While it is posited here that the calendar’s time reckoning starts around May-June, this is in actual fact irrelevant: the time reckoning could start anytime, and the model would still hold true. No truer, more accurate calendar or system of time keeping has been recorded anywhere within antiquity or pre-modern times, and it was not until the scientific advances of the 20th century that the Gregorian calendar was able to come up to the standard set by the genius of the Gaulish people.
Pantheon of Gods and Goddesses
It is generally agreed upon that there was no such thing as an organised Gaulish Pantheon, or, that if there was, that information about it has not been accurately recorded. What follows here is a synthesis, interpretation and manipulation of authentic recorded information (see Delamarre 2003; Griffin 2007), brought together in a conceptual framework that while it aspires to be plausible is nonetheless completely arbitrary.
Gods and Goddesses are organised in 4 groups of three triads. The first group reunites the phenomenological deities, the second one the deities governing the natural world, and the third one those deities concerned with the activities of everyday human life. The final group deals with the relationship between humanity and the universe through supplication. It is generally felt that the gods and goddesses in the first group are in a position of hegemony over those in the “lower levels”, with the exception of those in the last triad, who instead are overlords over sections of the Pantheon and, by inference, over the other gods and goddesses. This lends a circular aspect to the web of relationships.
I. Gods and Goddesses of the phenomenological world
1) Sky: Gran, Lord of the Air
Thunder: Taran, Lord of Sound
Lightning: Belen, Lord of Fire
2) Sun: Lúi, Lord of Plant Growth
Moon: Belisama, Lady of the Tides
Stars: Siróna, Lady of Time
3) Life: Cernun, Lord of Animal Growth
Death: Rosmertha, Lady of Abundance
Fertility: Damóna, Lady of Prosperity
II. Gods and Goddesses of the Natural World
1) Mountains: Garghan
Oceans: Anchauna
Land: Lítha
2) Rivers: Nanthusweltha
Lakes: Borvé
Forests: Ardhwína
3) Fish: Divóna
Mammals: Epóna
Birds: Taru Tri Garan
III. Gods and Goddesses of human activity
1) Horticulture: Avel
Farming: Suchel
Hunting: Avnóva
2) Metalwork: Govan
Crafts: Berechinia
Trade: Ésu
3) War: Camul
Warriors: Anartha
Victory: Seghwé
IV. The Gods and Goddesses of humanity, supplication and the universe
1) Men: Tóthath
Women: Mathróna
Children: Mapon
2) Healing: Avétha
Learning: Nemethóna
Language: Oghwé
3) World of the Gods: Alvrich
World of the Living: Bithrich
World of the Dead: Duvrich
The latter triad refers to the vertical structure of the universe. It is conceived as a Tree of Life (Pren Bith) that has three levels. The upper level is the Land of the Gods (Brói Alvi), the bright and shiny world of the sky, represented by the crown of the tree. The middle level is the Land of the Living (Brói Bith), the organic world of the surface of the Earth, above ground, represented by the trunk of the tree. The lower level is the Land of the Dead (Brói Duv), the underworld, the deep and dark world under the ground, represented by the roots of the tree. Alvrich presides over Brói Alvi, Bithrich presides over Brói Bith, and Duvrich presides over Brói Duv. Logically, these are therefore the overlords of all the other Gods and Goddesses mentioned above, each in their own domain.
To reach the underworld, the dead have to complete a threefold journey across all three levels of the universe. On each leg of the journey, they are accompanied by a different God or Goddess whose job it is to see them safely through to the next stage.
1. They need to be taken across the sky in a lunar chariot by Oghwé, the talker, full of
wind
2. They need to be accompanied overland by Epóna, the horse, the beast of burden of
overland transport
3. They need to be ferried across an underground expanse of water by Suchel, the
farmer, who digs down into the earth for a living
In addition to this three-tiered cosmology however, there is Brói in Ióinché, the Land of the Young. The Land of the Young is a paradise-like place that exists on the middle level, alongside of the land of the Living, but invisible and inaccessible to it. In the Land of the Young, time is suspended: there is no decay, only enjoyment. Entry can only be gained through magic, and often only through specific geographic locations, where temporary passageways between the worlds can be opened: hilltops, cavemouths, stonecircles; or at certain times of the year (e.g. the turn of the new year).
26. Conclusion
As this document represents the reinvention of the Gaulish language, driven into extinction by acts of military aggression, imperialism and genocide, it seems fitting to conclude with a translation both into hypothetical Late Ancient Gaulish and the new modern Gaulish of Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Esent doni olli gentui rii ac cotamici en balcassu ac rextoues. Siesesent condo ac
conuissu, ac re bisiet certo rissies adauuo canti doni alli en menman braterione.
Esi doné ol genthu ríu ach cothamich en valchas ach réithúé. Sí-esi conu ach
conchwísu, ach ré ví certh richís adhávó can dhoné al en wénu bratheríu.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed
with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of
brotherhood.
The invasion of an independent sovereign nation by an aggressive, expansionist, imperialistic state bent on conquest for reasons of political and personal profit, led to the murder of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children, and the exile into slavery of hundreds of thousands more. It resulted in the obliteration of an erstwhile autonomous people’s culture, identity and language. Language can be revived. People can’t.
Lest we forget.