Alixion. Work 2026.

A Collection of Gallic Tales

Writing a book of Gallic mythology will take several years and a few rewrites. It will be the closest thing to the ancient myths and will contain approximately 1,000 texts (to fully explore the subject from various perspectives: philosophical, religious, folktales, etc.).

It's not perfect yet, especially since rewriting a forgotten mythology is a major challenge, but...but...we'll get there, it will keep getting better and better.
With the addition of a table of contents, corrections to spelling mistakes, and the refinement of a more classical lyricism, it will be nearly perfect.

For all aspiring writers, I can tell you this: the greatest writers in the world have always made a ton of spelling mistakes before rewriting.

All these little stories will gradually intertwine to finally offer the true Gallic tales. The initial plan is to use a very simple, basic script. Later, I will incorporate the forms of bardic text, the final versification, and perhaps even some texts written entirely in Gaulish. We'll see.

The text must, in any case, belong to the astral realm; its moments, its dawns and nights, will guide the text into what will become an ode.
Through this process of reconstruction, I have come to a certainty: there were essentially two Gaulish religions that succeeded one another. I will therefore need to reorganize the texts so that everything returns to its original form.
I have noted the following corresponding titles: "The Old Religion," "The New Sanctuary" of Lugus, "The Cult of the Waters," as well as a section dedicated to "spirits" and ceremonies. This is what stands out most in the ancient organization of Gaulish worship. It is possible, indeed highly probable, that the luminous cult of Lugus (physical) emerged around 500 BC, following a dark (spiritual) period. A common foundation remains: that of Cernunnos, the three cranes, and the period of Taurus, which shifted to Leo over the last two and a half millennia before entering Aquarius.

This explains the disparity in perspectives between deities that were initially quite similar. It would also mean that each major period, both luminous and dark, stems from a calculation spanning 2,500 years. It's difficult to grasp, yet it would be so logical... In this year 2024, I realize, and I now understand, why Gaulish mythology was never written down... it is a fluid mythology, operating with the position and movement of the stars. It changes with the calendar. The foundations of understanding remain stable, but the stories evolve. According to the Book of Enlightenment, writing down the first thirty-year cycles is enough to trigger the cycle of resurrections lasting for centuries and even millennia. Mythology and religion are inseparable; moreover, a recognized religion is always shaped by regionalism, its landscapes, and its climate.

I am trying to reconstruct, as best I can, the ancient spirituality of temperate Europe. Climate inevitably impacts the final interpretation and spiritual consensus.

* There are differences in religious practices due to external influences starting around 300 BC.

Thanks to local funding, I have been able to reconstruct a probable pattern of dates for ancient ceremonies. This work is ongoing; the empirical method has its limitations, but broadly speaking, it works.

Gallic Land.

Table of Contents





The Ancient Religion.

Dawn.

Graselos and Histria, at the Beginning of Time.

The Water Dragon.
Teutates.
The Tree of Day and the Tree of Night.
The Spiritual Center.
The Millstone.
The Acaunon.
The Gate of Aidubno.
Cernunnos.
Taranucus.
The War of the Two Dragons.
The Two Severed Heads.
Uindrungeos.
The Race of the Clouds.
Arganos.
Donnotarvos.
The Three Cranes.
The Birds.
The Three Divine Worlds.
The Woman Who Gave Birth to the Sun.
Lugus and the Chariot of the Sun.
The Great Western Ocean.
Taranis, the Justice of the Wolves.
The Great Old Ones.
Cotis.
Pyrene.
The River of Life.
The Serpent and the Seahorse.
The Island in the Middle of the Universe.
The Festivals of the Sacred Circles.
The Great Cauldron.
Time Descended to Earth.
The Abnobae.
The Crane and the Serpent.
Canauos.
Kingdom.
The Seeds of Time.
Caletos.
The Three Horsemen.
The Four Guardian Horsemen.
The Ride of the Soul.
Taïltiou.
The Black Stone.
The First Resurrection.
The Second Death.
The Return of the King.
The Reincarnation of the Dragon.
The First King.
The Essence of the Dragon.
Epedatectorix.
The Stone Giants.
Cosiio.
Graselos 2.
The Stones of Eternity.
The Three Circles.
Aidubno, the Underworld.
Allegory of the Mine.
The Night of the Druids.
The Fire of Ianos.
Artorix.
The Bear Cub.
Andartaë.
The Dragon's Breath.
The Dragon's Claw.
The Brigania Cross.
Aeticolis.
Luxsa.
The Seven Storms of Silence.

The crown of the gods.
Those who bear the trefoil.
The hair of the stars.
The city of the eagle.
The ship of Esus.
The axis of spiritual youth.
The divine blood.

*
Gallic druids.
Cernunnos and the druids.
The throne of time.
Sudecronis.
Dinomogetimaros.
The Dagda.
Animals, the character of the gods.
The secrets of death.
The purity of the druids.
Those who matter.
The guardians of memory.
The sacrifice of the stag.
The two horns of the ram-serpent.
The scepter of Belenos.
Druidic cycles.
Secret Cuculatos.
The staff of the guataters.
Sianos.
Surtogus.
Sulis.
The two white bulls.
The Two Black Stags.
Mount Belenos.
Acaunii.

* Druidess, baans.


Mattres.
The Mirror of Souls.
The Blood Pacts.
The Red Moon.
The Emerald Goddess.
The Blonde Witch.
The Magic of Passions.
The Black Virgins.
The Fields of the Maidens.
Seixarbor.
The Two Braids of the Goddess.

Griselicae Mattres.
Senunae Mattres.
Gerudatiae Mattres.
Andrustae Mattres.
Bergusae Mattres.
Ellitivae Mattres.
Namaue-ues Mattres.
Matae Mattres.
Gavadiae Mattres.







*

Ogmios, the Old and the New.


The Memories of Ogmios.
Ogmios, the Philosophy of the Lion.
The Eternity of Heroes.
The Twelve Fruits.
Olelanus.
Orevaios.
Deusonienssis.
Uerkalai.
The Lion's Furies.
The Birth of the Warrior Kings.
The Sacred Weapons.
Coronacos.
The Sword of Destiny.
Uimbori.
The Spear of Lugus.
The Dancing Sword.
Craros.
Nemausos.
He Who Could Not Die.
Smertullos.
Gabenos-Ucuetis.
Nerius Intarabus.
Boccus.
Magusanus.
Cocoluix.

*


Soldurii.
Donnar.




* Spirits of the Trees.
The Tree-Man.
The Eyes of the Tree.
Perfumes, the Language of the Gods.
Aiduos.
Sylvanos and the Felvennis.
Bergonia.
Baias and Baiserta.
Casfallanos.
Bodoua.
Abelio.
Uirona.
Ovios.
Melovius.
Avicantos.
Alosiokos.
Cuslanos.
Baicorix.
Beladonius.
Abalos.
Giarinos.
The Mistletoe of the Stars.
The Tree Wheels.
Iboita.
Ibosos.
The Tree of the Ancestors.
Obios the Skeleton.
The Seed.
The Leaf of Life.
The Great River of Sap.
The Color of Leaves. Sprouts of life.
The emerald sea.
The wishing tree.
The two branches.
Your tree.
Branches like roads.


* The worship of the waters.

Eriu, the religion of the waters.
The word of the gods.
The gods and goddesses of the waters.
Eriu.
Borvos (Boruos).
Bormana.
BOLVINUS.
Expercennios.
Erda.
Argentia.
Arnemetia.
Nantosuelta.
The triskelion.
Petula.
Barsa, the insolent.
Aghos, the death.
The two seas.
The Eridanus.
The river of sap.
Cannatos.
Nantos.
Abosine.
Cimbrianos.
Govanon.
The twin sisters.
The face of Badabe.
The purity of the waters.
The rivers of blood.

Fonios.

*

The stones.

The Galatians.
Ricoria.
Cailaros.
The pearls of the moon.
The symbol of Luxos.
Boriana.
Fonios.

*


The constellations and the stars.

The star-bearers.

The horse Mallos.

The seven planets of women.

The seven planets of men.

The bell.
The sword.
Atis.
Saranicos.
The three cranes.
Donn.
The axe.
The seahorse.
The mistletoe.
The great eagle and the eaglet. Eriapos, the eagle's eye.
Llamos.
The spear.
The dragon's nest.
The ancient serpent.
The horse queen, Edunia.
Epedatectorix.
Vascos, the palace of the just.
Dexiva.
Diara.
The lyre.
The lion, Nemausos.
The goat.
The whale.
The three sisters.
The boar.
The jar.
The triskelion.
The lizard.
The raven.
The tarasque.
The cauldron.
The fern.
Ancamna, the divine hand.
Moltinos.
The crayfish.
Canabetia.
The dancer.
Sirona.
The crushed one.
The scepter.
The messenger.
The rooster.
Matos.
The lily. The wolf.
The hare.
Acionna.
Iaë.
The necklace of maniaces.
The fox.
The duck.
The owl.
The face.
The hammer.
Kerionnos.
Carrus.
Luxsa.
Tasgos.
The foot.

*












Lugus, the new religion.

Deugdonoï.
The young war dog.
The Tarasque.
The temple of the four suns and the four moons.
The chain of clouds.
Brigania, fidelity.
Grannos.
The underworld.
The dragon king and the sacred fire.
The city of Ys.
The cross.

The new sanctuary.

The three times. The Heir.
Olloudios.
Sucellus, the Patriarchate.
Dunyio.
The Heavenly Horsemen.
Centaurii.

Esus, Son of the Dragon.
Esus' Axe.
The Gate of Light.

The Artionis.
Ageion.
The Rider of Day and the Boar of Night.
Samonos.
Ageion's Lyre.
Aghos' Drum.
Dusios.
Catu-Bodua.
Ianuaria's Flute.
The Seven Sulevias.
Atesmerius.
Atis's Sickle.
Saranicos, the Sickle.
Carnix, the War Boar.
The Cradle of Stars.
The Dragon's Blood.
Maponos.
Gallic Wine. Gallic revenge.
The Gallic rooster.
The seahorse.
The fish.
Camulox, the chamois.
The flower of dawn.
The four grains and the Gallic denarius.
The king's lily.
The winged cloak.
Verbeia, the veil of the moon.
The hierarchy of the gods.
Tolosendosos.
The arm of fools.
The sacred animals.


*

Uellaunus.
The City of Kings.
The Co

The Rooster and the Ram.

The Hare.
Belenos.
Epona.
Damona.
The Hind Goddess.
Nantos.
Acesonios.
Gabenos.
Boruos.
Kerionos.
Sequana.
Automnus.
Bormos.
Marcos.
Nodens-Marcos.
Magos.
Larroson and Lerina.
Xuban.
Orcia.
Magiorix.
The Goat-Unicorn.
The Raven.
The Bardic Chronicles
Aericula.
The Two Birds.







Spirits and Senses.

The Standing Stones.
Ducavavios.
The Sacred Grove.
The Language of the Dead.
Aidubno and Albios.
The Bloody Sky.
Uirocatos.
The sacred vessel.
The sacred body.
Aereda.
Dullovios.
Lagodos.
Craros the wicked.
The wind.
The sacred spirits of reincarnation.

Prophecies.

The Gallic prophets.

The book of life.
The thrones of justice.
The sanctuary of the dragon.
Birth and death of the sacred blood.
The wheel, the serpent, the dragon.
The resurrection of named souls.
Carnix.
Two million warriors.
The last war.
The god of time.



*


Correspondence of dates of ancient ceremonies.

____________________________________________________________________________

Graselos was a god of stillness,

and what was liquid went in the opposite direction,

Histria was the mother of all movement,

A first perfectly round island stood in the middle,

It resembled a high mountain,
The first plants were stones that grew straight up its sides,
These stones became covered with moss,

And the marshy island took on an emerald green hue,

The dragon of the waters.

Some will say of this dragon that it came from hell and flames, but among the Gauls, the druids professed something quite different.
The primordial dragon was, is, and will always be a bearer of life; its extreme and violent nature is the reflection of the final warrior, of an imposing race.
It comes from the waters, returns from the other world to be reincarnated again and again in its youthful form, along with the cycles of the waters. All the forces of his unthinking passions forge him into the great savage from whom civilization ultimately emerges.
The dragon comes from the waters, from the cycle of life, and from its maw flows a great river of history and adventure that marks the passage of time.
The new alliance of eternal blood returns with each cycle of its successive reigns, and for eternity it stands upon the sands of the sea, whose grains are as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Teutates.

The Great Spirit.
The first dragon of the sky had for his sister Dana, goddess of vegetation, animals, and fertility. He was born among the reeds bordering the great river of time, the Eridanus. In the Tree of Stars, he was first depicted as an immense Bull, the repository of sacred light and eternity.

Teutates the Elder begat all movement in the heavens; he was an immense flying dragon, carrying a portion of the stars in his wake. From him sprang Cernunnos, the god of human consciousness.
Teutates was a traveler and conqueror who traversed the skies, awakening all life on Earth in the breath of his wind. He was the father of all the Gallic tribes and the father of all the gods on Earth.
The purity of the dragon's blood, untainted, flowed in the veins of the Gallic nobility. His priests held him in high esteem, and woe betide the wrath of Heaven if men disappointed him; they were promised that the sky would fall upon their heads, and it would be the end of the world. The dragon was renowned for faithfully keeping his word, as his devotees were expected to do. He was a military god, immaculate in his courage, the father of the tribe responsible for births and deaths. To be one of his blood descendants meant that one day, after the death of the body, one would inevitably be reincarnated, life returning like the sun returning each day and each year.
Having descended to earth at the head of conquering troops, he was given a pair of breeches, a bow so accurate it could never miss its target, and his principal emblem was a rooster. In his human form, he led all the centaurs from Western Europe and conquered lands far to the East, as far as Asia. He was long compared to the wind of maritime storms.

In addition to the battle-fighting rooster, the god who passed from night to day and descended among men through reincarnation had as his symbols the ravaging boar of his sister's battles and the lion of experience, that of Ogmios... The priests of Teutates organized the cities thanks to the nobility of the dragon. Everywhere in Gaul there was much activity; everything was made with a smile and the dynamic force of a sacred character, and what was needed was invented according to a very pragmatic organization. This was the time of the noble dragon, father of all Gauls.

The Tree of Day and the Tree of Night.

A rooster crowed in the night to announce the coming day.
From this secret moment, the seed split in two, and on one side, the tree of the dead past, on the other, the reborn tree, grew from their center like a sun. The two faces of diversity thus appeared.
In the morning, leaves sprouted, and by midday they were quite large. From the warm morning blossom, a few fruits formed in the afternoon. In the evening of life, the leaves fell, covering the ground with a lost youth. When darkness enveloped this soul ascending to heaven, only bare branches remained. The tree seemed dead, yet it still bore its fruit, which danced in the celestial winds. When one raised one's head toward the funereal foliage, one could see what looked like tiny drops of light and hear a bird singing prayers to appease the dead. Each branch still standing led toward a star, and their shapes in the night recalled the forms of the seasonal deities of a bygone light.

The spiritual center.

In the midst of all the forests lay the link between all living beings.

Humans, animals, flowers and leaves, insects, worms and birds—all embodying life in its purest form—had an invisible connection to the center of the living world. An invisible link to the world of light, and yet, it was from there that all drew the raw strength to live and grow on Earth.
This was what was called "the spiritual center," a gigantic tree hidden from all, its trunk reaching to the sky, and its branches to the stars. Around it grew sacred ivy, sheltering it from the impious gaze of the Dusios, for lies fed on dreams.

They could not enter this place.
Therefore, there was only one truth, and the thousands of assailing lies could not penetrate it.

The millstone-shaped stone.

We talk about stone circles and their uses for orientation, but we forget an old myth that similarly spoke of a large, millstone-shaped stone used to guide the paths of the ancient world.
There slept a god named Graselos.
It was in this place that shamanic ceremonies of the earliest times took place; it was there that the spirits were most powerful.

A kind of menhir, much larger, which is said to have contained the great primordial spirit and received the sounds of the shamans from 10,000 years ago and more.
This stone was supposedly thrown into the sea when the ancient world vanished. But it was immense, and it couldn't have disappeared just like that. It was just a story; the large orientation stone is still in its place, at the source of the Eridanus, the river of time. Its shape, like an ancient millstone, was the same as that of a good haystack. A bit tall, however, this one reaches the sky, and a spring flows from its base. If there were a center to be found in the ancient world of the magicians, I would wager it is in this place. Stories tell of events on certain nights; cries, songs, and dances were said to have taken place there. And there is still talk of a very ancient dragon that awakens from time to time and of a spring of eternal youth, but that was a later story.

The Acaunon.

The worship of the years, the seasons, the eternal cycles was engraved on a magical stone.

This triangular stone was split in two from bottom to top, marking the light and dark sides of the universe. Its three outer sides were of equal dimensions, representing the earth, plants, and animals.
In its center was a cross in the four cycles of life: birth, youth, maturity, and old age. On its two inner sides, branch-like patterns were traced, like bars counting the cycles.
It was placed atop sanctuaries because it defined the entire truth of the Gallic cult. The Acaunon was the cornerstone of Gallic religion, representing the tree of stars between the antlers of the great white stag.

The gateway to the otherworld.

Kernunnos stood at the gate of the otherworld, ready to free spirits from their physical constraints. He was there, between the living and the dead, between day and night, between animal and spirit, from the very beginning of life. Our ancestors built gateways to stone circles, and whoever passed through them entered a sacred sanctuary, that of the Galatian gods and goddesses, beyond the vicissitudes of the wild.
These sites, where one could read the stars and the cycles, pray, and honor that which is above all, belonged to the Uatis priests of the ancient religion before the arrival of the druids. Throughout time, these gateways, these circles, have been inhabited by the white stag and the dragon, by the spirituality and divinity of Cernunnos.

Cernunnos.

Inside the mountain there was a sacred place,
It was located at the center of the universe,
At the center of the earth a seed had sprouted,
The god who stood there possessed a form half-human and half-deer,
His world was the inner world,
His palace was called Aidubno,
From there flow the seven rivers of thought,
From there that Cernunnos built the Anderos, the Bitu, and the celestial Albios,
During a great anger from the depths,
Two raging dragons appeared,

Taranucus

The turmoil raged in the mind of time in motion,
There was Gari, the loud rumble,
From the mouth of the god came the three lightning bolts of Anmane,
He transformed into a two-furred gray wolf heads,
Taranucus bit the dragons so hard to separate the creatures,
with such a firm grip, for his jaw was renowned for never releasing its hold,
that the dragons moved away from one another,
leaving the central place in peace,
And there was Tougios on the left,

And there was a right, Dixio,
And there was Adi below, and there was Anat above,
He created time, light, and darkness,
He kept one eye closed, and night fell on one side of the world,
Three jo

Their eyes passed, and two great stags, one white and the other brown, appeared at the god's side.
The two deer constantly clashed, yet without harming each other.
They had lost the dragons' bestiality.
They were noble beasts, each possessing the same strength,
The same masculine desire to prevail.
There again, neither animal retreated completely.
The one on the right retreated a little, then advanced again.
The one on the left sometimes retreated, then advanced again.
This is how consciousness was born,
The balance of what was right and wrong.
The god of mind and conscience kept their horns in the form of branches,
One on each side, and there were sixteen sharp points,
Like so many directions.
Among the equites, heirs of the noble dragon,
they were also called "the dragon's thorns." "Solar,"

And each one leads to something specific,
As the ancient warriors used to say.
Teutates.
Day and Night

Night fell on the side of the closed eye,
In place of the brown stag there was a dark bull, very large, very heavy, and very steady,
This bull faced the white stag to prevent it from advancing,
The bull did not like the relentless ardor of the first animal,
It remembered all that had been invented to become dominant,
The white stag was the creator of time in motion, the Ilhumno Gala,
The black bull, which became the memory of Cernunnos, was named Donn because it belonged to the night of Dana,
A third, light horn grew on its head, and thus the night split in two while the day remained whole,
The beginning was the past,
The end will be the future,
And in the middle is the present,
That is how memory was invented,

The War of the Dragons.

Thus the first dragon was cut in two, and time itself split in two. But the two new beasts, driven away by the wolves, could not perish. So they kept their distance, awaiting their moment. The white dragon possessed eternal youth, and the black dragon, the ancient one, held the memory of the past. It is said that one day the young dragon would attack the old one again to seize power over the world, and the battle would begin anew, even more violent. The bestiality at the root of all the world's evils would erupt, and together the two beasts would make the entire earth tremble. Youth would seek to replace ancient memory. It is said that then magic would be unleashed, and it is known that only the wolves and the wolf master could restore peace. But if this were not done, the known world would vanish into chaos.

The two heads were severed.

There were two priests who worshipped the dragon, and these two brothers were named "Anger and Fear." The firstborn was mortally wounded by the sword of truth; he then became the dragon's servant, and the second was born to follow him everywhere.
It was said that they had long since died but that they constantly returned to haunt humankind. Their reign lasted 42 months, and it was a ritual; they performed great miracles before the crowds.
Anger threatened and seized everything it touched, while Fear brought the people to its service. And the first human-like beast was indivisible; it had received the dragon's right arm as a gift. He had given it to him because it belonged to him, and Anger, with its human face, possessed the dragon's power, but the priest had died and then returned to life before all. Fear was the second human-like beast, and it too belonged to the dragon. Thanks to this second priest, the dragon cult spread everywhere, and crowds admired it, creating effigies that moved during processions. For a time, these great dragons, composed of spikes and menacing shields, were called Tarasques. Great fires were lit, and people danced around them. The two cursed priests had each received a mark: one on the hand, which controlled, and the other on the forehead, which commanded. Once dead, they each had six wings, like their father. They were dead, and the dragon cut off their heads to display them in its sanctuaries. Thanks to this, the people of the Tarasque were feared and masters of their lands.

This rite gave birth to the great religion of the dragon warriors and the Gallic kings, those who had to master their anger and their fear despite the venom spreading from their wounds, despite the bites of the ancient serpent.

Uindrungeos.

The white dragon.

Uindrungeos

And when the two dragons were cast out of the Kernunian world, the white dragon was projected above the physical world to rule it during the day, throughout all visible life. And the white dragon ascended into the sky in broad daylight. From that time on, men waged war by day and rested at night in the form of a bull.
This white dragon, who incarnated as a great white stag on Earth, brought time, hatred, and love, as well as all male and human passions. As for the bull, it guarded the secrets of the other part of the world.
This was the advent of Adamos and Donn,

Of Lugus and Taranis.

And the sun emerged from the earth like a seed; on its sides, rays of light formed wings,

And it flew into the sky amidst the clouds.

The Race of the Clouds.

In the very beginning, the cults of Western Europe were similar, and then, after standing stones, dolmens and stone circles were built.
From time to time, one of our ancestors would carve ritual symbols into the stone in the heart of the woods, in the middle of the world.
From megalithic Ireland, through the Pictish kingdoms, and as far south as the oceanic shores, the heavens and their light were worshipped. This involved many different peoples, but they traded, and travel in ancient Europe was easily undertaken on foot, with animals, or even by boat.
There was a ritual game in the ancient religion; in all these tribes, the pure sky was worshipped. Then, with the priests, came the initiation of the clouds.
The participants were asked to see the signs in the clouds and the colors of the sky. Famous clouds that, swirling and crossing the sky, took on phantasmagorical forms. There, one could see gods, signs, and sacred animals.

And each season had its own clouds; interpreting the signs in the sky was part of the ancient religion.
In this way, the gods spoke to humankind, and humans transcribed the forms of divination into glyphs and drawings that retained the style of swirling clouds. The sun, passing through this divine world, gave them even more fantastic colors and shapes... this was at the beginning of the writing of signs and seasonal accounts, when clouds and their history were recognized. This is what the augurs saw, the creatures riding the wind.

Arganos.

ARCANOS.
Agigainus and Acrenus, and many other names, so changeable was he. God of the sacred currents in the great marsh of the universe.

Arcanos was one of the three guardians of eternity; his reeds grew haphazardly along the banks of the River of Time, which they framed. Arcanos's magic was bound to the blazing, silvery seeds that crowned him, for the stars were the seeds of life. Two rows of reeds grew each year, measuring his time, and thus two rows of silvery hoopoes crowned the ethereal goddess.

Arcanos was the guardian of the memories of Gaul's past, the memory of history. A very good warrior who knew how to measure things on earth and in the sky. In the other world, he was one of the three griffins protecting the great eternal goddess and was often associated with a screaming gorgon. It was also said that he was a bit playful because he grew outside the lines. Arcanos knew all the secrets of the known world and all the secrets of the forgotten worlds. Arcanos, also called Arganos, god of memories and epic adventures. The god whose head is crowned with silver reflections, the god of currents in the sky and on the earth, of springs and the sea.

Donnotarvos.

This was long before the light of Lugus spread over all the tribes of Gaul, in the time of the bull, great protector of the secrets of religion. Millennia ago, in the time of the stone circles. The night of eternal time, it was said, was surrounded by two immense aurochs, guardians of the entrance to the sacred city of Vellaunus, the prince of light, the successor designated by all, the sole and true heir to the throne. Uellon had given his name to the island on the other side of the world, and his light there could never be extinguished. A floating island in the heavens that received the tomb of the great king of the past. This noble aurochs, this ancient bull, was thus the guardian of the beginning and the end of time, a guardian of the night and its divine light, which no one could kill, for the giant was immortal in the tree of stars and constellations. The secret sanctuary, whose location men were to ignore, for whoever entered it could not return. The noble bull was the beginning of life and death. Many heroes set out to kill him, and thus, dreaming of attaining eternal life, they entered the blessed island where peace and the light of Eullonos reigned. This famous island, later called Avalon, was where heroes, wounded or dead, could not return to their own bodies. There alone was the light of princes and eternal youth, on an island above the worlds, a place close to the heavens. It is also said that the ancient sacred and spiritual city lies there. The druids, knowing the place, once conceived the idea of building their ultimate sanctuary there, a brand-new city resting upon the roots of the past. The city of Donnotarvos, the three cranes, and Esus the stranger.

The three cranes.

Three cranes flew to the heights,
They invented the stars and the celestial muses,
There were three cranes and there were three wings,
And the sky began to turn on its axis by the strength of those wings,
The sacred wind awakened the earth,
The white stag struck the ground several times with its hooves,
It spat abundantly,
And a great red serpent emerged from a hole in the ground,
It carried within it blood that was cold, but its bite burned like the passionate fire of the Anderos,
And then the great stag and the Bull gave way to two twins in the middle of the night,
For the night was divided in two,
The first inheriting the world of light and the carnal life of those who dwelt there,
The second was tasked with ruling the dark world, that of deep memory and the spirit,
And the two young warriors wore helmets Horned, for they were born in the middle of the night of Taurus,
The first was born in the morning night,
The second was born in the evening night,
The white stag remained in Aidubno, in the primordial light with Teutates,
The father of all living things in the universe, time,
They were given a wheel to share,
Of white and dark,
The two sides of the wheel of time,
of Gallic eternity,


The birds.

Birds in the tree of time.

The birds flying in the sky are like the souls of the gods flying over the earth.
Thus the moon and the sun played, the stars followed one another, dying and being reborn in the threads of processions.
The tree at the center of the world had taken root to the center of the earth.

The wise admire the unseen and praise the gods, and one day one of them understood why these deities dwelt up there, often in the form of birds.
Reptiles crawl on the ground because they lack the agility of the mind.
Humans stretch their arms around the world, hoping one day to fly, but in the tree of time, the only ones who truly understand things are always those who look down upon them: the birds. These innocent birds, able to adapt to celestial currents, surfing the winds of time, played with storms and laughed at the inexorable passage of time. No being on Earth could have adapted so well, escaping the weight of their souls. And then one day, one of them lent its wings to an innocent soul among humankind. This one learned never to fall again and to show its own kind where salvation lay.

