|
Bards were the artisans of the Druid society. When Irish and Welsh Bards came into contact with Viking/Anglo-Saxon knots and interlacing in the sixth century AD they fell in love with the new art. Druids and Bards always lived in the here and now, recognizing that what is good for today may be obsolete or out of stlye by tomarrow. Therefore traditionalist who claim that modern Celtic interlacing is neither, are quite correct... in a sense. No such patterns exist in Gaul or in Celtic society prior to the sixth century. However, for fourteen hundred years Celts have made more use of the artwork than its originators. At some point one must ask...When does it become Celtic? Obviously it is barrowed, but then who knows...maybe much of the La Tene (true Celtic artwork) that is utilized on this site may well have been barrowed originally from the Germans, or even the "Beaker culture."
As far as anyone knows, the Vikings haven't sailed the seas for a thousand years. They gave up interest about the same time as sailing, Oden, and Thor.
The Anglo-Saxons mingled with the Normans to become the English. The English consider themselves far to sophisticated to be interested in knotwork and interlacing developed by their ancestors. So, by virtue of default and sincere interest, the knotwork and interlacing are NOW Celtic. |
|
|
|
 |
|
The Druids played a major role in the political, educational, and religious structure of ancient Celtic society. When Julius Caesar defeated Vercingetorix at the "Battle of Alesia" it marked the beginning of the end for Celtic civilization and the Druids whom became persona non grata under the new Roman Empire of Julius Caesar. The Roman victory, which resulted in the marked decline of the Druids and independent Celtic culture can be even more widely viewed as the decline of Pagan Europe despite the fact that Rome was still a society of Pagan beliefs. The defeat marked the transition from a society permeated with a fearful respect for the Earth and its natural elements to a society that sought to dominate and harness the elements for the benefit of society as a whole for sure, but also to bring greater glory and riches to its leaders such as Julius Caesar.
Although the decline of Druidry can probably be considered a natural evolutionary process of logic as intelligence replaced superstition, the decline was aided greatly by the advance of Rome, bot in the time of Caesar and the modern age. The foundation of modern society in the West is Rome. It is the Greek and Roman concept individualism that seperates the whole of Western nations from the rest of the world, which view themselves as "WE" cultures. The selfish economical interest of the "ME" cultures of the West are what dominate the World Market Economy, and consequently quite naturally leading to the permanent depletion of the planets natural resources.
. |
|
