|
Post by littleraven on Sept 10, 2008 10:30:04 GMT -1
A very interesting issue - have you seen what Hutton has to say about Divia(c/t)icus, and indeed about the weirdness of the whole passage about the druids? There's definitely something fishy going on. I assume you mean the passage on p44? It's entirely possible that Hutton is employing the secular/religious seperation symptomatic of modern thinking that you address elsewhere, focsusing on the idea tha Druids are excused from martial duties. If you consider that the ruling elite would send their children to be trained by Druids then it's entirely plausible that a Druid trained son would return to take up the mantle of tribal leadership when required. What I would be most interested in is if there is usage of 'Druid' by Cicero and Caesar in the original, or if this is a relatively modern interpretation. And if so, where was it first used?
|
|
|
Post by megli on Sept 10, 2008 12:45:57 GMT -1
no, it's in the original.
|
|
|
Post by littleraven on Sept 10, 2008 13:59:02 GMT -1
no, it's in the original. Cheers. In which case I really don't see a problem. If there is another angle I would be more than happy to look at it.
|
|
|
Post by arth_frown on Oct 13, 2008 16:20:31 GMT -1
|
|
|
Post by Lee on Oct 13, 2008 16:57:05 GMT -1
ah yes, i have come across that site before - quite a good resource indeed. one thing i will say, it does to tend to take all characters in the mabinogion who get more than a passing mention as deities. my understanding, for instance, is that Gilvaethwy is a literary addition rather than someone from a genuine tradition (thats the impression i get from the main scholarly work on the branch)
|
|
|
Post by megli on Oct 14, 2008 5:45:35 GMT -1
Yes, the elements in his name look like something related to Irish gille, 'servant', and Mathwy, a variant of Math(onwy). Thus 'Servant of Math(wy)' - this reeks of being a name made-up for the purposes of the story.
|
|
|
Post by arth_frown on Oct 14, 2008 8:46:27 GMT -1
Well I'm glad their are people on here that can go over it with a experienced eye.
|
|
|
Post by ceinach on Oct 20, 2008 11:27:09 GMT -1
No Andred/Andraste on that site then!
|
|
|
Post by Tegernacus on Oct 20, 2008 11:53:02 GMT -1
|
|
|
Post by Blackbird on Oct 20, 2008 11:57:36 GMT -1
They've obviously not read their Tacitus then... (was it Tacitus? Or Dio Cassio? Can't be bothered to get up and dig out the book...)
This is really why I think these lists are a bit pointless - it's impossible for them to be exhaustive. And also, I think they encourage people just to pick the name of a god out at random, which encourages shallow eclectisicm. Far better to go out there, spend time at your local rivers and hills, find out Who lives there and make that your starting point for a meaningful relationship with the gods and spirits around you.
|
|
|
Post by ceinach on Oct 20, 2008 12:18:29 GMT -1
I stand corrected I obviously didn't look properly!
|
|
|
Post by aelfarh on Oct 21, 2008 14:56:37 GMT -1
Hi!
For you the Gaelic and Bryton pantheons are the same with different names, or different beings with different personalities?
|
|
|
Post by Lee on Oct 21, 2008 15:00:15 GMT -1
Hi! For you the Gaelic and Bryton pantheons are the same with different names, or different beings with different personalities? the quick answer, for me, is; both. in some cases there are such strong similarities that i do think that perhaps it is the same 'person' but viewed and named by different people. in other cases i would place them as separate beings. it is a tough one, unless you get to know both beings you cant say if they are the same or different.
|
|
|
Post by megli on Oct 22, 2008 15:38:37 GMT -1
The amount of non-overlap between them is sizeable.
|
|
|
Post by aelfarh on Oct 22, 2008 17:06:14 GMT -1
Now, another question; sorry if it seems like a questionnaire; but I'm new here and want to understand what is this group all about Well, are you a soft or hard polytheists, do you have some fixed agreement on the view of deities or deity?
|
|
|
Post by littleraven on Oct 22, 2008 17:30:02 GMT -1
No, we let people make their own decisions within the context of Brythonic.
Personally, I'm a hard polytheist but neither do I anthropomorphise.
For those not aware of the terminoogy, a hard polytheist believes all the gods are seperate entities, a soft polytheists believe they are expression, facets or 'avatars' of a universal god force, like Hindus.
|
|
|
Post by arth_frown on Oct 22, 2008 18:05:54 GMT -1
I'm a hard unapologetic polytheist
|
|
|
Post by Lee on Oct 23, 2008 7:46:53 GMT -1
Im a firm to hard polytheist.
(this is like the pre-race commentary for the 3:10 at Ascot)
|
|
|
Post by Blackbird on Oct 23, 2008 8:55:53 GMT -1
;D
Another hard polytheist here.
But as LR says, it's something for the individual, as is the matter of which gods we honour personally.
|
|