WOMEN IN CELTIC SOCIETYI. WOMEN IN CELTIC SOCIETYA. BACKGROUND1. TODAY WE SPEAK OF CELTIC, GAELIC PEOPLEa. BRITTANYb. CORNWALLc. SCOTLANDd. WALESe. IRELAND2. BUT CELTS OCCUPIED CENTER STAGE OF EUROPE & BRITISH ISLES FOR ABUT 800 YRSa. C. 700 B.C. - 100 A.D.3. FOUNDED NO EMPIRE4. SOME HISTORIANS CALL CELTS "FATHERS OF EUROPE"5. CELTS ORIGINALLY FROM ASIAN AREA a. FOR SURE FROM INDIA & WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH FURTHER EASTb. THEIR LANGUAGE HAS MANY COGNATES WITH SANSKRIT6. BUT SINCE CELTS DID NOT HAVE WRITTEN LANGUAGE UNTIL CHRISTIANIZED7. WE HAVE LITTLE HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THEM8. FEW ROMANS LIKE JULIUS CAESAR WROTE ABOUT THEM9. ROMANS BOTH FEARED & ADMIRED CELTIC STRENGTH & THEIR WOMEN10. CELTS - LEFT THEIR MARK IN MANY WAYSa. ARTISTIC DESIGNSb. PLACE-NAMESc. FOLKLORE11. NAMES OF PRINCIPAL FRENCH TOWNS a. GALLIC TRIBES WHO INHABITED REGION AT TIME OF ROMAN CONQUESTb. PARIS = PARISIIc. NANTES - NAMNETSd. RHEIMS = REMIe. LIMOGES - LEMOVICES12. OTHERS STILL CARRY OLD NAME FROM BEFORE CONQUESTa. ROUEN = ROTOMAGOSb. LYON & LKAON = LUGDUNUMc. VIENNE = VINDOBONAd. TOULOUSE = TOLOSAe. BORDEAUX = BURDIGALAf. BOULOGNE = BONONIA13. IT COULD EVEN BE ARGUED THAT IRISH CHURCH SAVED ALL THERE WAS TO BE SAVED OF CELTICISMa. MONKS WHO TRANSCRIBED PRECIOUS LITERARY MSSII. STRUCTURE OF SOCIETYA. GENERAL REMARKS1. TRIBAL CHIEFTAIN OR LATER KINGS & QUEENS ELECTED FOR LIFE BY NOBLES2. ARISTOCRACY a. ENNOBLED EITHER BY BIRTH OR ACCOMPLISHMENTb. WEALTHY, MOST HONORED WARRIORS c. & POWERFUL CELTIC PRIESTS KNOWN AS DRUIDS3. FREEMENa. WELL-OFF FARMERSb. BARDS WHOSE ORAL POETRY & STORIES HELPED PERPETUATE TRIBAL TRADITIONc. HIGHEST-RANKING ARTISANS, SUCH AS BLACKSMITHS4. REST OF PEOPLEa. LABORERS, SERFS, SLAVESB. STATUS OF WOMEN1. LAWS & CUSTOMS OF CELTS REVEAL EQUALITY & HARMONY BETWEEN MEN & WOMEN - UNIQUE2. PROPERTY OWNED EQUALLY BY WOMEN & MEN3. WOMEN ENJOYED WIDESPREAD SEXUAL FREEDOM4. MUCH EVIDENCE WOMAN COULD CHOOSE HER HUSBANDa. OR WOMAN COULD CHOOSE TO NOT MARRY5. WOMAN COULD NOT BE MARRIED WITHOUT HER CONSENT6. PRELUDE TO MARRIAGEa. GREAT FEAST FOR ALL YOUNG PEOPLE 7. GIRL HERSELF WOULD CHOOSE, OFFERING WATER TO MAN OF HER CHOICE TO WASH HIS HANDS8. SOME WOMEN ALLOWED TO TAKE MORE THAN 1 HUSBANDa. PROBABLY THOSE IN NOBILITY9. IN IRELAND MAN WISHING TO MARRY WOMAN HAD TO DEPOSIT RIGHT OF PURCHASE = COIBCHE10. CELTIC WOMAN FROM IRELAND & WALES BROUGHT PERSONAL DOWRY TO HER MARRIAGEa. THIS COLLECTION OF PRESENTS RECEIVED FROM RELATIVESb. IT WAS HER PERSONAL PROPERTY11. IN WALES ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF HUSBANDa. HE TO PAY COWYLL (1) PRICE OF HER VIRGINITY12. SIGNIFICALLY COWYLL PAID BEFORE CONSUMMATION13. IN ROME & GERMANIC PEOPLES GIVEN ONLY ON MORROW a. MORGENGABE IDEA14. THIS DIFFERENCE SHOWS RESPECT CELTS HAD FOR WOMEN15. WHILE MEN EXERCISED PATRIARCHAL AUTHORITY OVER HOUSEHOLD SOMEWHAT IN ROMAN STYLEa. ACCORDING TO CAESAR16. MAN NOT ALWAYS DOMINANT MARRIAGE PARTNER17. IF WOMAN HAD GREATER FORTUNE THAN HER HUSBANDa. SHE HEAD OF FAMILYb. HUSBAND'S AUTHORITY ALMOST NIL18. OLD CUSTOM IN IRISH & WELSH LITERATURE a. NAMING HEROES AFTER MOTHER - NOT THEIR FATHER19. BUT SEVERAL AREAS WHERE WOMAN SUBORDINATEDa. IF DEATH OF MAN AWOKE SUSPICION b. HIS WIFE INTERROGATED c. & BROUGHT TO JUDGEMENT2d. WOMAN COULD BE KILLED