Celtic Symbols

I found this very useful list of 100 Fascinating Celtic Culture, Language & Lit Blogs on the Bestuniversity.com site. The list has categories like music, sports, theater, literature and so forth. A great resource for anyone researching almost any aspect of Celtic culture!

Medieval Material Culture Blog

“Kunst der Kelten” (Art of the Celts) is at the Historisches Museum Bern in Switzerland through October 18. From the museum’s website:

This will be the first time that the unique artistic creation of the Celts is celebrated in a comprehensive exhibition. Masterpieces of Celtic art covering fourteen centuries from its origins in the early 7th century BC to its late blossoming in Irish book illumination in the period round 700 AD will be presented. The exceptional pieces exemplifying this art will be selected from all over Europe, from Scotland to Hungary.

I hope this exhibit makes it to the U.S. soon!

Today, August 1, is Lughnasadh, the day of the ancient Celtic god, Lugh. This day is traditionally recognized as a Harvest festival, marking the beginning of Autumn.
Lugh is descended from two different types of gods -the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians.

Lugh was a master of many skills. His name means “long arm,” which probably refers to his skill with a spear. His counterpart in Welsh tales such as the Mabinogion is Lleu.

Lughnasadh is one of the 8 festival days of the Celtic Wheel of the Year, followed by neo-pagans. According to most scholars, the early Celts did not actually follow this calendar, but they did indeed celebrate the 4 seasonal festivals, Samhain (which became Halloween), Beltane (May 1), Lughnasadh and Imbolc (February 1). Later interpretations added the Spring and Autumn equinox and the Summer and Winter solstices to make a total of 8 festivals.