And,19
of course,…the
most
important
thingSaxons
to
Chapter
The Irish
and
Anglo
remember
about all things Irish is …
THEY’RE
MAGICALLY
Words, Terms and People to Know
DELICIOUS!!!!  Celts








Shrines
Alfred
Sheriffs
Witenagemot
Bede
Beowulf
Columba
Wessex Music C
Music D
Music B







Patrick
Iona
Gregory
Angles, Saxons
and Jutes
Monasteries
Coracles
Danelaw
1
The Romans never invaded Ireland and so the cult
of Greek logos (Logos is appeal based on logic or reason. ) which
they had spread through much of Western Europe did
not take root there.
By the time the first Christian missionaries arrived
from Britain the Roman Empire had collapsed and the
tide of logos had temporarily ebbed. Thus the
fledgling Christian Church in Ireland faced a Celtic culture
community
untouched
by logos,
unitedwas
by an
Prior to Rome’s
domination
Europe
enthusiasm
for
myth
and
led
by
a
powerful
body
of
a Celtic continent. St. Brenden the Navigator
literati-poet-priests. For us, written history does not
begin in Ireland until the 5th century when Patrick came
and introduced literacy.
Music D
At one time the Celts lived
over a good portion of
Northern and Central Europe.
2
The Hill of Tara, known as Temair in gaeilge, was once the ancient seat of power in Ireland –
142 kings are said to have reigned there in prehistoric and historic times. In ancient Irish
religion and mythology Temair was the sacred place of dwelling for the gods, and was the
entrance to the otherworld. Saint Patrick is said to have come to Tara to confront the ancient
religion of the pagans at its most powerful site.
One interpretation of the name Tara says that it means a "place of great
prospect" and indeed on a clear day it is claimed that features in half the counties of Ireland
can be seen from atop Tara. In the distance to the northwest can be seen the brilliant white
quartz front of Newgrange and further north lies the Hill of Slane, where according to legend
St. Patrick lit his Pascal fire prior to his visit to Tara in 433 AD.
Early in the 20th century a group of Israelites came to Tara with the conviction that the Arc of
the Covenant was buried in on the famous hill. They dug the Mound of the Synods in search of
the Arc but found only some Roman coins. Official excavation in the 1950s revealed circles of
post holes, indicating the construction of substantial buildings here.
Sacred Heart of
A Sacred Place
Music D
3
http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=347108
The Celtic Sword 3:58 min.
The Cauldron
The
The Spear
Sword
Ruling
Deity = Dagda
Ruling
Deity
Lugh
Ruling
Element
Ruling
Deity= =
=Water
Nuada
Direction
=Element
West
Ruling
=
Fire
Ruling
Element
=
Air
The
Stone
Magical
City of
Origin
= Murias
Direction
=
South
Direction
= East
Ruling
Deity
= Fal
Magical
Properties
and
Description =
Magical
City
of
Origin
=
Ruling
Element
=supply.
Earth
City
of Origin
= Gorias
Findias
AMagical
Cauldron
with
endless
The
Dagda
Magical
Properties
and
Description
=
Direction
= North
Cauldrons
are
typically
Celtic
symbols
representing
femininity. Indeed,
Magical
Properties
and
Description
= /The
Name:
Eochaid
Ollathair
/'All
Father'
Dagda ('Good God')
Magical
City
of
Origin
=
Falias
cauldrons
are associated
with
the
moon,
water,
the womb - all female attributes.
The
Spear
that
never
misses
the
mark.
AllMagical
are Dagda
subject
to theVery
will
of
the
Sword.
Properties
and
Description
=sportsProtector
However,
isLugh
a god.
Yet,
Dagda
the
cauldron
as
his
Properties:
God
of male.
Magic,
