ANCIENT CELTIC GAMES
20,000 - 10,000 YEAR HISTORY
After many Millenniums (during the time of the most recent ice-age between 20,000 – 10,000 years ago) of sub-freezing temperatures with unbearable living conditions spreading out from the Arctic region engulfing much of Canada, Greenland and the Russian highlands - creating ice and snow between one and a half and two kilometres in depth. During the first three thousand years much of the Arctic oceans became frozen solid as far south as Ireland, England and Northern Spain in the Atlantic. While on the Pacific side the entire coast of eastern Russia and down as far as Japan and north eastern China - these waters had become a frozen mass.
These freezing temperatures rose and fell intermittingly until between 11,000 – 10,000 years ago our world wobbled slightly on its axis and this bought on the coldest short term snap of all, known as the younger Dryas. At one point during these thousand years as the temperatures plummeted to their lowest, the Arctic Region water withdrawal and retention became a depth of two to three kilometres.
This spread across more than a third of the Northern Hemisphere causing a significant drop in ocean levels, resulting in temporally increasing coastal landmass everywhere. Beyond these dates there were no humans left living anywhere in Canada, the Isles or anywhere in Europe north of the Alps?
Suddenly and unexplainably these thousand years were followed by a most unusual rise in Earths temperatures. This massive wall of frozen water began to dissipate, leaving the plains of central and northern Europe reduced to barren and inhospitable tundra, a tumultuous result of the meltdown aftermath of this 10,000 year ice-age culminating with a thousand year ‘cold snap’. Beyond this as all humans were experiencing intermittent Global warming within less than five hundred years at approximately 9,500 B.P. (i.e. Before Present) the average temperature was as high as, and for a period even higher than it is today. During these times our oceans receiving this constant barrage of fresh water were actually in the process of globally rising 120 meters (with this fresh water having a catastrophic effect on all marine life).
These destructive rising water levels had more unfortunate outcomes with the gradual engulfment of thousands of coastal Cities, towns and villages. Dividing major continents, separating mainlands and with what appeared to be constantly submerging land masses - establishing innumerable new islands
From all over the Northern hemisphere literally multiple thousands of Aryan Celtic tribes for as many years had been migrating towards the equator, away from these bitterly cold conditions.In particular, from the area now known as the Soviet Union and the surrounding mountainous areas where these nomadic Celts crossed down through Southern Russia, on their westward pilgrimage over the Caucasian Mountain Ranges. These Mesolithic warriors being disciples of the elements of nature and avid Sun worshippers had them constantly in search of ways to take advantage of these spasmodic arrivals of warmer conditions.
Over the centuries many had travelled to the west through Poland and Germany. Continuing further west to the coast then down south into France and finally settling on masse around the extensive coastline of the Iberian Peninsula which they found to be rich in natural recourses (This area today has been Romanised from Celtic/Gaelic names to Latin variances with ‘Gaul’ becoming Southern France, ‘Gallecia’ - Spain and ‘Lusitania’ – Portugal, Port of the Gauls).
Much later (several millenniums) as the ice receded closer to its Arctic origins, the constantly rising water levels in the North Sea first separated Ireland (8,500 years ago) and then England five hundred years later was also divided from the European mainland (8,000 years ago), forming what is now the English Channel. Three and a half thousand years of warmer conditions (6,000 years ago) and the landscape of the Isles had changed from tundra to open lush forests.
Beginning with birch trees and then with a thicker cover of hazel, eventually over run with mature forests of elm, lime and oak. Now with the Isles completely severed from the rest of Europe these dense forests had abundance of magnificent giant Irish elk with antlers that regularly measured in excess of three meters in width. Further into these forests there were multiple herds of wild pig, red and roe deer and unlimited aurochs, the ancestor of today’s domestic cattle. A host of smaller mammals were also thriving with uncountable numbers of squirrels and pine marten.
Around this time (6,000 B.P.) there were Mediterranean seafaring Celts circling the Isles for lucrative fishing, thinking they had died and gone to their ‘Parallel Universe’ at the sight of this paradise. Bringing home this much needed freshly caught seafood and now freshly sacrificed smorgasbord of meat of the Isles, with exciting news for their families and other tribes of this ‘virtual heaven’. This was a message deemed to be direct from the Gods to everyone living in these extremely overcrowded conditions of what was now known as the Celt-Iberian Peninsular.
After much excitement and celebration these Celtiberian Neolithic Pagan tribes prepared only their largest seafaring ships. Packing on board all necessary agricultural supplies before sailing north and settling on mass on what they saw as two of Gods own ‘paradise islands’.
Throughout this time of pre-history there had always been sporting festival ‘War Games of friendship’ as this Mesolithic warrior race went about their endless journey travelling between towns, cities and nations. These ferocious warriors with their aggressive takeovers of territories were simply the advance party. They were actually paving the way for their families and general populace and in particular, their Neolithic farmers to follow establishing and sharing their advanced knowledge of agriculture within these newly acquired territories.
These ‘Celtic Friendship War Games’ were imperative whenever they conquered without conflict. As these immediate competitions of specific ‘war-sports’ had the strongest of the passive losers ‘win’ good positions of leadership within the framework of their victors newly formed social structure. This controlled territory was now ready to assimilate as their immediate growth in population would soon arrive from the unbearable conditions of the north. This proved so successful that wherever these Celtic advance parties travelled across the Globe – they always offered adversaries this very friendly yet very serious, ‘deadly option’:
"Would you like to - Play or Fight?"
It had been many millenniums since the CELTS formulated the Funeral Games with their connection to the cycle of the four seasons, relevant to the solstices and equinoxes. These competitions between episodes of warfare were designed to entertain the masses. While at the same time having them Fighting Fit and above all honing their warrior skills - thus keeping them primed and prepared for upcoming battles, a frequent occurrence – as many new territories opted to fight!
These Four Seasonal Funeral Games Festivals were titled IMBOLC (Spring - Vernal), BELTANE (Summer), LUGHNASA (Autumn - Fall) & SAMHAIN (Winter). This last mentioned season being the most important; SAMHAIN being the (Northern hemispheres winter) celebration of the LIFE, DEATH and REBIRTH of the SUN. Astrologically the SUN has died annually for almost five billion years, remaining DEAD for three days from December 22nd, 23rd and 24th being the three days of least daylight of the Winter Solstice. At the stroke of dawn on the 25th of December the SUN of our Galaxy, our Milky Way (with its four hundred billion planets being merely a small hand full of pebbles within the GRAND UNIVERSE) is to be one more time - reborn.
The Druids taught that this was the weakest time of the Sun and all nomadic warriors, when the Sun and its worshippers were most vulnerable. Having experienced an ice-age that had lasted for ten thousand years they had developed a healthy respect for the cold. Long cold winters were responsible for food shortages, sickness and death for many of the very young and the elderly. After these three days and as the Sun ‘comes back to life’ constantly growing and gaining strength and warmth every single day. These Celts saw Samhain was the ultimate time for celebration - as they knew very soon life’s sustenance’s and pleasures’ would again be abundant.
On this astrological date which has forever been the 25th December by moving one degree on its six months return journey back towards the Summer Solstice (In turn being the three days of the most daylight hours, representative of the mid - summer BELTANE FESTIVAL and our Sun experiences his most power on June 22nd, 23rd, and 24th).
Thus these ANCIENT CELTIC GAMES were created long, long ago in antiquity for the ultimate celebration of ‘Life, Death and Rebirth’ (i.e. ‘Fado, Fandango, Faena’) during the never ending journey of our SUN.