Rethinking Celticity

Exploring Facets of Traditional Celtic Christianity

As the topic of Celtic Christianity has become popular, there have been several authors that have produced books on the matter. Many of these authors provide a glimpse into the world of medieval Gaelic and Brittonic Christian traditions by translating primary sources, while others focus on the experience with or without substance. This has also inspired academics to discuss what “Celtic Christianity” means, often dispelling inaccurate notions which some may hold dear. This may seem negative, but it serves as a palate cleanser allowing those with a desire for truth to develop a sense of discernment over truth and myth.

In my article “What Makes Celtic Christianity “Celtic”,” I explored some concerns over what can be defined as Celtic and summarized this as a matter of language, saints, and local traditions. These points require further examination, particularly with how aspects of pre-Christian Celtic culture were syncretized and adapted to produce a medieval Celtic Christianity. The focus will pertain to aspects found in common among both Gaelic and Brittonic traditions. The goal here is not to assert that they are the same, but rather possess similarities by nature of a shared culture as insular Celtic peoples.

First, let’s explore Christianity’s impact on traditional Gaelic literature. With the emergence of Christianity in Ireland, the druidic class collapsed as many converted to the new religion. As some of their knowledge as transmitted, their tales were codified by Christian monks throughout the island. In The Learned Tales of Medieval Ireland, Proinsias Mac Cana delineates the traditional genres of literature along with three lists that form a literary canon.

One such genre includes immram tales, or stories pertaining to the voyages of key literary figures. While some of these tales illustrate the story of a hero that journeys into the Otherworld, others may focus on a hero going on an adventure with no possibility of return. We see similar stories in Britain among the Arthurian legends, where in the story Preiddeu Annwfn or “The Spoils of Annwfn” the titular king goes on a quest to find a cauldron. As cauldrons were a common symbol in insular Celtic culture for possessing supranatural wisdom – called imbas in Gaelic literature and awen in Brittonic literature – these tales were centered on the quest to find this wisdom.

The introduction of Christianity resulted in the reinterpretation of these tales, and the adoption of tropes for hagiographic stories. The most obvious is the evolution of King Arthur’s quest for a cauldron, where it eventually became centered on finding the Holy Grail. The immram tales were affected as well, where the genre tropes were used in Navigatio Sancti Brendani or “Navigations of Saint Brendan.” This 9^th century text describes the story of Saint Brendan’s adventure to otherworldly islands, where the titular character eventually arrives back in Ireland after many of his crew choosing to stay at these islands. Earlier immram tales such as The Voyage of Bram are referenced frequently, indicating that the authors of this tale were in dialogue with these earlier tales.

As these tales were codified, and their tropes applied to Christian stories, their holders were Christianized as well. While the druidic class was dissolved due to conversion of the people, others among the Gaelic intelligentsia were transfigured and adopted into the new Christian society. This includes the filí, a class of poet-philosophers renowned for their praise poetry and gifts of prophecy. Originating with the legendary figure Amairgen, the filí tradition’s transfiguration begins with the conversion of Ireland’s Chief Poet Dubthach maccu Lugair by the influence of St. Patrick. His successor St. Dallán Forgaill will later become known for reforming the tradition and for penning the Old Gaelic hymn Rop tú mo baile or “Be Thou My Vision.”

Much of the same occurred within Britain, as their Bardic tradition underwent a similar conversion. We see this in the works of 6^th century poets Aneirin and Taliesin, the latter of which was known for performing at the court of three kings. Within the Book of Taliesin, several poems relate to heroic figures, mentions of awen, and prophesies as expected of a gifted bard. However, there are also twelve devotional poems that indicate the bard was a Christian. Much like St. Dallán, Taliesin’s work illustrates how these indigenous traditions reinterpreted their crafts in a Christian manner while carrying their respective traditions forward.

Within these brief examples, we see the peoples of Ireland and Britain interacting and interpreting Christianity through their cultural lenses. These examples not only illustrate how they engaged with their newly obtained faith, but also provide a framework for understanding how to engage with Christianity through the voice of the people. Moving forward, I intend on making this a series like “Praying in Gaelic” and “Celtofuturism” that have been ongoing. This will not only provide a more traditional means of engaging with Celtic Christianity as a concept, but to serve as a initial point for further explorations. I am hoping this will inspire more to understand the importance of the Celtic languages – not only for praying – but as a means of understanding the culture and ethos of the people.