God
of
Time,
of
Crops
The
spear
of
carries
far
more
symbolic
weight
than
just
the
Nuada
was
the
king
of
the
Tuatha
de
Danann,
and
so,
his
sword
talisman
he stealthily
made his
way
uponof
theman.
shores of Ireland with intent to
Theas
Stone
who
knows
the
heart
implications
of
battle,
hunting
and
the
victory
to
(hopefully)
Title:
Ruadh
Rofhessa
(The
Mighty
Red
One
of
Knowledge)
This
of
things
is common.
Inhas
classical
thought,
theGreat
fourof
elements
(claideb)
among
Celtic
symbols
is rightful
big-time
powerful.
It's
not or Lia
reclaim
the
lands.
Nevertheless,
Dagda
ownership
the
cauldron
As
wescheme
might
expect,
Fal's
stone
(aka
The
Stone
of
Destiny,
ensue.
For
example,
observing
the
spear
we
get
the
idea
ofIt laserEarth,
Water,
Air,
and Fire
frequently
occur;
sometimes
including
fifth
because
heis
is
a Good
God,
and
a god
ofinfertility
and
abundance
toaboot.
Fail),
the
grounding
agent
the realm
Celtic
symbols.
has
necessarily
the
sword
itself
that
holds
the
power.
More
aptly,
it is
Race:
Tuatha
Dé
Danann
/ Fomorian
element
or
quintessence
(after
"quint"
meaning
"fifth")
called
Aether
in
like
focus.
The
spear
is
a
symbol
of
single-minded
aim.
Direct
feminine
qualities
based
on
legend
stating
various
goddesses
Inthe
fact,
his
never
dry.
Itcalled
never
its
of
food
and
element,
and
concept
it
represents
sings
power.
The
Dagda
wascauldron
the father
God
of theran
Celts
they
himceased
the Goodthat
Godsupply
because
hewith
protected
their crops. He
ancient
Greece.
were
purported
to
live
inover
the
stone.
One
such
legend
tells
the
was
sustenance.
king
of theChanneled
Tuatha
Here
Dé
we
Danann
see
qualities
and
ruled
of Uisnech
nurturing
in Co.and
Meath.
nourishment
He had
a
cauldron
replenishment
called
Undry
action.
attention.
Tunneled
vision
with
a- goal
totheus
hit
the
Battle was a common factor among the Celts. Indeed, the Celt is
HighFurther,
Kings ofas
Ireland
were
ritually
married
to the images
goddessofliving
target.
Celtic
symbols,
spears
conjure
theinposter-child-hero-archetype.
Undeniable.
Mettle
was tested
the Stone
ofcan
Destiny
which
stood
atofTara.
But, before
the spear
beginnings.
We
infer
the
message
"number
one"
(the
under
duress
conflict.
becameup
adult
on goddess.
the fields Ifofhis
nuptials,
theofHigh
King Youth
was summed
by the
simulating
the
downward
stroke
of
the
first
mark
ininastone
precession
measure
was
lacking,
the
goddess
embodying
the
wouldof
battle.
Stories
told,
hero's
made,
ballads
sung - all
the
name
of
other
marks,
indicating
the
first
a series
of
counts).
her
displeasure.
A contender
for the
kingship
could then
thescream
warrior.
And
so, the sword
is a in
symbol
of victory,
conquer,
present
himself for
scrutiny.
gain,
and effective
rulership
which
supplied
unlimited
and was
of the magical
items the
brought with
when they first
too. We
don't
have food
to drop
theone
feminine
qualities
ofTuatha
the Cauldron
ofthem
Dagda
landed on Ireland. He also had a living oak harp called Uaithne which caused the seasons to change in their
altogether,
because
see
in this
ofmusic
renewal
rebirth.
Indreaming.
fact,
order
and also played
threewe
types
of music,
theobject
music ofthemes
sorrow, the
of joyand
and the
music of
legend
He was portrayed
tells usasDagda
wearing a
would
brown low-necked
revive wounded
tunic which
(even
just reached
deceased)
his hipswarriors
and a hooded
slain
cape
on
that
barely
covered
his
shoulders.
On
his
feet
were
horse-hide
boots.
Behind
him
he
pulled
his
eight
pronged