The story recounts how the stars change shape and how, at the eight seasons of the year, the flight of birds is seen differently. According to tradition, great warriors wore their wings on their helmets, thus demonstrating their divinity, as if they were imbued with the souls of the sky gods.

The Three Divine Worlds.

So, as the sky gods manifested the world above, it was observed that the animals inhabiting the earth carried within them the gods of the middle world. Soon, some said that powerful spirits remained hidden in the shadows of caves and beneath the earth, since life was present there as well, and this place was nicknamed the underworld. Thus, the sky was inhabited by the gods of perfect, enlightened mastery, but on earth, the gods were closer to humankind and shared in their imperfect lives. The gods of the underworld were known for their powerful passions: envy and fear, love and denial, as well as many other things that no one could truly understand or control. The Gauls prayed to those they needed for help, regardless of their position in this cosmogony, for all the Gallic gods were powerful in spirit, magic, and spells.
This is how the triskelion of the Gallic nation was created, for the world above was the sky, the ever-moving middle world was likened to the sounds of the sea, and the underworld to the earth. Thus, the three realms of light—sky, sea, and earth—were those that embodied life and its ceaseless movement. It was often remembered that without these three parts of the universe, one could neither see, nor hear, nor walk. This triskelion embodied the journey of eternal life, which was constantly renewed.

The woman who gave birth to the sun.

One day, the sun was traveling as usual across the sky. The famous rider soared high and met the moon. By the magic of the gods, it darkened, spreading fear across the earth. The eagle finally caught up with the old king, and on that day, he vanished, and his light was never found again. Loud cries arose in the countryside about the impending misfortune; a dark goddess had taken his place. Then the Gallic land, Gallia, spread a rumor: the next morning she would give birth to a new son who would bring light to the land of men.

But the eagle was also pregnant, and she gave birth to a male child in the middle of the day.
So two children were born, one belonging to the land of men and the other to the divine heavens. From the death of the old king, whose prodigal feats had been celebrated, two sons were born, practically twins, united by the same destiny.

Since then, Gallia has given birth to a son every morning, and the goddess watches over the immortal destiny of the one who was named Lugus.

Cernunnos.

They were built with the eight branches that grew on each side of Cernunnos's head,

And the twins were tasked with moving them around the island-planet,

A young wolf-dog heading towards the first llamos, warrior of light and flesh,
He contained all the warrior animality of the hunters,
A winged horse heading towards the second llamos of the dark world and the living spirit,
He contained all the nobility of warrior thought,
This is how the story of the men of Gaul began,
Like a fight for life.




Every year the cranes came to visit the luminous Bitu,
They would inquire about its well-being,
nestled in tall trees,
Then they would return to the sky at the time of winter,
We would watch these three stars that came from the earth,
During the summer they would land on the tallest tree,
One day they laid an egg there, different from the others,
It was perfectly round, silver-grey, speckled with spots and shadows,
That's how the moon appeared,
It was the first egg, but it was like a stone,
The first dragon became angry and opened a hole in the earth,
And he spat into the air a stone of fire from the world of passions,
So brilliant that it illuminated the moon,
And that's how the sun came,
And how light began to reign over the earth night and day,
The moon had the Past, present, and future inherited from the sacred cranes,
The sun followed her, and her anger transformed into love,
This is how the story of women began,
A series of luminous events in the night sky,
Like an eternal rebirth,
This is how depth appeared,
And there was a before and an after,
Along with a front and a back.


In the beginning, there were no inhabitants on Earth,
And then the woods of Cernunnos grew and pierced the ground,
This is how mountains rose to the sky,
These shoots were as hard as stone,
Some had sprung straight from the earth,
These long, upright stones were the work of time,
And then from Three branches appeared at their summit,
That's how the first tree grew,
Stones that rose to the sky,
And there were seeds that fell back down to the Gallic soil,
Other trees saw the light,
They were distinguished by different shapes,
Some had legs, heads,
Some resembled human forms,
These were the ancients,
The first fathers and the first mothers,
Endowed with great knowledge of life,
They wore dark green headdresses,
And they were eternal and numerous,

Lugus and the chariot of the sun.

When the stone was thrown into the sky, a figure like a man sat upon it.
His name was Lugus, god of light.
And it was he who revealed the woman standing upon the lunar egg.
Her name was Edunia, princess of the moon's light.
She was a virgin, for no one had ever approached her.
Her belly grew larger each time he looked at her.
It took her only 14 days to give birth.
And a mare was given to her to traverse the sky above the earth.
Lugus's stone transformed into a wheel,
Then into a divine chariot.
And a horse with a man's face was harnessed to the chariot.
It was the light of the god that guided it.
Edunia's mare nourished all the children of the world with her milk, which flowed down to them.
And the two young people traveled the earth. Galloping across the sky,
With the sun, Lugus fashioned a wheel for the chariot of time,
It had four parts that made it strong,
Like the four seasons of life,
From the moon, Edunia fashioned a woman's shield,
This shield was made of four parts,

And it reflected the light back to earth for a month; the elders said, "These are the four parts of the world!"


The great western ocean.

So one was born, one lived for a time, and then one died.
Life itself was light, resplendent, joyful or sad, most often happy. Life is warmth, like that of the body, and in summer one lived much better than in winter. Life was compared to the sun that crosses the sky of the mind. And then one day or another, this sun sets and disappears, only to be reborn later. And it was said that the end of the world, the end of the earth, lay in the west, where the great ocean was. It was also there that the end of life was believed to be; the souls of the dead disappeared like the sun over the western horizon. The place was nicknamed the "ocean of all storms" because few returned from it. It was there, on those beaches, that one could pray and build a bridge to the afterlife to speak with the deceased. The center of the world was in Gaul, that land illuminated by the great light of Lugus; its physical end lay in the western waves, there lay liberation. The Dusii could not go there; they were kept on land by the great god of time and spirits, Cernunnos. It was also there, on the horizons of the vast ocean, that the goddess of death and life, Mori, resided, she who dwelt in the shadow of the earth.

Taranis, the justice of the wolves.

The Justice of the Wolves.

Taranis, the thunderous word, was the second son of Cernunnos. His mind shone like lightning, and his irrevocable decision made heaven and earth tremble. The wolves belonged to him, and according to their customs, they were the ones who dispensed justice. They guarded the borders as their own territory, confronting lions and bears to protect their children. Thus was Cernunnos's justice administered, by the men most loyal to their tribes, organized into an armed force that enforced the law throughout the Gallic lands. They were kings of the forests and plains; all the animals respected them, and all men as well.

Cotis.

The wild heron god was well known among all the Gallic tribes. He was called "the god of the projectile" because of his beak and the way he hurled it forward. The animal in question didn't think much before acting ferociously; he was a god of the passions of the underworld, of the great primordial swamp. Cotis was the god of the first, of those who came before others, of the fiery will of warriors armed with spears and javelins. He was a fighting god, but not only that, for he also served the elderly, those said to be advanced in age and knowledge. Here too, Cotis embodied a reference to those considered to possess wisdom. His motionless posture for hours and his way of observing his surroundings certainly made him a god who watched over events. Thus existed Cotis, guardian and contemplator of the beauties and harsh truths that surrounded him. A guardian of memory...

Pyrenne.

On the other side of the visible world lay the realm of the gods and deities of the otherworld. Yet some gods and goddesses resided on Earth, while others remained in the heavens, and then there were deities of the underworld as well. But what belonged to the gods—eternity and all the fruits of the earth—could not belong to humankind, or only temporarily. It was a curse for the sake of evolution; all that could be loved on this luminous Earth was destined to disappear one day and be missed. One of those from the heavens then descended to Earth. It was said of him during his stay: "If he finds nothing to love, the gods will forget us." This was Ogmios. The gods already knew all the blessings.

And few things could still pleasantly surprise them; they needed novelty to exist, and for this reason, they created men and women. They sent this being of light, a demigod, to Earth to find the most beautiful thing imaginable, if such a thing existed, and to bring it back to them.

Ogmios descended to Earth and searched for a long time for the most beautiful thing. He walked for twelve months, and at one point, he heard tell of a mountain princess named Pyrenne. It was said that her beauty surpassed comprehension, and no one who once laid eyes on her could ever forget them. She was also called Pyrée, a young woman of strong character, daughter of day and night, and immensely rich in gold and metals that overflowed from the streams. These same streams, one of the largest of which bore the name of the serpent. Ogmios went to his kingdom and was surprised to find it so close to the heavens; some mountains led directly to the pure and sacred clouds, where nothing had been corrupted. The strong-willed god met Pyrenne at a bend in a valley and was immediately captivated. There was indeed something on this earth more beautiful than all others. He began a conversation using the sacred language of the gods, urging Pyrenne to follow him, pleading with her when she refused to leave his magnificent palace. But she would not follow him, for mountains cannot be moved, and Ogmios failed to convince her. Pyrenne's allure captivated the demigod's heart, and since he could not remain long, he had to leave, saddened by having met the one he could never forget. "Everything has a price on this earth, except me, for I have none," the nymph whispered to him. From their union was born a great serpent that hurtled down the slopes, carrying everything in its path—rocks, earth, trees, and the unwary—with an enormous roar that could be heard hundreds of kilometers away.

The palace of Pyrenne still stands where it has always been, and the mountain's seductive spirit has never left it; today it is called "the Pyrenees."

The River of Life.

The great River of Life flowed through the sanctuary. It rose at the winter solstice and dried up at the summer solstice. This is why it was said to truly flow through the sanctuary at the spring equinox, when life awoke from its winter slumber.

From the mountaintop, one could see the branches of this river of history; it resembled a water tree spreading across hundreds of paths. On its two banks, one was dark and the other luminous, and thus one could see the Tree of Life growing, watered by the sacred river of the Gauls. On its two banks grew the two sides of the tree, and every six months they bore twelve fruits, and every year it yielded twenty-four fruits of the soul and the spirit.

The serpent and the seahorse.

In the realm of the dead dwelt a great goddess. Her throne was guarded by three giant griffins, with hooked beaks, immense claws, and large wings that allowed them to fly in circles.
This goddess Morgana possessed the sacred vessel of life and death, and her guardians moved in the opposite direction to the time of the living. No one could approach that place without perishing slowly or even more quickly.
Cernunnos had tamed the ancient serpent that dwelled within flesh, and it now obeyed him.
Seeing that all the beings he created perished, he overturned the wheel of time, the tree that held the world together. Great magic was unleashed, and the panther of the past and future attacked the spirits of the dead. The one born of the dragon's blood advanced upon the earth. Thus, death was momentarily halted, and the serpent entered the realm forbidden to the living. The great goddess was surprised, but she was pleased by the serpent, for it was charming. Thus, the serpent entered the earth, forbidden to the humans above, the place where the first dragon had been born. And it remained there for an entire winter, for it was always warm in that place where flames and boiling lava were ever-present.
Then Cernunnos released the sacred wheel, and time resumed its normal course. In the summer, the serpent returned from the in-between world, but it had changed. It still had a tail, but it had curled in on itself; it still had horns, but they had unfurled over its head. Wings and fins had grown from its back; its belly was more prominent, but above all, its head resembled that of an earth horse. The serpent, emerging from the womb of Mother Earth, was gradually transforming into a noble seahorse, one of the dragon's descendants. The goddess of death and life was saddened by the seahorse's departure for the world of men, and so she kept one of the creatures with her.

From the time of Cernunnos, she kept the panther of the present with its deadly magic.

It was from this episode, when Cernunnos and Morgana met, that the time of men moved in one direction and the time of women in the opposite direction. Thus, cycles of life succeeded cycles of death, and death brought new births to the living world. Men lived, died, and were reborn.

The Great Old Ones.

It was thanks to this that the ancients grew,
They became giants with animal forms,

covered in leaves and branches that protected them,
Around the central tree twelve great ancients settled, forming a circle,
The first clearing around a gigantic tree,
Coming from the sky were three rays of light,
And the world was illuminated in three different ways,
There were the waters, the rivers, the lakes, and the sea,
There was the earth, the mountains, and the plains,
There was the sky, the clouds, and the wind,
In the center was the strength of the oak,
The vitality of the ash,
And the majesty of the beech.
The twelve elders divided the earth, the sea, and the air among themselves.
These were themselves divided into two parts: flesh and spirit.
And thus there was a tree of the bull,

A tree of the lion, a tree of the boar, one that resembled a human,

And all the forms of creation were in the heavens.

The one in the middle was almost like a man.






The abyss of the sky was all around,
Where the earth's waters ended, it began.
The sailors went far and landed on other islands and continents.

But there was no end to the journey,
At the ends of the earth they ascended to the starry sky,
Carried away by currents upon which the stars floated.

It was said then that all the winds came from the sea, and that if the trees danced, it was to please the shining gods and goddesses above.

And then it was also said that the night winds caressed the cheeks of the singers of the nemeton,
While the breaths of day filled the lungs of newborn Gauls.

Day was to the prince what night was to the queen,
One stormy day she wept on the barren ground, it is said,
The prince of light transformed these tears into colorful columns,
That is how we were born,
When a mother's sorrows were transformed into joys,
In the sweat of dawn is the early morning of humanity,
The sun and the moon continued their course around the island, Scattering their offspring everywhere. The twelve trees around the world never stopped dancing,
As if they were trying to walk,
In turn they carried the moon pearl in the middle of their branches.
At that time there were seven rays of color,
They formed a bridge to the sky to support it,
Seven rays surrounded by high white clouds,
And there were fourteen young men and women who were born for each tree around the earth,
They were the first men and women,
They divided themselves to honor the seven pillars supporting the heavens.

At one end of the bridge there was a boy,
At the other ends of said bridge there was a girl.
The trees each chose their representatives from among the firstborn,
There were 24 who were appointed to guide their people,
They were called "the tribes of the 12 trees,"
One of these trees, in winter, in the 12th month, took on the appearance of death,
And the one that was in the midst of the light took on the appearance of life,

An island in the middle of the universe.

On the island in the middle of the world, these firstborn had climbed the mountain,
They had attained the great purity that reigns above all.
There was no darkness at the summit of the gods,
The universe had been divided in two,
But in these celestial waters was eternal reality,
That which cannot disappear.
In the night, the primordial goddess emanated her light,

Like her absolute will,

From there came life, which settled below, descending through the rays of divine light.

In the twelfth month of the year, death made its appearance,
In the heavens all around, dark clouds obscured the view,
In the great marsh, a cat went hunting,
She was alone, her eyes piercing the darkness of the last night,
She searched for a long time among the tall reeds of the year,
The animal bore three sharp claws on each paw,
And she leaped upon the blackish shapes,
In her anger, these silver claws tore through the black clouds,
In the sky of men, the moon pierced the clouds,
Then appeared the great horsewoman with her cateia,
The fearsome weapon that was the lance of return shattered the dark clouds,
Thus Edunia possessed the fury of the double lance and the shield of light,
With the remaining clouds, she fashioned a headdress,
And the men and women of the earth gave birth to their

His descendants,
It was the resurrection of bodies,
New generations born thanks to the will of the cat,
The shield bore the symbol of the four moons,
It was the link between the past and the future,

The shield and the cateïa were combined,
And they became the symbol of the mothers of the tribe,
Of those whom even death could not stop.

The festivals of the circle.

Gallic myths come from a long way back, from a time when men and gods mingled.
The sacred circles, those called Druidic wheels, represent the cycles of time, the stars, and the seasons of life.
These stone circles served the priests, of course, the ancient Uatis. In that Stone Age, strength was needed to transport and have these enormous megaliths transported. They needed the military yoke to force the tribes to build these sacred circles. The tribes of old formed fighting armies, and they needed a place of recognition, a time to gather, prepare, and speak with the ancient gods.
So, at certain times of the year, they would come together for special ceremonies where only the troops were allowed.
There, in and around the ancient stone circles, they prayed to the officiants for divine guidance for several days, perhaps three full days. At these nighttime hours, they would sit among the large sacred stones and throw torches into a vast bonfire; the sparks would rise to the sky to mingle with the stars of the great Mother of Heaven.
In their eyes and pupils, the glow within the circle imprinted the colors of the tree that supports the sky, and the drums quickened the rhythm of their hearts as their veins swelled into branches full of sap.

Then the priests threw fragrant substances and magical plants into the fire, and the men began to talk and laugh together. Visions led them to the farthest reaches to visit the lairs of the gods of war, life, and death, and to the memory of the greatest warriors.
After the festivities, the men then prepared to enter into the divine myths. The battles began after all the codes of war preparation had been observed.

The Great Cauldron.

The magicians, with the gods, lit a great fire, and the sparks rose to the stars, becoming the stars of the firmament. Upon this rising cloud, a great and tall cauldron was carried. Its feet were as high as the trunks of great trees, and inside the vessel lay the great sea of the stirring heavens. Everywhere, generations and constellations shone. Each birth was a generation and a life, each human life was linked to its constellation, and this was of paramount importance to the noble Gauls. Around the great magic cauldron, the stars mingled, warming the bubbling of the night sky and life on Earth.

Time descended to Earth with the light of Lugus.

And the plants grew. The farmers all worked tirelessly, clearing the fields, digging furrows to sow the precious seeds, and then the rain came. From then on, just before the Ganor festivals, they danced in the muddy fields to mix the seeds with the earth. And then Lugus came, descending from the sky to Earth, bringing light and warmth that brought forth growth. It was at this precise moment of the light year that they realized how precious time was. Kernunos was reborn from the other world, the flowering branches promising their fruit. But the aging people also had strange thoughts.

"We work tirelessly, but the gods are faster than we are; good, cleared land quickly reverts to wildness," he would say. And throughout the light season, the crops grew, but the wild and invasive plants of the Abnobae constantly returned to attack. Lugus brought the light from the sky while the people battled the wild life and weeds, reducing their efforts to nothing. It never ended. They worked hard, against the one they worshipped, to cultivate the year's reserves.

Thus, it was said, Lugus had brought about time on Earth.

The Abnobae.

They were the descendants of the great mother goddess Yahweh,
The ancestors recounted that in the goddess's womb,
There were all the celestial waters,
All the currents of the universe,
And that in the midst of these lay our world in gestation,
That is why they obtained the power of destiny,
All women were heirs of Yahweh,
It was Yahweh who gave birth to young Mori,
Where all the waters begin and end,
Mori in turn gave birth to Gallia, the sacred mountain,
When the moon had full

Sunlight rose on the rocks,
The dawn sun made the sources of light smile,
They called themselves the Niskae Kantae,
The group of singing nymphs,
And their words joined together to form the great river of life,
The one that flows among the twelve trees of the year,
The Niskae had wings on their backs and fish tails,
Their song dedicated its words to each of their branches,
And the trees began to move,
They formed a circle around Gallia,
That is how the emerald gardens were born,
The primordial world where the Abnobae fairies dwelt,
That is how Bélissama, Brigania, Nantosuelta, and their sisters came,

They were as numerous as the stars in the sky,
Watering every part of their territories with their share of the light,

But they were not always as good as they seemed,
For coming to earth with the sorrowful tears of the moon,
Three days a month they sang: "Beware those who come to invade the lands of the Abnobae,
For they would be swept away in the raging waves,"
Then women came, all with three cat claws,
They were called "the three sacred virgins,"
The one in the center bore the two wings of the great eagle,
Her daughter on her left carried within her the consummated past,
Her other daughter on her right braided a silver braid for her,
It was with this cloud-like headdress that she protected the moments to come,
And she was called "the spinner" of the future,
Meanwhile, the great horsewoman ascended into the sky,
She landed on the summit of Gallia,
Her light She descended everywhere across the Gallic land,
This goddess who came was named Epona,
The mother of all riders traversing the roads,
The goddess of horses was the mother of the Gallic centaurs, the equites,
And she nurtured children with the milk of the moon,





The Crane and the Serpent.

Three cranes roamed the sky, calling men to lift their eyes to the heavens. They always came and went together, in a flight formation quite particular to migratory species. In this, they announced the seasons and warned of climatic changes. The three cranes represented time, the height of Gallic spirituality and magic. One of them had landed on the earth to build its nest. The crane of the past had, in its very beginnings, encountered a serpent that always crawled close to the ground. The serpent of primal and animal instincts, of bestiality and the basest desires. So she took it in her beak and unfortunately swallowed it. From that day on, humans were born like animals, and those who didn't know the story of the other two cranes couldn't rise above the ground. It's said that's why babies crawl before walking with their heads held high in the clouds.

Canauos.

Edunia descended to earth in the form of Epona,
Just as light descended from the moon,
And at the dawn of the world, Lugus did likewise,
The sunlight touched the ground in the form of a warrior king,
He was called by many names,
Long Hand because he could touch everything,
Long Sword because he was precise in everything,
Canauos the young war dog who didn't know when to stop,
And many others besides,
And then one day the light of the moon and the light of the sun met,
From this union were born first a son, then 14 other children,
7 daughters with very different personalities,
And 7 sons with similar personalities,
They were the Sulevias with golden wings,

and the heavy, muscular centaurs,

One of them possessed three faces,
And three heads of hair that the sky bestowed upon him He lent,
Before, he was blond when he looked back on the past and his birth,
Red-haired like the dawn and the north wind during the day,
And then, for what he did not yet know, he was nocturnal brown,
The kind whose shape is barely discernible,





Part 2.


Kingdom.

We say in our culture that there is no king without a queen; indeed, the earth, the sea, and the sky are receptacles of life. For the Gauls, woman was the guarantor of the future.

And so, without a queen, the life of a kingdom cannot germinate.

At the center of the world is the seed of a kingdom; around the seed is the woman who bestows upon it its adornments, spiritual and physical beauties that no being could do without.

This is where the jewel lies, captivating bodies and projecting thoughts into a luminous refrain.

This repository of all the world's beauties guarantees peace, harmony, and sharing. Against all odds, they alone possess the great power, guarding it jealously, protecting the future they shape.
It is the queens who keep the dragons in check; it is also they who can unleash them.
I will not praise the overly religious lovers who are accustomed to devouring

Their males, however, women were free among us and obeyed only themselves.

Thus, the Gallic universe was born from the mother goddess, and its kingdoms were founded by daughters. Women gave birth to men and educated them, bestowing upon them the youth of the soul. Courage, selflessness, and fierceness, physical strength, and fearlessness forged the reputation of the Gallic drungeos. And it was among them that royal characters emerged; systematically, new kings were chosen from among the heroes.

This is what was said among the men, but among the women, another story circulated.

It concerned one of these kings; it is said that one of the female lines died out, and the guardianship of the jewel was entrusted to this man. And one day, falling in love with a very pretty peasant girl passing through, he showed it to her to find out if she was of divine lineage, for only one of the goddess's daughters could receive the Soul Stone. Thus, he awakened a very ancient thing within her and released the wyvern buried since the beginning of recorded time, a warrior woman with an indomitable will. She took the dragon's jewel and only returned it in the form of a child, this child who was later named Artos, son of the dragon. Others also call him Arthur Pendragon, the only one among all peoples capable of receiving the sword of destiny. The offspring of the ancient kings, a direct descendant of the goddess of life and the first dragon, master of time.

Since then, the descendants of the Gauls have had this reputation of being the sons and daughters of the first dragon.



The Seeds of Time.

Cernunnos dwelt in the distant sky, and when one died, the god of time, between the stag and the bull, distributed a new life. These seeds had the appearance of small stones, and one could possess only one during a cycle. From these seeds grew a plant that grew toward the light, and thus each life was compared to a plant that needed to be cared for. At each birth, a seed-stone was distributed, and only the one who carried it knew the personality inscribed within. The heart was divided into two parts, light and dark, and it had an upper and a lower part from which its root emerged.

CALETOS.

The god Galatos.
Calet is the name given to the shining pebbles that clash together; this is the origin of the god of the crashing waves, Caletos. He was also a military god, nicknamed "the rough one" because he never retreated. The god who crafted chainmail was also associated with Caletos, for it was he who gave his name to the war hammer and blacksmith's hammer. Caletos was a god of homogeneity and resistance, linked to stones and metals glistening with moisture, a god of conquest. The stone heart, known for its reddish hues, was reputed to be beautiful; its fused clusters could inflict immense damage on the enemy, attacking like great waves. It was for this reason that they were later called the "Calates" almost everywhere, the "Galatians," the Gallic waves of the celestial oceans. His ranks surged forward like a giant hammer, crushing the enemy lines. He was very renowned, and those who joined his forces sought fame. The calluses on Caletus's hands were a dire omen for the opposing combatants, for the blows would not falter, and they knew it. It shone brightly; the vine of the troops offered a perfect carpet on the bloody plains. It was their way of fighting that made them known and admired. As a common symbol, they displayed a triskelion, also called the tricalus, the three waves, and by others, the trisucelus, the three hammers—the three waves of conquest that no one could stop.

Trimarcisia

The Three Horsemen - Trimarcisia.

While Sucellus struck the rhythm of the sunny days with his enormous mallet, his staff sweeping across the sky like a sun of immense luminous weight in a perfect arc, three horsemen rode through the countryside.
They were three equites who had sworn allegiance to a single king.
These three were inseparable; they rode together night and day.
When a beautiful fairy appeared to them, they all fell in love with her. And they lived that way ever since.
There was a song that described their exploits.
It is said that the first carried the battle-axe, the second the sword, and the third the spear, and that between them all, a single shield was enough. Their mounts were all three colors: a white horse, a gray horse, and a black horse. But the rhythmic clatter of their hooves made only one sound. So, those who heard them approaching thought it was the sound of a single horse.

Ultimately, only their weight differed. The first was all flesh and blood and weighed 100 kg (220 lbs), the second was a little older and weighed half that, while the third weighed nothing that could be discerned from its tracks.
And if these three sang with one voice as they followed the same path, it was the middle one who commanded the other two.
Their song was called "a ballad."

Later, during a great battle, the three horsemen distinguished themselves with another song, which was then called "a charge." In those moments of fierce confrontation, the Gallic people gave them names that resonated throughout the kingdom: Esus, Teutates, and Taranis—meaning will, decision, and wrath.

Wrath and courage were intertwined in our ancestors.

It was then that the boar became the sacred emblem of the new kings, and especially of Teutates, the father of the tribe, the bearer of the sword of destiny.

The Four Guardian Horsemen.

Each royal tribe was organized into four distinct parts of the same territory. Each part was represented by a horseman, and thus each king was surrounded by the four sacred equites, each representing a season of life and the year, and each possessing a particular totem animal known within its territory. When the guardian chief had to be replaced, because he had died or grown too old, his son received full power and wore his family Torque, for these were ties of blood descent. Thus, the old warrior was replaced by a young one, who was worshipped as the son of a god. This was the most ancient lineage, tracing back to the first dragon king. The son took his place in the sky, on the shield, and though human, he carried the blood of the immortals. Then the four original sacred horsemen and their totem animals gave way to new equites, religious guardians protecting the throne and the religion of the ancient kings' lineage. The four parts of these royal tribes then each honored one of the new sky riders and their four animals, along with the new king.


The Ride of the Soul

War was a way of life; warriors honored by their names and exploits were expected to be reincarnated after their passage to the afterlife. To cross the world of the dead and reach their new bodies, these renowned heroes, these virgin warriors, had to embark on the great ride. Thus, it was not uncommon to see lone riders galloping through the lights and shadows of the night to reach their final destination and return to rule their tribe. The kings were buried with their horses and personal guards, and so began the race toward a new dawn, to the place where Lugus led them. Their new mother had to be a virgin and pure before marriage; this was the condition for the new life given, for the child, the new body, had to be pure as well.

