Cauldron of the Gods

Cauldron of the Gods

A Manual of Celtic Magick

by Jan Fries

Let me introduce you to three words of the Gaulish language: brixtia, *nerto and *nemetos. Brixtia or brictia is magic. We find a later version of it in the old Irish bricht, magical formula, spell, enchantment. Brixtia can refer to a great deal of different activities. Many of them are related to speech, sound and poetry. Among the Celts we have evidence for spell craft, invocations, prayer, biting satire, curses and prophecies that come true. People enjoyed blessings, protective formulae, riddles and storytelling.

The following pictures are selected from the above book. The first four are for meditation purposes whereas the remainder are artifacts relating to the articles and chapters within this book.

Fragment from the sandstone pillar from Pfalzfeld, c. 400 BCE. Up to the 17th century the pillar had a height of 2,20m and may have stood on top of an unknown burial mound. Today, after being moved several times, it has a height of 1,48m.

Cult wagon of Strettweg, Steiermark, Austria. Ha C 7th century BCE, bronze. Height of central goddess 22.6 cm. The item seems to show some sort of ceremonial procession involving nude male and female figures, some armed, riders and deer. The central figure is probably a goddess holding a dish on top of which an ornamental cauldron (not illustrated) was placed. Seen from above, the wagon is rectangular, but in its center the goddess is standing on a wheel. The combination of cauldron and chariot was developed in the bronze age, and remained a popular religious image well into the Hallstatt period.

ARTIFACTS

Hallstatt Period 12th to 6th centuries BC

The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Western and Central European culture of Late Bronze Age (Hallstatt A, Hallstatt B) from the 12th to 8th centuries BC and Early Iron Age Europe (Hallstatt C, Hallstatt D) from the 8th to 6th centuries BC, developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC (Late Bronze Age) and followed in much of its area by the La Tène culture. It is commonly associated with Proto-Celtic populations. Older assumptions of the early 20th century of Illyrians having been the bearers of especially the Eastern Hallstatt culture are indefensible and archaeologically unsubstantiated.

It is named for its type site, Hallstatt, a lakeside village in the Austrian Salzkammergut southeast of Salzburg, where there was a rich salt mine, and some 1,300 burials are known, many with fine artifacts. Material from Hallstatt has been classified into 4 periods, designated "Hallstatt A" to "D". Hallstatt A and B are regarded as Late Bronze Age and the terms used for wider areas, such as "Hallstatt culture", or "period", "style" and so on, relate to the Iron Age Hallstatt C and D.

By the 6th century BC, it had expanded to include wide territories, falling into two zones, east and west, between them covering much of western and central Europe down to the Alps, and extending into northern Italy. Parts of Britain and Iberia are included in the ultimate expansion of the culture.

Geographical range Europe

Period Bronze Age, Iron Age Europe

Dates 1200 – 500 BC

Hallstatt A (1200 – 1050 BC);

Hallstatt B (1050 – 800 BC);

Hallstatt C (800 – 500 BC);

Hallstatt D (620 – 450 BC)

Type site Hallstatt

Preceded by Urnfield culture

Followed by La Tènearchaeologically