the battlefields by dunking them in his magic cauldron - essentially reanimatingwar
club on a wheel, one end of the club killed the living and the other end revived the dead, and when it was dragged
them him
completely.
cauldron
is between
naturally
with the water
behind
it left a trackFurther,
as deep asthe
the boundary
ditch
two associated
provinces.
There
element,
are many
which
humorous
fits nicely
tales about
with
him,
the
about
concept
his appetites
of cleansing,
both for foodhealing,
and other gratification.
rebirthing In
and
these
stories
he never seems
to get
of either! feminine qualities (even though the Celts
resurrection.
Again,
allenough
traditionally
weren't very hung up on gender labels).
4
Did the Irish Discover America?
Other Possible “first” discovers
of America
The First Native Americans
The Egyptian Pyramid Builders
The Lost Tribe of Israel
Others point to the success of Tim Severin’s
voyage,:
The
Carthaginians
Tim Severin was a devotee of Kon Tiki–esque adventures.
In the
hethe
fashioned
a curragh that was probably
1. His boat, constructed on the same lines,
successfully
crossed
Atlantic.
St Brendan
themid-1970s
Navigator
like Saint Brendan’s. on June 26, 1977, on the shore of
Eirík
the Red
Peckford
Island in the Outer Wadham Group some 150
2. He witnessed similar sights:
miles northwest of St. John’s, Newfoundland. She had
• whales swam around and even under their boat –Leif
theyEiríksson
could have been even friendlier in Brendan’s time, before motorized
been at sea for fifty days. The exact spot of her landfall
ships would make them wary of man, so friendly that they may well have lifted the monks’ boat in a playful gesture;
has no
particular
significance to the story of the early Irish
Theory
- The
Chinese
• island of Mykines, one of the Danish FaroeJunk
islands,
with its
thousands
of seabirds – Brendan’s ‘The Paradise of Birds’;
voyages into the Atlantic. It was merely the place where
• ‘Island of Sheep’, the larger of the Danish Faroe islands - the word Faroe itself means Island of Sheep;
the wind
and current had brought a twentieth-century
Amerigo
• Labrador-Greenland iceberg belt (‘The Crystal Pillar’)
- theVespucci
monks had never seen icebergs before, so their description
replica of the original Irish skin vessel
of them as ‘towering crystals’ would make sense;
Christopher Columbus
• Iceland, with Icelandic volcanoes - the ‘Island of Smiths’ and the ‘Fiery Mountain’ - the volcanoes, active for many
centuries,The
mightlegend
well have of
been
erupting
when the
monks
stayed
pelting
the monks
'with
flaming,
foulvoyage
Giovanni
/ Johnthere,
Cabot
the
Voyage
ofCaboto
St. Brendan,
(b.
489577d.
) an
Irish
smelling rocks’; and
Music B
other
culture’s- might
have
versions
of the same
tale. to
The
story describes
• landed onstory,
the island
of Newfoundland
well
have been Brendan’s
‘Land promised
the Saints’.
St. Brendan’s search for the Garden of Eden as he travels across the
Music C
Severin’s journey
didOcean
not prove
andof
histhe
monks
landed on
Norththis
America.
Atlantic
tothat
theBrendan
The Isle
Blessed.
From
story,However
St. it did prove
that a leather
currach as
could
have
made a voyage
such Voyager”
as that mapped
out in medieval
accounts.
Brendan
“the
Navigator”
or “the
emerged
and has
led someMusic D
to speculate that The Isle of the Blessed was in fact America.
5
By the start of the Middle Ages Celts had been struck by two
very powerful cultures, Rome in the south and the Germans, who
were possibly derived from Celtic culture, from the north.