Tailtiu:

God of the tranquil high plains, he brought peace to those who entered his lands. God of the good life, he loved women, very much. His animal and emblem was a bird perched on a deserted land. He was the god of insurmountable wills, guarding the world of the dead in the form of a raven.






The Black Stone.

And on the path of men and women, all sons and daughters descended from the first dragon, life flowed through birth, youth, maturity, and then old age. At the end lay death and resurrection, but between the two lay a black stone, the stone of oblivion. And only woman, the mother goddess, could remember and offer new life, for the first crystal, limpid and clear as clear waters, had darkened, and nothing remained of the memories of those who returned.

The First Resurrection.

People believed in the resurrection.

The dragon's resurrection occurs every thousand years, for ancient volcanoes awaken approximately every thousand years for a short time before plunging back into slumber.

And with the dragon returned its blood, that of its family. This was an opportunity to reclaim old family names and bring them back into fashion, bathed in the light of novelty, for they had been forgotten. This was called the first resurrection, where the bloodline, the descendants, reclaimed their old family names. Not yet tainted by the trials of life on earth, they were saints, beyond reproach, for this was the renewal of this race.

The second death.

The first death is that of the body: illness, accident, or old age; the cycles of life and death cannot be stopped. And the first resurrection is the rebirth of the ancestors through their names, purified by time and reinscribed in the Book of Life, the book of baptism, known among our tribes in the form of wax tablets at that time.

Yet, concerning those of the false religion, there is a second death, that which is called destruction in the lake of fire.

For those not recognized as belonging to our people are erased from the books of history and fall definitively into oblivion; this is the second death, that of the lake of fire from which nothing remains.

The return of the king.

Millennia ago, the stone circles were built; they too came in threes. The central circle represented the earth, the second embodied the moon, and the outer circle allowed the light of the sun's rays to pass through. It was in that very distant time that the first precepts of our religion of light illuminated the world of the human spirit. At the center of the three circles stood the Tree of Life, and around it, during the nights, appeared the twelve monthly symbols of the crown of stars.

This took place more than 9,000 years ago. It was the first reign of the Lugus lights.

This crown was passed down to the sons and daughters of our ancestors, eventually being physically sculpted from precious metals. According to our myths, the light embodied in these descendants returns to the center of the world through what we call reincarnation.

Thus, the descendants of the ancient kings are still today the vessels of the light of life, of those who fought in the past against the darkness of tyrants, defending sacred freedom and the power of that which, on every occasion, reveals itself to the physical world.

All civilizations were founded by extraordinary beings, people who took up the sword of our people's destiny. Conquerors and true kings.

They were called Teutates, Artos, Marcos, and Vercingetorix, the latter having chosen to save the lives of his people instead of his kingdom, and was betrayed by the lies we know.

According to the Druids—all the Druids—the king will return to fight against the forces of darkness when the need arises, for the light always returns. This is not a victory over the darkness of night, but a battle against the obscurantism of the mind. This is the teaching still passed on to our disciples millennia after the founding of the first stone circle.

According to our wisdom, those who served the founder are still alive, in their new bodies. It is also said that only a chosen one can truly awaken them and will be surrounded and cherished by these former servants. This has nothing to do with politics. In fact, this stone table was always protected by those who later called themselves, in a reworked story, "The Knights of the Round Table," a story inherited from our Gallic equestrian class. The table was truly oblong, and sworn oaths were made upon its sacredness.
Beneath it lay the ancient king, and it is said that his light sleeps until it is reborn on the first day of spring. It is at that moment that the oath of light and the ancient song of the resurrected knights will resound once more.

According to some druids of our time, there was an underground passage beneath the stone.

It seems that to prevent the king's return, the enemy carried the table off to another land.

However, as far as we know, the true Stone of Justice, the place where oaths of loyalty were sworn in ancient times, remains in the same place. It seems that the Acaunon still bears the name of its founder, or so it seems.

Myths are said to carry within them, certainly, a part of revealed truth; perhaps one spring day you will see it appear before your eyes at a bend in a stony path.

For the Table of Wisdom is still there, and so are the boars that guard it.

The reincarnation of the dragon.

In the beginning, the dragon was split in two. One of the warrior myths told how adventurers later sought

They sought to seize the full power of the primordial beast; only the reincarnated dragon could conquer and reign over all wars. Legend had it that the two halves of the dragon were well hidden, but whoever could reunite them would wield the sword of destiny. Thus, the symbol of the two beasts was engraved on both sides of the swords, joining into a terrible and noble weapon. Its point showed the paths to follow; its wielders came from a line of warrior kings.

The first king, the golden sun.

Life continued through its cycles of death and rebirth, and the sun and moon, dwelling in the nest, the chamber of stars, ceaselessly brought forth new life.

And each morning life was reborn, and each year it renewed itself.
The sun embodying the masculine principle and that of the ten kings.
In the morning was the first king, enveloped in his morning robe of mauve clouds. He was born with the morning, a harbinger before the harbingers, protected by the boar of the night until this new dawn of resurrection.
This child, emerging from the mauve clouds, rose from the earth in the morning as a tree would. His chubby face, at that precise moment, took on the color of shining gold, the color of eternity risen from limbo. He was the first king, the king of the winter dawn, a little slow, still asleep, he who was to inhabit the city of eternity.
At the beginning of this morning, only half the face of the one who would later become the new dragon king was visible.

The essence of the dragon.

The essence of the dragon: his existence was devoted to the propagation of life, his animal on earth; his noble conduct is that of Adamos the white stag who follows his irrepressible instincts; his perverse conduct is that of the ancient serpent. Only the Lion of Ogmios, through the rigor of his teachings, could control the dragon. He then became a military leader and the greatest warrior of all. The Gallic troops were nicknamed the Drungeos.
The very nature of the red dragon in its early days was primal; it was the ultimate predator, one that perpetuated its excesses through its desires, its violence, and also through seduction. The philosophy of the Druids allowed them to understand its soul. At its core, in its heart, it was divided, and it possessed six wings, or rather, six limbs on each of its two wings: on one side, there was fascination, and on the other, blindness; on the second, there was aggression, and on the other, apathy; and finally, in the third line, there was shame on one side and disdain on the other. These six limbs allowed it to fly through the sky and ignite minds.

EPEDATECTORIX.

The Conqueror.

He was also called Ueridios, the brilliant celestial rider of sacred lights and metallic gleams in the battles of a rich and noble warrior, or Uragon, the enlightened judge who alone knows the truth and can decree justice.
Among the Gallic myths, he was the founder of the equites' philosophy, the epidatectorix, king of kings and lord of lords. He who bears the names of truth on his thigh and shoulder. The archetype of the perfect knight, he was pure and dressed in linen as white as clouds; he was awaited as the reincarnation of the ancient religion, the resurrection of Gaul. Man and beast were inseparable; he was often accompanied by a phantasmagorical, ethereal form, like a seahorse-shaped ghost. The aim was to showcase and perpetuate the myth of the eternal youth of heroes in the ancient religion, knights who roamed the world on adventurous sieges, all bearing the blood of their Galatian ancestors. This was the founding myth of Gallic chivalry, which we now know obeyed rules specific to their group; they were a caste of deified leaders, and their god was Lugus.

The Stone Giants.

The enormous din of battles could be heard far across the plains. These were the stone giants, the giants of war. To awaken the gods, they were fed hundreds of warriors. After each battle, a great stone was erected, remembered as the embodiment of a warrior king.

Cosiio

At the beginning of ancient times, the first giant was born in the cauldron of fire, high atop the sacred mountain. Fire flowed in his veins like the waters of mountain streams, and a thick mane of hair grew from his earth. The firstborn was named Cosiio the Strong. Then others followed, and soon hundreds of giants swept across the earth. They came to war, conquering every place they could reach, and they destroyed much. Cosiio descended to the plains, and one day his armies lined up before Dana, the goddess of water, forests, and animals. But the giants were not the strongest, and the magic of this mother goddess stopped them there.

where, transforming them into stone for eternity, stood motionless statues resembling large boulders. Cosio survived long enough to unite with the goddess and give birth to the race of men, and then he too was transformed into a great rock. It was recognized throughout the land by its immense height, that of the largest of menhirs. At its summit, it was said, there was something like a crown of hazel leaves. Perhaps it was the tree of the newlyweds.

Graselos.

Long ago, a great battle took place between heaven and earth. Giants from the depths appeared on the plains, led by a great king named Graselos. They were as tall as many men and as heavy as boulders. Everywhere they were seen shouting and gathering; they were truly numerous. The giants assembled during the day before the gate of heaven, and in the evening the sky turned red.
It is said that they are the great ancestors, the embodiments of man's first steps. They freed themselves from the fire and darkness that reigns beneath the mountains. Thus they once came to earth to conquer the kingdom of heaven, but the gods of heaven were stronger, and the primordial giants were transformed into motionless stone. Lugus decreed, and the die was cast: from that time onward, every year until the end of time, they were to be reborn, every year, every morning of the world, every new century. Then, at the end of each day, at the end of each year and each century, they were to die and return to their eternal state of stone. Thus it was said of the giants petrified by the night who were to be reborn in broad daylight.

The Stones of Eternity.

In our culture, standing stones are the receptacles of the souls of past kings; some of them, like those at Stonehenge, bear faces that have not been erased. What we call menhirs today still reflect human stature, and some even embody the personalities of ancient giants. From these towering megaliths, we know the names of each of the ancient tribal kings, for it was they who erected these indestructible stones on the plains of Gaul.
Each one bore the name of the ancient tribal chief of the place where it was erected.
These names were passed down through the millennia; eventually, territories were named after them, and later, they became the names of the Gallic tribes—entire groups bearing the names of their respective founders.

The stone circles are therefore a representation of ancient assemblies. This is quite logical; these places, built in the open air to honor the light, allowed the surrounding families to gather. As for the dolmens, they may be later imitations of the tomb of the founding king. Perhaps if one swore upon them to honor and gain the favor of the gods, the entrance underneath led to the hidden world.

The Three Circles.

In ancient times, ditches were dug around the megalithic circles, and in the center, most often, three circles of rock were built.

We know that these represent cycles, but not only that. The first circle embodied the earth from which our flesh emerged; at its center was thought. The second circle represented the cycles of the moon and the human forms that allow us to be reborn, our physical body. The third circle belonged to the sun and the world of light in which we lived. For us, this represented the center of our spiritual world.

When religion truly established itself on this cult of the resurrection of light, the circles of eternal stones were endowed with four directions, thus the world above became one with the earthly world in the minds of men. The ancient Gauls knew by heart the dates corresponding to the circles; they traveled in groups of four, and it was they who, for a long time, guarded the secrets of Lugus's magic, the secrets of eternal life and of time incarnate on earth. They were called the Quariates, these people who never spoke; they counted. The place where Lugus's final resting place was once called "Lugus Clavariates," the place of luminous magic, a high place of devotion that above all indicated a direction.

Aidubno, the underworld.

The Gauls were perfect miners; the galleries they dug were long and deep. Some of these underground passages served as hidden places for the druids to learn and perform secret ceremonies related to the magic of the Otherworld. Teutates, the first dragon, resided there; it was his personal kingdom, his palace, the place where the greatest treasures were kept.

It was called Aidubno, the underworld, the world within the mountain that led to the sky and where fire smoldered. This place was the other earthly realm, the one forbidden to men, where the

The luminous land of Lugus, the memory, the gateway to the dead, the source of all magic, the place where passions reigned. The center of the three circles, the sacred altar where the ancient souls awaited their return.




Allegory of the mine.

Long, long ago, our ancestors were miners, digging trenches, tunnels, and furrows into the hills and mountains.

They followed the teachings of religion and the eternal cycles.
They spoke of the light-bearer who entered the sacred mountain to illuminate the magnificent gems and streaks of gold and other precious metals.

And the miner dug his tunnel to discover wonders and secrets.
In the ancient mountain shrouded in night, the twinkling of stars embedded in the mine walls shone. These eternal stones carried their light to touch the spirits of men.

So, in the dark mine, the ideas of the sacred took shape, along with the understanding of time and eternity.

And it is said that everyone must one day dig their own mine, in order to find the only fortune that can be acquired to attain a divine spirit.
This is what the torchbearer comes to show the novice; he comes to illuminate things in his galleries, marvels that were already there, always waiting to be revealed.
Sometimes they were green or blue like the ocean or the forests; at other times they reflected the rainbow and the clouds of the sky; even some were red like the blood of the ancestors.

For in the mine were found all the colors of the earth, the sea, and the sky.

So, colors were associated with it: "Look at this ruby, it's the color of our blood and the poppy," "Look at this aquamarine, like the ocean, it has eyes as blue as the sky," and this grass, what a magnificent green color, like..."












The Night of the Druids.

The kings reigned during the day and were often occupied with matters of war with Ogmios. The druids, for their part, shared their knowledge in the utmost secrecy; this was called "the Night of the Druids." Often, their places of retreat were found in the dark forests of Aidubno; some hid in the depths of underground chambers dedicated to secret ceremonies. For they knew the roots of the tree, its trunk on the earth, and its branches high in the starry sky.

The Fire of Ianos.

Ianos is the one who governs the second season of life, youth. And youth is often playful, even unpredictable. For thousands of years, the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, has been celebrated—a passionate time indeed, the day when youth is at its peak but also when it enters religious maturity. So when night falls, a great fire is lit to perpetuate the light in people's minds. In those days, it was a true religious ceremony and a great feast where everyone joined the clan. Coming to the fire was essential, for it was a great recognition of all the members, old and new, of the tribe. The social, cultural, and religious bond formed a circle of initiates around a great hearth. The druids and the Uatis were very busy on these days of great light; they prayed and sang praises, asked the gods to grant this or that request, and cast magical tablets into the fire. On this summer solstice, the light was kept burning in the night, for it was necessary to pray to the light of day and the glow of the gods.

And the great fire sent its beautiful sparks into the night sky, sparks which, it was said, became eternal stars in the hearts of young people recognized as initiates in the cult.


ARTORIX.




Artorix, the king of the bears.

Then there was a myth passed down from generation to generation, that of the resurrection of a nation and especially of its king.

The dragon gave birth to the one who was called Artorix, better known as Arthur. The myth tells of him, that he seized his destiny, a legendary and invincible sword. The son of the bears had as his mother a goddess of war and the birth of the strongest warriors, Andartae, also called Andrasta, the mother of the bears. The Great Bear, inscribed among the stars, beside her husband the dragon and her favorite son, Matos the bear cub.
Artorix lived on this earth and founded a kingdom that went down in history during the Metal Age.
Then the king died in one of his many battles. The destiny of his people, that famous sword, was then hidden in a place beyond the world. During the year, bears are the kings of the forest; when the year ends, it is as if a life has come to an end. This life must then begin to bloom again the following spring, like a resurrection. And it is said of the great Galatian conquerors, they are like

When winter comes, bears fall asleep for a time; death is but a stone refuge, a cave where Artorix hibernates. And it is said that the great kings of the bears must return the next spring of life, at its new rebirth. For Artorix is of divine essence and cannot truly die; therefore, he must return. Winter caves are among those places where the souls of bears await their next life, places where their attributes were once hidden. And this cave where the soul of the great king hibernates is located in the sacred mountain. It is said that upon his return, he must find his sword and the love of his new kingdom. This is a very old myth, thousands of years old.



The bear cub.

Young generations replace the old; it is an immutable cycle.

There is an old story among the Artionis that tells how the Great Bear married the dragon. He gave her all the pleasures of life. And they had a son, Matos, the bear cub who was to take his father's place on the throne of heaven, thus ushering in the reign of a new generation. Others have replaced the bear with a lamb as a symbol because children are usually innocent. But among the Gauls, it is the bear cub that embodies renewal; it is he who, as he grows up, becomes Artorix, the great conquering king.



Andartae, andrasta, also known as Artulla

But Artorix had a very special mother, the sister of the eagle. She was a warrior who had spent her life honing her fighting skills. She called herself Bodicéa, a descendant of Aoife the Great, and came from a line of warrior women themselves descended from a very great goddess.

This goddess was known as Andartaë, the goddess who inspired warriors, and was known abroad as Gallica, or even Callista.

She was born into a Briton tribe on the great island at the edge of the world.

Her family was of noble but poor lineage, and Bodicéa had to learn early on to defend herself. On her fifteenth birthday, she went hunting, for it was a pastime that honored the vivacity of those who dedicated their lives to war. As she followed a shallow stream, following the tracks of a hare, Morgana's fog imperceptibly enveloped the entire region. The little warrior girl became lost and had to take refuge in the hollow of a tree for the night. There, she had a fairy-inspired dream she would never forget: in the smoky, flame-blackened smoke of a fierce battle, she heard spikes and swords clashing brutally, shields splintering, scattering thousands of wooden splinters in every direction. Tall female warriors mingled and jostled fiercely, their cries piercing the incandescent night. The fact that no men participated in the fight astonished the British girl. Through the crevice that had allowed her to enter the trunk, the thin little girl saw a tall woman heading towards her refuge.

She was dressed in a doublet and a long, blood-red cloak. In her hands, a large spear fluttered easily from side to side, as if it weighed no more than a feather. The apparition quickly crouched down to look her directly in the eyes.

Her face was hard, as if hewn with a sickle, and her muscular body contrasted sharply with those of the women she knew in the village. But when she spoke, Bodicéa recognized her immediately. It was like the howling of angry winds; her voice cut through everything it touched nearby.

Behind the figure, the furious sounds of the fight continued unabated.

"Andartae..." she murmured respectfully.

It was indeed the bear goddess who stood before her, the one to whom every Gallic warrior owed her strength and agility. And her future destiny as well.

Even the strongest men dared not challenge a devotee of divine death. These women, it was said, possessed the strength of a bear, were faster than a hare, and their many years of training systematically gave them the advantage over seasoned soldiers.

No one ever knew where the young villager had disappeared to; it was only several years later that she returned to her people.

She had changed a great deal, grown considerably. In her hand, she held a long spear that she never set down. A large, heavy, multicolored cloak covered her shoulders.

These two objects were well-known in Gallic culture; they were two symbols worn only by the disciples of Andartae the Terrible. One hardly dared speak in front of these women; they were always designated as war leaders, and it was said that the goddess protected them wherever they went... It was also said that they all became sorceresses.

Those who practiced augury believed that most people who tried to use magic against them died suddenly and vanished forever.
Andartaë inspired warrior vocations, both for the women who practiced her cult and for the men who followed Artorix's, vocations that never forgave the weakness and lies of cowards.
Thus, the eagle had two faces in her constellation, which was called both the "Great Bear" (the warrior) and by the name of her sister, "the Great Eagle."
Her followers were nicknamed "the pig-slayers" because, it was said, they could kill a full-grown pig with their bare hands.
Andartaë was the famous goddess who killed the demigod Esus by tearing his flesh apart.
For what was most dangerous about the Great Bear, or the eagle, was their claws, capable of seizing anyone and never letting go. Like the claws of fate.




The dragon's breath.

The breath of life is often described as unique, and the dragon knows a thing or two about diversity; at every unique moment, there was one of its creations.

It depends on how easily one ignites, from the gentle breath on the embers to nurture friendships, to the great firestorms ravaging entire countries; there is a gradation in its bestial nature.
From diverted fire to great illuminations, there are places.
Without being too kind, there are coldnesses seriously thwarted by the great summer fires, and yet time must pass.
Heat is life; the dragon's offspring have hot blood, very hot, sometimes too hot, but what can you do? Great battles are found arid in the screeching gorges.
Thus goes the hurricane, like an imposing dragon; we owe it our breath of life. Perhaps it will eventually calm down.

For there are gentle warmths that awaken all those who slumber in the cool of the night.






The dragon's claw.

The first dragon was like the sun, and it gave life to all things. With its warmth, beings awoke and entered the dance of the millennia-long cycles.

This dance warmed hearts and minds; it became an annual festival for young people.

Some were blinded by the glow of the sacred fire and lost sight of their land.
These went mad, and the dragon's claw never let them go.

Cursed are those who sought to rule the earth through fire.
With their spirits gone, their bodies no longer belonged to them. They are ominous priests, no longer belonging to their tribe or clan, nor to the world of the middle.

Their passion consumed them, and they dwelt in a house of fear and anger.
All those seized by the dragon's claw could not live freely; without the monster's power, they became weaker than a frog praying at night.
Poor priests, hidden from the light of day, from which their passion had driven them, they could have no offspring.
All lost their minds; the warriors brought some back to the sanctuaries.

The Cross of Brigania.

In certain places, traces of the ancient world still remain.
This is reflected in the names of deities, particles, old local stories, and also in place names. She was an Abnonae, one of the oldest deities.
She was also called "the fairy Brigitte," and there are also references to "the fields of the fairy." She even appeared recently in the form of a white she-wolf.

Of course, this is the sorceress, a Gallic goddess of fidelity known as Brigania. Protector of children, homes, and territories.
For this divine sorceress possessed many faces; her nocturnal cult was primarily celebrated on four annual dates, revealing four faces of her celestial cross. One of her faces was Borianna the radiant, another was called Bergonia, a third, more austere, was that of Artulla-Andartaë, and the fourth was the face of an ancestor destined to be reincarnated.
Brigania, in the sky, signaled her appearances to the priestesses in the form of one of the seven planets.
It is known that she possessed a large spear pointing to the center of her cross in the starry sky, a very distinctive spear.

She was said to be a very powerful sorceress.




AETUCOLIS.

The god of oaths compelled people to keep their promises. Tribal chiefs, in particular, called upon him during elaborate ceremonies; individuals or groups pledged to serve him until death without any flaws, and even beyond. Aetucolis was invoked in exchange contracts where each party pledged to fulfill their word. Keeping one's word was a matter of pride, honor, and the expression of a noble mentality. This behavior greatly astonished foreigners who visited Gaul. The Gauls were accustomed to keeping their word spoken before the altar of the gods, and for those who saw things only in terms of temporal power, this was incomprehensible. A promise never wavered in the face of the strongest and most extreme tendencies; it was a matter of stability within the group, and everyone knew it. Aetucolis made promises and oaths be sworn, and if the contracting parties did not honor their commitment, the spirits of perversion would descend upon the entire tribe. People did not make pledges to others; they promised to honor the word of the gods. Aetucolis was the god of the sacred word, the word that was respected above all else. It is said that a druid also bore the name Aetucolis, a mage of Atis who knew the science of the gods of the night and of green plants.




LUXSA.

Luxsa, the fragrant goddess who connected kings with the heavens, was the one who ratified the oaths made to the gods and recognized reincarnated souls.

Luxsa was first and foremost a special moment, a ceremony, and one of the faces of Mori. It was the moment when the druidesses and the women of the matriarchal power bestowed their power of judgment upon the new king, demonstrating his worth. This was the patriarchal domain dedicated to specific tasks, such as border control and managing the general population. Luxsa was a demonstration of human and divine power united, a recognition of reincarnation.
It was the ceremony of the fisherman, the lake sparkling under the stars, the stone basins, and bountiful harvests.

A ceremony of the word given and kept, of truth and commitment. A moment of subjugation as well, for when the new king gave his word, all bowed before it, pledging allegiance. This took place in the courtyard of the celestial palace where the nymph resided the rest of the time.
She was best known bathing in the waters, or, like a goddess appearing around the menhirs, she was recently called "the fairy Merlusine."











The Seven Thunders of Silence.



This took place on the shores of the Sea of the Dead, west of our lands.

Long ago, Lugus arrived by ship, and his first intention, as usual, was to go to war.

But there on the coast, the god of sea winds and tempers accompanied him; the waves piled up and the beaches were churned; inland, the trees shook.

The Namnetes wondered what could have unleashed such a storm.

Lugus's wrath stemmed from the fact that no one welcomed him here. The tribes honored various deities, and no one wanted to disturb this period of lasting peace. The soldiers were becoming complacent, the overweight tribal chiefs no longer left their homes, no one respected the ancient laws, and magic and religion had become secondary pursuits. People were no longer afraid of intrusions and were no longer suspicious. Strange politicians were making deceitful speeches to mislead the people.

...taking full advantage of the honeyed nature of their characters.

Then Lugus saw in these customs the future ruin of our beautiful culture, and he plotted his revenge.

From this arose the seven thunders of silence, on this otherworldly beach where, it is said, the dead sometimes returned.

The first wind carried the cloud, and a lightning bolt, swift as a whip, illuminated these lands.

The second wind swelled the ranks, and two flashes of lightning cast enough light to awaken the sleepers.

Then a third wave surrounded the area in several different places, but the fury of the heavens was not yet heard.

The people were seized by cold sweats and began to fear the worst.

With the fourth wave, darkness invaded the sky, covered with heavy clouds. Lightning flashes became ever more numerous on the horizon.

It was with the fifth wave that the deluge of rain and swirling winds began, heralding grave damage. This time, all the coastal tribes were awakened.

Lugus's fury was visible everywhere. Silent lightning cast grotesque shadows into the houses, where people thought they saw horrible figures and creatures. With the sixth clap of thunder, the winds rushed into every house, breaking down doors and lifting roofs. The immense approaching storms illuminated the nights as if it were broad daylight.

It was with the seventh clap of thunder that the wrath of the god of light and Tanarian magic was heard.

The noise exploded everywhere in a renewed fury. Never had such anger been seen in a sky god. The soldiers awoke, and the chieftains took up arms again. Provisions were gathered, and they returned to the abandoned fields.

No one would have dreamed of going against the will of the warrior god.

His anger during those days was imprinted on the minds of those who had seen him, so they took up arms again and prepared for the year's conquests to appease the god of merciless warriors.

The deceit of the orators who had fostered fatalism and discouragement were severely punished. They, who had led their people to deafness and blindness through hope and complacency, were treated like the thieves they were. In their minds still echoed the seven thunders of the threatening soul, of bitterness and restraint that keeps men standing until they have fulfilled their duty.











































The City of Kings.


Uellaunus.

Once a year, at the summer solstice, a great ceremony called Sulis was held.
A grand banquet was held, and a great fire was lit and burned all night before and after to illuminate the sky.

Between the two great fires, the day was the longest of the year.

This time belonged to the favorite son of the great goddess, the one called Uellaunus, the eaglet, better known as young Lugus.

On that day, the Prince of Light ascended to the throne of heaven and entered his period of maturity, that of the Third Horseman.

This time was also called the "Day of the Sickle" because a cut was made in the life of the seasons, and between the two shortest nights of the year, harvesting began at this precise moment. A great Druidic ceremony took place, and justice for the year began to be dispensed; all the Druids from all the tribes gathered.
On the longest day of the year, Uellaunus also attained wealth; he took command of the armies and began the conquest of new territories; he became Vincius the Conqueror. An old story says that every year he had to return to take his place, and he was nicknamed "King of the Clover and of the Knights."




The Crown of the Gods.

It was amidst the ancient cromlechs that the magicians of that time resided; they embodied the omnipotence of a spirituality known throughout our ancient lands. The conquerors possessed the boar's sword and were given a helmet. They were of divine blood; they had to wear the crown of the stars, the embodiment of the power of the wise. A blacksmith of brass and bronze thus forged the metal to give life to what existed up there. This helmet was adorned with the three circles of the world; it bore the motifs of the great forest of eternity, cloud-like spirals encircling the great stars of the sky, as well as some of the animal motifs that served as references to conquering royalty; the bee was among them. It was mistaken for the lily. It was covered in gold leaf, and its point indicated the star at the center of the sky on Gallic nights.
It is said that the gods severely punished all those who dared to take it and who were not worthy of it.
This helmet, so unique because it was deified, served as a model for the crowns of later kings and also for headdresses worn by religious officiants.

