Discovering the Goddess
Sources of information about the Celtic world pertaining to the supernatural originate from the testimony of the Classical author, archaeological evidence, and the earliest written myths of the Celtic West (Green M. , 1996). However, the reliability of each source is limited and none alone sever as a definitive account of the Celtic people and culture. The testimony and observations by the Classical authors may not have been objective in reporting, due to a specific agenda and the use of personal experience as the lens to judge the Celts. Miranda Green, author of Celtic Goddess considers the intention of the prejudice stereotyping of the Celts as ‘barbarians,’ as a way to emphasize the difference between the Celts and the ‘civilized’ Roman world. The archeological evidence pertaining to the Celtic divinities dates from the period of Roman occupation. After the Roman conquest, state politics imposed upon the Celts demanded formal statements of deities and were integrated with those of Rome for direct purposes of authority (Stewart, 1990). Thus, in order to try and understand this Celtic pagan belief-system, both the Celtic and Classical influences need to be taken into consideration. (Green M. , 1996) The fundamental factual evidence of the Celts is derived from the combined Roman and Celtic inscriptions, found at sites and on artifacts, along with other early evidence assembled by archaeology (Stewart, 1990).
Ireland’s myths of the Celtic pre-Christian world are suggestive of the supernatural. The Irish mythic tradition presents an elaborate system of deities, semi-divine heroes of superhuman status, druids and druidesses, and a complex and ambiguous Otherworld (Stewart, 1990). However, the problem in using Irish myths as evidence for pagan Celtic religion, resides in the fact that they were not compiled in written form until around the eighth to twelfth century A.D. form memory (Green M. , 1996). Additionally, works used to compile the myths, emanated from the transcripts written by the Irish Christianized monks during the 6th and 7th centuries A.D. (Condren, 1989). Furthermore, the vast collection of these mythical tales was preserved by monastic figures and their recording was the work of Christian reactors (Green M. , 1996).
Ireland’s myths of the Celtic pre-Christian world are suggestive of the supernatural. The Irish mythic tradition presents an elaborate system of deities, semi-divine heroes of superhuman status, druids and druidesses, and a complex and ambiguous Otherworld (Stewart, 1990). However, the problem in using Irish myths as evidence for pagan Celtic religion, resides in the fact that they were not compiled in written form until around the eighth to twelfth century A.D. form memory (Green M. , 1996). Additionally, works used to compile the myths, emanated from the transcripts written by the Irish Christianized monks during the 6th and 7th centuries A.D. (Condren, 1989). Furthermore, the vast collection of these mythical tales was preserved by monastic figures and their recording was the work of Christian reactors (Green M. , 1996).