Celtic Constellations

Who are the Celts?

The Celts are a collection of Indo-European groups throughout Europe, characterised by their use of Celtic languages, amongst other similarities such as art and mythology. Today, Celtic-speaking communities are found on the British Isles, and in Brittany, Nova Scotia, and Chubut Province in Argentina. They speak Cymraeg (Welsh), Gàidhlig (Scottish Gaelic), Gaeilge (Irish), Brezhoneg (Breton), Gaelg (Manx), or Kernewek (Cornish), which are considered either “vulnerable,” “definitely endangered,” or “critically endangered” by UNESCO.

The Celtic cultures, languages, and legends have been fragmented or erased by waves of imperialism, cultural repression, and clearances. This is especially the case for oral traditions which were rarely recorded on paper. Unfortunately, this includes the loss of some Celtic astronomical and astrological traditions.

In this bite, we’ll give you a flavour of what we know about the Celtic connection to the night sky in the past, and how those connections are expressed today.

Celtic Seasons

The Celtic year is separated into two halves, the first dark and the other light. Each quarter of the year is marked by “Quarter Day” Festivals – Imbolc, the beginning of Spring (February 1st); Beltaine/Calan Mai, the start of Summer (May 1st); Lughnasadh/Calan Awst, the start of the harvest season; and Samhain/Calan Gaeaf, the start of Winter (October 31st). In fact, Samhain is the origin of modern-day Hallowe’en festivals. Each Quarter Day is celebrated with feasts, bonfires, wassailing, and singing, amongst other traditions.

Directly in between the Quarter Days are the equinoxes and solstices. Different Celtic groups built various structures in alignment with the sunrise or sunset on these days, such as Brú na Bóinne and Bryn Celli Ddu, to celebrate the significance of these days. During the sunrise, sunshine would shine through these structures to shine upon a religious marker or the graves of their ancestors.

Legends in the Night Sky

Between the summer Quarter Days, it is never truly night in the traditional Celtic lands as twilight hangs on the northern horizon. The Summer Triangle lies prominently overhead, marking the prime season to work the fields to grow enough food for the long, dark winters ahead.

The Milky Way is positioned high in the night sky during these months and is featured in various legends. In Gaelic tradition, there are many names for the Milky Way. One of which is “Sgríob Chlann Uisnich” (The Track of the Children of Uisneach), recalled by Scottish immigrants in Nova Scotia that relates to an old Irish tale. The Sons of Uisneach were killed in battle, and Deirdre, a heroine of Irish mythology and the lover to one of the sons jumps into the grave to reunite with the men. This angers the king, who exhumes their bodies and separates them. However, two trees grow in each grave until they entangle and reconnect the lovers. The king orders for the trees to be felled and for the bodies to be separated by a lake, only for the stars to gather into a trail, the Milky Way, to connect their graves forever. (It is noteworthy that Nova Scotia and Scotland are separated by a large body of water, and this story could be symbolic to the immigrants who were forced from their homelands).

The winter months are characterised by long nights and symbolised by the Winter Triangle prominent on the south horizon. The winter constellation of Perseus is associated with the Celtic sun god who dies during these months. In Irish tradition, this is Lugh, while in Welsh, this is Lleu Llaw Gyffes, the son of Arianrhod (who has her own constellation, Corona Borealis). In the Mabinogi, Lleu is murdered by his wife and her lover, but at the moment of death, his soul turns into an eagle. His uncle, Gwydion, searches the stars for Lleu, finding him in the constellation of Aquila the Eagle. The tracks that Gwydion leaves as he traces the stars is the Welsh origin of the Milky Way, known in Welsh as “Caer Gwydion.”

There are many, many more constellations associated with Celtic mythology, heroes, and gods. Here is an excellent article with more tales for your enjoyment.