Most of what we know about Celtic life
comes from Ireland. Other Celtic cultures
we know about only through Greek and
Roman sources—sources decidedly
unfriendly to the Celts (Gauls).
Early Celtic societies were organized around
warfare. Classical Greek and Roman
writers considered the Celts to be violently
insane, as their warfare was not an
organized process, but more along the lines
of raids and hunting.
Music D
6
Early Ireland was not urban and whatever trade took place was largely in the form of barter. Ireland’s basic economic principle
was reciprocity (as was the case with most tribal economies).
Celtic
society was hierarchical and
Reciprocity Basis Early Economic Systems
class-based
Reciprocity
as the
of
2. A mutual or cooperative interchange of favors or privileges, especially the exchange of rights or privileges of trade between nations.

According to both Roman and Irish sources

Society was tribal and one’s ethnic
identity was largely derived from the larger
tribal group called the tuath (“people”) but
ultimately based on the smallest kinship
unit called the cenedl (ke-na-dl) or
“kindred”.
Music D
• Gift giving creates an obligation to return similar gifts
Celtic society was divided into three groups
Feasting improves relations, prevents hostility, is an excellent way to “store”
food  Warrior aristocracy Ard Ri— high king
Reciprocity
leads to intermarriage
 Intellectual
class that included druids,
Villages are connected by multiple ties of kinship
poets, and jurists Flaith
Reciprocity results in food security, balances inequities
 Everyone
else onCeile—free
clansman
Political
leadership is bestowed
those that give the
most
7
Chapter 19
By the 2nd century B.C. Celts had established themselves in
Ireland assimilating an earlier Bronze Age population.
The Irish and the Anglo-Saxons
By the 5th century the heroic age of Irish culture was over—but it
left a wonderful legacy of myth and legend
The Dying Gaul exemplifies the traditional
image of the courageous but doomed Celtic warrior.
"The Insubres and the Boii wore trousers and light cloaks, but
the Gaesatae, in their love of glory and defiant spirit, had
thrown off their garments and taken up their position in front
of the whole army naked and wearing nothing but their arms...
The appearance of these naked warriors was a terrifying
spectacle, for they were all men of splendid physique and in the
prime of life."
Polybius: Greek historian wrote account of Gaulish tactics against a Roman army at the Battle of Telamon of
225 BC: http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=317248 Continental Celts 8:31 Min.
8
Section One:
describes the development of an independent Celtic culture in Ireland
Reconstruction of ancient Irish round house
I Celtic (pstr--lzm,
Ireland http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=227013
pas·tor·al·ism
pästr-)
1. Here Beginneth The Cualnge Cattle-raid
A. After 410 Great Britain was overrun by Germanic tribes from
n. 
Germany
and
Denmark
after
Germanic
capture
1. The quality
or state
of being
pastoral.
Used
especiallytribes
of a literary
work.Rome

Around
410 A.D.
the British
were
overrun
Anglos,
and
2. A social
and
economic
system
basedIsles
on the
raising
andby
herding
ofSaxons
livestock
.
Jutes. (Group of Germanic people who migrated to Britain) Celts fled
to Ireland where they resisted Roman rule

ONCE of a time, that Ailill and Medb had spread their
royal bed in Cruachan, the stronghold of Connacht, such
Ireland, becomes
the center
of Celtic
culture
was theB.pillow-talk
that befell
betwixt
them:…
interactive map
C. People divided into clans, lived in small villages
and were farmers

D. Wealth determined by number of cattle owned and
Celtic society was almost entirely based on pastoralism.
Stealing another groups cattle was a proving point. One of
the greatest surviving Irish myths is the Tain Bo Cualingne,
“The Cattle Raid of Cooley.”

E. Seafaring people who made boats of stretched cow
Coracles on the River Teifi, Wales 1972
hides called coracles

thatched roofs
http://www.barnesreview.org/Sept__Oct__2001/Did_Irishmen_Discover_America_/did_irishmen_discover_america_.html
Ancient Celtic fields can be seen in the bottom left corner of this photograph.
They
appear to be quite small compared with the modern fields which surround them.
Music D
9
Boann created the River Boyne. Though
forbidden to by her husband, Nechtan, Boann
approached the magical well of Segais (also known
as the Well of Wisdom) and challenged the power
of the well by walking around it counter-clockwise;
this caused the waters to surge up violently and
rush down to the sea, creating the River Boyne. In
this catastrophe, she was swept along in the
rushing waters, and lost an arm, leg and eye, and
ultimately her life, in the flood.
Ancient Gods of Ireland
Celtic religion was polytheistic and probably derived from Indo-European
sources. Romans trying to understand this Romanized their gods so we
really have no idea as to the Celtic character of these gods and their functions
other than that Celtic gods tended to come in threes.
Celtic Ireland - Gods and Goddesses
Aine | goddess of love
Banbha | one of the trio of goddesses who lent their name to Ireland
Celtic logic of divinity almost always
centered on triads. This triadic logic no doubt
had tremendous significance in the translation
of Christianity.
Boann | goddess of water and fertility; bore Oenghus to the Daghda
Brigit (Brighid) | goddess of fertility, healing, and poetry
Cian | the father of Lugh
Cliodna | goddess of beauty and the Otherworld
Creidhne | god of metalworking; one of the trio of craft-gods of the Tuatha De
Danaan
Daghda | god of the earth; leader of the Tuatha De Danaan
Danu | goddess who is a version of the Great Mother; mother of the Tuatha De
Danaan
Dian Cecht | god of crafts and healing
Music D
10
More gods:
Certain areas were considered more charged with divinity than others,
especially pools, lakes and small groves which were sites of ritual activities of Celtic life.
godshttp://www.loggia.com/myth/irelanda.html

