The Celtic Vedic Connection

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The Celtic Vedic Connection

By Indian Pagan

Of all the great ancient cultures perhaps no two share more parallels

than those of the Celtic and Vedic peoples. A deep rooted affinity

runs between them, what is present in one is mirrored in the other.

Myths, Gods, Goddesses, even fairy tales bear a striking similarity

in these archaic reflections of one another.

 

 

 

This is the first of two articles introducing the connection between

Celtic and Vedic religion, society and folklore. In this and the

following article the many similarities between the two cultures will

be explored in a comparative context. For easy reading I have

separated this article into several categories. These are the Druids

& the Brahmins, Gods & Goddesses, Danu in Celtic & Vedic Myth, Places

of Worship and Celtic & Vedic Fairies. Each of these topics only

skims the suface and future further research will undoubtly reveal

much more into the parallels of these two great cultures. It should

be stated that for the sake of not complicating matters most of the

Celtic references in this article are Irish. Although Celtic religion

and culture varied from country to country this has not been

discussed as this article is only an introduction to this field.

Though it is worth noting that the various Celtic peoples were not a

uniform culture.

 

 

 

The Druids & the Brahmins

 

The easiest of parallels to be drawn between the Celtic and Vedic

peoples must be that of the Druids and the Brahmins. The Druids and

the Brahmins were both the priests and philosophers of their

respective cultures. Both orders of priests were the wise ones of

their lands, the seers and teachers, to whom warriors and kings

turned for counsel and advice. They were free to wander the lands, as

many of India's holy men still do, and, according to Caesar's

writings, the Druids were "held with great honour by the people".

 

However it appears to be a gross simplification to consider the

Druids one homogeneous group whose function was only that of priest

or philosopher. There may have been three divisions within the Celtic

religious order, that of Bard, Vate and Druid. Historical evidence of

this is to be found in the writings of Strabo (40 BCE - 25

CE), 'Among all the tribes, generally speaking, there are three

classes of men held in special honour: the Bards the Vates and the

Druids.' However I have chosen to leave discussion of the three

grades for another time as it would detract from the focus of this

particular article.

 

The name 'Druid' is considered by some to have originated the

mediterranean and the East. The first syllable of the word 'Druid',

according to Pliny the Elder (1 CE), is related to the Greek word for

the Oak tree, 'drus'. The root of which is 'dr' and it is to be found

in several Aryan languages. The second syllable is thought to have

originated from the sanskrit word 'vid', meaning 'knowledge', which

is also the root of the term 'Vedas'. If this is accurate then the

Druids would have been those who possess the 'knowledge of the Oak

tree'. The Oak tree in Celtic myth and legend was closely associated

with knowledge and wisdom. In old Irish the term 'Druid' is the

plural, referring to more than one of the Celtic holy men, whereas

the singular is drui. In order to avoid confusion the term 'Druid' in

this article will be used to refer to a single Druid and the

term 'Druids' to refer to more than one.

 

Like the Brahmins, the Druids wore simple clothing. The clothing of

the Druids, from what evidence remains, seems to have been a white or

undyed hooded robe. It is from the writings of Pliny the Elder that

the image of a Druid in his flowing white robes, cutting mistletoe

with a golden sickle has now became a popular image of the ancient

Druids.

 

 

 

Druid collecting mistletoe

 

The clothing of the Druids is rather contrasting when compared to

some of the clothing, and jewellery, found in the rest of Celtic

culture. Often the textiles worn by the Celts were rich in colour and

design, in particular their cloaks. The Celts were also avid wearers

of golden jewellery and of their jewellery the torque is probably the

most recognisable item worn. Virgil gives a classical description of

the Celts in writing, "Golden is their hair, and golden their garb.

They are resplendent in their striped cloaks, and their milk-white

necks are circled with gold." The torque was a neck ornament of

nobility, regularly made of gold, worn by males and if we look at the

Gundestrup Cauldron it can also be found around the neck of

Cernunnos. The Romans during their invasion of Britain were intrigued

by these bold and heavy neck displays. So much so that they awarded

their soldiers with them in recognition of acts of bravery.

