What is your opinion of celtic concept of "rebirth"?

[Houssine]

Hi,I'm ethnologue and linguiste,i studie celtic civilisation,folklor,religion,us and coutums...The concept of rebirth is important in the ancient celtic civilisation before christianism religion apparition.Lot of writter call the celtic religion is secret because the bards,druid and all pretre don't writ his doctrine.The celtic religion is essentially oral and secret religion,his transmition is oral.In my short text there lotof question:1 What is the rebirt in the celtic civilisation? 2 Can we name an groups of magic and sacrificial us about the name of religion? or if you prefer the word "Religion" is reserved only for the monotheist religion? 3 the relation between the oral tradition and writting tradition? 4 Is the secret necessair for the existence of the religion.(Please excuse me for my bad english)

[JKennedy]

1 What is the rebirth in the celtic civilisation?
It is connected to the cycles in everday life.
Day-Night-Day,
Spring-Summer-Autumn-Winter-Spring,
Birth-Death and yet life continues through procreation so the belief in an afterlife is very strong because of the examples of hope that are expressed through Nature. There is also the strong sense that when something occurs, it cannot be undone, and so even when we die, the fact that we existed cannot be undone and so at least in this sense we all live forever, even after we are forgotten.

2a Can we name any groups of magic and sacrificial us about the name of religion?
A religion is a religion if people have faith in it and it provides them with spiritual guidance and inspiration. Of course any religion is also vulnerable to corruption.

2b or if you prefer the word "Religion" is reserved only for the monotheist religion?
NO, but it is true that ultimately there is only one universe. Even if you have multiple disconnected space-time continuums you can at least connect them pholosphically and ideologically and so there would still only one universe, not that anyone can every be aware of all of it, but we can all imagine it and believe in it. The ulitimate Cause for which the universe came to exist will always be a mystery, since it is neccessarily external to it, which forms a paradox. The Purpose of this Cause will also be a mystery, and pragmatically a matter of faith.

3 the relation between the oral tradition and writing tradition?
Any religion and culture there are always oral traditions that precede written tradition. Written traditions in one culture can also lead to oral traditions in another. Oral traditions are somewhat ongoing because language is developed and extended by children before they learn to read and write, particulary when they play with one another and are from different cultures or subcultures.

4 Is the secret necessary for the existence of the religion.
NO. Secrets can exist simply because communication is never perfect. They can also exist for reasons of discretion or otherwise with the best of intentions. They can also exist for reasons of corruption. There will always be secrets and mysteries. They are not neccessary to a religion, but they are a neccessary part of the complexity of the universe, which includes human society and thinking.

But your questions are very general. How do they apply to any of the celtic religions specifically. Celtic religions have been changing throughout time along with all of the celtic peoples. All of this written and oral traditions and tribal knowledge and family history is interwoven. We are all connected. That is the legacy. Where would you begin studying celtic religion? In India? In Africa? With the first humans? What about all the other animals? What about the Earth? What about our other fellow creatures, Brother Sun and Sister Moon?

[Houssine]

Hello,i'm very happy for your respons,you are university formation and big culture.The problem in french university is conservatisme in ideas and the university like Sorbonne don't accept thinkers like me.For different reason 1)I'm arab and i speak very weel arabic and french,the racism in french university is reality 2)Second reason the western societies look the ethnology science is good for "primitif societies"like africans trib or berbers...The tird reason is many britons ask me you are magrhebin(habitant of north africa) why you studi ethnology of French Britain of if you prefer celtic societies.Is very hard for me not easy .I begining my studies university in Sorbonne,Paris 1 in october 1990 and 15 years after i don't have any graduation in french university (in french diplome what is his equivalent of this terms in english please) actually i don't have a job and i don't have money for my live is very hard for me.But i believ the great thinkers like Socrate,Copernic and other was have lot of difficulties in his life now and since 1990 i have problems whit french university.The french university have one conception of the life and he don't accept free thinkers like me.For exempl of french conservatism Darwinisme is absolut verity for many french thinkers,french revolution is universel reference...my hope is can becoming of foreign university like americain,Welsh,Irish,Scotish.Now i give you some precision of my precedent thread, When i speak of rebirth i don't speak necessarly of rebirth of the day and the night or rebirth of the nature but in my mind i speak of rebirth of the soul afther the dead of body for exempl the christian tradition call the christ was dead and afther he have rebirth,other subject when i speak of secret societies i thinks about for exemmpl a proliferation of different group of religions or others like mormons,baptist,presbiterian,catholic,maçonries group...I'm very surprised why the free maçonery have a great presence in celtic societies (Scotland,Wales...). Kennedy i'm very sorry for my bad english and lot of error of grammars.You can see my photo if you want in the french britton site adress e-mail is www.bretons-de-rueil.com i'm in the titl cours of breton june 2004 ,cour the breton 2004'my position is on the right and i'have glasses.I don't have competence for insert my photo in this thread but if anyone can insert my photo this give me a pleasure,thanks.