Goibhniu | god of the smith; one of three craftgods of the Tuatha De Danaan
Luchta | god of wrights; one of the triad of
craft-gods of the Tuatha De Danaan
Lugh | god whose name means "shining one“
god of harvest, arts and crafts.
Morrigan | goddess of war and death; had a
triple aspect; wife of the Daghda
Nechtan | water-god whose sacred well was a
source of knowledge
Néit | god of war; husband of Nemhain
Nemhain | goddess of war and battle
Nuada | one of the kings of the Tuatha De
Danaan
Oenghus | god of youth and love
Ogma | god of eloquence and language
Tuatha De Danaan | the Irish race of gods who
descended from the goddess Danu; patrons of
magic and arts
Lugh's spear Millar
11
Contrary to the movie Harvey and the
portral of Elwood P. Dowd’s friendly,
likeable six foot three and a half inch
invisible white rabbit who was a
pooka- they are often malevolent.
Dowd’s friend Harvey is a pooka,
which is described in the movie as,
"From old Celtic mythology, a fairy
spirit in animal form, always very
large. The pooka appears here and
there, now and then, to this one and
that one. A benign but mischievous
creature very fond of rumpots,
crackpots, and...."
Pookas were not normally viewed as
benign and mischieveous but creatures to
be feared!
13

No fairy is more feared in Ireland than the
pooka. This may be because it is always out
and about after nightfall, creating harm and
mischief, and because it can assume a variety of
terrifying forms. The guise in which it most often
appears, however, is that of a sleek, dark
horse with sulphurous yellow eyes and a long
wild mane. In this form, it roams large areas of
countryside at night, tearing down fences and
gates, scattering livestock in terror, trampling
crops and generally doing damage around
remote farms.
Music D
14
OTHER
http://library.thinkquest.org/C005417/creatin.htm
21
Druids and DRUIDISM
Two druids, from an 1845 publication, based on a basrelief found at Autun, France.

Religious faith of ancient Celtic inhabitants of Gaul and the
British Isles from the 2d century bc until the 2d century ad.
In parts of Britain that the Romans did not invade, Druidism
survived until it was supplanted by Christianity two or three
centuries later. This religion included belief in the
immortality of the soul, which at death was believed to pass
into the body of a newborn child.
According to Julius Caesar, drawing on a biased account of
the cult written by Posidonius (c. 135-51 bc), a Stoic
philosopher and historian, the Druids performed “barbaric”
or “horrid” rituals at lakes and groves and the Romans
believed these rituals involved human sacrifice. Druids
believed that they were descended from a supreme being.
The ancient accounts assert that the functions of priests,
religious teachers, judges, and civil administrators were
performed by Druids, with supreme power being vested in
an arch druid. Three classes of Druids existed: prophets,
Only Caesar mentions the wicker man as one of many ways the Druids of Gaul
bards, and priests. They were assisted by female prophets
performed sacrifices. Not having witnessed the ritual himself, Caesar reports that
orGauls
sorcerers,
who
did
enjoy
thethen
powers
and privileges of
some of the
built the effigies out
of sticks
and not
placed living
men inside,
set
them on fire
to
pay
tribute
to
the
gods.
the Druids.

22
STONEHENGE
A dolmen (also known as cromlech (Welsh), anta,
Hünengrab, Hunebed, Goindol, quoit, and portal
dolmen) is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb,
usually consisting of three or more upright stones
supporting a large flat horizontal capstone (table).
Irish Menhirs
The Druids were well versed in astrology, magic, and the
mysterious powers of plants and animals; they held the oak
tree and the mistletoe, especially when the latter grew on
oak trees, in great reverence, and they customarily
conducted their rituals in oak forests. Archaeologists
believe that the Druids probably used as altars and temples
the stone monuments known as dolmens (see DOLMEN,)
that are found throughout the areas where Druidism
HILL OF TARA
One of the most famous
sites in the
flourished.
STONEHENGE,
in England
antedates (came
Celtic
world
an
important
centre
of
religious
ceremony
where the
prehistoric ritual monument, situated on Salisbury
before)
Druidism
by
many
centuries.
Plain, north of Salisbury,
England,
and
dating
from to
thehave had his seat
Irish ard
rí [high
king]
is said

late Stone and early Bronze ages (c. 3000-1000 bc).


The Druids led their people in resisting the Roman
invasions, but their power was weakened by the
rebelliousness of the Gallic warriors, who were envious of
their political authority. The superior military strength of the
Romans and the subsequent conversion of many followers
of Druidism to Christianity led to the disappearance of the
religion.
Music D
(see Mythology of the Forest United Streaming)
23
Run Time: [47:35]
history of Celtic Ireland and explains the origin and importance of the three pillars of Western society.
http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=227013 The Celts
44 minutes
24
The Megalith Map

http://www.megalith.ukf.net/bigmap.htm
http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=227067
Run Time: [46:12]
For centuries, humans have been fascinated by the
Neolithic structures built by the Pagans. This program
sheds light on the construction and possible purpose of
Silbury Hill, the Ring of Brodgar, and the most famous s
uch structure, Stonehenge. Archeological research and
computer-generated images offer a glimpse at these
structures as they may have looked in the distant past.
Music D
25
I. Cont.
Small monastic buildings erected from
rough stones, built to a round floorplan
and with a cupola-like roof ... making
them look like gigantic beehives. They
are typical of Celtic monasteries and
may have been used by monks or as
visitor's quarters.
F. Isolated on their island the Irish were able
Patrick
recounts that free
he had a vision
a few years after returning
home:
to
remain
of Germanic
influences.
I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters,
 and1.
scholars,
merchants
went
he gave
me one of them. I readartist,
the heading: "The
Voice of the Irish". As I and
began the monks
letter, I
imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of
towhich
Ireland
because
itsas with
relative
Foclut,
is beside the western
sea—and theyof
cried out,
one voice: "Wepeace
appeal to you,
holy servant boy, to come and walk among us.

G. Christian Irish Church was founded by Saint
Patrick in 432 http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=678853
”. Legend credits Patrick with teaching the Irish about the concept of the Trinity by

Legends
of shamrock,
St. Patricka 3-leaved
2:23 min.
showing
people the
clover, using it to highlight the Christian
belief of 'three divine persons in the one God' (as opposed to the Arian belief that
was popular in Patrick's time). Whether or not these legends are true, the very fact
that there are so many legends about Patrick shows how important his ministry was
to Ireland.
Whatever the historical background of its origin - the historical
development of the unusual cross is even less clear. Unless you

subscribe to the outlandish idea that some Irish clerics deliberately

People to
Know:
Saint Patrick
chose a "trademark" and consciously designed
the
Celtic
cross. How
the ring became part of the cross is totally unclear. And open to
interpretation - some scholars went as far as to suggest that the ring
represents a halo and thus Christ himself, circumventing any
scruples about picturing God's son. These theories are close cousins
to those that suggest that the circle should really be a disk,
representing sol invictus, the sun-god.
26
H. Ireland lost contact with Rome during the
Germanic invasions
I. Church turns to its abbots to lead
Christianity in Britain during the seventh century existed in two forms distinguished by differing liturgic
traditions, labeled the “Ionan”
and “Roman”
traditions.
“Ionan”
practice was that of the Irish monks who
The "Roman"
tonsure, in
the shape ofThe
a crown,
differing
resided in a monastery on the
Iona
(a tradition
"Celtic
fromisle
theof
Irish
tradition,
where thewithin
hair above
the Christianity"), whereas the “Roman”
tradition kept observances according
the customs of Rome. In the kingdom of Northumbria, these two
forehead wasto
shaved.
traditions coexisted, and each had been encouraged by different royal houses. Edwin of Northumbria had
converted
to Christianity under the influence of missionaries sent from Rome by Pope Gregory the Great and
thus had established Roman practice in his realm. However, following his death and a year of political instability,
Oswald of Northumbria gained the throne. He had learned Christian practice from the monks of Iona during his
stay there (while a political exile in his youth), and had encouraged Ionan missionaries to further the
Christianization
of Northumbria, especially the famous Bishop Aidan.