 

 

 

A Celtic Torque

 

The Druids and their daily activities of bathing in rivers is a

mirror image of the Vedic Brahmins, who bathe during the first hours

of sun rise in rivers such as the Ganges. Tacitus, a Greek historian,

commented on the striking similarity of the bathing Druids to the

Brahmins, suggesting they were "so emblematic of the brahmins."

Morning bathing in rivers remains a daily activity for the Brahmins,

and many Hindus, to this very day.

 

The Druids and the Brahmins occupied a similar place in the social

hierarchy of their cultures. Both formed not only the spiritual elite

but also the intellectual caste of society. It was also common for

Indian kings (known as 'Rajas') to consult the Brahmins on matters of

state, as it was also for Celtic kings (Old Irish - 'Righ'; note the

similarity to the Sanskrit) to hold counsel with the Druids. Celtic

and Vedic society were hierarchically structured, sharing similar

segregated classes of peoples. Celtic culture was a tripartite system

based on the three-fold divisions of: the spiritual leaders, the

Druids; the ruling/warrior class; and a class of producers which

included merchants, hunters and in later periods agricultural

producers.

 

A similar social structure was employed in Vedic society for

thousands of years (India has approximately 10, 000 years of

continual history during which Vedic direction seems to have been

present for the majority of that time). Commonly referred to as

the 'caste system', which in recent years western culture has greatly

condemned, Vedic culture is distinguished by four social stratas. The

Brahmins were the highly respected priestly class; there also existed

a regal/military class (the Kshatriyas); merchants and

agriculturalist (the Vaishyas); lastly were the labourers or the

untouchables (the Shudras). This class (varna) system finds it's

sanction in the Rig Veda, book 10, hymn 90:12, and it is also

addressed, although less directly, in book 1, 113:6. However there

are references to the various castes in other Vedic texts, namely the

Yajur Veda and the Artharva Veda. Later in Vedic history, into the

period of classical Hinduism, social mobility ceased to exist. It

should be noted that in 1947 (CE), Article 17 of the Indian

Constitution abolished the practising of untouchability in any form.

However many social commentators argue that this has did little to

remove the practice.

 

As with Celtic society Greek historians also commented and noted down

their impressions of Vedic society, recorded during the unsuccessful

conquest of India by Alexander the Great. Among their observations

was the lack of slavery, the equal right to freedom of all people,

and that warfare was restricted to the Kshastriyas (warrior class).

The overall impression was one of a society with a strong sense of

morality and high ethical values.

 

On matters of state and law parallels can be found between the Vedic

system of the Laws of Manu and the old Irish system, the Laws of the

Fenechus. Before the Laws of Manu, in early Vedic culture, the

Brahmins were not purely a hereditary caste. A child from any caste

could be initiated into the Brahmin priesthood to begin their 12

years of training. However this upward social mobility later ceased.

Upward social mobility was also possible in Celtic culture as a child

picked to be a Druid could be from any of the social division

groupings. Caesar tells us that the Druids went through 20 years of

training. Though this may have more accurately been 19 years as the

Druids may have used a 19 year lunar cycle calendar (the Meton cycle).

 

