¡Hola! Hello!

[Vaelico]

Hi, I’m a 31 years old guy from Spain, currently living in Cheshire, and though I bought the Bard course some months ago, I recently started seriously studying it. I’ve always been attracted to Celtic culture, and since I was here, I decided to join a Druid course, and furlough is the perfect time for that.
I looked at the OBOD course as well, but this format was better for me, and I chose to start here, even though I might join the OBOD when I finish this one.

Well, as for what I already know, I know futhark runes (I have a really good book for that, written by Edred Thorsson), I know the ogam letters, but I’m still learning it’s meanings and how to use them for divination (I bought a book about that, authored by Erynn Rowan Laurie, so far it’s great) and I was initiated in Reiki long time ago, so I know how to feel and weave energy. I’ve always felt a strong connection to ponds or lakes, rivers and trees, and of course all kind of animals, even critters.
I usually express myself through drawing, painting or carving wood, but I don’t have the tools for the wood carving right now.

Oh, my nickname comes from a Celtiberian god, Vaelico, god of wolves, nature and the Otherworld, as well as a warrior god. He is one of my preferred deities. You can read more about him here; it’s written in Spanish, but you can translate it with Google, or I can do it for you here if you are interested 🙂 https://www.celticahispana.com/vaelico/

Thank you for accepting me in this community, I hope you are all well in these trying times, and may the Awen be with you /|\

[david poole]

I am studying both the BDO course and the OBOD course, I must say that although they both teach Druidry/Bardism at my level there are some distinct differences. I would say that they actually compliment each other due to their different emphases. Edred Thorsson, I have his book on Ogham but I found it was not as deep as other writer’s views on Ogham, there are certainly people who go into much greater depth and historical background. Thorsson might be effective but I might suggest reading more around this subject. Paul Rhys Mountford is good for Ogham so is Karen Cater, Erynn Rowan Laurie is excellent I have read this too I will let you know if I can think of any more. Getting to know the trees is essential for this work and will teach you more than many books. This is interesting information regarding this god, I have never heard of him before. Is Celtiberia connected to the Celts or am I off on the wrong track here?

[Vaelico]

Wow, I sent a long answer but it seems it didn’t go through, and now is lost :S I’ll try to write it again as similar as possible

[Vaelico]

Well I don’t know why but I try to post a long answer and it dissapears in the nether, and if I tray again the same one (copy+paste) it says that I already posted that. So it seems like they’re being held, maybe because of the links or the length. I’ll try another way.

[Vaelico]

The book written by Edred Thorsson that I have is about runes, and I found it quite complete, because it shows the historical meaning as well as the magical meaning of the runes. And helps one link those meanings, which is very important for divination and magic. Thanks for your advice on books, I’ll take a look at them when I have the time.

[Vaelico]

Due to your answer I was researching the other day about Vaelico and the Vaccei (the tribe who used to live in the place from where I come) and it’s very interesting. Vaelico was worshipped in another tribe, southern from Vaccaei, called Vettones; several votive altars were found being used as building parts in a small church, dedicated to a saint who could cure rabies, in a place called Postoloboso (“wolf post”). Very little is known of the religion of the Vaccei people, but one of the things they did is offering the corpses of dead warriors to vultures, so that they could bring their soul to the Otherworld. And we know from some Romans stories that they would howl and bark in battle to scare their opponents, so a wolf worship seems likely. Here is a video (in Spanish, unfortunately) about Vaccei and the wolf ENTRE EL MIEDO Y LA VENERACIÓN: EL LOBO EN LA MENTALIDAD DE LOS VACCEOS.

[Vaelico]

It is a shame that we don’t have too much to start from, but it’s something, and I think it’s very interesting and enriches the global Celtic culture. And I’m very proud of bringing it here, to my British brothers and sisters.

I hope you like it, and may the Awen be with you /|\

[Vaelico]

It worked 😀 sorry for the spam, it was the only way hahaha

[Dowrgi]

¡Hola y bienvenido Vaelico!

I hope you enjoy your time here.

Celtic Iberia, Spain and Portugal, are very interesting and, I feel, often get overlooked somewhat in discussions of the Celtic world, especially outside academic circles. This is a shame because the Castro Culture, the enigma of Tartessian and the mythology itself – Míl Espáine came from Spain – are all indeed important to Celtic studies. It has been suggested that Q-Celtic or Goidelic languages are connected to the Celtic languages of pre-Roman Spain and Portugal, namely Gallaecian, so there may be something more to the old mythology than previously believed.

Some interesting articles on the Celtiberians can be found here, at the e-Keltoi electronic journal:

https://dc.uwm.edu/ekeltoi/vol6/iss1/

Bennathow
/|\

[Vaelico]

One of the messages I posted didn’t come through, let’s try again:
As for Celtiberia, yes, they were Celts, of course. Their culture was a bit different from insular Celts, though, and unfortunately we don’t have any Leabhar gabhala for them, so we have to use the few pieces we have and archaeology, as well as a good amount of imbas, to recreate their gods. Some info here: Celtic Life

[Vaelico]

and here: Britannica

[Vaelico]

Muchas gracias Dowrgi 😀
Unfortunately, it seems that we don´t have a Rosetta stone for Celtiberian language, but yeah, they’re probably all related in some way. I’ll take a look at that journal, looks really interesting. And I’d love to join a grove, but all of them seem to be so far away from Cheshire, where I live… I’ll be a hedge druid for the moment, I hope covid gives us some relief on Beltane, so I can meet other druids.
Oíche mhaith /|\

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