Celtic Astronomical Culture Today

Today, some traditions are maintained or reintroduced to remember and preserve. For example, many people still attend equinox celebrations, such as at Bryn Celli Ddu, which is hosted by Urdd Derwyddion Môn (the Anglesey Druid Order). Fun fact: in Welsh-language culture, the Chief Druid is better known by his drag persona, Maggi Noggi. In Ireland, the Quarter Days are all public holidays, while in Scotland, a modern interpretation of Beltaine exists as the Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh.

In the modern world, the Celtic nations have also succumbed to the scourge of light pollution, and many people have lost their connection to the night, as well as to nature. In response, some communities are creating dark-sky sites, such as in Eryri (see our review of the book by Eryri’s Dark Sky Officer) and Eilean Cholla (Isle of Coll). These locations are so rural that they are excellent locations to view the night sky, and the old languages are still spoken as first languages. Research is also being done is preserve the knowledge of the night sky, such that in the future, the next generation of Celts can reconnect with their night skies.

Edited by Sowkhya Shanbhog

Featured image credit: User:Slashme, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pwy yw’r Celtiaid?

Casgliad o grwpiau Indo-Ewropìaidd yw’r Celtiaid, sy’n rhannu nodweddion tebyg fel eu defnydd o’r ieithoedd Celtaidd, celf, a chwedloniaeth. Heddiw, cewch chi hyd i gymunedau Celtaidd ar Ynysoedd Prydain, ac yn Llydaw, Nova Scotia, ac yn Y Wladfa. Siaradwyd  Cymraeg, Gàidhlig (Gaeleg yr Alban), Gaeilge (Iwerydd), Brezhoneg (Llydaweg), Gaelg (Manaweg), neu Kernewek (Cernyweg). Mae UNESCO yn ystyru’r ieithoedd yma fel “agor i niwed,” “agor i berygl,” neu’n “difrifol.”

Cafodd diwylliannau, ieithoedd, a chwedlau’r Celtiaid eu difrodi a’u dileu gan imperialaeth, cyfataliad, a chlirio. Mae hyn yn arbennig o wir i draddodiadau ar lafar heb gofnod ar bapur. Yn anffodus, mae traddodiadau seryddol ac astroleg yn rhan o’r coll.

Yn y darn yma, rhown blas i chi o’n wybodaeth am y gyswllt Celtaidd i’r nôs, a sut maent yn cael eu mynegi heddiw.

Tymhorau Celtaidd

Mae’r blwyddyn Celtaidd yn cael ei rannu yn ddau; y tywyllwch a’r golau. Mae “Diwrnodau Calan” yn nodi dechrau’r tymhorau – Imbolc, neu Calan Chwefror, dechrau’r Gwanwyn; Beltane, neu Calan Mai, dechrau’r Haf; Calan Awst, dechrau’r Hydref; a’r Samhain, sef Calan Gaeaf, dechrau’r Gaeaf. Dathlwyd pob Calan gyda gwleddau, coelcerthi, gwaseilio, a chanu, ymysg traddodiadau eraill.

Rhwng y Calenni mae’r cyhydnosau a’r albannau. Adeiladai amrhyw o grŵpiau Celtaidd strwythurau gwahanol wedi’u halinio â’r wawr neu’r machlud, fel Brú na Bóinne a Fryn Celli Ddu. Byddai’r haul yn disgleirio drwy’r strwythurau yma, yn aml ar symbol crefyddol neu bedd cyndad.

Chwedlau yn y Nôs

Rhwng Calan Mai a Chalan Awst, nad yw’n wirioneddol nôs ar dîr traddodiadol y Celtiaid gan fod lwydnos ar y gorwel. Mae Triongl yr Haf uwchben i nodi’r tymor cyntefig i weithio ar y tîr er mwyn tyfu digon o fwyd am y Gaeaf hir ac oer.