The Druids and the Brahmins, probably because of their extensive

training, were regarded as being the only ones who could perform

certain rites and sacrifices. Diodorus Siculus wrote that the

Celts "do not sacrifice or ask favours from the Gods without a Druid

present, as they believe sacrifice should be made only by those

supposedly skilled in divine communication." The Celts not only held

the ritual authority of the Druids in high esteem, the teachings of

the Druids were also greatly respected. Men and women, young and old,

would ask the Druids to share their wisdom with them on a variety of

matters. One teaching that we are certain was prominent in Celtic

culture was that of the doctrine of transmigration of souls, the

process of death and rebirth. This is known from recorded myths and

from the Roman and Greek writings. In the Rig Veda there is no clear

reference to reincarnation, yet some verses do suggest it. For

example, "For thou at first producest for the holy Gods the noblest

of all portions, immortality: Thereafter as a gift to men, O Savitar,

thou openest existence, life succeeding life" (book 4, 54:2). It is

not until the later Vedic texts, for example the Upanishads, that

reincarnation is clearly discussed. Interestingly the term for soul

(I use the term soul for reasons of simplicity) in Vedic literature

is 'atman', whereas the Celtic term for soul is 'anam'. This

similarity in language illustrates a unifiying connecton between the

two cultures. However I shall discuss language more fully in the

second article.

 

A difference between the two religious orders that is worth noting is

that of the inclusion of women in Druidism and the exclusion of women

in Brahminism. For history suggests that while Vedic religion and

culture were patriarchal, yet Celtic culture and religion, though not

matriarchal, was in no way as male dominated as it's Vedic

equivalent. The role of women in Celtic culture and religion seems to

have been less constrained and defined, in comparison to Vedic

society. Not only were there women Druids but from written accounts

it is known that women also fought in battle. Diodorus described

Celtic women as being "nearly as big and strong as their husbands and

as fierce."

 

 

 

A Druidess

 

 

 

Due to the cessation of the Druids a vast wealth of knowledge and

wisdom has been lost. As part of an oral tradition, like the Brahmins

of old, nothing was ever wrote down, all myths, laws and teachings

were held to memory. Consequently with the death of the Druid order

was also the death of their knowledge and wisdom. Now lost to

history, perhaps the best approach in attempting to regain their lost

secrets is to turn eastwards, to the Brahmins and the seers, to the

Druids of India.

 

 

 

 

 

Gods & Goddesses

 

Both Celtic and Vedic cultures were closely entwined around a

multifarious pantheon. The Celts had a large pantheon of which about

300 to 400 names are known to us today. Though most of these names

appear only once, inscribed on alters or votive objects. Many of

these deities were likely to be local forms of pan-Celtic deities.

This also stands true for the Vedic pantheon, practically every deity

known throughout ancient India had a local name alongside other

titles which will have been in more widespread use. Often their

function also slightly varied from region to region. It is

interesting to note that the Celtic term for the Gods is 'Deuos' and

the Vedic term is 'Devas', both terms meaning "Shining Ones".

 

A Celtic God that is well known today and who was also known

throughout the Celtic world is Lugh (also known as Lug, Llue, Llew

and Lugus). Lugh was the chief Celtic solar deity, called Lugh

Lamfota meaning "Lug of the Long Arm" in Ireland or Lleu Llaw

Gyffes "Lleu of the Dextrous Hand" in Wales. In Irish tradition Lugh

is also known as Samildánach, "Skilled in All the Arts". The two

weapons that Lugh is associated with are the rod-sling and a magickal

spear. However the spear, unlike the rod-sling, possessed a life of

it's own. Not only was it alive but it was driven by a thirst for

blood. A thirst which was so strong that the only way in which it

could be controlled was by resting the spear head in crushed poppy

leaves. Lugh was the Divine leader of the Tuatha De Danann, after

having proved his abilities to the king, Nuada of the Silver Hand.

 

 

 

The Celtic Sun God Lugh

 

 

 

Danu in Celtic & Vedic Myth

 

One of the most striking comparisons to be found between the Celtic

and Vedic pantheon is that of a Goddess named Danu and the myths

surrounding her (also known in Celtic traditions as Don, Dana and

possibly also Anu or Ana). A Goddess named Danu appears both in

Celtic and Vedic mythology. She features heavily in Celtic mythology

as the Mother Goddess (and a river Goddess). She is one of the most

ancient known of all Celtic Goddesses, from whom the hierarchy of

Gods received it's name of Tuatha De Danann, "Folk of the Goddess

Danu". Whereas in Vedic mythology the Goddess Danu gives birth to the

seven Danvanas, the dark ones of the ocean. Surrounding the Goddess

Danu in each culture's mythology is a similar tale of battle, each of

which I shall briefly relate now.

