat categories for my research. By the way, I also found another Wordpress blog called Clas Brython, which is not recently active but seems to overlap with yours. Is this another part of your collective or is it, or are you, a breakaway? I'd say what unites us as a collective is Brythonic Polytheism - as defined on the website - 'Brythonic Polytheism is a religious tradition based on a devotional relationship with one or more of the gods worshipped by the Brythonic peoples inhabiting Britain and Gaul in the Ancient World. Brythonic polytheists recognise a range of goddesses and gods. Some of these gods and goddesses are attested from records or sites of worship in Roman Britain and Gaul, some survived in later stories and other writings, particularly in Welsh which were constructed from oral tales reflecting a continuity of reference from earlier times.' For me, this is the core of what Brython's about - yet we add to that core other experiences and some of these include experiences with local spirits without a cultural identity and for some of us with deities from other cultures too. Whilst Brythonic Polytheism forms our devotional core there aren't any strict 'outer' boundaries. Whilst most of live in Britain there are some members from overseas too, so I'd tend to stick with Brythonic as the presence of the Brythonic deities isn't limited to Britain. I can't speak for others, but I identify as a Brythonic Polytheist because I'm devoted to a Brythonic deity as my patron and venerate a number of other Brythonic deities. I see connecting with the land spirits and ancestors as part of a more general polytheistic practice. I'm not feeling great about the concept of 'Britishness' and its misuse by the far right at the moment so, even though I love this land, I wouldn't say I don't identify as a 'British' polytheist.
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Hello
Feb 23, 2017 14:19:57 GMT -1
Post by Heron on Feb 23, 2017 14:19:57 GMT -1
(...) Could it be said that as individuals you worship Brythonic deities but as a collective you might be described as 'British' rather than 'Brythonic' polytheists? For reasons which Lorna has given above, and mainly because our specific focus is on Brythonic deities, I don't think 'British' would suit us somehow. (.....), though that is probably just my need to create neat categories for my research. I can see the 'category' problem if there are references to deities outside the purely Brythonic context, but gods aren't contained by categories and some gods do seem to evince a shared origin across the frontiers of Brythonic, Goidelic and continental Celtic manifestations. By the way, I also found another Wordpress blog called Clas Brython, which is not recently active but seems to overlap with yours. Is this another part of your collective or is it, or are you, a breakaway? It's an earlier blog which probably should be closed. I think we haven't done this because the person who has the authority to do so is no longer around ?
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Hello
Feb 24, 2017 8:20:34 GMT -1
Post by darren on Feb 24, 2017 8:20:34 GMT -1
Fair enough. Brythonic it is then
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