FOR ADULTERY IN SOME TRIBESC. DIVORCE1. EVEN AFTER CELTS CHRISTIANIZED DIVORCE EASY FOR CELTS2. WHY?3. CELTIC DIVORCE NOT REPUDIATION AS IN ANCIENT ROME OR CHRISTIAN SOCIETY 4. IF HUSBAND GUILTY OF ADULTERY WIFE COULD IMMEDIATELY OBTAIN DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE5. CELTS ALWAYS WAVERED BETWEEN MONOGAMY & POLYGAMY & POLYANDRYD. MULTIPLY MATES1. SOME EVIDENCE IN SCOTLAND OF POLYANDRY2. WHILE MORE THAN 1 WIFE FOR CELTS ON CONTINENT & IRELANDa. ONLY ONE COULD BE PRINCIPAL WIFE3. LEGAL CONCUBINAGE EXISTED TOO4. BUT RIGHTS OF LEGAL WIFE NOT THREATENED5. WIFE COULD GET CONCUBINES TO HELP WITH DOMESTIC WORK6. ALSO WIFE COULD REFUSE ADMITTANCE OF ANY CONCUBINEE. FOSTERAGE1. BOTH GIRLS & BOYS TOOK PART IN FOSTERAGEa. CELTIC SYSTEM OF EDUCATION2. BEFORE AGE OF 7, CHILDREN SENT TO FOSTER FAMILIES3. USUALLY IN DIFFERENT SETTLEMENTa. PAID TO REAR THEM4. SKILL TAUGHT COMMENSURATE W/THEIR SOCIAL STATUS5. ALL BOYS TAUGHT PHYSICAL SKILLS6. GIRLS TAUGHT SEWING, EMBROIDERY, ETC.a. BUT ALSO MARTIAL ARTSb. SO VILLAGE OF WOMEN & CHILDREN NOT BE DEFENSELESS c. IF MEN AWAY ON HUNTING OR FIGHTING MISSIONS7. GIRLS RETURNED HOME AT 14 TO BE BETROTHED8. BOYS STAYED UNTIL 179. GIRL'S PARENTS PAID ABOUT 1/3 MORE FOR HER EDUCATION THAN BOYS BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT GIRLS NEEDED MORE ATTENTION10. FOSTERED CHILDREN EXPECTED TO PROVIDE NEW BONDS BETWEEN THEIR FAMILY & FOSTER PARENTS' GROUPROUPSIII. CELTIC RELIGIONA. GENERAL REMARKS1. DIFFICULT TO RECONSTRUCT BEFORE CHRISTIANIZED2. IN CHARGE OF RELIGIOUS SERVICES, ETC. DRUIDS3. PROOF OF DRUIDESSES, SORCERESSES & PROPHETESSES4. OVER 200 DEITIESa. SOME PROBABLY DUPLICATEb. AS ROMANS NAMED THEM c. DIFFERENT NAMES FOR DIFFERENT TRIBES35. CELTIC GODDESS OFTEN DAUNTING a. POWER OVER LIFE, DEATH & FATEB. GODDESS BRIGIT1. SEVERAL GODDESSES CONNECTED WITH EARTH MOTHER2. BRIGIT ONE SUCH WHOSE IDENTITY CHANGED OVER YEARS3. HER TITLES INCLUDEDa. TRIPLE GODDESSb. MOTHER GODDESSc. VIRGIN MOTHERd. LAWMAKERe. VIRGIN SAINT4. POSSIBLY MOTHER OR DAUGHTER OF ORIGINAL TUATHA DE DANANNa. EDUCATED OTHERWORDLY GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO INVADED ANCIENT IRELANDb. TUATHA DE DANANN MEANS CHILDREN OF DANUc. ALTHOUGH DANU MOTHER GODDESSd. BRIGIT ASSOCIATED WITH HER AND OTHER GODDESSES TO POINT OF CONFUSION5. NAME IS COGNATE WITH SANSKRIT BRHATI = EXALTED ONE6. HER TRIPLE FORMa. SHOWS GREAT POWER OF A DEITY b. THREE PERSONS OF BRIGIT(1) THREE BLESSED LADIES OF BRITAIN(2) THREE MOTHERS7. BRIDGIT TOTEMS OR ICONSa. COWb. SHEEPc. SUNd. MOONe. SACRED FIRESf. MOST CONTROVERSIAL(1) SHEELA-NA-GIG(a) GODDESS HOLDING OPEN HER WOMB 8. BRIGIT PATRONESS OFa. CULTURAL DEVELOPMENTb. ARTSc. SCIENCEd. DOMESTIC SKILLSe. FERTILITY f. HEALINGg. METALWORK9. TEMPLES ALL OVER EUROPE TO HER 10. IN CELTIC TIMES FESTIVAL KNOWN AS IMBOLCa. BEGINNING OF LACTATION OF EWESb. CELTS THOUGHT IT MARKED END OF WINTER(1) FEBRUARY 1ST11. FESTIVAL OF GODDESS AT SPRING & PROCESSION OF VIRGINS WOULD HAVE LED TO RITUAL MATING CEREMONY12. AS ONE OF MOST LOVED DEITY OF ANCIENT CELTSa. ONCE CELTS CHRISTIANIZEDb. CATHOLIC CHURCH FOUND BRIGIT'S CULT IMPOSSIBLE 4TO ERADICATEc. SO CHURCH MADE BRIGIT INTO SAINT13. WHILE OTHER CELTIC DEITIES DESTROYED14. AFTER CELTS CHRISTIANIZED EVIDENCE WOMEN TOOK PART IN CELEBRATION OF MASS15. DENOUNCED & NOT ALLOWED BY CONTINENT