European regions.

And then there was the story of the shield of Lugus; again, only the Gallic kings wore it, and it is true that it was on this shield that they were carried in victory.









The Gallic horse.

From what we know, a giant roamed the plains and mountains of the Gallic lands. He was so immense that his image was lost in the dark night cast by his shadow. He was a great rider mounted on a horse that never stopped running. Each time one of his hooves touched the sky above the men, he left a moon-shaped imprint. According to the village elders, he was so great that a single one of his steps marked an entire season. And according to the legends, the four tracks left in the year formed a circle, as the giant galloped around the earth, a circle of four hoofprints, like a four-leaf clover, like the temple of the four moons.

There is a legend that has come down to us recalling the famous horse that traveled through time and the great warrior who guided it to visit its lands. Just last year, in Brittany and elsewhere, it was nicknamed...the Morvan, but that's a more modern name because this famous giant and his steed are as ancient as the sun upon which Lugus sits.
The white throne meant to receive reincarnations is the throne of light, white as the sun; the moving throne was this steed upon which the chosen of the gods were carried. This famous white horse that begins its journey at dawn glowing red and ends it the same way, entering the dark night.

And on the horse were two faces, that of the past and that of the future.

The Four Kings.

Years passed, and kings succeeded one another in the sunlit squares.

But sometimes those who ascended to the thrones stole them from others.

Normally, all those with divine rights could lay claim to the crown of heaven.

This caused many problems with succession.

Long before the druids, there were the Uatis,

a kind of being invested with divine right,

and magical powers as well. They were the first devout kings, the Quariates.

For those who became regents and kings,

it was not easy to gain acceptance from all members of the tribe.

It was decided, after a disastrous misadventure,

that the divine leader should be chosen by four Uatis,

and each of these shamans presided over his own tribe.

The renowned king was to be the one chosen by the four Uatis and the four tribes that comprised his people.

They were all products of the magic of Lugus and his cult.

For this reason, they were called the devout kings, and the one destined to sit on the throne, the future king, was invested with the powers of the light of the four.

From four magician kings, only one was made, and this one was the first of the four Uatis.

These priest-kings later became the druids.

And the same sacred organization was maintained for a long time in all the Gallic kingdoms.

There were four tribes in all,

Each had a chief, a Uatis,

And from among these four Uatis (Caruatis), the one who would rule over the four tribes was chosen. Long ago, the four parts of the people elected their supreme leader.

Each of these priest-kings wore a helmet adorned with a representative animal during the election, for humankind is a religious animal.

The ceremony was magnificent, and the people came to witness it from four directions to gather around the circle of ancient sacred stones.



The heads of the five kings.

And the great history of the past was passed down from family to family, from bard to bard. The druids themselves kept the heads of the ancient kings to preserve their memory.

It is said that five kings lived before the one who awaited his next reign appeared.

There was one with a shaved head, one with a full head of hair, one with fine hair, a fourth with a headdress, and the fifth who wore the crown.

Each represented naked power, the richness of teaching, subtle wisdom, the strength of demonstration, and the honor of wearing the crown.

Of these five monarchs, all were eager for history: the first was naive, the second curious, the third enterprising, the fourth recognized, and the fifth crowned.

Since the end of the noble reign, those who succeeded him founded a dynasty of blood. It is said that at the refounding of the city of the dragon, they will always be remembered, and their skulls were long preserved or sculpted in remembrance.






The sixth king.


There is no king without a queen; the sixth king was one of fidelity, the pursuit of truth, and the building of the nation.

The Gallic kings did not marry women to become kings; they married before...

Her city, its history, and all these things belonged to her. For indeed, royal cities were considered jewels not to be shared, and the queen, heir to these lands, also served as the mother of their great history. Whoever sat upon the throne therefore had no other choice but to protect her and prevent any possibility of sharing. For one does not share one's wife, one's mother, one's city and its riches when one is king, and especially not its millennia-old history. These queens had the reputation of goddesses because they were absolute mistresses of their lands and their kings. Such was the way, and if one of these cities were to be sold to other dogmas or cultures, the woman could be repudiated and go from goddess to whore; it was a true religion. This sixth king belonged body and soul to his queen, who bestowed upon him his luxuries and fortune. His was a king of obligatory, religious fidelity, and also of unconditional love. By marrying his queen for life, he wed the grand history of his lands. His life now belonged to her, and the war could not be lost as long as the one who was to defend it more than any other goddess still had a breath of life left.

The Two Faces of the King

Every being is divided into two equal and complementary parts. The first face is that of mature and pragmatic men, while the second is devoted to religion and metaphysics.

When his education as a young man is complete, from the middle of his sixth year onward, the chosen one must display the dual nature of a religious scholar, philosopher, and magician, complementing his physical duty as regent of a kingdom. For 42 months, the remainder of his education, the king becomes a druid, representing the Gallic gods in their land.

For 1260 days, he learns sacred poems and forges his spirit in what he will later represent, before finally dying to be reincarnated in that same spirit.

For 1260 days, he learns and teaches the six spirits and understands the desires that govern the world.

He tirelessly repeats the chronicles and bardic poems of his story during the ten hours that will be ten lines a day.

The Seventh King.

The seventh king is the new dragon king, or rather, the benevolent living lion, the king of mastery and truth, the blood descendant of the ancient lineage. He is the one who reigns and indulges his desires.
He is the one who decides and wages war against other nations or other religions. He is the physical king, the military king. He was raised to rule and fight on the land of men; he is an insatiable conqueror, and this is his misfortune, for peace of mind is forbidden to him. He was once a naive lamb, a child at heart, and gradually became a mature and resolute leader. Yet this seventh is cursed, for his quest for the better has run dry.
He is also the one who must father offspring and decide whether the child will become a warrior or a druid.
He possesses ten authorities over time during the day, for he has the power to decide on justice, the actions of the state, and the future of his country. He has complete control over the history of his city and his people. The dragon does not fight to destroy others in Gaul; he fights above all to preserve his civilization. He thus embodies the great mythical warrior, the dragon of the dark and light year until the end of his life.

The last three kings.

The last three kings do not exist physically; they are born and evolve with the seventh. For the seventh king is the only one who reigns.

The eighth is the king of religion and heavenly justice. He possesses the magic of the priests and interacts with the gods. This is the eighth hour for prayer.

The ninth is the king of the end of life—old age, accident, battle, or illness. It is the evening of life, but he is still deferred to; he still holds authority.

The tenth king is also the king of the final hour. He is the one who enters history, into the great river carrying tales, myths, and legends of the past. It is his story that families will tell each other during evening gatherings to preserve his memory and his authority. This is the tenth hour, before going to sleep.



Those who wear the clover.

Death and reincarnation were commonplace; the Gallic lords returned, life after life, cycle after cycle. The druids knew the words and incantations of survival; it was a religion of magic. The teachings of Ogmios concerned the warriors, and those of Cernunnos concerned the druids. The cult of four horsemen who could not die, having ascended to the heavens, persisted for a long time; this was the cult of the four moons, the one that formed the trefoil and the cross of the seasons. When druids died, they were clothed in white, for that is the color of the clouds that pass through them.

During the day, Cernunnos was a liberator of the soul and spirit. The nobles, for their part, wore on their faces, often on their cheeks, the design of the famous four-leaf clover, a symbol of those eternally destined to be reborn and return to lead their people. It was the clover of kings.











The Hair of the Stars.

The Gallic lords had a tradition concerning their hair.

The spiritual tree was a plant whose tips touched the sky. Their spirits were connected to the stars, and their hair rippled in the sky; lights from the reflections of their hairstyles adorned their heads like starlight. Each time a new shoot emerged, a new day dawned, and abundant hair was a sign that the tree had grown, with illuminated buds appearing on it. The sky deity was worn as a headdress, and the nobles counted the hours in their beautiful hairstyles.




The City of the Eagle.

The City of the Eagle was a holy city that existed only in the realm of gods and goddesses. Indeed, the evils of the earth could not touch it, and it remained untouched by all defilement.
It was a dream city desired by the seventh dragon king, who alone entered it, and with him came the serpent.
He supported the city on his seven horns, but with the seventh came the time of gratification. The first six kings had armed themselves with patience, and when the time came to sit upon the perilous throne, all manner of perversions arrived.
The eagle woman was city, town, and civilization. The waters of the great river of history flowed through its center. Then the holy woman who reigned over men faded away, and every desire was fulfilled.

Until the worst. By investing her with dreams of riches, beauty, comfort, provisions, delicacies, protection, and servants, they were consumed in a short time. Perfumes, glances, diverse tastes, pleasant textures, music—all of this evaporated, and the fulfilled desires were no more. The sixth king was that of desire, the seventh that of gratification. And the inhabitants of the earth cried out against her who protected them, for they had lost her. The woman of all beauties, she who had shown so much, was lost forever.

Before this, she was the mistress of all unfulfilled desires, the sacred virgin whom no one was to touch.

Later, a new king was born. Mindful of the lessons of the past, he decided to build a new city whose walls would forever be impenetrable to the inhabitants of the earth.
The new Gallic cities then belonged to the will of the masters. They alone carried their wishes for riches and glory to the new kings, and civilization was reborn because they remained unattainable for them. The Gallic masters carried the will of heaven. As for the seventh dragon king, he went to war against the rest of the world to serve the new virgin city, never to return. And thus, dreams forever inspired the grandeur of Gallic civilization.


The Ship of Esus.

Esus cut the branches of the Tree of Stars and with them he was able to build a ship.

There were twelve frames on each side, and in all he assembled 24.

The hull was almost flat, and its keel ran its entire length; it was 30 feet long. At the stern was the sailor, the one who remembered all the places he had sailed. The stern was higher than the bow because it was where the treasures of the past were stored. Right in the middle of the ship, a large mast with four sides was planted; it was there that the sailors sang, and it was shaped like a sacred cantalon. At the front of the ship, on the deck, Esus gave the course, indicating the future direction with his shipwright's axe. The sailor at the stern, nicknamed the archivist, held a large rudder. It was based on his knowledge that he turned the wheel with a swift turn, for he knew the passages.

The ship glided across the celestial waters, and many fish with shimmering scales approached the vessel and its crew to admire their reflection in the light. This ship, being the vessel of time, held the secrets of the stars and the seasons; it was the one that carried the souls of the dead to their next life.



The axis of youth and the spirit of worship.

The two great divine principles, the feminine defender and memorial, and the masculine creator, Dana and Cernunnos, had bestowed youth and health upon their cult son, Belenus.

Belenus was made king over the primordial paradise and all its abundance; his pillar was an immense tree towering above the animals.

The tree of this eternal youth understood the principles of time past and new beginnings.

It possessed four main branches, stylized in the form of an immense lily. Two large leaves and two small leaves

They supported an eternal central bud, the youth of the spirit to come and its worship.
It was from this tree that Belenos later fashioned a healing staff, around which the ancient serpent had coiled.
With the two large leaves and the two small ones, four animals were chosen to represent the cult on earth.
Dana displayed the great bull of eternal life and the full power of the cult, and the smaller griffin, guardian and defender of the living soul. Cernunnos, for his part, brought the great white stag of untamed virility and the sacred boar of fierce battles.
Thus, the four fantastic animals surrounded the pillar tree of the cult and the spirit of the druids in the primordial paradise.
The three gods in the sky, Dana, Belenos, and Cernunnos, each placed one foot on paradise and the other on the standing stone that led to heaven. And so the druids of Belenos became the priests of renewed life and the guardians of health.
This famous tree, this pillar of worship, this axis of the Gallic religious world, was the tree of renewed youth; today we call it the tree of spring, or the tree of May.

In those days, it was the time when the willows shed their white, pure down, like clouds. Incredible masses of it could be found along the waters that adorned both banks of the River of Time.

Divine blood.

Gallic blood.

According to the oldest stories, the dragon was the father of all creatures of blood.

It was from him that life came.

He was also the father of the Galatians, the Celts; indeed, there is a story about this in the Book of Lights. Before the very first Gallic child was born, it is said that a great storm ravaged the ocean coasts. The dragon encountered the first woman, red-haired like the moon, and was overcome with passion, a great inner force stirring within him. And he turned toward her.
Then the first wind arose, and the living leaves stirred in a dance.
And then a second wind carried the dead leaves far away.
A third wind cleared the red dawn, and soon the storm began.
With the fourth wind, passions swept away what remained of reason.
With the fifth, the earth trembled.
With the sixth wind, the inevitable happened, and the pressure in the dragon's veins could be heard.
Thus it was done with the seventh wind: the divine blood was passed on to a new being; the Gallic child was born. So, since the wind, it is said, speaking of the sound it sometimes makes as it reaches our ears, is like the passionate blood of our ancestor, and it is said that life and their divine nature were transmitted to our forebears. That is why we are called the Deugdonios, because of the blood flowing in our veins.


















Gallic Druids.





Cernunnos and the Druids.

Cernunnos was directly descended from the dragon; he was above all the god of consciousness and the philosophical mind. He was the most ancient of all the gods, the father of spirits, the father of dreams. His stag antlers grew and fell each year; he was the god of life and death, of thought and body, of animality and spirituality.

And the Gallic druids drew inspiration from his teachings to establish the first cult.
Cernunnos was the good god, the dagda, the animality and the divine spirit united, the one who made the heart of the world beat, of days and nights.

The throne of time.

The grains of days and nights flowed from the sack of Cernunnos.
Weeks followed, fortnights, months, seasons, and semesters nourished the year.
The throne of Cernunnos, its strength and stability, compelled the tribes to always remain connected to it. Time can do anything, except turn back time, so the tribes organized themselves around it, like an ancient stone circle.

Only at night could they be freed from the wear and tear of life and the dangers of light. Lugus was merciless with men; he conducted his affairs harshly. His magic brought about great things; his goal was humanity, which had to progress and attain divinity like him. So, a few times a year, they took refuge at night in the peace of the spirits, conspiring with the master of dreams who opened other paths and more blissful visions.

No one could move time or his immovable throne; no one could change the course of the stars, the moon, and the sun, not even Lugus. The great god above all existed beyond the throes of the physical world, and his throne had existed since he created the earth and its inhabitants—men, animals, plants—to whom they owed their existence, their decay, and then their death. Only the stones seemed to resist the ceaseless movement, these enormous stones that were planted, in groups or alone, allowing one to cling to one's history, that of each tribe, and also to preserve memories.

Indestructible stones that form the foundation of civilizations.
These great menhirs, which Lugus himself had erected to prevent humankind from reverting to savagery, were the stones of history.

The throne of Cernunnos, however, stood at the center of the universe. The stones of Lugus were used in processions; they marked the ancient paths that led to the spiritual center.







Sudecronis.

Humans sought Minman, the fulfillment of reincarnation, and some of their people entered caves to dream.
These mounds were called "Sudecronis," meaning the embers of Cernunnos. These places were covered in shimmering greenery that brought them closer to the heavens. It is said that the god of time sleeps there, in these peaceful hollows with their gentle atmosphere; it is within these caverns that the ills of the mind are healed. The druids ordered the construction of the first burial mounds based on this model. Priors would come there to reflect, sheltered from the unsettling light of the creative world of light. Later, kings were buried there, in a spiritual eternity that was, in a sense, relative.

These places of inner peace were transformed at night into places of eternal peace, guarded by

Sediammos, the god of torchlight processions, who circled the sacred sites. He maintained the gentleness, kindness, and peace of the places he protected.

DINOMOGETIMAROS.

Dinomogetimaros was a divine title, that of the high druid overseeing all the Gallic druids. His spiritual tree encompassed all the disciples of Cernunnos.

He was the protector, the great adult, invested with the magic of the gods. The sole master of all the nemetons (sacred places), it was a title of nobility bestowed upon a great magician, the one who brought the light of dawn to the world during his time of service. He made swift decisions of justice that all listened to attentively, for he was the great protector, possessing all powers, including the power to condemn to death.

The Dagda.

In Celtic mythology in general, the Dagda is the brother of Ogmios, that is to say, Cernunnos. This Gallic Dagda, also known as Dagos or Dagodévios, was the figure of the good father, the fertile progenitor. However, in Gaul, he acquired a warlike dimension under the name Dagda, as if he were teaching the secret of life after death, that of souls liberated and transmitted, that of the transmission of life.
He is the god of the night sky, and at his side stands the moon goddess, Edunia, while Ogmios, the solar god of reincarnation, is that of the daytime sky, ever reappearing. He was thus a god of magic, reigning over the ancient cult, the possessor of secrets and divine paths. When he appears in the night sky, Cernunnos no longer wears the antlers of the earthly stag; Dagda wears the crown of the sky and the constellations.




Animals, the character of the gods.

We have great gods and lesser ones, some who dwell by day and others by night.

And on Earth, it is said, in the physical world and in the magical world, animals are their messengers, those who come to bestow their spirits upon humankind.
Thus, among the Gauls, each plant is the receptacle of a graceful spirit, each animal a messenger come to impart a trait of the gods' character, for the gods are living, eternal, omnipresent within us and around us. They are the ones who gave us the human spirit; their differences are gathered within us; we are deugdonï, the character of the gods and goddesses.
The boar taught us fury, the horse gave us its will to run, the majestic stag showed us how the great reign, the merciless eagle tells us that one must feed one's young by killing fiercely.
This is the character of the gods, the finest living demonstration of all natural powers.

So these animals, these plants, those that live by day and those that live by night, are all deified, for they know the omnipotence of life in its various forms.




The secrets of death.

The ancient druids were magicians; they knew many buried secrets.

By studying the physiology of plants and animals, it is said that they discovered the secrets of death and great anger.
There was a glyph to represent this knowledge: a singing bird before the entrance of liberated souls.
Then, in the sky, the crow sang loudly to appease the souls; wild life had to die out and its anger subside.
At those times, people believed in spirits and revenants full of hatred. To avoid misfortune, the masters had to speak to them and lull them to sleep for the final journey of this life.
Then the ever-vigorous panther ceased to run.

In the right hand of the great druid Guatater was the glyph of the singing bird, its prayers and odes to the warriors' past lives.

These secrets of the afterlife and the souls' repose were known to few initiates as well.

And the crow mothers sang on the battlefields strewn with corpses, so that all might finally relinquish their fighting rage and enter a period of well-deserved rest until their reincarnation.

The purity of the druids.

Births continued, the youth and maturity of men passed. To reach old age alive and well at that time was considered miraculous. It was said that the first three ages of human existence were necessary stages in life's journey; to live, one had to fight. Each of the three ages had its own zodiac, its six complementary planets, as the Druids said. There is a time for everyone; the first three ages of the human beast each had six wings, 666.
And then came old age, the age no longer necessary for the living animal, for the needs of perpetuating the physical.
Then those who had conquered the times of the human beast entered the sanctuary of purity.

For only the old could properly attend to spiritual matters, they who no longer had the need or the strength to participate in the building of the Gallic territory. So they entered the place of unhindered spiritual purity, and there they honored the gods and goddesses of Gaul.

The Filth and the wear and tear of age did not touch them; they raised their souls far above that, preparing to enter the other side of the world, the aidubno, to await the moment of their rebirth. They had to remain pure and set an example in the many Gallic druidic ceremonies during the years they had left to live.

And they no longer knew hatred, lies, or fear.




Those who matter.

Since the dawn of humanity, certain people were believed to possess magical and seer powers, enlightened beings.
Those who made prophecies wielded the art and knowledge of time; they knew the seasons and humankind.

Our druids counted time from its very beginnings, and as they say, "they counted for the tribe"; they were very important for the conduct of affairs. This way of measuring time, through numbers, was associated with the blows of the enormous hammer of Sucellus, the god of foresight.
So the druids counted time in hammer blows.
It was also said that the tradition originated with the builders of the ancient megalithic sanctuaries. Except that in that distant era, they counted in "axe blows," because those could be clearly heard through the thick forests.

And these axe blows resonated for a long, long time thanks to their echo.
The sound waves coming and going in intermittent waves belonged to a repeating god.
So the druids counted cycles, ceremonies, stories, and possessions.
They counted in hammer blows or axe blows that resonated for centuries.




The guardians of memory.

The druids became a powerful caste, consulted on all matters, judges above men, their divine aura far preceding them.

The sea urchin was the symbol of those who preserved the memory of Gaul; they knew the lineages, determined inheritances, and no one ever dared contradict those inspired by the gods.

They knew everything about everyone: families, tribes, territories, borders.

And also the myths concerning heroes, examples, public morality, and the repertoire of medicinal plants.

Without the Gallic druids and their knowledge, the entire memory of Gallic civilization would have been lost. This is why the sea urchin was their personal symbol, because in the stone was inscribed the indelible memory.
They passed this stone fossil from masters to chosen students for millennia, thus inheriting immense power within each tribe.

And all those who received the sea urchin did what was necessary to ensure that nothing would ever be forgotten, inscribing their knowledge forever in the stars and in a book that was to remain secret until the great return.

A book of which the sea urchin was the key.




The Sacrifice of the Stags.

For a very long time, the stag had been the animal of the priests. For at least 4,000 years already, before the druids honored Cernunnos.
A tale tells how a young stag of the year ate a treacherous snake in the middle of the grass in the clearing.
From that moment on, it was cursed; it aged and eventually lost its antlers, passing to the other side of the circle.
The spell cast in summer, from then on the eternal stag had to die and be reborn endlessly, losing its antlers each year only to have them grow again the following year. It became inextricably linked to the animal of the Uatis priests and the druids of Cernunnos.
This sacred stag, which was split in two, symbolized the cycles of life and death.
It is said that before this, its father was a wrathful dragon.
For a long time, antlers that fell to the ground were used in circle ceremonies; all the antlers found were placed around the outside of the cromlechs, symbolizing the cycle of life and death. In other places, chief magicians were buried with the carcass of a sacrificed stag, as a guarantee of future resurrection.
In Gaul, Cernunnos was a highly revered god. From the old circles encircled by stag antlers, they made the maniaces, the famous necklace of power, the one of transmissions and resurrections, which offered freedom of the soul and mastery over men.

This necklace, called a torc, has the shape of the stag's annual cycle.

At the end of the year, at the winter solstice, when death comes, there was an immense bull, a very ancient aurochs. He knew the secrets forbidden to men in the physical world.
The stag whose antlers Cernunnos wears like a crown of heaven was the animal symbolizing the passage between life and death each year.
Cernunnos, the royal stag of the sacred forests, ate the serpent by mistake. Later, after taming the first dragon that lay dormant within him, thanks to the courageous wolves, he became its master.

From the time the stag Adamos became Cernunnos, he was half animal and half god; he was a human.

A human who mastered the treacherous serpent and magic.
The stag's antlers grew back and one day blossomed, its buds reaching up to the stars.
The stag who had eaten a serpent and then vanquished the dragon had become a wise man and then an immense tree among men.
When the physical body dies, the human spirit becomes like a tree; this is why a grove was kept freely in the center of Gallic cemeteries.

It was a place made of spirit, of freedom of the soul, and of peace.




The horns of the ram-serpent.

The ancient serpent, born at the dawn of history, is very well known; many myths speak of its power, its poisons, and its disgrace.

In the very beginning, it was nothing but a weak, crawling animal, forced to hide to survive. Legless and small, he couldn't reach his goals directly; he had to cheat, constantly avoiding confrontations. He had to crawl this way and that to move forward. So he invented lies, treachery, and deceit. What a series of deceptions to bolster his feeble existence! His poisons seeped into the blood of his victims. Those who survived could never forget. This is how fear appeared on Earth—not the fear of predators, but the deeper fear of the unknown. The venom had done its work from within, and the traumatized victims subsequently distrusted absolutely everything unfamiliar, everything that might harm them...you never know.

Fear became inexplicable; it gave birth to doubt. Doubt separated humans, families, tribes, and nations. The serpent thus became powerful, awakening something very ancient and unleashing the anger and rage of the first dragon, threatening to destroy the world. It was Cernunnos who managed to control the awakened dragon within the cycle of Teutates and the warrior wolves, the cycle of the sciences of war. He seized the serpent and mastered it, subduing fear and doubt. He had taken it to the world of dreams where bodies have no weight.
When the monstrous beast entered the world of the dream spirit, on the paths of the sky where each constellation represents a cycle, the serpent encountered seven roads, each guarded by one of the seven Sulevia sisters. It then had to split in two to ascend to the heavens, and humanity was able to witness its fear and doubts.
It was on this occasion that two ram's horns grew on the head of the grasped serpent, symbolizing the mastered double serpent. The two bodies of the serpent became its horns, as they resembled its tail.


The scepter of Belenus.

Later, when the branches of the tree of Cernunnos reached the stars, a staff taken from its tree was given to the most serene of his sons, Belenus. Around this staff remained the ancient serpent bearing ram's horns. He who possessed it, considered a healing god, was among the first scholars of herbal medicine. The two horns of the serpent, representing fear and doubt, were then, by the magic of the gods, transformed, one into certainty and the other into curiosity. And this mastery of Cernunnos, acquired through the cycle of courage of the wolves of the sky, his spirit of courage, this mastery was transmitted to Belenos with this staff from the tree that was to heal humanity. It was called "the science of physicians and dreams," the courage to know the ills of body and soul in order to heal them. Thus, for a long time, the tamed ram-serpent remained the symbol of the Gallic physicians, a specific caste among the druids of the ancient cult, which they had inherited. A tradition several millennia old.

The Druidic cycles.

Another druidic caste was charged with learning and transmitting all the cycles of the constellations of the sky and their thousands of verses. Each star was a chapter, and each constellation cycle was represented by a maniac belonging to only one of our tribes. Each tribe possessed its circle of stones, its constellation, its deity, and the marvelous story of its sacred cycle. At that time, all living under the same sky, each tribe had its own cycle and its own particular knowledge. The tribes traded with one another, and commerce flourished. Each cycle was a branch, and each branch was a path that led to the heavens.

The secret.

Cuculätos witnessed it, he who had to live hidden in the shadow of his hood because he had stolen the great secret, or perhaps had always known it...who hid beneath the hood? A magician, surely, a druid prior, an eternal one, he who knew the language of the ancient gods and all the verses of their prayers. Bélénos belonged to the physical light, while Cuculätos had to live in the spiritual shadow.



The staff of the guataters.

The great druids possessed their staffs, and they were believed to possess magical powers.

These canes, like the one used for finding treasure, were believed to be of various kinds.

From what we know, these canes were large or small, made from the wood of certain trees associated with specific deities. They resembled tall staffs reaching towards the sky or famous magic scepters.
There was supposedly a cane for each god or goddess.
At their tip was the symbol of the local god, as they were linked to the soil of their homeland. It is said that they were pulled from the earth, roots and all, to be worked. Other local stories tell of a cross at the top of a tree, the four branches of which had to be joined together to create the cane.

And they were reputed to summon creatures from the underworld or the upper world. Only druids were said to possess them safely.









Sianos

The ancient spirit of eternal sleep, Sianos, was invoked for advice and enchantment. He, who lived in the other world, sometimes returned to his lands. According to ancient local myths, Sianos inhabited a paradisiacal forest where peace reigned; it was there that lost souls came to see him. He knew all the local inhabitants, and the great generations. He had seen many people come and go, and his forest grew larger each time. The forest of the kind spirits was like an old priest.




Surtogus.

(Sutugios).

It is said that they are creatures because they are said to be everywhere at once. They are very ancient priests and magicians, numbering 24, each representing a deity.

They are said to be spirits, but they have also been seen in the form of old men with their walking sticks. They represented the gods of the year and served the sanctuaries at every ceremony, both druids and Uatis, each possessing a sickle.
The Surtogus was a guardian who could appear in animal form.