I. cont.
(a.) each clan supported its own
monastery
(b.) monasteries become centers of Irish
One of the main differences between the two traditions, and hence a source of controversy, was the proper
life
calculation of Easter.
 (c.) because of their isolation Irish
monks began to follow practices
different from those of Rome
 (1.) celebrated Easter on a different
day
 (2.) different rituals
 (3.) many monks chose to be hermits
Music D  (4.) set up schools
 (5.) become missionaries
28
(Irish Tonsure)
The Irish Tonsure
 1.
Clergy hairstyles may seem
like a minor point of contention to
us looking back from a
contemporary perspective, but in
fact it had tremendous spiritual
significance. Then, as now, hair
was a major signifier of social
status. The tonsure issue was not
a matter of fashion, but theology.
29

2. The origin of the tonsure comes from the
ancient Roman custom of shaving the head
of a male slave as a way of indicating the
master’s power—the slave’s forced
submission to the master’s will is so
complete that he even loses the ability to
control the appearance of his own hair.
(Forced haircuts are still used today as a
visual symbol of an authority figure’s total
control over a man’s life, and as a way to
denote low hierarchical status, such as
when soldiers enter boot camp.)
30

3. Greeks and Romans alike considered
the shaved head to be the badge of the
slave. Romans punished Christians by
shaving their heads as a sign of
contempt and mockery—making them
wear their hair like slaves was meant to
humiliate them. This eventually backfired,
as some monks began to voluntarily
shave their heads in the same manner
and, when questioned, identified
themselves as "slaves of Christ."
31

4. Various religious orders practiced tonsure
among themselves for hundreds of years, and
toward the beginning of the sixth century many
clerics in the North had revived the custom in a
modified form: not shaving the whole head.
Some orders left a narrow crown of hair, meant
to signify Christ’s crown of thorns; some orders
shaved off only a small circular patch on the
crown of the head; some kept the entire head
shaved above the ears, and some retained a
wide band of hair around the head. The Roman
Catholic Church abolished the practice of
tonsure in 1972, but some orthodox religious
orders practice voluntary tonsure even today.
32

5. The tonsure controversy, therefore, was
directly related to the larger issue of
whether to follow ancient ways that had
been preserved from the earliest
Christians or to conform to modern
practices being imposed at a distance
from Rome. Clergy enjoyed a privileged
status in seventh century Rome that was
never dreamed of by early followers of
Christ. As a result, many clergy there had
abandoned the tonsure and began to wear
their hair in the same way as the members
of the ruling class.
33

6. Thus they were not visually
identified as servants, but masters.
Roman clergy felt this was
appropriate, as they were educated
and well-respected members of
society, but the Celts placed a higher
value on the virtue of humility and felt
the traditional visual image of clergy
as servants of Christ should be
preserved with the symbolic haircut.
34

7. So although the Synod of Whitby in
664 is most often remembered for its
celebrated argument over whether
churches should use the Celtic
method or the Roman method of
computing the date of Easter, the
tonsure issue was also an intensely
debated matter on which many Celtic
monks and clergy stood in
irreconcilable disagreement with
Rome.
35
 8.
Traditional Celtic tonsure was
usually made by shaving only the
front part of the head. We can
presume that tonsure, rather than
age or incipient baldness, is the
reason for Colman’s prominent
forehead and hairline.
36
I. cont.

(d.) Saint Columba set up
monastery on Iona off west
coast of Scotland Vita Columbae
The vita of Columba is also the source of the first known reference to a Loch Ness
Monster. According to Adomnan, Columba came across a group of Picts who were
burying a "poor little man“ who had been killed by the monster, and saved a
swimmer with the sign of the Cross and the imprecation "You will go no further", at
 fled terrified, to the amazement of the assembled Picts who
which the beast
glorified Columba's God. Whether or not this incident is true, Adomnan's text specifically
states that the monster was swimming in the River Ness -- the river flowing from the loch - rather than in Loch Ness itself.
The main source of information about Columba's
life is the Vita Columbae by Adomnán The vita of
Columba is also the source of the first known reference
to a Loch Ness Monster. http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=147368 2:10
monster
 (1.)
monks from Iona preach to
Anglo-Saxons, go to northern
Europe and help spread
Christianity throughout
Charlemagne’s empire
The Iona monastery (the larger building) seen
from the sea. St. Columba (ca. 521-597)
established a monastery on the Isle of Iona in 563
which became one of the few havens for Western
Christendom in an era of savage invasions.
Missionaries from the monastery converted the
Picts to Christianity, and established an
organization of churches in Ireland, Scotland, and
Northern England which was independent of the
Roman pope's authority.
37
Section Two: explains the development of English
government and society under the Anglo-Saxon kings

II. Christianity
http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=347116
A. Pope Gregory I decides to convert
Anglo-Saxons to Christianity, (see story on pg.
292) 597 missionaries sent to England
under leadership of Augustine.
Landed in Kent.
 B. Kent’s queen Bertha was
Christian, her husband Ethelbert was
not.
 1. allows Augustine to build church
at
Canterbury
Music D