 

In the earliest of Celtic documents there is the battle of Moytur

fought between the people of the Goddess Danu and the Fomors. The

Fomors being Celtic deities of death, darkness and the sea. They were

the offspring of "Chaos and Old Night", their name being derived from

two Gaelic words meaning "under sea". The Fomers were born from

another Mother Goddess called Domnu whose name seems to have

signified the abyss or deep sea. The battle between the Fomors and

the Tuatha De Danann began at the end of summer and the beginning of

winter, on the eve of Samhain (the Celtic festival of the dead).

During the course of the bloody battle many were killed, including

many of the chieftains. Of all the Fomors the deadliest was Balor,

with his eye that could slay by merely looking upon an individual.

However during the later stages of the war Lugh shouted on him and

before Balor could look upon Lugh, Lugh had thrown a magickal stone

at Balor. the stone struck Balor, forcing his deadly eye out through

the back of his head. On falling to the ground the eye then gazed on

many of the Fomors, killing them, and turning the tide of the battle

toward the Tuatha De Danann. Eventually the Fomors were driven away

and the people of Danu were victorious.

 

A similar struggle between opposing forces is to be found in Vedic

mythology. This struggle was between the Adityas, the children of the

Goddess Aditi, and the Danavas, the children of the Goddess Danu. The

Danavas where the antithesis of all that is symbolised by the earth,

the sky and the sun. This myth is referred to throughout the Rig Veda

and focuses primarily on the God Indra in his victory over the

Danavan God Vrtra. In the Rig Veda Vrtra is described as being a

limbless dragon and the source of a great drought. When Indra slays

him (Vrtra) with his thunder bolt the seven waters are released. It

reads in the Rig Veda (Griffith Translation) "He slew the Dragon,

then disclosed the waters, and cleft the channels of the mountain

torrents." (Rig I.32.1) In the same hymn it later reads "Then humbled

was the strength of Vrtra's mother: Indra hath cast his deadly bolt

against her. The mother was above, the son under, and like a cow

beside her calf lay Danu." (Rig I.32.9)

 

Danu in the Vedic myth is bondage and restraint and her son Vrtra is

the constrictor. Whereas the Goddess Aditi is the Boundless and the

Infinite, and Indra by using his tapas, which is represented by his

lightening bolt, becomes the "winner of the light". What is to be

found here in an esoteric sense is the cycle of life-giving sacrifice

(slaying of Vrtra) and the birth of diversification (realeasing of

the waters). It is the macrocosmic struggle between light and dark,

order and chaos. While on the microcosmic level it is knowledge over

ignorance. In the Celtic myth the Goddess Domnu is regarded as being

of "Chaos and Old Night", the abyss, from whence came the Fomors the

deities of the dark waters who were conquered by Lug, the Celtic Sun

God, and the Tuatha De Danann. Again it is the light conquering the

darkness. The two myths are fundamentally the same, both tell of the

primordial waters, that undifferentiated state of being before the

time of creation, and light emerging in triumph over darkness to

allow life to flow. This theme seems to be repeated in a rather

abstract creation hymn in the Rig Veda, "Darkness there was: at first

concealed in darkness this All was indiscrimated chaos. All that

existed then was void and formless: by the great power of Warmth was

born that unit" (X.129).

 

However the Celtic version of the Indra and Vrtra myth is highly

anthropomorphic, far more than that of the Vedic version. This is

common in myths that have spread from culture to culture over vast

time periods. The original myth is often much more abstract than a

version of the same myth to be found in another culture hundreds or

even thousands of years later. This then suggests that if these are

the same myth the Celtic version is secondary to the primary Vedic

version. Further suggesting that the strong possiblity exists of

Celtic religion have originated out of India. Yet much of the

anthropomorphism may be due to a Christian influence which may have,

as with much of Celtic myths and literature, altered them accordingly

towards their own perceptions, turning Gods into mortal men.