They were said to be ancient tribal chiefs who sang sacred and warlike poetry accompanied by the sounds of their lyres, inhabitants of the clouds who appeared on earth.



Sulis.

Every year at the summer solstice, the druids gathered for the Sulis ceremonies.
On this occasion, they dispensed justice for the year, recognizing the reincarnated kings.

This day was also the day of the young prince Lugus-Uellaunus's accession to the throne.

Everywhere, fires were lit and great banquets were held. Between the two great plumes of smoke stood the light; on this day of the sickle, new druids were inducted.

The two white bulls.

Bulls were part of a very ancient Druidic belief: that of entering the otherworld. They had a reputation for being associated with predation, inevitable death, cruelty, and the suffering of souls. There is a white bull at the beginning and another at the end of the solar year. In the time of the stone circles, when sacred cycles marked the ancient cult, aurochs were used. The weight of these enormous animals, their mass and strength, made it possible to erect the megaliths. Later, they remained a symbol of the builders of sanctuaries. The bull, chosen according to whether it was black or white, later became a symbol of animality and eternity; it stood in the dark period.

In the ancient zodiac, its horns were drawn in the starry sky for the winter solstice, the day of the sun's death and rebirth. There, the three cranes of the past, present, and future showed when the new world was reborn each year.





The two black stags.

Cernunnos defeated the dragons amidst the fury of the wolves who obeyed him.

Then came another episode: when the world's consciousness was awakened, two large adult stags appeared in the night. They were black, each bearing one side of its great antlers.

Then Cernunnos seized them and declared that the first black stag would be the end of the night, while the second black stag would be its beginning. Since that time, the first stag has heralded the day and the light of Cernunnos, and the second black stag heralded the end of the day and the first part of the night.
Thus, the day was born surrounded by two parts of the night, and so too was the year surrounded by the two dark parts of the year.

And the year was counted from the winter solstice with the second dark part, and when the old sun came, the first dark part was counted as the end of the year.

This is how Cernunnos placed the two black stags in the sacred sanctuary.



Mount Belenos.

Among all these important sites of Gaulish religion, many were places dedicated to local deities, others more well-known to gods and goddesses of the Gaulish nation.

Sanctuaries were located there, places where one could die for Taranis, commune with Cernunnos, enter into the light of Lugus. In a place called Mount Belenos, up there in

To the north, there was a mountain entirely surrounded by the sea at high tide, but even then, it was accessible on foot at low tide.

This sanctuary, preserved from the miasmas of the mainland, served as a university for the new Druids, especially those who honored Belenos and studied medicine.

This mountainous island was too far for some tribes, and sanctuaries of Belenos were founded throughout the land, generally in places considered sacred for health, on hills and mountains, and sometimes on southern islands.

Since then, the name of the young god has been found in places dedicated to him.

There were underground chambers there.






Acaunii.

The proud Gallic warriors were considered sons of the ancient dragon.

And life on Earth sprang from the earth, this earth covering the realm of vital fire. So the stones and their colors were considered talismans.
All life came from the soul stone, from the earth, and from there the creatures of Mother Earth acquired their essence.
Fossils were proof of the magic that came from below.
Therefore, some stones were more sought after than others, including fire-making flints, the sacred sea urchin of the druids, stones with beautiful colors and black crystals as sharp as glass, and native quartz, which was believed to purify houses of their evil spirits.

These stones, translucent or opaque, represented the days and nights of Gallic history.
















Druidesses.


Druidess, Baans.

This was the name given to the great Gallic priestesses, the female druidess, or Baans, the benevolent ones.


Mattres.

The three Mattres, great goddesses of the Gallic universe, were at the center of the matriarchal cult. They were the mothers who cherished the destiny of all Gallic children until their death, the mothers of prophecies. The Sulevias themselves were a kind of mother of destiny; seven in number, they embodied the spirit of women who were to bring maturity.
The sacred matriarchy gave rise to other Mattres, here mothers of cities, elsewhere mothers of mountains, rivers, or lakes. In the spiritual realm, each had her house and her texts, projecting her spirit, which contributed to the education of her "children," her followers, in truth.
Then there was the mother of the merchants with her dedicated poems and prayers. The mother of warriors, Andartaë, the mother of war, the mother of the race. The mother of potters, the mother of farmers—all brought their wisdom and blessings. And all these divine mothers dwelt in a spiritual house; the most important in this culture were inscribed in the stars.

Of course, they inhabited specific territories, but not only that, for they inhabited time and its cycles. Certain dates belonged exclusively to them.

Hundreds of mothers, hundreds of ceremonies, all belonging to the same culture.

Adsagonda.

Adgasona.

The most mysterious of the Gallic goddesses, this Adgasona, mistress of justice in the underworld. Her palace was guarded by fearsome creatures with the wings of eagles and the claws of bears, with the bodies of great felines.

She lived in this underworld, passionate, queen above all the queens of blood. Women worshipped her magically; she was the deity of the mistresses of the reincarnation of the ten kings, the one who possessed the seven horns of the dragon. Adgasona was prayed to in order to bring back certain deceased through blood, that is, through rebirth. However, she was also asked to deliver messages to the world of the dead, and even to prevent the return of certain feared figures, both men and women, who were cruel and merciless. Adgasona, also called Adsagonda, the goddess of the realm of the dead, possessed a sword with which she could restore life.

The Mirror of Souls.

Life on Earth was a time of hardship, especially for warriors. All had chosen a destiny of honor and servitude, submissive and obedient to the gods. For destiny was a sword, and whoever wielded it was destined to die a warrior. Thus, the officers kept their promises by compelling the soldiers to honor the gods of war. Fear was forbidden; death by force of arms was the only possible path. In those days, death was easy, and it wasn't the most important thing. For one had to die with honor, and the goddess at the end of the path awaited the chosen with her mirror of souls. This mirror was oval-shaped and divided into two equal parts. The first part belonged to the land of the living; the second part reflected the noble soul. It was this part that was destined to ascend to heaven to reign there for seasons and years, serving as a reminder and an example for humankind. The dead, animal part remained...

When they descended to Earth and vanished, the souls of heroes remained in the heavens for a long time before being reincarnated on Earth. The goddess of the gate held her mirror of waters before those who crossed her mortuary threshold, and the inverted image sent their souls back on a reverse path...so that they might one day return.



Blood pacts.


Tribal chiefs made contracts, alliances, and agreements both large and small.

To seal the most important pacts, children were exchanged; noble and sacred blood was worth its weight in gold, or rather, silver in this case.

For if the commitments were not honored, these noble children would serve as currency. From prestigious guests, receiving all the respect due to their rank, they would become prisoners and even slaves. This carefree and joyful youth had Argentia as their goddess, the tumultuous and dynamic river, a sorceress, it was said, not always kind but certainly lively and captivating.
This is where the name for money comes from, the currency freely exchanged for those who possess it.
Yet, while Argentia protected the privileged youth, she had the power to unleash curses upon those who broke the pacts by refusing to release the innocent. Thus, the curse and the fortune of the young people's destiny both stemmed from the tumultuous goddess. If one of the two leaders refused to return the children to guard the hostages, thus breaking his oath, Argentia would ruin himself. His own descendants would no longer recognize him, his people would turn away from his service, and it was even possible that the soldiers and the equites, those for whom perjury was an abomination, would condemn him to death... This was the power of Argentia's youth; the goddess was the protector and avenger of blood pacts and debts of honor.

The Red Moon.

There are twelve moons in the sky, but before, there were three: a light one, a dark one, and a red one.

They were three sisters, the eldest of whom was the Red Moon.

This one has been called "the Blood Moon" for ages; it is the one that defined the race of divine men possessing sacred blood in their veins—that is to say, the ruling race of the earth.

This goddess had two faces, that of morning and that of evening, of life and death, of the love of eagles and the wrath of bears, and many others.
She gave birth to humankind and the Gallic race with the white sun.
From time to time, she was seen on Earth in the guise of a young red-haired woman who, it was said, possessed the magic of the gods.
Later, she followed her husband into the underworld to found a kingdom of passions, and she returned from time to time to visit the night sky and her old mother when the dragon enraged her.
So the druidesses dedicated a wheel to her, the wheel of the cycles of blood, of births, of the mirror of souls and of love's passions, and of marriages as well.
Of this mirror, it was said, there were two reflections: one that remained on Earth and eventually died, and another that lifted the souls of the chosen to eternal life.






The Emerald Goddess.

Among the Druidesses, the goddess of the red moon was among the three most revered. On Earth, an even more powerful divine reflection was born; the heavens conspired to give the Earth a queen. She was called the Emerald Goddess, for the color of the most beautiful living things in the garden of the gods. For Gaul was, is, and always will be the garden of the many gods and goddesses who dwell there. What elsewhere is called Eden has always belonged to Edunia, the green goddess of the moons of growth, for there are four moons in all. Edunia belongs to the sisterhood of the four baans of light and darkness, of blood and soul.

It is in this eternal garden that the many generations of living beings on Earth grow; in this garden, too, that the gods appear in the guise of numerous animals. This garden is full of secrets that must not be revealed to men, and only the dragon king is allowed to rest there.
In this place, living spirits converse and play with the gods of the sky, the earth, and the underworld. It is also where all the world's sensitivities reside, which is why it is protected, for the most beautiful of the four goddesses is fragile, as if emerging from winter.
In the Garden of the Arts, everything rises toward the divine heavens. During the day, the place radiates grandeur, while at night few could fathom its depths. And in the center stands a tree that reaches to the sky.
She is the one who best understands the eternity of feminine spirits, as well as that of the four lunar seasons.
Edunia is the goddess of feminine grace, the one who nurtures all sensitivities and allows peace to spread over her garden. She is the one who transmits the arts and sciences.

Vines, of the evolution of life.

She was a fairy and a sorceress too; those men who ventured into her garden were transformed into tree stumps. Since then, it is said that each man's life is like the life of a leaf for a year. For it becomes lascivious or angry according to its fickle moods. This is the same one we now call Viviane, or the Vouivre in the countryside, but it depends on the seasons and the form she takes.


The blonde witch.

She has a very bad reputation among us; she is an ancient witch. She is the one who stole the sunlight to flee into the night. It is because of her that it is cold in winter when she comes down from the north, the time when the plants die.

According to legend, she eats men, luring them with her charms, and then, woe and damnation, she first enslaves them and then... she eats them.
It's been this way ever since the savages from the north came to steal the Gallic treasures. The fair Lidserata is their queen.

She corrupts everything she touches, everything that looks at her, a true viper, this treacherous and wicked wyvern also called Lorelei, the great viper on her rock.

She hypnotizes the poor, sometimes changing her appearance.

What she stole, she gave to her only son, the one later named Mordred, the darkness of the soul, or, earlier, Darcos, selfishness.

And ever since, day and night have clashed over which will have the right to rule the kingdom of the earth, between dark selfishness and the generosity of the sun.
The prophecy foretold that one day a great king, heir to the ancients, would come, that he would vanquish the darkness of souls to place his son upon the throne, the innocence of the first blood. The light of the sun would then return to reign for 1000 years, one day, and one hour.
This first blood is that of the ancient divine kings on earth and in the heavens, the first who were able to freely take their destiny into their own hands, a race of leaders.
It will then be necessary to destroy this dark and luminous aspect of Morgana, the treacherous wyvern, goddess of fascination.
She who takes on a thousand faces to lie to the world and preserve her secrets.











The magic of passions.

Evil is superhuman because the dragon possesses motives and desires. Evil is absolute intelligence, used to satisfy all its desires. It does not hesitate to deceive the world with every word, to appropriate the human soul. For it is secretive and must not be seen; it is in the darkness that vice thrives, from where it can lead people to kill each other for no reason, it can fuel epidemics, drive people mad, bring about the end of civilizations, all just to keep its secret. For it guards the gate to the other world, and no one has the right to know what lies there.
The dragon is the ultimate guardian of the great secret of the gods and their realm; it guards a goddess.

For the Gauls, absolute evil is a woman, goddess of perfidious instincts and inequality. From their unconditional love were born human passions. It takes little to be happy when one doesn't know what true wealth is, but when one has tasted divine omnipotence, things become very different.
Every man, woman, old man, and child needs to exist, and to exist as an individual, one must know freedom or be completely unaware of one's enslavement.
So the dragon lies and hides our ties to the malevolent goddess, capable of unleashing all cataclysms so that we remain ignorant of the fundamental truth.
In order to control the people, he abuses the powers of the soul, he instills blindness and fascination, he teaches denial and belief, he sows submission and hatred in people's hearts. He is the father of all abuses; his power is immense, and he reigns over the earth, of which he was once king, using subjugation to achieve this. Writing was forbidden among the druids, for impure vices and evil magic are often transmitted through certain books. The great goddess of impure passions dwells in languages, in writings, in the lies of a past where fiery passions invaded this world to corrupt it.
The druidesses were best able to temper the forces of the otherworld because they were daughters of the sea of untamed passions. The baans had become mistresses of the peaceful cities.





The Black Virgins.

The druidesses were concerned with religion, and they passed on the secrets of the otherworld to their descendants.

Among them were sisterhoods known as the Black Virgins, completely detached from worldly concerns; they wore the veil and the black robe. Their tutelary goddess appeared as a cloud-covered moon, out of respect for the light of the male sun, for they served the solar kings.

They were the vSacred maidens whose blood was reserved for the gods. Those who knew the omens and practiced the rites of appeasing souls.

They lived on celestial islands, far from the noisy world of the envious, islands situated far from the coasts in the vast ocean of the heavens, to the west.

Their guardians and protectors of the sanctuaries obeyed them blindly, as if they were untouchable goddesses; they would have given their lives ten times over to maintain the purity of these places.

The Field of the Maidens.

It is still spoken of in some places, but this tradition is fading today.

According to old stories, the menhirs possessed a magical aura; the places where they were erected were sites of hidden ceremonies for a long time.

In some places, it is said that maidens danced around the stones; this occurred at certain times. These ceremonies, hidden from the eyes of onlookers, were passed down from mothers to daughters. People prayed, danced, and made offerings in these sacred places.

They are still spoken of in books of legends; some people claim to have seen fairies there...
All we know is that around the menhirs, there are stories of maidens and sacred femininity...





Seixarbor.

The wheels were trees, and these trees guided people's lives.

Seixarbor belonged to a goddess who honored promises and vows yet to be fulfilled, the wheel of fortune.

It was said that praying and singing the praises of the Seixarbor ceremony guaranteed health above all, fortune, and success in the fruits of one's labors.

She appeared in the form of the six moons.


The two braids of the goddess.

She who took life was also she who mourned death.

She wore two braids, but never at the same time.
On one side, on her right, her braid was that of a young girl, a true killer who never appeared without her large dagger. This dangerous youth had inherited the masters' torch. No one commanded her, and she hunted to kill for pleasure.
She became a deity of young girls and a rite of passage into adulthood.
On the other side, the goddess wore the face of an old woman in waiting. She mourned the dead and prayed for the living; her kindness and experience forgave all the violence of the world. It was she who, in a funeral ceremony, consoled the spirits of the dead and called their souls back to heaven for a swift return.

She wore her braid on her left.








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Matters.



GRISELICAE MATTRES.
These were witch nymphs, or rather creatures of the Gorgon type, but the Griselicae Mattres came from the realm of the Andouna, the putrid waters of destructive passion. They had the power to capture men and transform them into savage creatures. They were the nïskae of the storm; their eyes flashed lightning, and their waves caused floods. The twisted old matrons cast evil spells, and the shrieking words came from the incantations they passed from one to another in certain places, for they haunted particular sites. Their howls awakened the galipotes and creatures of the terrifying nights. There, one often found felled trees, uprooted stones, and decimated armies. The Griselicae nymphs had passed by, witches of fear manipulating murderous, child-eating creatures... hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood nymphs. They too guarded the property of the ancients and often held gatherings at the beneficent springs and rocks left by the great elders. They practiced good omens and the continuity of days, bringing good spirit and harmony to relationships.

Gerodatiae Matres.

The Gerodatiae Matres were creatures of shadow, harbingers of approaching death. They came when the days truly shorten, like the Korigenatos. They were goddesses of lies and false prophecies who put on a show every year to threaten people. It was said that their trumpets sounded the silence and that they followed burial sites. Their death chants brought destruction; they came from elsewhere and found themselves at the edge of the known world, in the final hours of the year's life.
The Gerodatiae Mattres heralded silence and cold and did not belong to the three realms of passion, earthly and divine. They were foreigners, witches capable of evil spells.

During these festivals, children made torches, lamps, and hearths to keep the light alive and pass through the darkness of the year's end.





Andrustiae Mattres.

In the moonlit fields, ceremonies were held.

Emony and prayers for the victory of warriors. Ceremonies celebrating the beauty of the world and the triumph of life took place around dawn. Here, the ancestral wisdom of eternal paradises was taught, and the memory of great warriors who had ascended to the divine throne was remembered.

Bergusae Mattres.

The Bergusae Mattres ceremonies were held in the spring. The priestesses asked the goddess for bountiful harvests of purifying buds and good health for the coming year. At this time, women's secrets about medicine were passed down, and stories were told of a bear appearing at night in the sanctuary field, the nemeton of Bergonia.

Bormanae Mattres.

The healing springs were guarded by a sisterhood of druidesses called the Bormanae Mattres, in honor of their patron goddess, Bormana. These places were frequented by aging people who came to ask the goddess for health.






Ellitivae Matres

In honor of Damona, the clearing of the doe Elentis was incensed.
They were the mothers of grace and creation. The Ellitivae encompassed all aspects of the worship of the living world. They reigned over the plains and mountains, full of grandeur and anima, embodying the purity of life. All forms of beauty were deified; the Ellitivae were the singing mothers of the power of life, of wild herds, beautiful mountains, and vast green plains. It is the worship of life that moves with grace and grandeur.
Old stories speak of a sunken world and paths leading from the past. A pilgrimage was made at night, under hoods, and offerings were made to a tree stump. At that time, elm festivals were held around the tree, a symbol of immortality in certain places.




BRICTAE MATTRES.

The Brictae Mattres honored the magical deities of the earth. A remnant of the great antediluvian mother goddess. It was the religion of women and their secrets. The earth belonged to them because it represented fertility, birth, and death. They were the mistresses of destiny. Earth magic is akin to summoning the creatures it contains, the energies it emanates. It is said that the Brictae possessed the power to do good and evil, over all life in the middle world, over humans. Vows were made to them, and they were thanked for their gracious gifts. They were the guardians of the tribal land, and therefore their magical powers were only held by the tribes who had inhabited it for millennia. These druidesses were very powerful magicians.




NAMAE-VES Matres.

At the beginning of the year, the Mothers of the tribe celebrated the new stars of the year that appeared in the depths of the sky; they transmitted "the renown." Thus, new branches appeared on the spiritual tree of the night. These nymphs inherited the ancient laws that were to represent them in the world of the living. At this time of year, the well-known odes were sung to pass them on to future generations.
At this time of year, Bel-Tagios was celebrated, Tagios being the linden tree and the uprightness of its large branches, from which the chief's houses were made. This was a great moment of transmission to the new Matres, who throughout the year were to administer justice to the household while maintaining its inner peace. There are old legends about small creatures from the ancient world returning from the winter underground to help farms and animals. There is talk of a bridge between the past and the present where, at night, a great circle danced, and of an ancient sky goddess dwelling in sacred linden trees.





Matae Mattres

Like the Matrae, these are two fabulous monsters who name the immortal goddess who reigns over the waters of purity. Mother of the Gorgons, they inspire terror to protect their mistress. They know the goddess's name and her love. They are the ones who establish her immeasurable earthly powers. Woe to the unlucky and the clumsy, for the Matae Mattres command the gaze of their divine mistress.




Gavadiae Mattres

An ancient memorial ceremony. A reminder of the thoughts of the ancestors. Goddess Nantosuelta of rest and reward, goddess of householders.


















*

Ogmios the Elder.

The Old and the New, the chains of Ogmios.

Ogmios, the old god of transmission, knew all about the beginnings and the end of time. He was there before the earth and our world appeared. In the middle of the universe, a tree grew, and its leaves and branches drooped in every direction. Some branches resembled snakes, like vines seeking to cling to anything. Around the tree, many different animals stood gazing at its crown, and they heard the snakes hissing.

While all the animals circled, as if bound to the sounds coming from the high branches, there was a boar, an eagle, a dog, and even a crocodile, plus all those who were watching. At the top of the tree was a noble lion, Ogmios. And the snakes on the branches obeyed him. Ogmios spoke, and from his mouth chains came forth to bind the universe. Thus the dog, the eagle, the boar, and the crocodile could not escape, as if invisible bonds prevented them from leaving. One day, humans learned the words of the old lion and could no longer break free. And that is how the entire universe began to revolve around the tree of the old lion; in its center was the sun. At first, men and women lived in darkness, but while awaiting the wisdom of the old storyteller, they learned that all their princes and nobles, all their heroes, would each possess the strength and attributes of four animals.

It has since been said that the warmth of life keeps us on Earth and that Ogmios holds us in his chains with love, rage, patience, understanding, and many other things that strengthen human bonds.

Ogmios possessed the chains of memory and forgetting, and every thousand years he could awaken the ancient dragon in the form of an innocent who would have to begin all over again. These chains, from past to present, allowed for the resurrection of great kings and great warriors—those who were considered living gods.




We had always known Ogmios with his long teeth and fiery eyes,

The master of symbols,

He delivered speeches that the gods listened to,

And men followed him,

Ogmios was an old warrior,

He wore a lion skin,

Myth tells how he killed him with his bare hands,

Ogmios was a demigod present on earth,

And his words were like blows from a club,

His words were like the arrows of skilled archers,

The Uimbori protected his mind,

His tongue chained words and commands,

He had taught the warriors Uerkalaï,

The Gallic martial art,

He had taught them the secrets of the Lugus flower:

With each new morning of life, the sacred blood is reborn,

Like a sun glowing red in its grace,

It rises from the dragon's earth and ascends to the heavens of the gods.

Ogmios was the master of eloquence,

He had given men and women symbols carved with his claws in stone and wood,

Some resembled leaves,

others resembled branches,

And the red flower of Lugus had inspired the robe encompassing the solar wheel.

After each solar cycle, a new, younger Ogmios was to be reborn again and again.

The Memories of Ogmios.

He had been there for a very long time; no one was as old as he, the guardian of chains and memories.
Sometimes he would sit with the troops by the fire, the reflections of its hearthlight giving them a fearsome air as they listened to the old lion's marvelous tales.
Regarding his first wife, his first slain adversary, and one or another of his exploits, the myth never ceased to circulate. He was the example to follow, leading the living souls to the battles to come, awakening this or that famous warrior from his deathly slumber to send him back into battle.
They told of how he had vanquished sorcerers, and of extraordinary creatures who had fallen prey to his tricks.

He had been there for thousands of years, perhaps even longer. Ogmios was born in the primordial world and was one of the great ancestors, he who knew the gods and goddesses, he who had traveled the hundred paths of enchanted worlds and even the hidden world.






The philosophy of the lion.

Then time and cycles carried men along and gave birth to adventurous stories, both the worst and the best.
The odes of Ogmios were sung month after month, celebrating the seasons and their ferocious wars. These stories forged the souls of warriors; they served as religious and martial dogma.
In them, one learned the philosophy of the lion, of great warriors becoming great leaders.
It was said that at the beginning of the year, those who had survived the rigors of winter reappeared, "Only the strongest survived."

We learned that in spring, new troops would be trained, mingling with the old guard; "the young must be trained for war."
One demonstrated one's talents in summer, the lions' prime season, and there, the complexion and primal nature of the fearsome Gallic soldiers were on full display. "The weak were devoured by the strong," and it had been so since the beginning of time.

And then came autumn, the season for reckoning and remembering the dead.

For "the souls of the brave departed could not die," great honors would bring them back in the coming cycles.

This is how the stories of Ogmios and his philosophy of the old lion, who was to be reborn each year, were told.

The eternity of heroes.

The old lion was well known in Gaul, more so than anywhere else; it was an integral part of the religion, birth, life, and death of every nobleman. In his cult, he was the recipient of a certain idea of the soul's eternity.
Life, according to Ogmios, was like a mythical tale and was meant to be understood as an example for all Gallic heroes to follow.
It was said that at birth, life smiled upon everyone like inspiration in a mythical story, and also that it unfolded according to the duty and role assigned to oneself, like morality in action. Finally, when the shadows of old age began to cloud our vision, we would expire, like a story too old to sustain itself.
For, according to the rule, the fantastical stories of the role and duty of the chosen ones were to be renewed only after regaining strength in the sleep of death.
Thus, eternity was acquired, through religious duty. From his first breath to his final exhalation, the stories of the sacred men and women were to be lived and then recounted for centuries upon centuries, until the resurrection and the advent of a new story, like a living myth. The tales of Ogmios preserved the trace and the memory of the chains of the dead and the living succeeding one another on the magical land of men.
The god retained the place, the role, and the name of figures who had lived incredible but real stories, like demonstrations of the divinity of these beings of flesh.
All, priests and fearsome warriors alike, were to return from the mythical realm of the dead to continue their work on the middle earth.
Animals, men, and gods united in rebirth with each breath of old Ogmios, dying with each exhalation. In the beating of his heart, in the movements of his breath, each time a life appeared and then disappeared. And none of his warrior followers were free to choose their own lives; all were bound by Ogmios's chains. He was unlike his brother Cernunnos, the latter being the god of liberation of the spirit.

The twelve fruits.

The twelve fruits.

Ogmios moved forward to fulfill the destinies of the year, those of the mounted warriors.
Each month brought its fruit, arriving with the moon.
For the first part of the month, it grew for 14 days, then for the second part, the fruit slowly fell until it disappeared.
There were twelve months in the year, and each corresponded to one of them.

Fruits growing larger and then falling into the sacred spiritual tree.

This was how the philosophers nurtured the faith during the twelve labors of Ogmios.
At the end, Epona's basket was full, and it was changed to refill it; a new year began.


OLELENSIS.

Olelensis was the title of a deity of the afterlife, or more precisely, of its transmission—that is to say, a priest of Ogmios. Initially a Vate, he had the role of repeater of the sources. Highly educated, his strength was proven; he was a high dignitary in the hierarchy of Gaulish society. This high-ranking official was responsible for delivering his speeches and spreading the word. He was a priest charged with giving good directions, facilitating the tribe's life by helping them avoid pitfalls. He was the one who initiated the debates for the druids and served as their role model. He was the one who had to travel throughout the Gallic territories to enforce the high druid's decisions concerning resurrections.






OREVAÏOS.

He was the heir to the ancient paths, the memory of the past and of adventurous journeys. Orevaïos was a bard of calm winds, a storyteller beneath a lion's skin. He remembered who should inherit the plots of land and he sang to the powerful of their origins. Woe to him who contradicted him, for sudden gusts would sweep him from the earth. He was just and good; thanks to him, families flourished.

He was... the master of the chains hanging from the ears of the Gallic lords.












DEUSONIENSSIS.

This is a title given to Gallic emperors, but it dates back to well before the conquest. Deusonienssis is a metaphorical projection of a reincarnated spirit, signifying the strength and mastery of the one who bears it. It is a reigning title related to the skill required to master ships, as Ogmios also ruled the sea. In this case, it referred to individuals who had scoured the river of time like salmon to intelligently establish themselves at the pinnacle of the Gallic state, but above all, to be reborn as chosen ones. The bow symbolized skill, and the club, decisiveness. Deusonienssis also signifies youth, health, and efficiency. The chosen one, Deusonienssis, had inherited the lion's skin from Ogmios, that is to say, the demonstrative nature of the teacher. It is a nickname for a new, but younger, Ogmios.