Yn uchel uwchben yn yr Haf yw Caer Gwydion (neu’r ‘Llwybr Lleithog’). Yn draddodiad Gaeleg, mae sawl enw am Gaer Gwydion. Mae mewnfudwyr Albanaidd yn Nova Scotia yn ei alw fel “Sgríob Chlann Uisnich” (Llwybr Plant Uisnich), sy’n tarddu o chwedl Iwerydd. Cafodd Meibion Uisnich eu lladd mewn frwydr, a neidiodd yr arwres Deirdre, cariad un o’r meibion, i fewn i’w fedd, ac yn gwylltio’r brenin. Gorchmynodd y frenin i ddatgladdu’r cyrff a’u claddu ar wahân, ond tyfodd dau coeden ar y feddi nes iddynt ail-gysylltu. Yna, mae’r brenin yn gorchmynu torri’r coed ac i wahanu’r cyrff gan lyn, ond yna mae’r sêr yn casglu fel llwybr rhwng y feddi i’w hail-gysylltu am byth. (Mae’n pwysig nodi bod Nova Scotia a’r Alban wedi’u gwahanu gan y môr, ac efallai bod y stori yma yn symbolaidd i’r mewnfudwyr â chafoedd eu mudo o’u cynhefinoedd.)

Yn y Gaeaf, mae Triongl y Gaeaf uwchben y gorwel i’r dê. Mae cytser Lleu Llaw Gyffes, mâb Arianrhod (sydd â chytser ei hun – Caer Arianrhod, neu “Corona Borealis”) yn gysylltiedig â’r misoedd yma. Yn chwedlau Iwerydd, y dyw Lugh yw’r cymeriad yma. Yn y Mabinogi, cafodd Lleu ei lofruddio gan ei wraig a’i chariad, ond ar ennyd marwolaeth, trôdd enaid Lleu yn eryr. Canfododd ewythr Gwydion Lleu yng nghytser Aquilia, sef yr eryr. Wrth chwilio am Lleu, gadawodd Gwydion llwybr yn y sêr, ac elwi’r gan y Cymry fel Caer Gwydion (y Llwybr Llaethog).

Mae lawer, lawer mwy o chytserau sy’n gysyltiedig â chwedlau, arwyr, a ddywiau’r Celtiaid. Dyma erthygl gyda fwy o chwedlau i chi i fwynhau.

Diwylliant Seryddol Celtaidd Heddiw

Hyd at heddiw, mae rhai traddodiadau yn cael eu cadw neu eu hail-ddechrau i gofio ac i gynnal. Er enghraifft, bu gwasanaeth Hirddydd Haf ei chynnal ym Mhryn Celli Ddu gan Urdd Derwyddion Môn (mae Prif Dderwydd y Dderwyddion yn cael ei adnabod yn well fel ei gymeriad drag, Maggi Noggi!) Yn Iwerddon, mae’r Calenni i gyd yn gwyliau banc, tra yn yr Alban, mae dehongliad modern o Galan Mai yn cael ei gynnal fel Gwyl Tân Beltane yng Nghaeredin.

Yn y byd modern, mae’r gwledydd Celtaidd yn dioddef o lygredd golau, a mae llawer o bobl wedi colli eu cysylltiad â’r tywyllwch ac i’r byd natur. Mewn ymateb, mae rhai cymunedau yn creu safleoedd awyr dywyll fel yn Eryri (gwelwch ein adolygiad Cymraeg ar lyfr Swyddog Awyr Dywyll Eryri) ac Ynys Colla. Gan fod y safleoedd yma yn mor wledig, maent yn berffaith i edrych ar yr awyr dywyll, ac hefyd lle mae’r henieithoedd yn ieithoedd cyntaf ar y gymuned. Ar ben hynny, mae gwaith ymchwil yn cael ei wneud i ddiogelu’r traddodiadau yma er mwyn budd y Celtiaid yn y dyfodol.

Golygwyd yn Saesneg gan Sowkhya Shanbhog

Tarddiad blaenlun: User:Slashme, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons