A short note from your new host

[Eilthireach]

Hello all!

In addition to my other duties on these boards I have agreed to enter service as a host for the Circle of Stones forums: Celtic Studies (including the language forums) and Mythology & Lore.

I have always strongly believed that we in the Western World have our own treasure of cultural and spiritual heritage. This is a great gift - and a great responsibilty, because that treasure needs to be rediscovered, preserved and taken care of.

For us Druids, who we try to apply the wisdom of the past to the questions of today, this responsibility weighs double. In one of the older rituals of the OBOD the "three objectives that every Druid strives to uphold" were recited:
- the cultivation of expression
- the preservation of ancient knowledge
- the enlightenment of the people.

I live in Bavaria, which is a state in Southern Germany and belongs to the Ancient Celtic Heartland, the land that the Celts settled before they migrated into the British Isles, into Spain and elsewhere. Bavaria was 800 years Celtic, the period ended with the Roman military conquest in 15 BCE. After roughly 400 years of Romano-Celtic intermezzo the Germanic period began, and after the Migration Age Bavaria emerged as a Germanic tribal kingdom, which is why we speak German today and not a Celtic language.
So the heritage of my country is Celtic, Roman and Germanic and I am open to discuss all three cultures here, although I know that Romans are generally disliked by Celts and Germanics alike.

One problem that I have in Germany and that I would like to discuss here is that the government is rapidly withdrawing from every form of care for our historical heritage. The Celts were erased from the curriculum of higher schools. State funds for archaeological projects have been largely cut. Ancient sites are overbuilt. We will come to this topic in time and discuss strategies how we can counteract.

I hope that the traditional good and peaceful discussions that we used to have in these forums will continue, and will try my best to make these forums comfortable and interesting places.

With greetings from beneath the Bavarian Alps,

Eilthireach /|\.

[skh]

Well, congratulations to your new job

peace /|\
Sonja

[Michael C. Page]

I’m very happy that this forum now has a host. I’m sure this place will benefit from your incite, generous nature, polite manners and even temperament you have always shown.

Congratulations and Blessings – Michael

[skydove]

I'll second that and look forward to learning more things I didn't know.

[Eilthireach]

Thank you!

Another task of the Celtic Studies host will be to maintain a scholarly standard on the one side and at the same time to invite a broad public. We will see how we can bridge this gap. It will probably be my most difficult task.

Eilthireach /|\.

[Kernos]

Good choice!

I agree that bridging the lay-academic gap is a most difficult task. In many ways it is a communications problem. But, we all ultimately pay most academic's salaries. I say we demand understandable explanations of what they do and discover, even from the cosmologists and linguists!

I was thinking of you last weekend, Eilthireach. Chris and I were discussing how we would live when civilization collapses. One of the few things we cannot obtain from the land here is salt. I was explaining how in olden days salt was a source of wealth and used Hallstatt as an example. He asked me what salt was doing in the Austrian highlands (so to speak) which I could not answer and I said I'd ask Eilthireach since he's not too far away (215 mi, 347 km as the crow flies).

So why is there salt in Hallstatt? One presumes some old sea evaporating, but I do not see a picture in my mind.

[Corvin]

Thanks for your service.

[wyeuro]

i'll try to be good
wyverne /|\

[DaRC]

Hi Elithireach,
well congrats on your new roles
- may the forums be full of frith during your tenure

Cheers, Dave.

[Eilthireach]

Thank you, Dave.

As I've said, I'm open to discuss topics from the field of Germanic culture and religion (and mythology in the respective forum) here as well.
I would like to see you around often.

Eilthireach /|\.

[Rose]

Greetings Eilthireach and to all,
I too live in Bavaria and I come form Irleand. SInce living here I have always felt very much at home and have always explained to people the Bavarian and Irish people are very similiar!!! It must be the DNA!!!!!
Regarding what you mentioned about the German government not doing enough for the Celtic Culture that was Germanys I agree in one way --- they could do more but it is a huge problem worldwide I thing ( look at Tara in Ireland ) and all the other older Celtic Monuments of the world the harsh governments of the world are not doing as much as they should, so I think it is not so much a German thing as it is a world wide problem.

If you need any help with things here in Germany actions that we could do to highlight this problem Iwould love to help.
I have tryed my best for Tara-- I send the 800 hundred high schools of Ireland a three paged petition for Tara, the first page was a letter to the Principal of the school expalining what I was doing, the second one was a page expalining the history of Tara and what was now happening and the last one was a petition page to be photocopyed and signed to ask the government to stop what they wanted to do.

Three petitions returned and lots of telephone abuse from parents, pricipals and teachers.
This plan had not worked so I decicded to go to Tara myself and meditate on Tara for a day sending it as much love and support as I could.
So maybe some form of action can be taken on our part to highlight these things.
Light and Love
Rose

[Eilthireach]

Hello Rose,

thank you very much for your message.

Like yourself, I have already transcended the 'actions' state. I have written letters to newspapers. I have initiated and undersigned petitions. I have formally petitioned with the Bavarian Ministry of Education against the scratching of the Celts from the history curriculum of higher(!) schools (Gymnasium). All I have ever reveiced were friendly letters: we understand your position... we are sorry... there is no money... there is no time, there is no personnel...

I did not change one jota, ever. And a population that is threatened by mass unemployment, poverty, crime, exploitive working conditions and deteriorating health care may indeed have other problems than whether this or that Celtic oppidum is excavated or not.
Maybe this sound a bit sarcastic or negative, but it is the quintessence of several years of activities in this direction. Hm.

*

I have been to Ireland and also noticed similarities between the countries. There is Catholicism with its (Celtic) festivals, there is the sacredness of the landscape (Bavaria Sancta) and there are friendly people willing to celebrate the seasons and life. Welcome to Bavaria and if you have any questions please contact me via PM!

Eilthireach /|\.

[Rose]

Hi Eilthireach,
Thank you for such a lovely note and I am sorry to reply so late but I never realised you had replied and I am not the best on the internet so it is ages later I rearead this thread and found your lovely post. Thank you for the offer of help and if you need any help with petitions let me know.
Light and Love
Rose

[Eilthireach]

You are most welcome.

Eilthireach /|\.

[Eilthireach]

Hello all!

Well, this was a short spell of duty...
Due to professional/time reasons I need to retire from all my OBOD forum tasks including these forums. It has been a pleasure to serve.
Good luck to all of you and these forums and best wishes to my successor!

Eilthireach /|\.

[lotuswelcome]

You'll be missed!
x

maca