Among the Gauls, the symbolism of the bow belongs to the intellectually gifted; it also represents the army of young apprentice warriors.









Uerkalaï

The spirit of the warriors.

"Life is a fight,

Respect your enemy,

Look him in the face,

Forgive even your friends only once,

Hold your ground firmly,

Never back down,

Instill fear in him and keep your courage for yourself,

Use his violence to bring him down,

Never let anger guide you,

Stand tall and impose your law upon him,

You will be his master when you honor your own,

Never give him respite,

He who holds his weapon never goes back on his word."

This is how the chains of Ogmios were accepted.

Each year after the harvest, the young men, those who carried within them the seething blood of the dragon, left the city to train together in one place, for peace was to reign within the city, and only outside could war be waged.

The Lion's Furies.
Ogmios spoke in the sky, and in his eyes was fire, and his face was like the sun. His war triskelion pointed to the water teeming with fish, the dry land, and the leafy sky.
He was to teach time and victory to those who could never die. Ogmios had one foot on the earth and the other on the sea; his face was in the sky, and the clouds were his white hair. He taught the lords the life of a warrior, instilling obedience and an unstoppable will in the invincible and fearless warriors. He taught how anger, though destructive, could save the souls of the chosen. Then he transformed into the god of storms, and through the dark Taranis, he forged the spirits of great warriors destined for eternity. It was their anger and their will that made them immortal souls.

The Sacred Armor.




The Birth of Warrior Kings.

Every Gallic citizen wearing the torc of free men had, by birth or merit, acquired the right to be a masterless man, a nobleman. From there, and depending on the vagaries of an adventurous life, he could become a war leader and a king. It was strength that ruled, but not simply brutality.
All men received a warrior's education; the learning of various weapons went hand in hand with the physical strength and age of the students. They trained hard in those days.

Much harder than today. Each apprentice would have acquired the physical condition of an athlete during their first real battles, moments of carnage from which only the valiant returned. And this, of course, was built up over the years with another kind of education, that of the warrior spirit. All those who had a chance of becoming a full-fledged leader were instructed by the druids.
Each age corresponded to a preferred weapon. For the youngest, the bow was the noble weapon, while the sling was more reserved for soldiers from the common people.
Each age, each weapon had its own intelligent fighting philosophy. The bow of the young, for example, became the symbol of those who aim true, who never make a mistake.
It was the first weapon and the first symbol acquired in the education of future kings, the symbol of those who aim true. Later, as they grew older and learned the famous Gallic warrior philosophy, they became bearers of the various symbols and weapons that made them great fighters, the Gallic conquerors.

Each weapon had its own spirit and philosophy of life.







Coronocos.

Coronocos wore a large, gleaming leather cloak that allowed him to disappear at times. He was a craftsman of leather and sturdy clothing; the grease used to maintain his bags was also used to waterproof portable boats and thick leather armor. He was very famous, and people jokingly called him "the giant" because this small, very loyal god of craftsmanship was undeniably very helpful. He gave the soldurii leather armor to protect them from blows and curses. These highly resistant materials were also used to build the circular palisades surrounding the palaces. The little craftsman was a great protector.

The Sword of Destiny.

The Gallic sword was the sword of light; it was also said to be the sword of life. The craft of arms had become a way of life and a way of thinking, for some a philosophy of life. The martial art of the dragons was second to none among the other nations of its time. The light of life does not only illuminate our world; it creates it. And as all men and women create their path in life, they also build the shadows within it. It was in the midst of these shadows that the sword of truth appeared on a very special day.

There was someone lost in the middle of the great forest, a little man, as they said, the scion of an ancient lineage. He had been wandering for several days, unable to find his way in such dense undergrowth. It was almost dark beneath the trees, and no one could tell if it was broad daylight or night. At this time of year, thunderstorms were frequent, making it even harder to know what time it was.

Yet he had asked people for directions before setting out on this path, but they had obviously misled him, for he was not from their village. In searching for his way, he had sought his destiny in the chance encounters that had inevitably presented themselves. And on this dark day, he had become completely lost.

The gods grew angry because the little man was a Damos of the bear tribe who had sworn allegiance to them, a kind man, not a cunning and deceitful Dusios. Tanaris's wild spear struck the tops of the great ancient trees, and a loud crack was heard.

Then Esus's axe fell repeatedly, and high branches around the already attacked area crashed to the ground, creating an opening in the foliage. The sky was already visible through there, and it was daylight.

The clouds parted, and between flashes of lightning, a ray of gold and silver fell to the ground. It formed a great, shining column through the warm mists that spread out beneath the trees.
It was there, before the boy, that the Sword of Truth appeared. Compared to him, it was immense; from its base in the humus to its hilt, it measured at least twelve meters. Its double blade shone with a soft whiteness, and its edge gleamed brilliantly. Like the Bathed in sunlight, it was planted at an angle in the ground, half-leaning.
The young man had before him the sacred sword, the one many people had told him about in his childhood. A weapon of nobility that led to peace and justice. It was also known in those warlike times as "the sword of destiny." It was a sign, they said, and its magnitude was such that few could truly understand its meaning.
People told stories that the sword could only be wielded by those of its stature. Yet the small, solitary, and lost man seemed insignificant beside it.

A voice...

He could hear behind the young man,

"Touch it," she said evenly.

He turned and saw an old man now standing in the shadows of the trees. In the stories he had been told, there was mention of an old magician, chief of all the known druids in Gaul, Dinomogetimaros. Families would say around the fire that he knew the secrets of the afterlife and the other world. And that he lived far from the world, in the oldest forests where no one could go.
The boy thought he might be experiencing hallucinations brought on by fatigue and lack of food.
Nevertheless, he stepped forward and touched the light with his finger. In doing so, he cut himself, and a little blood fell onto the sacred blade. The blood soaked into the metal immediately, and the immense sword was transformed. The sunbeam diminished in intensity, and the weapon took on human proportions. “Now remember where you came from, Gallic bear,” the old man said again.

“The blood of your ancestors flows in this blade, and if it is given to you today, it is because you are a descendant of the ancient dragons. Only they can wield it, for it is not like the others,” the archdruid recounted. Then, as the light faded even further, the magician vanished from among the great roots and ancient trunks.

“Continue to honor the gods, and it will guide you,” came a whisper that seemed to drift away.

That is how it was remembered; the myth tells that the boy picked it up and wrapped it in a piece of skin. He retraced his steps and it is said that he founded one of the Gallic kingdoms, that of the Artionis, so fond of juniper berries, a berry with healing powers. And then the sword was lost again for a time.
It is also known that the magic of women alone could later restore it to the one who was worthy. It is said that a fisherman king found it a little later, completely bewitched by a water nymph. A sorceress carrying a spear with two silver sides, the kind wielded by women.

The name of the Gallic sword was known by its titles, Galdio-maros, which was written "Claudiomarus," or "Xigaliburos," from the Gallic boar, Excalibur. It was a male symbol written in the masculine, that of Teutates.

Uimbori.
The gods bestowed the sacred weapons. Berycinthia received and brought back the Uimbori shield, which was to belong to chiefs and kings.

It came from the Temple of the Four Moons and had once belonged to the great goddess. This impenetrable shield held light on one side and darkness on the other. It rotated with the seasons, its center reinforced by a bronze bar, and its light and dark colors marked each side with two swirling faces, thus forging the alliance between gods and humans.

The Spear of Lugus.
Seated upon the moving sun, legend held that it could touch anything in this world. Its rays went directly to reveal things, and the dusios hid from its face, taking refuge in the shadows. Lugus possessed a great spear capable of reaching any target, and indeed, he was nicknamed "Long Spear" for this very reason. One day, while searching for the palace of a queen of the night, he hurled his spear high into the sky, and it lodged itself in a corner of the heavens. It had become embedded in a celestial body called the North Star, and ever since, the Long Spear has always shown its direction to lost travelers. It is still there, unfailingly pointing north and the four cardinal directions.

The Dancing Sword.

So the sword served the Gauls, and everyone possessed their own. There was no more warlike culture than that of the Gauls. Men, women, and the elderly rushed into battle, for nobility of soul was acquired by trampling fear underfoot. To die with weapons in hand was a great honor, one for which no one ever regretted it. The children themselves began training hard as soon as possible. So, names and nicknames were given to the best and most beautiful swords; the Gauls were known throughout the modern world and beyond for being among the finest metalworkers.
The swords were called Joyful, Mountain-Slicer, or Head-Thief. Before each battle, they danced to the war drums, clearly demonstrating to the enemy the fluidity and speed of deadly movements to a sustained rhythm. It was the dance of the warrior spirit; culture and rigorous training bore fruit, and the carnixes called for blood. The swords danced fiercely before the engagement, and even more fiercely afterward. The winged helmeted knights spread their wings over the melee. Then the sword dance became frenzied and unstoppable.

NEMAUSUS.
Nemausus, also known as Nemaxat, was a title of the renowned Ogmios.
It is the constellation of Leo in the river of time. It is part of the city of the powerful queen of the night, the endless moons. Nemausus had defeated the great ancient serpent that traced the lost paths.
On the first morning of the following spring, a newborn was found at the foot of the great tree, and a bird sang a joyful tune nearby. The song lasted four nights and three days. He was to become the new lion, and the woman named him Nemausos, meaning fame. This unusual child had a particular fondness for confronting the largest and swiftest snakes.
When he grew into a man, Nemausos decided to eradicate the evil spirits from this territory that had become his own. Seeking out evil beings, he caught all the snakes in the place and stuffed them into a sack, which he carried to a great hole that led to the underworld, and threw the sack into the abyss of perdition.
The land thus cleansed, he was able to offer it to the one who had raised him. The place became a sanctuary where the wicked gods could never return. In his honor, the place around the tree was called "Nemeton," the place of celebration. Nemausus was the first king of the place; he was considered the emissary of the gods above.
The night bird sang his praises for a long time, and humans celebrated him even longer after the death of the first hero when the dragon returned to defeat him.
Especially at night, within the sacred circle, the story of his life was told. He had been Ogmios and had to relinquish his name and place to another, younger god, Nemaxat, whose name meant "fame."

Ogmios, the one who cannot die. One might wonder why the Gallic Hercules looks so old, and well, in fact... it's because he is truly very, very old; his legacy dates back to the very beginning. One of the primordial gods, he was said to have the stature of a giant. And he is still alive. Yes, Ogmios presides over resurrections; he is the god of the soul's eternity. In fact, his existence goes back as far as the first language, for he is spirit, and spirit is transmitted through words. Moreover, Ogmios is the master of symbols and glyphs. This is why the sacred language was so important to the Druids. Formulas and prayers, for some, belonged to the realm of reincarnation. Thus, the deceased warriors attained eternity through the chains of Ogmios. And the return to earth of the Gallic lords followed the same principles of the transmission of the soul through the intertwined cycles of the solar Ogmios; his followers were destined to live eternally.

Smertullos.
Ogmios was present throughout the year, with varying degrees of influence.

During the harvest season, he called himself Smertullos, recognizable by his ever-present large club, used to crush snakes. An entire month belonged to him.
At this time of year, he took the form of a very strong young king, and he was the harvest god, the god of the farmers. Smertullos, the provident one, the distributor of seeds, did not always teach the art of war.

With his robust constitution, he was the protector of agriculture.

GOBEN.
There was a month when humans needed an example of purity. Adamos brought them the fires of creation and desire, but the tribes still lacked a degree of civilization to truly embrace it. Ogmios fathered Goben the Pure, also known as Gabenos, and sent him to Earth. He too was the god of minerals and tools. It was said that he saw far and that no particle of truth escaped him, just as no particle of metal did. Gabenos forged tools, and under the divine name of Ucuetis, he also forged weapons. Thus, thanks to Gobenos, men forged strong, incorruptible tools made from the purest of materials. The first was an iron fork, used for defense and for working in the fields; the second was a plow that turned the earth to reveal its treasures; the third was a pickaxe, used to dig into stone and find precious metals.

Ucuetis, the blacksmith and weapon-maker, known as Goben or Gabenos, was truly the god of pure ores. Goben was also depicted fighting naked or wearing a very pure garment, as well as carrying a shield, a symbol of the strength of Ogmios. He was the Gaulish god of the month of blacksmiths.

Nerius Intarabus.

Guardian of the water sanctuary, the Intarabus stood at the entrance to the otherworld. His spirit animal was the faithful and courageous dog. He was one of the guardians of true history; his name, Nerius Intarabus, linked him to the cult of the waters, and he guarded the entrance to the sanctuary of the fertile plains, a place where plants and stories were one. He protected the many stories, like ears of wheat.

His great spear threatened anyone who approached him.

Close to the sacred place, his half-dog spirit prevented him from being corrupted; he was a god of purity of soul. He guarded what magicians and warriors held most dear: the richness of heroes' spirits. He welcomed the spirits of heroes into the sanctuary of eternity.


Boccus.

Baicorix, Baginatis, Bagos.
The joy of spring in all its expressiveness, Bagos of the eloquent.

The Gauls celebrated, indulging in large groups every month. There was a god for everything that evoked a profound and complete feeling. Boccus was a god of joy, well-known throughout Gaul. He was associated with drinking vessels, bee nectar, and mugwort, which was used to improve the taste of wine, beer, and malt. He was, above all, a god of life's pleasures, a king who talked a great deal in the Gallic military camps. This fueled their shared strength of character, leading them to eloquent adventures and grand feasts. Boccus was there to lighten the mood and draw the groups into joyful revelry. He was the hero who never fell silent, a deity of "gift of gab" (in slang), of the good-natured ribbing.




Magusanus.

This was said of the god Ogmios, who knew the symbols. He embodied Magusanus, the favorable dream, the right choice. Ogmios was the one who knew the name of everything, the old man who had traveled throughout the three worlds. He spoke by stringing words together, representing political power and royalty, for people listened patiently to his long speeches and obeyed all his advice and orders. The Gallic Magusanus, with his eloquent words, was an excellent god of commerce in general, thanks to his experience and wise counsel.

The royal sun, which inspired reflection and dreams of better days, guided the growing civilization. He brought smiles and good cheer, uniting people in cordial harmony. Magusanus knew how to accomplish the most important acts for the Gallic state. He had the power to heal the ills that caused wars; he was an ancient god, one who had seen much and knew how to behave in every situation, for he recognized honesty and deceit. When Magusanus reigned during his season, people slept soundly and lived well. Magusanus, also pronounced Magus-Senos, was the god of experience, diversity, and wisdom.



Cicoluis:

He is called the crushing god with the club because he is an ancient god. He protects newborns—not all of them, but those who have inherited his blood. Ogmios is recognized as a guardian and protector of children; his heavy club guards the doors of noble houses. Cicoluis, also called Cocoluix, is the god who brings good fortune, protector of newborns and inheritances. He was also a god of patronage, opening the doors of the powerful to welcome children descended from ancient kings. He would come to bend over the divine cradles to bestow wealth, health, and love. He also protected orphans by preserving their sacred lineage.
He was a deity of exceptional circumstances, that is to say, of great destinies and the riches of high rank. Long ago, it was said that he brought the ways of the storm to Taranis; from this came his reputation as a singer with an overwhelming voice, a paralyzing voice, like a roar.

The cartographer.

All learning fell under the purview of Ogmios, he who knew the hundred paths. While Lugus bestowed his magical arts, Ogmios represented the great memory.
Through his tales, history, gods, and famous places were known, and this knowledge belonged to the sanctuaries of the old man.
His priests knew the location of everything, every tribe, and each of the divine offspring of Teutates.
They knew the roads of Gaul, but also those that circled the earth; the Gallic conquests founded distant colonies. In the sanctuaries of Ogmios, knowledge of all routes, mountains and seas, friendly and enemy lands, was preserved.
Gallic life, like a journey, followed the chains of Ogmios.




*















Soldurii.

In the distance, the drums beat with fervor; the dynamism of Gaul was expressed in songs and ferocious diatribes.
They praised the battles to come, the seasoned professionals smiling broadly at the approaching fighting.

The comrades laughed heartily at the sounds of the Carnix,
Then came the harsh laws of war,
The Gauls went to war laughing with joy. The ambacts could still prove their worth,

Then after the sword dance, the troops

They surged forward, raging with the anticipation of the carnage to come; nothing could stop these enraged Gauls who raced eternally toward their destiny, honoring the bloodthirsty and merciless goddess of great warriors.
To those who were fearless, the reputation of heroes and the future reincarnation of noble souls were promised.

They fought one against ten, and their more numerous enemies fled before the will of the Gallic gods.
Those days, when dragons were unleashed to devour all who came, were destined to end in charnel houses, for the goddess of mercy was never invited.





DONNAT (Donnat).

In the sky was Donn and his constellation of Taurus. The three cranes are also up there, perfectly aligned. Donnat himself was a warrior embodying the nobility of the martial arts. The human half, imbued with a nobility dedicated to the dark, inner, and spiritual aspects. Donnat carried a unique, unarmed shield to protect the world from the bestiality of the savages. He embodied the noble memory of the site's guardians. He defended himself against his other half, who attacked him with a short sword, an animalistic force devoid of profound thought.
The magistrates who defended the tribe also honored him, for his shield protected the fortified settlements from bad decisions. He was a noble and earthly demigod whose every word carried the weight of a command.

The nobility of the soul, of the blood, that was meant to preserve civilization.

Spirits of the trees.

The tree man.

They say a man grows up in the light of his home,
They say he only truly settles on his roots,
They say all good arable land is well-watered by its source,
And his family never settles far from him.
They say his young stem is tender and fragile,
And that with age it becomes hard and rough.

And then his arms, like branches, stretch towards the sky,
His head, high above, is always pensive, as if in the clouds,
They say that in a storm, only the heavy trees stand tall,

until the end of the battle.
They say his family can cling to him and take him as an example,
When hail tears off his leaves, making him forget who he is, like a madman.
And if lightning strikes his heart, he may burst into flames and die. And then they say that, in any case, one day, a root always grows back,
To give it another life.
They say that the spirit of a tree is a thousand-year life.
Like a man initiated into time.

And then it's true that each land is unique, that often only one kind of tree grows well there,
Where one kind of man, they made tribes of trees, oh pardon, I misspoke,
I meant tribes of men.










The eyes of the tree.

So the great tree of celestial time, the one that touched the stars of the sky, enlarged its rings, one more with each passing year. And from its branches were born other paths, other roads, and other lives; all these buds belonged to a new life. The trunk bore the history of the world; its offshoots were reborn for a few human years. These famous buds, giving rise to new generations, we called them eyes, and at their base was a crown. Each new life had its birth crown; it was the same divine sap that made them grow, the same blood. And the branch that grew from each eye would have a different inclination and development, as if destiny had offered a different and unique perspective in each one. And around the trunk, the eyes looked outward, toward the light, and inward, toward the sap, the trunk, and the roots of the beginning of time. All these eyes looked toward the trunk, the throne of history, the solar altar, as if each were a star reborn in the cycle of days and nights. These eyes, growing in the light, bore the colors of the tree itself. Green, brown, dark, reddish-brown... and so on... and some the blue of the sky, like human eyes, the colors of the buds were like those of their irises.



Perfumes, the language of the gods.


Many gods, nymphs, and goddesses inhabited the heavens, as numerous as the stars, forming large families and beautiful constellations.
And each of these families had its own cult with its customs, its acknowledgments, and its prayers.

On Earth, the divine spirits appeared in the form of plants, and there were many to know.

The lives of these plants were told through stories, which allowed them and their virtues to be remembered.

Because these famous medicinal plants were of vital importance, fantastic tales were given to them. That way, each one was remembered. It was said that the words of the gods and goddesses had enchanting perfumes as their substance.

The life of plants exalted the four wonders of the year, the four narratives of a life.
The four principal scents of each plant, like the four corners of the world, were then transformed into magnificent prayers.
Then, creatures representing the spirits of heaven were drawn in the graceful form of plants. And in their floral faces, a divine language, like a perfume, praised the four faces of the year.




Aiduos.

Adulos

God of wild vitality and untamed countryside, also called Aiduos, god of the invigorating undergrowth and the protective shade of the spirit. These sacred woods are called Uida, and this was the name of the ancient churches. Aïduos, being a religious figure and solely so, believed that the black bull inhabited his forest. There, religious passions resided on earth, along with the blind faith of reflection, belief, and the sacrifices meant to regenerate life, and the bull fed on the suffering of men. These vast, dark forests were forbidden to onlookers. A god of darkness, both good and evil, he was the one who perpetuated the reductive notion of good and evil. When the Gauls sacrificed the white bull, they sacrificed oblivion and the madness that inflames the minds of certain fanatics, thus communing with the true spirit of nature and life, warding off misfortune. The Uidas, these dark and protected places, once hosted the ceremonies of the Bull. From this came the name Aïdubno, the dark passage to the other world.

There lived Esus, who, walking towards the light by cutting branches, simultaneously discovered the secrets of the ancient Druid religion and the path to heaven.

Each of these trees attracted different animal species, and these beings, dwelling in the purest life force, were believed to be incarnations of gods and goddesses come to visit humans on Earth.





Sylvanos and the Felvenni.

Every object is animated by a spirit; every branch of the tree, every stone, everything that exists is inhabited.

The god Sylvanos, or rather the Sylph Genius, was one of these many gods, descendants of Cernunnos, who possessed the link with the creatures and beings inhabiting the afterlife, as it is said. It was said that the chosen of the gods would be reincarnated through the memories left here below. These are the Felvenni, the wooden statuettes inhabited by the ancient spirits of the past. These statuettes were directly dependent on Sylvanos, the god of forests and wood, and they protected homes and clans. For the spirit among the Gauls does not die; it continues its warlike journey. They remain in their favored places, and people sought their advice and blessings from them, for their power was real. These Felvenni were renowned for dining at the table of the gods, like all the chosen, the pure, and the righteous. Their souls were as numerous as the stars in the night of time and the oceans of the sky. They guided the paths of those destined for reincarnation, like all good spirits, like seeds that sprout anew. Some would say they were creatures resembling the magical elves of the woods. Sylvanos, their tutelary god, embodied youth and the wisdom of sacred trees and branches that intertwine in the night sky—a god of rebirth and seasonal buds. His tribe was called the Sylvanectes, those who live in mossy, gnarled trees, and they lived not far from Lutetia, where they traded, in a damp territory in the north. Many beautiful Galatian objects were carved there, all imbued with the spirit of a Felvennis. But one had to be righteous to possess one, righteous and true, for the Felvennis were the spirits of the Tree of Life, like divine animals, but more like green fauns.

Bergonia.

Whenever a place became renowned for its unique characteristics, a god or goddess was born, son or daughter of Lugus in the world of light. Bergonia was the goddess of the Damos, that is to say, the gentle ones. They were called this because they did not eat meat; they were the divine inhabitants of the mountain passes of Bergonia the Mother. These inhabitants, both small and large, lived on these nourishing coasts, for they were all animals represented by the gods above. In these remote places, the only food worth eating was buds, hence the name Bergonia, she who buds. At the time, these mountain buds with medicinal properties were considered delicacies by humans as well.

This goddess was called the fairy of the fields; she was one of the aspects of Brigania, the singing sorceress of the night.

At the time, these mountain buds with medicinal properties were considered delicacies by humans as well. She was a gentle goddess of rest and purification, who came in the spring.







Baïase and BaïSerta.

Spirits of marbles, of wood.


Baïase.

There were physical differences, of course, and he was one of the Felvenni, like his sister Baieserta, for all things grandiose. Baiase was the one of musculature; haven't you ever heard of the gnarled muscles of trees? The Gauls were athletic; among the Pyrenean tribes, they practiced strength sports like hammer throwing, axe throwing, and log throwing. Habits have always had their place, and Baiase had become part of the culture. He was also called "the green wood," the nervous one. The muscular god was also embodied in fighting sticks. The lines of the wood, like those of the calendar, had become an example of physical fitness and spiritual formalities. He was a god, and as such, his musculature was among the most imposing, the kind that leaves a lasting impression. It was "the one who holds the lines, the drawing, the impact of a memory."



Gentle Baïaserta.

Gentle Baïaserta was a bearer deity, like her brother Baïase the Rough, or Baxeï, but not of the same kind. Traditions and customs punctuated village life. There were the rich and the poor; to the latter, Baïaserta brought a pot, a small offering. In French popular culture, a trace of this custom remains; it is called "the poor man's share." It was a tradition never to eat one's entire meal so that something could be given, a crust of bread, to the poor people one knew.

It was called "little head" because it was a small portion that was brought around. It was a pot reserved for this purpose, for giving something, this act of generosity. It was attributed to Belenos, certainly because it was a truly beautiful thing. In those days, no money was given; it was food. A wooden bowl. A deity who restores strength.






CASFALANOS.

The oak served as an ideological symbol; its hardness, its resistance to time, its majesty had inspired the Gauls. Thus was born one of the oak gods, Casfalanos: the prince of bronze and the throne shining in the night.
Casfalanos possessed the tresses of the divine tree of stars; his leaves resembled dark brown hair, possessing its nocturnal color. He was a god of contentment and full rivers, for he was the god of tribal memory; his branches extended on either side of the great river of history. This curly-haired prince was as old as the world, and he guarded the world of the dead. On this throne The druids of the nocturnal nemeton were seated there.

This oak creature was nourished by the blood of the pure, and their spirit could no longer die. It was the spirit of divine reincarnations.







BODOUA.

In the lands of Berry, territory of the Bituriges, there was a very particular goddess among all the forests, the goddess of a feminine tree, the Betua.

She was the goddess of these lands covered with a useful tree that you call "Birch." When the goddess Bodua incarnated on the land of men, she did so in the form of a black crow, like the pitch extracted from the bark of her tree. An animal that had the habit of warning everyone with its piercing cries when something strange approached. She is also known as Catu-Bodua the pyromaniac.

She was called Also: "the goddess of guardians," the budenicos, those who warn and protect.

A certain ritual allowed the crow's stone to appear by heating the tree's bark, producing a shining bitumen, a sharp, black obsidian used for all important tasks, particularly for sealing ships' hulls and making incendiary weapons. This resin was a great treasure at the time. Its warriors guarded the Bituriges territory with their piercing cries, frightening travelers to keep the secret of Bodua, the black goddess. Foreigners thought they were mad and preferred to turn back. This territory remained quite mysterious, even to Gaul.
These tribes built their houses in this birch forest because it was also the dwelling place of the deity.
This goddess protected the center of the forest where the great master trees, known as "the white kings," stood firmly established.
This must be in It was in this area that all the druids of Gaul gathered, at the foot of these immense trees, where one can also find a number of menhirs and dolmens.



ABELIO.

Abelio was a god of the Albios world, named after the "dawn," but later it was with him that the "trees" were named. The sun's rays, fanning out from the low clouds on the horizon, did indeed create a pattern resembling a maple leaf, changing color with the seasons. One day, he descended to earth to unite with Pyrenn, the mountain nymph.
Many people heard the loud rumblings emanating from one of the trees.

Fertile valleys, lights splashed across the sky, and glowing cries set the cloudy sky ablaze for long moments.

At dawn, a child was born from the union of the sunrise, the mountain, and the rain. His name was Millaris; he was a shepherd, the first. Bound to the tree and the woods of the sky.
That night, the hills trembled far and wide, stretching further north, and it was remembered for a long time.

