Celtic Creation Myth?

[phoenix_rising]

Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone knew of any Celtic creation myth that explains how the worlds, humanity, and life in all its forms were created: along the lines of the Egyptian myth of Atum and Nun. I have read about the Tuatha De Danaan arriving in Ireland and I believe that's the earliest myth chronologically that I've read. It does not matter from where the myth originated so long as it's Celtic. A book or some other hardcopy as a reference would be great to add in your response if you know of one.

Thanks,

Devon

[DJ Droood]

Peter Berresford Ellis attempts to re-create one in his "Celtic Myths and Legends".

[Heddwen]

The best creation myths are based on real life places. so far as the "celts go and bearing in mind that most of us have celtic blood somewhere, you can't beat the Tuatha Danaan or its variations. The Celtic culture (as now thought) travelled through Europe via the Danube known as the deity Don/Danu bringing forth stories myths legends along its waters.

I BELIEVE that these are good sources:

The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles by Dr R Hutton

The White Goddess by Robert Graves, Faber

[Huathe]

The only one I know of is the stories in the Book of Invasions. It starts with the re-telling of the Biblical account of creation and then goes with the tellings of successive migrations of the Celts and possibly earlier pre-celtic peoples, ending with the Gaelic conquest of Ireland.

This is all I know of.

Ah, then there is the story of Fintan Mac Bochra. He was born just before the Flood of Noah and lived up until Ireland was being converted to Christianity. That is a time frame of over 5.500 years.

[Dathi]

Quick reply, this book is good.

http://www.gothicimage.co.uk/stories.html
Stories that Crafted the Earth
Adrian Beckingham

And you support an excellent cause: http://www.survivalinternational.org/

Dathi

[DaRC]

Given the cross-cultural flow between the Celtic and Germanic worlds it would also be worth reading the Voluspa from the Norse Elder Edda in which it describes the creation of the world:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/

[Corwen]

I BELIEVE that these are good sources:

The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles by Dr R Hutton

The White Goddess by Robert Graves, Faber

Sadly though valuable in a poetic sense the White Goddess is far from being a useful source factually and is misleading on occasion.

Regarding Celtic creation myth I agree with the consensus, there is no early source. However Germanic sources might be of interest, as might Greek. I like the Finnish creation myth very much, one version of which you can find in the Kalevala. http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/kveng/kvrune01.htm There is an unfashionable but persistent theory that the Picts were a Finno Ugric people in which case the earliest Finnish mythology may have been quite similar to some Celtic stuff we have lost.

[Heddwen]

Thanks for that, I 'm re reading it and can totally see what you mean, Corwen

[Vorador]

I found an interesting creation myth called Oran Mor.

http://www.druidcircle.org/library/inde ... c_Creation

Though I don't bother much with creation I kinda like this one.

[DaRC]

There is also this view from Frank Mills - although taken from a Christian perspective it's an interesting read
http://www.christianityceltic.com/pdf/The_Oran_Mor%20_A_Song.pdf

It is similar to Tolkien's creation myth for Middle-Earth described in the Silmarillion chapter 'Ainulindalë'

[jhonsmith]

Peter Berresford Ellis attempts to re-create one in his "Celtic Myths and Legends".