 

There exists another myth that holds a similarity to Vrtra. This

Celtic myth is about a race of Gods before the people of Danu called

the Partholons, who also fought with the Fomors. The Partholons

fought against a Fomor surnamed Cichol (or Cenchos) the Footless. It

is with Cichol that comparisons with Vrtra have been drawn because of

them both being of fantastic proportions and having a "Footless and

handless" (RG 1, 32:7) serpent/dragon appearance.

 

Yet what remains unclear in exploring the Danu myths is the Goddess

Danu Herself. Between the two myths Danu appears to represent both

light and darkness. In the Vedic myth Danu is the mother of darkness,

representative of the state of unmanifest being or She may be the

mother of the forces of maya. Here Danu is the equivalent of Domnu is

the Celtic myth. Whereas in the Celtic version Danu is the opposite,

She is the mother of those who symbolise all that is light and

lawful, the equivalent of the Vedic Aditi. This confusion surrounding

Danu may be the result of migrating Vedic people out of India,

travelling westward towards Europe. As with Celtic literature, Vedic

literature tells of many disputes between the various peoples of

ancient India. Therefore the possibility exists that the contrasting

Danus are the result of a dispute between the some of the Vedic

groups, or possibly a religious schism within Vedic culture. Some of

these groups may have migrated westwards, taking with them their

particular version of Vedic religion. Which although may contain some

differences, is never-the-less fundamentally identical to the rest of

early Vedic religion. Also as trade routes became more widely used

cultural (including religious) boundaries became less defined,

resulting in a degree of cultural fusion. This also would help to

account for the spread of Vedic beliefs and deities, yet at the same

time may help explain the Danu dichotomy.

 

Successful comparisons may also be drawn between Lug and Indra. This

is partially made possible by Indra, in addition to his typical

associations of rain, thunder and lightning, also having strong solar

associations in the Rig Veda. Throughout the Rig Veda there are many

hymns to Indra (more than any other God or Goddess) and many of these

contain references that associate Indra with the Sun and light.

Another parallel between Lug and Indra is that they were both not the

original leaders of their respective groups. Lug was given the

position of leader of the Tuatha De Danann for thirteen days by Nuada

of the Silver Hand. Indra only became the chief of the Vedic Gods and

the people's favourite after he had defeated Vrtra. Indra has also

been connected with the myth of Tain Bo Cuailgne. Here Indra's

symbolic animal representation, the bull, is compared with the Celtic

bull of Quelgny. Again what is found is a solar association in both

Celtic and Vedic myth.

 

 

 

Contemporary image of Indra

 

Image source - Mirror of India-

 

 

 

Places of Worship

 

Some of the most auspicious places of worship for the Celtic and

Vedic peoples were rivers. As already mentioned the Celtic Goddess

Danu is particularly associated with rivers, she was the "divine

waters" falling from heaven. From these waters the great Celtic

river, once known as Danuvius, presently known as the Danube, was

created. Many rivers in Europe still owe their current name to their

associations with the Goddess Danu, such as the Rhone. In both Celtic

and Vedic cultures offerings were often placed in rivers and those of

the Celts were especially elaborate. The Celts would often offer much

of their riches and treasures, sometimes approximately 25% of a

tribe's economy would be given to the Gods at any one time.

 

In the falling of the Danu river we find a parallel to the an India

Goddess and the most holy of rivers in India today, the Ganges. In

Puranic mythology the Goddess Ganga's fall to earth was broken by the

matted locks of Shiva (known as Rudra in the Vedas), who then

released her to fall on the earth. The river which is venerated in

the Rig Veda is that of the Sarasvati. Like Danu and Ganga, Sarasvati

is the name of a Goddess, as well as a river. However the Sarasvati

river is thought to have dried up and it is from that time the Ganges

has fulfilled her river role.