When people needed to awaken love, they sang long litanies at the foot of the Cantalon of Abelio, for it protected couples. Thus, some couples stayed together all their lives and even beyond, as was to be the case for those who had pledged themselves to each other at the break of dawn. The virile force of Abelio's song swelled the hearts of the hills and made the rivers of life soar. The maple's sweetness gave its divine colors to the earth. And besides, as far as we know, this tree, the maple, served as shelter for a famous gallinaceous bird, the Gallic rooster, which also crowed the new dawn that would begin anew each day.










UIRONA.

She was also called Ianuaria, goddess of gentleness, the divine swan of knowledge and the arts. Goddess of the water religion, the Eriu.
The swan of the stars approached the bank, and there grew an alder tree; it bore the same name as the goddess and was a feminine tree, still called "the alder tree." It was the tree of knowledge, learning, and the arts, for it was used for sculptures and musical instruments, as well as for tools and weapon handles. Its great strength and the beauty of its carved wood made it a sacred tree.
It gave birth to Vernostonnios, the great poet, who could read the lines of the leaves and dwelt in the branches that reached up to the sky. He spread his beautiful words across the world to heal its ills.
This tree bore the stones of knowledge, the stones of certainty. The goddess in question gave her name to many tribes and places by the water. For the waters of the earth are connected to the waters of the sky, the Gallic symbols and glyphs were carved into the sacred wood. The alder was the tree of words and is still associated with light and truth. Many effigies of the ancient cult were carved from this very resistant wood, which, it seems, was also the tree of baptisms and therefore of good omens. How many children did she protect in her cradles, and all bore the name she had given them? Uirona distributed the stones of certainty to all the Gallic tribes, and each tribe inscribed its name upon them. These stones, meant to unite the tribes, are at the origin of the Gallic language. And this is a true myth that our ancestors told each other.











Ovios.

Great forests of the dark yew grew throughout Gaul. He was called Ovios the Eternal. He was the god of eternity, appearing as an extremely resilient white wood strewn along the banks of the Ouve River, or as a phantasmagorical collection of scattered bones. This god of the dead offered gifts to the tribes, who fashioned it into bows and poison, and whose smoke was also used to visit and return to the world of the dead. The gateway to the hidden world was located at the source of the yew tree. This god was also known as Luxovios, the one who uses the yew. A dangerous god who could resurrect the dead, a god whose worshippers used his bones, a god of sacrifices.

The ghostly deity of the yew, Obios, embodies the dead. The deceased bodies of ancestors, the branches of the yew tree bleached white by time, resemble human remains. He was something of a zombie god with gnarled growths. The territory of Obios was nicknamed "the river of fear."






MELOVIUS.

Melovius, the brother of the yew.


Melovius belonged to the World of Heavenly Light; his resin was the blondness of some Europeans. He was a well-trained and obedient soldier in all things, the tree of alpine rigor. He was by nature slow and somewhat lazy, with a gentle and sweet nature like larch syrup. The familiar silhouette of the blond giant of the peaks had been perpetuated through his descendants, and their mountain paths were those of their ancestors. They served their clan well; these tribes of the larch had settled up there for millennia. Yet Melovius and his descendants remained in the memories of the Nemeton as a terrible soldier, a great destroyer who sowed ruin and desolation when he descended from the mountains. It is said that he was under a spell at those times, and the strength of his weapons was tenfold. This tree was the tree of rewards and punishments.









AVICANTOS.
The willow god.

Tree of the moon, of songs, and of

Poems about the four seasonal horsemen. This tree, along with the Alder, is one of the principal ones in the water cult.

It was a god of Awen and vital inspiration, of the divine breath of the stars, passionate in religious chants. It was called the great ancestor, meaning the great god who contains the history of the ancestors, their names. Avicantos was also nicknamed: the bent old man, because of the willow wood which bent easily yet resisted. It was truly this god who embodied the old age of men and their experience, the one who inspires the young of the tribe, a god of ancestral knowledge. This tree was perhaps that of the bull, the three cranes, and Esus. Large effigies used in popular ceremonies were made from its branches and were called Grandfather and Grandmother, the royal ancestors who guide the year.







ALOSIOKOS.
Alisanos.

There were very old stone roads. This type of engineering required a different kind of organization, and here again, the druids had to use their influence on society. Often, along the roadside, one would find the service tree growing among the stones, and it was this tree that served the vital cult. It grew in rocks and gravel and could live up to two hundred years, guarding these roads.

Even then, hundreds of kilometers of roads had been laid out, and directions, depths, and widths were calculated. Alosiokos was the god of "bridges and roads," so to speak, but not only that; he was the sacred tree of the sanctified paths. At the intersections of these roads, one can still often find the cantalon used to deposit offerings, the "madera." These pillars also served as boundary markers; on one side, one of the four directions is rounded, as if indicating a path. These carriage roads were consecrated by the druids of Alosiokos; everything in the tree came from the gods. This was a guarantee of safety, good planning, and religious awareness. These were also the roads used by pilgrims; the god had a reputation for going straight and far. He was a good deity, the one who would lead you to the end of a path illuminated by the ancient, preserved solar cult. The berries of the service tree lining the roads nourished the birds, sacred to the pilgrims. All these roads bore their chains of travelers and led to a place protected by the gods: Alesia, the city of Alisanos, the civilized city.







CUSLANOS.

Colurus.


Among the Gauls, the myth was somewhat different. Cuslanos, the god who gives the hazel tree, was also a hunter of the undergrowth. He used the "caluno," a hunting stick made from hazel trunk. His name also means "anger," like the anger of Canauos. He was said to have a character as hard as stone and to seek something in revenge. Hazel was the wood from which heavy sticks of punishment were made, and also those used to advance through impregnable undergrowth. For the Gauls, Cuslanos embodies true virility, represented by the hazel tree. It is the tree of punishment and revenge, the tree of warlike anger.








BAICORIXOS.

There were deities who bequeathed their domains to their descendants, like Baicorixos, the spirit dwelling in the heathlands. Baicorixos, he who preserved the body and soul of his tribes' ancestors. It was believed then that the souls of the dead first returned to live in the wild, in a pure place. He was a skilled warrior of the land of bees. There, on the hillside, stood the woven hives that held all the wealth of the land; this was Baicorixos's gold. Honey flowed freely in this high stronghold of beech and heather. He used to shout loudly so that his voice could be heard from all sides of the mountain, thanks to the great echo reverberating off the slopes. His flowers took on intense blue and red hues. His golden staff was reputed to be magical, and the carnix announced his passing as he moved about. His fortified settlement was vast and high; no one would have dreamed of taking it from him, especially since it was defended by bees. Baïcorix possessed the same divine body as his ancestors, the same astonishing strength of the mountain people, which he bequeathed to all his descendants.








BELADONIUS.

Beladonius was a god of Provence, the god of warrior virility. He was a god of war who was embodied in a wild juniper tree. The god of thorns displayed his bulging muscles and did not hesitate to provoke manly clashes. Brusqueness was a game to him; he was both wounding and tough. Camaraderie among men who trained was also a manly act instilled by Beladonius, the ancestor.







Abalos.


The apple tree


The apple tree, like the fig tree and other fruit trees

In general, the apple tree was considered a symbol of wealth by the Gauls, due to its juicy fruit and abundant yield. There is a connection to the wrath of the sky, Taranis, who, during a storm, hurled the apples to the ground, much like the appearance of stars falling towards the horizon during precessional motions. These trees represented easy harvests and savings, as their fruit could be preserved for a long time. Thus, on our bas-reliefs, we see the goddess Epona offering a basket of fruit to her worshippers; this was the fortune she bestowed upon noble knights.



Giarinos.

Giarinos was a god of numerous lineages and many branches. It was said that he was imprisoned by winter and stones, and that on the first day of spring, he uttered the cry of rebirth that allowed him to emerge from the frozen lands. He was the one who protected the seeds during the cold months. Giarinos was bearded, and roots grew in his mossy hair. He was a god of the liberation of the great beings called Queules, and of the benevolent rivers that watered their banks, depositing their precious humus. This son of the primal sun guarded one of life's noble secrets, and his protective mosses preserved the verdure of eternity.








The Mistletoe of the Stars.

In the great tree of the sky gods, the buds touched the stars. Up above, constellations formed from sparks of light shone everywhere.

These luminous orbs yielded mistletoe, which the druids gathered for their ceremonies. Each sphere of mistletoe was a constellation that had to be collected whole. The Herdsman then used his sharp sickle to knock the clumps into the great cauldron. This is where the auguries were prepared; this mistletoe came from the sky and was a gift from the gods.




The ornate wheels.


The wheels of the spirit.

The gods and goddesses had given the wheels to our people. All the tribes knew them, all the druids used them, for these wheels were sacred trees.

First, there was the Uimbori shield brought by Berycinthia; it represented the two great periods of the year, light and dark. Then it was the turn of the three masters, and they gave the sacred triskelion, distributed for each quarter, signifying past, present, and future. Then Ogmios brought the Petuala, the four-spoked wheel that formed the seasons of life. It was Lugus who brought the sea urchin itself to the druids, and thus the luster of five years could be used, like the five points of his star. Then the great goddess gave to women the "seixarbor," the six-spoked wheel that represented the six months of each semester. She had twin children, one with a fair complexion and the other with a dark temperament; to each she bequeathed six months. The Sulevias brought the wheel of the week and the seven planets. And then Cernunnos, the master of dreams, showed us what the spiritual tree of humankind was; it possessed eight rays of light and granted freedom to the soul. And all these cycles were parents and children; they became songs. These circles were cycles, and with the wheels of the gods, the druids and bards created the most beautiful sung diatribes, the incredible satires, and the marvelous odes of our ancient culture, for it was the will of the wheels, the will of the gods.





IBOÏTA.


IBOÏTA.
The axis of the world.

All human activities were governed primarily by the calendar of sowing and harvesting, and time revolved around this white axis. It maintained the work of the year; a large millstone turned with it. The farmers cultivated vast quantities of wheat, and the mill was kept busy. IboÏta was the god who represented this crushing work of time, which could not be stopped. He was embodied in the hub, which was associated with the trunk of the tree. He was considered a constant helper, preparing the flour and making human settlements a perpetual world. Iboita's hub held the hut upright, and he came from the world of the gods, for he protected the activity in question. Associated with time, which turns upon itself, he inscribed the seasons with all his might in the eternal stone. It is also said that each part of his millstone had a meaning, like the circles of stone.



Ibosos.

God of watermills, Ibosos was the god of water channels, places considered sacred because this water from the sky brought life and movement.

Ibosos lived not far from his river; he used to go back and forth carrying the basin used to collect water. This god belonged to a highly sought-after profession: that of the carriers of clear water. His lively movements had given rise to a ritual, so useful was his activity to livestock farming; one might call

This was "the kiss of the water," referring to the act of gathering clear water from the surface. He was the master of the river and the mills.
Ibosos often incarnated as a tree growing on the banks. Like all trees, he had access to the heavens and was connected to human activity. This one was somewhat special, however, for he was a man born on earth who had been transformed under the aegis of the great goddess. Thus, his hands became branches and his feet took root.









The Tree of the Ancestors.

In Gaul, trees were numerous; some were very old, having survived for thousands of years, perhaps even longer. There was one in particular that constantly regenerated from its ancient roots. Its enormous trunk supported foliage that reached to the sky, its fruits resembling the planets. In its center was the sun, and in its rings, one could read the passage of time.

It was the witness to the history of the earth, for it was said that all living beings came from beneath this tree.
It sheltered entire generations of men, and at its foot, between the branches of the sky and its roots within the world, the druids dispensed customary justice.

It contained the immensity of the universe's knowledge.



Obios, the skeleton tree.

A ghostly deity of the yew tree, Obios embodies the dead. The deceased bodies of ancestors, the branches of the yew tree bleached white by time, resemble human remains. It was something of a zombie god with gnarled growths. The territory of Obios was nicknamed "the river of fear," the cemetery. It was said that the dragon was the ancestor of the Gauls, and this was no coincidence, for it gave life to all living things that possessed a spine. The ancient serpent, in particular, demonstrated its kinship with humans; their spines were strangely similar. And Obios, in all its whiteness, possessed the same attributes. The human skeleton was compared to the white tree with its branches and connections, a tree that reached towards the sky with a cross at its head. Thus, it was said that the tree, the serpent, and humankind were linked since the beginning of the world, and this trunk, this spine, it is also said that this was perhaps the axis of the world. With its three levels: roots-feet, trunk-body, foliage-head. These were the underworlds, the world of earth, and the world of sky. And there was everything in common: a past, a future, and a present center, and there was also a left and a right... the skeletal tree revealed, to those who were not afraid of it, the plan and the center, the entire creation of divine life.

The seed.

The soul is eternal; it is transmitted from body to body through the divine word.

It is like a seed, able to wait a long time before germinating.

It is there that the Gallic soul is reborn and transformed into a majestic tree, the tree of the spirit.

And each land that receives it is a god, and the tree grows toward the heavens.

When the body died, sometimes it was sown in its new land so that the spirit might grow again; sometimes the seed was kept in sanctuaries to be replanted at the opportune time.

This seed always developed first on two sides, like the two faces of a man.

And then one could see four leaves and four sides, until it grew alive for millennia.

Often it was said that the seed was a skull kept in stone at the gates of the other world; in some villages, bodies were kept in grain silos, waiting to be replanted, the bones being nothing more than dead branches.

It was also said that each seed was a spirit and each leaf a life.



The leaf of life.

So among the old initiates, they created bardic, magical poetry; it was a mage's profession to be a druid. So they also studied the stars, and they wrote things in the sky. They practiced the worship of the waters of life and the spirits that grow within them. Trees were like great spirits bearing many lives; the great tree of stars told the story of our world.
And so it was said that each branch was a divine family, and also that each leaf was a human life, a human soul.
This leaf was born and it died within the year, after having passed through the four seasons of life. And this story remained, inscribed in the hidden book.
It was said that the niskae gave manna from the waters coming from the sky, and thus the Gallic babies were born, often after a downpour, like a bud bursting open.

And then, the water, penetrating the earth, emerged in beautiful, pure, and joyful springs, and that was how the green leaf unfolded, with tenderness. And so we grew, the springs became streams and rushing torrents, such was the youth of the leaf, stirring in the joys of its new form

playing gracefully in the winds.

And yes, and then it grew like the sacred river of the Gauls, gaining more strength and gravitas in its maturity. Thanks to the sap, the leaf had become large and strong, almost sharp. And the armorers took it as a model, shaping the points of their war spears into the form of a sharp, warlike leaf, dangerous to anyone who dared to touch it.
This is a very ancient custom, perhaps as old as the great flints worked thousands of years before, the time of the ancient gods and the great elders.
With its divine water and its worship, the river of life became immense from bank to bank.
It was at this time of year, with the first heat, that aridity took hold. And the leaf suffered a little; it began to age, and bodies lost some of their vigor at this time of year. And then drought gripped the land, the great sacred river revealed sandbanks, and the leaves grew fragile, brittle, lacking water. Summer was harsh, and people quickly grew weary in the heat. They aged little by little, their features withered as well.
The great river continued its course toward the vast ocean of the setting sun, where, it is said, lies the realm of the dead, guarding the souls of those who will return to be reborn with the next spring rains. But there was one evil that all feared in the old leaves: that of falling prematurely, that which came with the wrath of the gods.
For if the sky were to fall upon their heads, then hail would break and shatter the leaves, and then one could die before reaching the ultimate old age and natural end of life. It would have been terrible not to be able to live out one's life because hail, the wrath of the heavens, would have severed one's connection with the tree and the divine sky... So yes, it is said that our ancestors feared the sky would fall on their heads, and it's true.
They feared that their leaf would be torn from the tree of life before the season of the dead, before autumn and its honorific funeral ceremonies. This is how they thought about the flow of life, like the flow of the year. This life was one, like a leaf, tender at the beginning, joyful, strong, and then fragile. Birth, youth, maturity, and old age, to fall at the end, swirling in the season of the dead to enrich the soil and be reborn later.
We continue to tell this story of the tree, of sap, of the water of life flowing to the western ocean. This story where life returns each year, where men are inevitably reincarnated, and where the old fear that the sky, the hail, will fall on their heads, tearing off their leaves.
It's all old, very ancient, and it's still there, inscribed in the book of light.






The river of sap.

Life was like a river; all the nascent springs eventually grew, strengthened, and mingled.

This luminous sacred water, water and light mingled, came from the sky, falling from the clouds to plunge into the mountains; from there sprang the springs of purity and innocence.

There were druids, and long before them, ancient Uatis who climbed the steep slopes to approach the heavens of the untouchable gods.

And this is how they saw the springs of life, then its branches descending from the mountain, farther on, all gathering into a great river of sap, like an enormous, long trunk. In some places, the torrents formed serpentine shapes, and it seemed as if the serpents were falling from the tree to crawl across the flatlands.
The first springs had borne their round fruits, like mountain lakes, nourished the streets, streams, and vigorous torrents in vigorous branches; farther on, this magnificent trunk, like a great river of sap, watered the plains, with life in its many forms all around and within it, gazing back at it.
And then the old sacred river encountered some sandbanks, dragged itself into the delta in many branches, like roots plunging into the great western ocean; there the bitter water became salty, there all earthly life ended, there one entered the realm of the dead, the realm of memories, heroes, and gigantic monsters. This story goes back a long way, perhaps 3,000 years, perhaps 30,000 years... who knows? It was at the dawn of civilization and founding myths.




The color of the leaves.

In this very ancient world of the tree of life and its recurring cycles, there was this tradition where each important deity of the year was associated with a trend, a moment in life.

Everyone has their own way of thinking and understanding, of explaining the common things that happen in a life.

Depending on whether one is a woman or a man, a child or an elder, mature or too young to access

In the past, each moment of life was understood differently. So, with each season, according to its condition, the tree of life changed its shapes and seasonal colors.
These cycles belonged to the cults of many Gallic deities, and often these gods and goddesses were represented with leaves corresponding to certain local trees. Like tribal trees, these deities displayed seasonal colors. One found green or yellow ivy, red vine, brown oak leaves, golden hues for the ash, and many others. Ultimately, only mistletoe kept its eternal green.

That's how it was: each moment, each god had their color; plants were like deified spirits, as if the souls of the gods were colored.



Sprouts of life.

All our ancient peoples had their traditions. One of them was that the father of all tribes was a primordial dragon inhabiting the underworld, and the mother was this land of Gallia.
It was believed that all life came from the earth, sacred above all others. Plants, and especially the tree of life, came from the soil.
It was from there that the ancient roots rose toward the sky with the grace of the tree of spirits and gods. The dragon was the father of all the gods and all the children of Gallia.
In this land, the druids had carved sanctuaries of prayer, underground chambers where they communicated with the gods and goddesses, places where the secrets of life on earth were sought.
When death came, often, bodies were returned to underground repositories so that they might later regenerate and reappear on the earth of men. Sometimes they were buried sitting up, for they had to wait patiently for the moment of their resurrection. But for nobles, princes, and heroes, there were rich tombs with objects meant to be consumed for pleasure, large beds on chariots for a good night's sleep while awaiting their return to the land of the living.

Human life, like the sacred plant, returned to this subterranean world that had already witnessed its birth. For life is a soul that grows again; it comes from the Gallic soil, the divine receptacle and matrix.

The emerald sea.

Time is something infinite, but we know when it begins and when everything is renewed.

And it has a center; a human god dwells within it; he knows the beginning and the end.

His throne is situated in the middle of the tree, at the center of the seasons.

It is surrounded by eternal ivy, which retains the color of eternity.

On its head, deer antlers grow and fall off and grow back each year.
On its face, one eye is open to the world, and the other gazes inward.
One of its feet touches the earth, and the other is above it.
Its antlers are like branches; they bear the leaves of life for every living being in the middle world.
These numerous leaves bear different colors according to the seasons.
It is said that at a certain time they dance in the currents of the sky.
Green, stretching everywhere across the earth of men, green, stretching like an emerald ocean.
In the middle of the year is the throne of time, within a verdant setting where joyful life frolics.

And

The sky is like an emerald sea that protects the realm of living spirits.

Above a place where the perfumes of flowers and the sounds of birds are prayers to heaven.


The Wishing Tree.

Some local traditions spoke of a special tree, a tree of the gods that awakened the life of the year. In the first month of spring, the gods were honored with offerings.
On this occasion, wishes were made for the bright and sunny season.
A beautiful spring festival took place, and to make wishes, small pieces of colored fabric were tied to the branches of the sacred tree in each village.
Sometimes sacrifices were made, and liqueurs were poured into the soil around the roots.
The druids officially marked the beginning of the bright season, leading to the coming summer and its benevolent warmth.
Astronomy played a significant role in this wishing festival; cosmo-glyphs were drawn on the pieces of colored fabric.
And then they were left there all year, until the following year when they were replaced with new wishes.

This tree was often seen at village crossroads. These scraps of fabric were like the leaves of life for the year, for a life is like a day, like a year, or like 1000 years: on one side there is light, and on the other, there is shadow.




The two branches.

This Gallic festival was very ancient; it told, through a fable, how the tree survived when the goddess of fate broke off its head.

First, there was a seed that grew, pleasant, tender, and graceful. And then the stem grew until a beautiful leaf reached for the sky of the gods.

But the goddess

She broke off the top to claim it for herself, for she alone was to know the heights of the heavens.
So from there, three days later, two twin buds sprang forth, each in its own direction; it was the beginning of spring.

One remained in the light and nourished its brother, which was in the shade. That is how the world came to have two sides.

And the branches grew, becoming two strong limbs of a marvelous tree.







Your Tree,

You must always have your tree at home,
Eat its fruit and replant its seeds,
Build your house with its wood,
Make your tools with its branches,
Rest and think beneath its foliage,
Climb to the top to see the distant horizon,
Around it is your village,
It protects your animals,
Its soil makes your vegetables grow,
It shows you the four directions,
It shows you the seasons,
But you also know,
When you cut it down,
You will no longer have peace,
That is why it is sacred.







Branches like roads.

The tree is the world, its branches are roads, rivers, its roots are crops.

And it was said that each one had its life, its time, its annual leaf. So when people crossed paths, it was said that they were traversing the same sky and the same forest.

And when they couldn't meet and talk, they spoke instead of different roots and trees.
Thus, it became a symbol of family, then of tribe, before becoming a nation: the world tree.
Each followed their own path, their branch toward the divine light.
In this tree, one felt at home, and some people could not enter. Like a life, a vital time, a bright green leaf felt firmly attached to its world, like a united people who resemble and come together.












The cult of the waters of light.

Eriu, the religion of the waters.

There was a young god named Eriu, and he founded a religion; for women, it was said that it was the goddess Uironna. Water gave life, and thus it became the foundation of religion.

This religion was called Eriu, meaning church, the place where the spirit of life resides. In some northern regions, religious ceremonies were called the cult of Uironn.
Eriu, the song of the gods who brought water, was the foundation of religion. Thanks to this connection with nature and the gods, the fields were well-watered, and the tribe fed and lived easily.

The religion of Teutates, father of new growth and many generations.

Linked to harvests and reserves, Eriu was a heavenly religion that also provided offerings and gifts; it was the spirituality of divine chants.







The word of the gods

Thus speak the gods.

Our ancestors built stone circles and dolmens over the clear springs; the ancient sanctuaries were the gateways to the otherworld.

For the gods and goddesses are the sources of all life on earth. And those who dwell in the world above can cover the mountains with white snow, for upon these mountains are their palaces.

And from their luminous palace springs forth the path that guides the world of men.

Thus we are born pure as spring water, thus our youth is like torrents and swift rivers, while mature men are like the tranquil river flowing to the sea, through wearying straits and foggy winters where storms carry away what remains of our lives. Worn down like the sand on the beaches, like millions of grains that follow one another, Cernunnos frees them from their matrix. Each life is a cycle, ultimately becoming a grain of stone and a completed wheel.

Beware the gods of Gaul, for from their wrath comes the wind, lightning, and hail that strike the unwary; the deluge constantly awaits those who defy the gods.

Such is the secret of life and its changing course.


The gods and goddesses of the waters.

The lords of the sky shared time and brought the waters of life to earth, sometimes melting them into a deadly aridity.
The waters represented life, above all, the history of the world.

We also had deities of drought and aridity, but these defined more the loss of vital flows and the accession to the gate and temple of the dead.

Eriu

Among them was Eriu, a young god of beneficial rains,

Also called "rain wind," he was a god of watering who could be invoked. He was a peasant deity associated with large-scale agricultural work. His swift action on the shoots was evident in the lengthening of the stems. This was a sign of Teutates, who provided for offspring. Linked to harvests and stores, Eriu was a sky deity who also provided offerings and gifts. A very talkative god, welcome everywhere.

And after the rain, the gods of the springs returned.

Boruo
Borvos.

The ancient priests, possessing the customs of water and dragon magic, preserved this knowledge for millennia, passing these secrets down to their descendants. Boruos was born from the hot, volcanic waters that emerged to the surface in certain places. He was a young god with the graceful form of childhood. And he represented for our people the birth of life from the underworld, from the Anderos.
It was in the hot, churning mud that his face appeared, carried by the bubbles and rising waters. There, on the surface of the hot mud, the spirits of the underworld formed beautiful designs that served as models for the Gallic arts of metallurgy. Boruos was a god of the arts, transmitting his messages and creations from the center of the earth. Later, he became the minor god of pottery. These famous drawings, considered sacred, took on the aquatic and rounded forms of water mixed with earth; they were the child of Mother Earth. The gas bubbles bursting on the surface formed eyes, while the surrounding eddies gave them plant-like wings.

Imaginative people practiced her worship by reproducing the drawings of Mother Earth in fine, shifting sand using their fingers.






BORMANA.
Bormana was a goddess of ferruginous or healing waters—that is, waters that could cure certain illnesses, healing waters, special springs. These springs had been known for millennia; the Gauls used them for everything because they were generally unpolluted places. These waters were very popular in those times when druids were renowned for their health practices. It is said that in these places dwell little old men with magical knowledge, the Surborus, and that the ghost of Canauos guards a treasure there in the form of a werewolf. These waters are reputed to be carbonated, ferruginous, slightly sulfurous, clear, and sweet to the taste. This kind of remedy was attributed to Bormana. It restored energy and was carried in leather waterskins. It softened women's skin, helped them hold their heads high, and restored a little pride. Some of Bormana's springs came directly from the depths of the earth and emerged into the open air as hot water. Pilgrimages were made there quite regularly to maintain health. Generally, the sisterhood of the Bormanae Matres, healers, resided in these places.









BOLVINUS

God of springs, the earth, and marriages, he is the spring that waters the family garden.
Marriages had existed for a long time; they were occasions for ceremony and exchange. It is known that all major life decisions were subject to approval by the druids, and it seems that marriages also required their consent. Bolvinus was the benevolent god of men about to be married. He was invoked in some tribes to find a "suitable partner," or more precisely, to bring forth the drinking water that would nourish the family's fertile land. The future groom would visit the place where he was to live, near a water source. Then he would present his grievances to her; it was all a family affair, a friendly one, but there were sometimes dowries to be provided for the future family's needs. According to folklore, the groom would bring a leather bag full of roots, which is why he was nicknamed "the root planter." The digger was, at that time, a dredger, and Bolvinus would help him find what he was looking for: the water necessary to establish the family and grow his vegetables.

Expercennios

One of the gods of the ancient world.

Expercennios was a deity of the thermal waters, those of Luchon. An old custom required one to purify oneself in these hot, pure mountain waters. It was a distant cauldron associated with a very ancient goddess from the heart of the mountain: "Cennia," also called "Canouna," the very ancient one known as the blind one. Expercennios was the tutelary god of the place where humans lived. His name meant "Cennia's unique cauldron," but the place could also be called "the temple of the waters of belief."

