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Post by Conn on May 31, 2008 22:10:51 GMT -5
I was reading several exchanges on other forums, where people argued that the Lebor Gaballa Erenn and allot of other texts are all Christian and have not much validity to actual pre-Pagan myths or legend. I was wondering what some other opinions here might be?
~Conn
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cathal
Fochlac
Na Deithe Dhuit
Posts: 14
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Post by cathal on Jun 15, 2008 21:57:35 GMT -5
the theory within most Scholarly circles as far as I know, is that although they were in fact written down and in some cases extensively modified by Christians, they are for the most part still the myths and stories of Pre-Christian Ireland and other parts of the Celtic world. As such, they are valid. However I would not say that they are in point of fact the literal truth as to what happened prior to the coming of Christianity to Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and the various other Celtic Nations. They are "True" but they are not Literal, if you know what I mean by that?
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Post by Fool Coyote on Jun 22, 2008 2:09:14 GMT -5
the theory within most Scholarly circles as far as I know, is that although they were in fact written down and in some cases extensively modified by Christians, they are for the most part still the myths and stories of Pre-Christian Ireland and other parts of the Celtic world. As such, they are valid. However I would not say that they are in point of fact the literal truth as to what happened prior to the coming of Christianity to Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and the various other Celtic Nations. They are "True" but they are not Literal, if you know what I mean by that? I believe the old texts to be a symbolic representation of actual events, given as it was given for generations. It was Diodorus Siculus I believe who said that the Celts often spoke in symbolism, and riddles. I think the texts are a definite example of the PreChristian thought process. The thing is however, it would have been illegal for one of the poets writing the texts to have "modified" or changed the lore in any way, except to add what would have been modern understandings, biblical dating, and a more "nephilum" type feel to the old gods imo. |
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cathal
Fochlac
Na Deithe Dhuit
Posts: 14
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Post by cathal on Jun 26, 2008 22:52:40 GMT -5
the theory within most Scholarly circles as far as I know, is that although they were in fact written down and in some cases extensively modified by Christians, they are for the most part still the myths and stories of Pre-Christian Ireland and other parts of the Celtic world. As such, they are valid. However I would not say that they are in point of fact the literal truth as to what happened prior to the coming of Christianity to Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and the various other Celtic Nations. They are "True" but they are not Literal, if you know what I mean by that? I believe the old texts to be a symbolic representation of actual events, given as it was given for generations. It was Diodorus Siculus I believe who said that the Celts often spoke in symbolism, and riddles. I think the texts are a definite example of the PreChristian thought process. The thing is however, it would have been illegal for one of the poets writing the texts to have "modified" or changed the lore in any way, except to add what would have been modern understandings, biblical dating, and a more "nephilum" type feel to the old gods imo. Well considering that the "poets" added an entire chapter to the Lebor Gaballa Erenn in order to make it mesh with the Biblical Creation account, I don't think they were to concerned with breaking the laws of the time period. |
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Post by Fool Coyote on Jun 29, 2008 15:41:54 GMT -5
I believe the old texts to be a symbolic representation of actual events, given as it was given for generations. It was Diodorus Siculus I believe who said that the Celts often spoke in symbolism, and riddles. I think the texts are a definite example of the PreChristian thought process. The thing is however, it would have been illegal for one of the poets writing the texts to have "modified" or changed the lore in any way, except to add what would have been modern understandings, biblical dating, and a more "nephilum" type feel to the old gods imo. Well considering that the "poets" added an entire chapter to the Lebor Gaballa Erenn in order to make it mesh with the Biblical Creation account, I don't think they were to concerned with breaking the laws of the time period. Ah, you mean the first chapter right? Yeah their is that, but again, this was not an addition to the stories themselves, but setting them up in Christian context.  |
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cathal
Fochlac
Na Deithe Dhuit
Posts: 14
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Post by cathal on Jul 1, 2008 13:23:01 GMT -5
Well considering that the "poets" added an entire chapter to the Lebor Gaballa Erenn in order to make it mesh with the Biblical Creation account, I don't think they were to concerned with breaking the laws of the time period. Ah, you mean the first chapter right? Yeah their is that, but again, this was not an addition to the stories themselves, but setting them up in Christian context. True enough I suppose... |
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Post by Fool Coyote on Sept 24, 2008 20:35:43 GMT -5
Ah, you mean the first chapter right? Yeah their is that, but again, this was not an addition to the stories themselves, but setting them up in Christian context. True enough I suppose... It's just my personal opinion, but I do feel that Christianity, and Paganism in the texts of the times in many ways cross-connected, they became blended to the point that in order to understand one, you need the other. |
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