 

 

 

Sarasvati

 

Some astounding ancient structures to be found in the Eurpoean lands

of the Celts and in India are those of Dolmens. A dolmen is a shallow

chamber that is composed of tall vertical upright stones, forming the

walls, and a horizontal stone resting across the top to form a roof.

Similar to what is found at Stonehenge, though on a much smaller

scale. A feature found in some dolmens in both Europe and India is a

small single hole in the back of these stone chambers. What the

purpose of these small holes is remains unknown, as does the purpose

of the dolmens. Though most interpretations link these holes either

with birth or death. Most Celtic researchers seem to agree that these

structures were created by a Megalithic people prior to Celtic

culture, about whom little is known for certain. Is it possible that

these Megalithic people had contact with Indian culture long before

the Celts and is this why these constructions are to be found in both

eastern and western lands?

 

 

 

Stonehenge - A lost Vedic connection? >

 

 

 

Another of the sacred dwellings was that of specific areas of woods

and groves. According to Tacitus the "Woods and groves are the sacred

depositories; and the spot being consecrated to those pious uses,

they give to that sacred recess the name of the divinity that fills

the place, which is never profaned by the steps of man. The gloom

fills every mind with awe; revered at a distance and never seen but

with the eye of contemplation." Similarly there are many Indian tales

of Brahmans and holy men who lived in forests of which some were

especially sacred spaces (see inf. on the Sleshmantaka Forest in 'The

Horned God in India & Europe' article). A selection of Vedic texts

written after the four main Samhitas (the Rig, Sama, Yajur and

Artharva Vedas) are the Aranyakas, meaning 'forest treatise'.

Indicating that these were composed in the reclusive depths of the

forests.

 

 

 

Celtic & Vedic Fairies

 

Celtic stories are well known for their fairy folk, the little people

who inhabit trees and hills. Sometimes they were the source of

mischief or misfortune, other times the were advantageous and

benevolent. The stories tell us that they delight in music and loved

to dance. The Celtic fairies (also called Sidhes) often blended in

myth with the Gods and like the Gods the fairies knew magick, fought

wars and married amongst themselves.

 

 

 

In Vedic culture fairies are called yaksas. This is the collective

name of the mysterious little Godlings or sprites that inhabit the

fields, forests and jungles. Like Celtic fairies the yaksas could be

either beneficent or malignant. They were offered propitiation which

was meant to keep them in good relations with the village folk. The

yaksas seem to have been vegetal Godlings of Indian rural

communities, stretching as far back as pre-Vedic times. Although they

were rather ignored in the scriptures there are references to them in

the Artharva Veda. The yaksas are asked to give freedom from distress

(book 11, 6:10) and they are also spoke of in a passage about

creation (book 10, 7:38). The yaksas are also referred to in the

Artharva Veda as 'itarajanah', meaning the 'other folk'. At some time

these Indian fairy folk must have been widespread in Vedic folklore,

evident from their spread into Jain and Buddhist mythology. However

much folklore has been lost on the yaksas, either it has been

absorbed into sectarian deities or suppressed in later Vedic times.

Yet some yaksas remain represented in shrines throughout India, an

example of which is the yaksas Purnabhadra near Campa, which is

described in the Aupaptika Sutra. Situated in a grove underneath an

asoka tree is a black, octagonal altar. Carved into the side of this

altar were figures of men, bulls, horses, birds, wolves and snakes,

perhaps illustrating some myth or legend.

 

 

 

Supposedly the favourite of the yaksas' locations is in a rural

village's sacred tree. Here they would be safe from harms way and it

was believed that having the yaksas there was prosperous for the

village. Offerings and tiny gifts would be laid at the trunk of the

tree, while flower garlands would be hung from the branches. There

was also a fertility association with the yaksas in the sacred tree.

As were there also associations of treasure buried at the tree roots,

again like some of the Celtic fairies.

 

In the next article on the Celtic Vedic connection other areas, such

as ways of worship, language, and cosmology, will be explored.

 

 

 

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