Within the Celtofuturism Series, the purpose has not only been to offer perspectives on how to grow Celtic culture but explore a future for society where the culture thrives. While emerging technologies can be used to empower these indigenous communities, their application can be directed by the values of Celtic culture as well. This includes an emphasis on developing ecotechnologies, advanced medical innovations that prolong one’s lifespan, and exploring new environments.
As almost every facet of Earth has been thoroughly explored, there is only one place left: outer space. Within the vast expanses of outer space, there exists a plethora of planets to visit and galaxies to investigate. Thus encapsulates the Iomramh Mór – the Great Voyage – space exploration. Here, we shall explore the position of voyages and exploration in Celtic society, the importance of scientific development in Celtic Christian theology, and the scientific developments necessary for space exploration to be a reality. This is to demonstrate that space exploration is the culmination of human wisdom and the greatest possibility for adventure, a future goal for Celtic society.
Voyage Literature in Celtic Society
One of the indigenous genres of literature in Gaelic society is the iomramh (‘voyage’), a series of tales that are related to the pre-Christian eachtra (‘adventure’) genre. These tales typically portray a hero’s seaward journey that may lead them to an “otherworld,” whether it’s a mysterious island, a place of the gods, or a utopia. In the story The Voyage of Máel Dúin, the protagonist sets out on a voyage to avenge the murder of his father. During this quest, he encounters various islands that appear mundane and others with otherworldly beings. This includes one with a “revolving beast” capable of shifting its form by manipulating its bones, muscles, and skin. The story ends with the protagonist finding the murderers and making peace with them.
Such stories are also found in Wales, such as The Spoils of Annwfn, where an expedition into the Otherworld is led by the legendary King Arthur. Preserved in the Book of Taliesin, the objective of this adventure is to find a magical cauldron that in later iterations became a quest to find the Holy Grail. This indicates that the genre was adapted for a growing Christian audience, resulting in stories such as The Voyage of Saint Brendan. In this tale, the titular character sets out on a voyage with sixteen monks to find the Garden of Eden. A tale dated to around the 6th century – though the earliest manuscript is dated to the 9th century – it shares many parallels with the The Voyage of Máel Dúin and The Voyage of Bran. Together, these stories demonstrate a penchant for adventure and exploration present within before and after the establishment of Christianity in Celtic society.
The Theology of Science
A notion that has been in vogue since the last century is that science and theology – or religion, generally speaking – are incompatible. However, this stands in contrast to the medieval Christian understanding that both are intertwined. Conceptualized as the “Book of Nature” and “Book of Scripture,” it was understood by medieval theologians that our understanding of God was contingent on the correct interpretation of both books as they were not contradictory by nature. This idea is present in the theology of 8th century Irish theologian John Scotus Eriugena, where it played a role in Christian formation. According to Eriugena, the Theorike stage pertains to the study of nature as a means of understanding God through his effects. He likens these two books as the “shoes of the Word” where he states that he is unworthy to unlatch, serving as a key metaphor in his Christological articulations.
His conceptions of science and theology were expanded upon by the School of Saint Victor, where the unity of all knowledge and science is understood as religious. To the Victorines, science opens up humanity to the created world from which God has revealed Himself resulting in a fluid distinction between the physical and superphysical. As such, scientific discovery was part of the mystical life serving as a means by which we are capable of knowing God. This also played a role in their mysticism, as their contemplative practice was systematized in a manner befitting their scientific endeavors. The works of Richard of Saint Victor, an 12th century Scottish theologian affiliated with the School, are exemplary of this “scientific mysticism” that proved to be influential to other Scottish theologians such as Duns Scotus. Thus, scientific discovery plays a valuable role in Celtic Christian spirituality.
The Great Voyage and Future of Celtic Culture
Space exploration serves as one of the most ambitious endeavors in human history, one with a substantial number of challenges to overcome. One such is the issue of longevity, where even if a spaceship is capable of faster-than-light travel there is no guarantee that the astronauts can live long enough to complete a mission. If we were to travel to Kepler-452b – a nearby Earthlike planet – it would take us 1,400 years to get there. We would need a crew capable of living up to 1,500 years to make it a worthwhile mission. For this reason, life extension is an important prerequisite as the astronauts’ lifespan must be long enough for long-distance travel. Currently there are companies and thinktanks receiving funding for this research, while cancer research is ongoing. Their endeavors are proving to be valuable towards finding a solution to eliminate cancer, and simultaneously prolonging the average human lifespan.
In combination with advances in space technologies, we are witnessing the culmination of medieval Christian theology and Celtic stories come to live. The future of Celtic culture is one where the communities are thriving due to information technology and communication, allowing members to connect across vast distances. The desire to live synergistically with nature will inspire advanced ecotechnologies where society will live with nature and not against it. With the advent of advanced propulsion systems and medical interventions, the Celtic dream of the Iomramh Mór will come to life.