38
II. Cont.
Detail of a manuscript by the 8th
Tomb of the Venerable Bede
century English
Death of Bede
© Durham Cathedral
Benedictine
monk
and
Cuthbert, a disciple of Bede's, wrote a letter to a Cuthwin (of whom nothing else is known),
A.D. all England was Christian
3. the monk, Bede, wrote the first history of the
English People and brought the Christian way of
dating events to England--"I have devoted my
energies to a study of the Scriptures, observing
monastic discipline, and singing the daily
services in church; study, teaching, and writing
have always been my delight."
2. by 700

scholar,
the last
Venerable
Bede.
describing
Bede's
days and
his death. According to Cuthbert, Bede fell ill "with
frequent
attacks of breathlessness but almost without pain", before Easter. On the Tuesday

before Acension Day (26 May) his breathing became worse, and his feet swelled. He
continued to dictate to a scribe, however, and despite spending the night awake in prayer he
dictated again the following day. At three o'clock, according to Cuthbert, he asked for a box
of his to be brought, and distributed among the priests of the monastery "a few treasures"
of his: "some pepper, and napkins, and some incense". Later that day he dictated a final
sentence to the scribe, a boy named Wilberht, and died soon afterwards.

4. Anglo-Saxons keep much of their old
culture

(a.) legend of Beowulf
Tolkien
(1.)first
recited
in 1972



around 700
(2.) written down in 900s
(3.) defeats the monster Grindel
http://www.beowulfmovie.com/

(4.) dies fighting a dragon
(b.) stories told orally, sung or recited
5. literature reflected the life of the people and their
culture http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=347117 The Mead Hall 4:09 min


40
II. Cont.

Ethandun, Memorial
C. Alfred The Great


"Desire for and possession of earthly power never pleased me
overmuch, and I did not unduly desire this earthly rule, but that
nevertheless I wished for tools and resources for the task that I
was commanded to accomplish, which was that I should
virtuously and worthily guide and direct the authority which
was entrusted to me…”
1. 835 Alfred, king of Wessex leads the kingdoms against the
invading Danes http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=348390 10:05 (Alfred the
Great was able to fend off the barbarians from his kingdom by building fortresses that the Vikings were unable to penetrate.)



2. pays the Danes money to leave England alone
3. Unites England against the Danes and defeats them at Battle
of Ethandun, May 6, 878
(a.) treaty recognized Danes rule of northeast part of England
which becomes known as Danelaw




(a.) Alfred rebuilds London destroyed by Danes
(b,) Alfred set forth new laws based on Old Anglo-Saxon
customs
(c.) Starts school to educate noble’s sons for government posts.
(d.) Alfred has monks begin a record of English history starting
in Roman times.
42
II. Cont.

D. The Government



1. The King was the center of government. The council
of lords elects kings from royal family
2. after 700 A.D. Church crowned new rulers
3. Kings sets up local governments divided into
districts called Shires
http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=147178 9:48 min.
author J.R.R. Tolkien and his works-- makes connections between the
Hobbits and their Shire and the English people and their country.


(a.) Sheriff local noble chosen by king to run Shire
(b.) King and household moved around. Wherever the King
Anglo-Saxon king with his witan (11th
was in was under the
King’s peace or royal protection
century)


(1.) eventually the King’s peace as law spreads to all the
kingdom
(2.) Witenagemot—nobles and church leaders who gave
advice to king—member—witan
43
II. Cont.
E. The People

1. Two Classes—nobles & peasants
2. nobles received special rewards for service to
king
3. gifts of gold, silver, horses and weapons &
"Cleric, Knight, and Workman“
estates
: the three estates in medieval
4. Peasantsperiod
lived in small villages or on a
noble’s estate







(a.) worked the fields belonging to the noble
(b.) peasants shared tools, oxen and
responsibilities
(c.) lived in one-room wood and plaster huts.
44
45
Pick one of the essay questions below
to prepare for the chapter test.



What was the major problem faced by
the Irish Church during the Germanic
invasions of the Roman Empire? How
did the Church address the problem?
How did Ireland’s location affect the
development of Celtic culture? Explain
your answer.
What did Alfred, king of England from
871 to 899, do to deserve to be the only
king in English history known by the
appellation the Great?
46