In the legend, a great river descended from the sky and began to grow on the earth, carrying with it the history of humankind. This gigantic river was the river of Gallic memory, and one day its waters dried up. It was called Erida, and its goddess was Erda, goddess of memory and past history.

Erda.

The sun became king of the heavens and was worshipped above men, atop menhirs; it was the heart of the universe and was later represented in the form of a five-pronged sea urchin. At mid-year, it represented the king

at the height of its power.

But an eagle flew over the earth to seize half of it during an eclipse.
The warrior goddess of life and death raised her crescent moon-shaped shield and threatened the sun-heart with a great leafy spear. Erda prevailed over the god who ruled the day, and half the earth was given to her. In her share, reflecting the sun's light onto her territorial shield, the great red eagle landed on the planet, and simultaneously, three human kings—past, present, and future—were to represent the sun during its absence from the sky. Erda, the female eagle, had momentarily obscured the light of the invincible star during an eclipse, reflecting the solar personality back to earth with her shield, and from there began the time of Gallic truth, the time of our warrior nobility. The famous sun, well-known at the time, had another image in people's minds; it was called the heart of the dragon.

Erda constantly warned with her piercing cries: "Beware, inhabitants of the earth, beware! Do not be arrogant or careless, for death and misfortune can befall you at any moment!"

"Kings, if they become drunk, will die with me, for I am the woman clothed in purple and scarlet, I am the red eagle that will swoop down upon you!" Thus spoke the goddess of Eridanos, of the spirits of Dana.



Argentia, the river of life.

While hunting with his dog, a man went up the Argantia River, and at its source was the goddess of the full moon accompanied by a young boy hidden in the bushes. Little Ianos, he was called, but he was already quite grown. The hunter was quite surprised in these places forbidden to the uninitiated, and he vanished from the scene by the divine magic of those who control the clouds.

According to peasant tales, the source of this Argentia river had to be hidden from men. Only priests were allowed to go there at night, because the spring only flowed at night and only on certain dates.
Its miraculous medicinal properties could not be given to everyone, and even then, it was said that the wisdom and knowledge of the druids were necessary for that.

But one day, someone abused it, and the spring dried up; it was supposed to reappear a little further on, according to the old researchers. Many ideas circulate about the location of the first spring, but above all, hunters are urged to find it.












ARNEMETIA.

Arnemetia, nymph of the primeval springs, was the high priestess of the nemetons, dedicated to long battle odes. These extremely long texts described, in role-playing songs, the adventures of heroes of old, like a very long river. These ash-tree nemetons stemmed from a very old tradition; bards would recite the verses to the people in the village squares. Sacred glades were places where heaven and souls were glorified. Arnemetia was also located in what is now South Wales. It was a factory of desire where the arts were used to praise a warrior, an army of men, or even gods. These extremely long odes aimed to be comprehensive, that is to say, to recount all the deeds and exploits of the most famous heroes. Some of these stories have been preserved in our memory, such as the mabinogions and tales of divine battles among the Welsh. In France, too, this knowledge has reached us with the story of Arthur the Lion's life. The odes of Arnemetia were rivers that carried away great emotions. They were both entertainment and mythical narratives about a real historical figure. And indeed, this great goddess was also the one who presided over the birth of heroes, gods, and kings. She was, therefore, a benevolent sorceress working in the nemetons.



Nantosuelta.


She could be called "the will of the earth" because her roots are planted there. Nantosuelta is a deity of the earth; she is present in the primordial clearing. She is a nymph of the maternal waters, of the water present in the soil that allows plants to live, but she is much more than that, for she is a deity of marriage, one of those called "the sacred vessel." From the realm of passion, Nantosuelta represents love within the couple, and among the Gauls, she is the feminine deity of marriage. An ancient epitaph reads "hold the sacred vessel," for it is the woman who is sacralized in marriage. She is often depicted with a pitcher-vase beside her companion with a hammer, the great heart of the groom beating for his bride. Originating from the cult of the maternal waters, it is the magic of woman that nourishes, waters, and brings about creation; the sacred vessel is thus procreation, and within this vessel lie the roots of the ancestors. She has been known in various eras, and various representations exist; she is always a bearer of water, and she is always...

Sculpted with her companion... she is the goddess of marriage, the subterranean river of the sap-river, and Nantosuelta is the future mother, sometimes represented as a Grail and other times as the primordial tree.








The triskelion.

The three waves of history: past, present, and future.

By displaying the triskelion of battles, what we call the triskelion today, the gods of the celestial oceans accompanied the three waves of battle. For three were needed to ensure victory.

Later, these powerful divine waves took the names of the three gods of war: Teutates, Esus, and Taranis. The seas swirled around the Gallic world, the waves rising one after another and striking the enemy defenses like a hammer, the sound like pebbles clashing together with each surge of battle. These three waves, the three lines of combatants, followed one another relentlessly until the gods decreed victory. It was the symbol of the unconquered and eternal triskelion of knowledge and the three worlds of light.


Petuala.

This rotating cross, known as the cross of the four waves, has borne many names: Petucala (the four Gauls), Petucanto (the four songs), Petuebann (the four kindnesses), and many others, such as the four horsemen, Petuequite, or the four seahorses. From the four directions of the rotating world of the stars, four songs of prayer were derived. This rotating cross was that of the religious, not of war. In the eternal oceans of the galaxy to which the Gauls gave their name, the four-sided wooden or stone post was erected. It was in these places that the first priors of the cross came to honor the gods and ask for their help so that life might be radiant. Among the knights, odes in four prayers were composed, representing the four parts of the lives of the deceased heroes, so that they would be remembered forever. This cross of the four waves of peace and the priors' kindness was most often called Petucala, but it can also be remembered as Petuala, honoring the four parts of the red flower of the blood of Lugus and those who were resurrected.


Barsa the Insolent.


She was nicknamed "Barsa the Insolent," a deity of water, and more specifically, of waterfalls. Barsa sang at the top of her lungs whenever it rained a little too much; this joyful, uninhibited girl swept away anyone foolish enough to get too close. The passionate nymph, who played the tough guy, was often a sight to behold, as long as she didn't fly into a rage, at which point she would douse the impudent suitors who tried to woo her. With her somewhat arrogant temperament, she dared to interrupt everyone and shout her phrases, repeating them a hundred times so that no one would hear her. Fortunately, Barsa also had her good moments, and her brilliantly executed dances enchanted passing onlookers. These strollers long remembered the nymph who made such a strong impression, both playfully and enviously. It is also said that she knew how to wage war, but without restraint; they preferred to keep her at the front lines so she could unleash her occasional boisterous outbursts on the approaching enemy... without taking away those she was supposed to protect.
It is also said that she sang lullabies to children for hours on end.
Her magical nature stemmed from certain beliefs in happiness; she was Barsa, insolent, radiant luck, complete wealth.


Aghos.



Aghos the Gaul was a god of the sky, the one who brought hail, hence the expression "the sky will fall on your head." This descendant of Teutates judged people by their facial expressions; he could see from afar the coiling serpents... weakened hearts. He was the god of purity, the one who rushed forward with the greatest vigor to restore truths, a just judgment of death. Aghos fought like a brave man, his reflexes the quickest and his strength vigorous. Aghos also means "the final rule," his name is also pronounced "Akhos," the falcon. Seeing the bird in the sky was a good omen. He watched over the land of men, always ready to act, always quick to swoop down on trouble, the shock of a falcon that never missed its target. He was the god of hail and a champion of violence. He was a cleanser, so to speak; only healthy people remained behind him. In Brittany, he is still called Ankou. But Aghos also possesses a bright side, that of adventure.





The Two Seas.

So one could sail on the western sea, the one we call the Atlantic Ocean, and there, according to myth, lay the place where the world and the sky were created. On the distant horizon, the ocean rose towards the sky, and only noble souls could

Some rose to heaven with their divine currents. Others fell into the abyss at the edge of the known world. And then the waters returned above the earth and the mountains; atop one of them was a most sacred place. From heaven, the gods and goddesses watered the earth to restore luxuriant life. At the mountain's summit was the source of eternal youth, the one that reborn souls. Then the waters of time passed and returned to the earth's ocean, beginning a new cycle of death and resurrection.

This was called the cycle of life and death of the ancient water cult.









The Eridanus

On the mountain of the beginning of time, where the dragon was born, the ancient circle was destroyed, and its location and the source of the river of history were forgotten.

According to the prophecy, another circle was to be rebuilt on the mountain and the source of the great river of the new sacred history, preserved forever as the place where the beauties of the history of the Gallic nations were kept. For this place was the center of our millennia-old memory, where the sacred history of the descendants of the dragon was memorized, in the light of the thought of Lugus, with his light-bearer who dwelt there.
The great river Eridanus was erased from ancient history, but there remained people to perpetuate its myth. Thus, at its source, one can undoubtedly still find the remains of an old cromlech, high on the mountain of the eagle, from which springs the sacred source and its noble beauties.

In the Pyrenees mountains, this myth is remembered, and the roaring dragon of storms and volcanoes was thus named Aereda in these places, the same dragon that caused the waters of the Eridanos River to appear in a region still known today as the Ardèche...

The river is life-giving.

Little lives flowed like small streams, and the great history of peoples and nations would then feed the great river of time, swirling and flowing all the way to the great western ocean where the abyss of the sky lies.

The great river of history, the Eridanos, was born from the first pure spring; then other branches grew from its banks and also mingled with the great history of the Gauls. There were many nations, tribes, and peoples whose historical course later joined the Eridanos. And the great, broad river, like an enormous trunk, supported all the branches of the tree of life, the one whose sap rose and fell through its branches with the seasons. The one whose forms the stars and the moon made shimmer in glimmers of gold, silver, and amber. For the Eridanos, with all its tributaries, had taken the form in people's minds of a tree of history and the passage of time, the tree of the year's stars.



CANNATOS.

The marshes are places of creativity, the cult of water; the reeds measure the creative cycle of a year. Cannatos was the deity of recurring cycles, associated with the crafts of Lugus. He was a singing god who drew beautiful pottery from the mud in series. The songs and the blowing of reed flutes could be heard everywhere, marking the rhythm of the work and soothing souls. These reeds, from which the god derived his name, all resembled one another, like an infinite creation following one another along the banks of sacred rivers. He was one of the masculine deities of water and primordial mud, offering beautiful related crafts. His domain was the banks of time, and he covered houses as a sign of protection. Cannatos stood eternally on the path of history, and he received the souls of the dead, showing them where their new life lay.



NANTOS.


Among the Namnetes, carefree abandon came to the young when a god emerged from the Atlantean waters. On beaches battered by the west wind, Nantos arrived with the immense and playful tides of which he was the god. The boisterous one forced his way in without the solid entrenchments of imposed morality. His infectious laughter cascaded down the slopes like torrents, sweeping everything aside. Weaving itself into uncertain affairs, his streams of laughter entangled certainties in impenetrable knots with the seriousness of the dismayed. Nantos mocked everything, living in the moment, and his kingdoms were as ephemeral as the shore. His eternal youth did not fail him when lost souls sought to invade this territory at the end of autumn. He returned again and again, mocking, even scoffing at the sorrows that rose from the world below. Nantos the laugher, he who disrupts the established order, did not hesitate to join the fray, defying those who sought to impose their unjust laws. And yet his lightheartedness was flawless; death itself trembled before the waves of this simian king who danced upon the beaches. His presence was most often announced

Summoned by the Ernaes of the seabirds, the laughing gulls invaded the lands, stirring the souls of those who had lost hope; the birds belonged to the gods of the sky. Nantos feared nothing and no one; he lingered ceaselessly at the gates of the other world, trying to enter, to play a few forbidden pranks. He was the god of the vast territories revealed when the sea receded, the god of ravines and heaps.


ABOSINE.


There was a man named Abosine; he was taught by the druids when he was still just a child.

Later, in his adolescence, he used evil magic and became a dusios; he had abandoned the light side of life. Instead of communing with the universe of the night stars, he dared to look directly at the sun. This was forbidden, for it was said that infernal passions were reborn from it. He was blinded and forgot his teachings.
When the sun drowned his mind, it ultimately overheated his heart. From then on, Abosïne became boastful and aggressive; he respected no one who did not obey him willingly or by force. The gods were outraged and sent Orgetorix to put an end to this human infamy.

The troublemaker shouted at the top of his lungs that he was stronger than all the others, and one day he encountered the creature on the banks of the river. It was Orgetorix, a creature half-fish, half-plant. The madman wanted to show himself even stronger than the gods and struck the water of the yellow river repeatedly. The sun was extinguished in his soul; it was sacrilege. Abosïne had lost his way and, in doing so, lost all his magic. He was instantly transformed into a water lily and could no longer move, rooted from the depths of the living spirit in the realm of the dead. He was long remembered as the "water cat," the wicked one who respected nothing. The harm he had done had to be undone, and from then on, this plant was used to numb the senses. Before the bewildered woman, the cave was called Abona, from which the name Abosïne derives.

CIMBRIANOS.

God of woodcutting camps, dams, and devastating floods. He seems to have been associated with the harsh seasons. He is the quintessential god of cutting and uprooting. A deity of forest edges and dams of tree trunks. He was a water god, protector of oppida and forts, who dug deep ditches.



GOVANON.

Govanon was a nymph of the gravel, and certain rivers were named after her. In these translucent waters were found bleak and a treasure of gold dust; this abundance of life was also a bounty of food brought back to the villages and a fortune for whoever encountered her. This aquatic fairy of prosperity was the origin of fishing villages.


Clota and Clutoïda.

The Twins.

Water nymphs originally belonged to the celestial waters of destiny. Clota and Clutoïda, the twins, upheld the balance of divine justice in Gaul. They judged the bravery of heroes, choosing those among men who would enter the gates of the blessed city and then be reborn on earth.

River guardian of the dead and purifier, Clota was a deity of the end of life. This ancient river nymph possessed the power of sowing and enrichment. Harsh with men, she was a nymph of ominous omens and the destiny of pure souls. Guardian of the second heaven, the otherworld, she kept heroes in her eternal meadow, beyond the great river that flows between the two plains of day and night. A goddess of purifying death and of ancestral memory, she ruled over what would remain and what would perish in her realm. Her sister, Clutoïdia, nurtured the spirits of those destined to return. A goddess of spiritual purity, she was the goddess of the cup that held the memory of the valiant. She recorded glorious deeds and actions in the great meadow of the otherworld. She who knew all of the past preserved the souls of the departed. A deity of memory and civilization, Clutoïda protected the souls of ancestors eternally and offered her prayers for the reappearance of heroes who had vanished from the earth.
These two sisters of judgment belonged to the group of Matres, women who decided the future and the fate of those who dared to venture forth. They preserved and pronounced the noble memories of Gallic civilization and the judgment of mortals at the gates of the dead, erasing the name and past life of even the most despicable characters.









The face of the stars, Badabe.

History flowed like a great river and was called eternal history; time was space, and the stars were like grains of sand flowing by the billions.

And the river filled the ponds, the lakes, the seas. All these places belonged to magic, to the sacred domain of the gods. A young priest one day gazed

He went into the waters because he wanted to know the various worlds, the palaces of the gods. And he saw the stars, but through the stars he saw the great spirits, and the celestial bodies formed a face. He was called Badabe, he who sees like the gods. His face floated for a long time in the heavens, and it remained there like one of the Gallic constellations. In the mirror of the waters he remained forever captured; he had shared his soul with the immensity of the gods of the night. Since then, it was said that he was sometimes seen, but never in broad daylight; he dwelt in his night.






The purity of the waters.

The ancient cult of the waters is like that of the celestial waters; the cycles of world history are inscribed there. The waters are the sap of the tree of life; they rise in summer and fall in winter. So the branches belong to the world of light and the roots to the dark, wintry world. The purity of the life-giving waters was an important part of Gallic worship; the clear mountain waters were considered pure and innocent, while those of the estuary of the great sacred river were considered dirty and polluted before being cast into the ocean of the otherworld. And during their journey, from the source of life, through the torrents of turbulent youth, then through joyful streams and mature rivers, the lives of men unfolded. Those who remained pure and noble were to be reborn; those whose souls were too tainted were to perish.

Then, from the great western ocean, white clouds rose and came to water the sacred mountain from which new souls would be reborn, cleansed of their pasts. When the waters, too laden and too heavy, reached the ocean, it was said that the grindstone had done its work, and the wear had perfected the soul, that it was well-roughed and sharpened for the great journey to the other side of the world.






The rivers of blood.


The rivers of blood.

At the hour when one became a man and a father,

The sun entered its descending phase.

What had been given as an inheritance was to transmit many things.

The blood flowing in the veins of stone,
The blood flowing in the branches of trees,
The blood of men in their time.

From the earth rises the voice of the ancestors,

And the currents descend from the mountain of ancient kings,
Rivers of blood water our lands,
And from there grow the great luminous expanses,
That which is passed down for the future,
Passes through the great ocean of the dead,
Then at dusk the sky turns red,
And the celestial waters return to water our mountains.
Time is like the great river of blood,
It cannot diminish,
Its overflowing nature is known.
Year after year, youth takes up the torch,
He who holds the flame of the gods holds the world.

There is only one divine race.
It represents a third of future men,
It comes with the red waters.











*










Fonios.

He was a giant of the underworld. His name was Fonios, the one who fused. His hand was so hard that nothing could open it, his skin red and wrinkled. This god of springs dwelt in the cavities that led to the passionate underworld. He took rough stones and rolled them for a long time to smooth their edges. This colorful heap was a princely treasure. All the stones found were gathered together; all the colors of humanity then united into a single group. "Fani," the stone of mixtures and wear. The ancestors, knowing the secrets of the tumbled stones, long recounted their stories around one of these natural creations. This large heap of multicolored puddingstone served as their landmark and was compared to a millstone. Anyone who ventured down the path to the underworld found themselves in "the millstone," and to escape the ravages of time, one had to know the secrets of the stones.











The stones.

The Galatians.

That was our name before, and it was also the name of the Celts, who used their diminutive form for short. There were many Galatian tribes throughout Western Europe, and they traveled by land and sea to settle in many places. "Calates" means pebble, or "pebbles" in slang, a connection made with their hunting and warfare methods, which included the use of the sling. "Calates" is also the name of the pebbles of Normandy, where the waves make them clash together in an endless rhythm. This sound resembles the sounds of the many equestrian companies crossing the countryside to go to war. They had a reputation for being as hard as stone, as hard as the ancient bread whose name is now associated with the galette des rois (king cake). And yes, they were already bread-making people more than two and a half thousand years ago; better still, they invented the beret, and they wore it, like the French still do today, as a mark of belonging to a people. What? The famous Gallic beret resembled a flat pebble, like

A pancake.

There's another story, according to some modern-day druids: the stones mounted on dolmens are very ancient and have long been called "pies," a bit like pancakes. These stones have hard heads, hard like the Gauls' heads, but still, they turn round, it's true these pebbles are round, it's true that the pies are too, but what if we were talking about the stone circles in which we awaited the light of the year?

The dawn of time gave life to our story, where the ancient tribes of Gaul, heirs to the builders of menhirs, celebrated the first rays of light. Every morning, when dawn touched the summit of our sacred mountains, it announced the day. The light then spread through the tops of the great trees, bringing hope and renewal to the earth that nourishes us.

Ricoria.

We also had fun at times, making music and dancing in our wooden shoes. We called them clogs, and they were shod like the army horses' hooves.
Ricoria was the goddess of military and professional leave in general; she granted the freedom to enjoy oneself a little after work, when festive days were permitted. She was a deity of social organization, like many other Gallic goddesses.

Caïlaros.

God of sowing and fossils.
Gardeners did what they could to grow vegetables. They would consult the augurs to know when to plant, and especially where. Using a tub or a perforated cauldron, they would throw branches of mistletoe to form constellations. Caïlaros was known as "the friend with the big feet," a being who inhabited vegetable gardens and walked barefoot, leaving footprints in the mud. On land, he was a narrow-necked bird that ate garden pests. His tracks were found on damp riverbanks and were considered an omen of a good or bad year. Deeper tracks guaranteed a bountiful harvest. This god of fertility was also invoked by lovers; he was the god of the spirits of the earth, Mother Earth. His relationship with stones is closely linked to fossils. He was a god of the peasants, the pagans, quite similar to Caletos, it seems.

The stones of the moon.

The moon changes color frequently, according to the time of year and its nocturnal cycles. On Gallic jewelry, the design of these colored moons was a popular motif. To create this, cabochons of various materials were cut, and these were always set around the edges of the jewelry, as if to simulate the lunar cycles. Their round shapes were mistaken for the beaded curves of the moon, each color indicating its divine aspect.

The Symbol of Lucus (Luxos)

A god of the underworld who fell from the sky, Lucus ruled over the pests that no one could truly get rid of. Mice, wood-eating insects, wolves, and foxes that stole chickens—these were the creatures with insatiable appetites that prowled the nights with Lucus. He was a lame god who caused a great deal of damage and drove mad the people who, working by day, exhausted themselves repairing the damage and food shortages caused by the plague. He was a thief and a quarrelsome man; the sounds of the night could be heard by the thousands wherever Lucos had passed, and the next day the damage was counted by the hundreds in the farms and around the barns, in all the places where he had raided.
It is a very bad thing that Lucos, who was nevertheless one of the great ancestors, allows the memory of animistic cults to persist. He is an evil spirit fallen from the sky, treachery engendering bitterness and vice versa.
Coming from the sky, he fell with a sign upon the earth, the symbol of the downfall of the unequal gods, like two rats fighting endlessly, of the parasitic treachery he bestowed upon humankind.

BORIANA.

Boriennus, or Buruos for men and Boriana for women, were deities of identity and maturity, that is to say, gods who presided over the passage to adulthood and especially to the status of "grown men," meaning marriageable.

They were nicknamed the young heads, the young firstborns.
Very old traditions say that on their feast day, young women of marriageable age must have their hair styled and be well dressed.
These two divine youths, feminine and masculine, seem to have formalized the status of single men of childbearing age. We still know of festivals like this today, which serve to emphasize the fact that adult women are free and well-groomed. Boriennus was therefore the god of single men, nicknamed "standing horns." According to folklore, there was a special garment to distinguish them: a short hooded cloak.

The color red. For the women of Boriana, it can be assumed that it was a floral crown.
Myth tells that at the site of his cult, a footprint is carved into the wet stone, signifying that the chosen one will never be able to turn back if she crosses the ford. Often, the rocks are covered with cupules.
According to local people, these places are inhabited by playful dwarves and a kind, graceful beast that guides you along the best paths. The tradition is said to date back to enchanted dolmens where people would have fun in secret; these places are often called "borou."

These ancient stones were always associated with boundaries and paths of life in the ancient cult.

Fonios.

In the beginning, there was a first god of stone and settlement, and he was called Graselos. A giant from the underworld had settled in the middle earthly world. He was later called Fonios, the one who fused, or even Fulganos, the luminous. His hand was so hard that nothing could open it, his skin red and wrinkled. He dwelt in the sacred nemetons that led to the passionate worlds below. Red guardian of the ancient sacred stones, he rolled them with grace, rolling them at length to soften their edges. This colorful heap was a princely treasure, the treasure of the ancient kings. This new stone was then called "Fani," the stone of mixtures, or the rolling stone. The ancestors long recounted their stories around these megaliths; this large heap of stone from Graselos the giant, around which ancient ceremonies were held, served as their landmark.


The stone of bitterness.

An old story is often found in seaside villages. Sometimes, one finds abandoned megaliths there, in the form of a large stone, a rounded rock. In these lands, it is said that it belongs to the ancient world and another sky, that it tastes of vinegar and resentment. It is called the Stone of Bitterness because sea salt settles and mixes with it. People who come to lick it to find proof of this are thrown to the ground. This Stone of Bitterness is said to be surrounded at night by the spirits of very ancient inhabitants of the place who return home.

The constellations and the stars.

The Tree of Night formed the constellations; it was the domain of the Night Woman, her city. It was forbidden to wage war there, and thus the sleeping dragon is found there. The principal myths were inscribed there to remind all those who lived under this starry sky of their history. In the sky, the great fire of Samonos had sent up hundreds of tiny sparks, some brighter than others. And they danced in the heavens, rising first in a single burst along the trunk of a fantastical tree, then scattering to the right and left with the prevailing winds. Thus, the fire of the sacred ceremony, through its smoke and light embers, formed clouds and stars that remained in the firmament. Indeed, on closer inspection, thousands of flames sprang from the great fire, forming the trunk of the lilac tree, and these sparks of light spread out into a wider formation, like the foliage of a gigantic tree. The planets seemed like fruit, its branches took on various shapes, and these clusters of stars gave rise to constellations. They had always been there, and each year they took on the same forms. This became a part of the cult, perhaps the most important. Often on coins, there is a stone circle with a celestial body in the center, like a cycle. Sometimes, one can see animals and creatures bearing stars in their designs, and just behind each of them is a stylized tree. Each constellation belonged to a different tree, and each tribe had its own constellation.

And each constellation was like a sanctuary, each with its own cycle and stone circle.

The Star Bearers.

In Gaulish culture, the horsemen are centaurs who gallop across the sky in search of conquests.
On the backs of sacred horses are celestial bodies, divine spirits, and sky gods.
It was said that each horseman carried his god or goddess, according to the time of year.
Noble equites, related by blood to the ancient gods, carried the astral symbols that connected them to the heavens. They were the riders of the sky, embodied in human forms, above the men who walked upon the earth.

If the prophets were torchbearers, luminous beings, above them still stood the Gallic horsemen bearing the stars and constellations of the sky.

The horse Mallos.

Also called Mallos, but that's a lie, for Mallo is the bard of the involuntary. In the countryside, this story of a horse was told.

The black valley that could not be stopped. There are fat people who are nonetheless very lively, but Mallos was not so inclined, leading his riders down inaccessible paths. There are people who are fat but move gracefully, but not Mallos, who preferred to make them sweat. There are people who are indolent because they rest, but not with Mallos's horse, who had made laziness a completely forbidden way of life. There are people who are gentle and pleasant because of their sparkling temperaments, but not Mallos, who was a saccharine emissary of the gods, lacking a strong character. There are people who, despite their simple manners, pass through every door and are welcomed, but not Mallos's riders, who were always turned away. There are princes who maintain their image to remain whole in the esteem of the people, but not Mallos, who made them tire if they neglected it. And yet, sometimes he was praised, for what he represented was something everyone would have loved, dreamed of possessing from time to time; the horse would gallop away for eternity.

There are people who are physically ugly but possess beauty of soul, but not Mallos, because he alone had freed himself from all earthly obligations.
So Mallos rode through the heavens, and if anyone were to ride him, he could no longer stop.
From his four hooves, he had fashioned a cross; whoever rode him ascended to heaven for eternity.

The Seven Planets of Women.

They were seven different riders who galloped among the stars, one of them anguiped.

Ianuaria: gentleness, kindness.
Brigania: fidelity and promise.
Oxouna: love, joy.

Argantia: Constancy, patience, and generosity.
Sequana: Faith, belief.
Orcia: Fertility, reason, and conscience.
Damona: Attention, concentration.

The Seven Planets of Men.

There were seven horsemen galloping among the stars, one of whom was anguiped.

Cosio: Power.
Grannos: Wealth.
Magoris: Wisdom.
Olloudios: Strength.
Aereda: Honor.
Marcos: Glory.
Canauos: Praise and faith.

The Bell.

Each year at a certain time, a large star rose, and around it, the shape of a bell appeared. It already had the shape of modern bells; we see it imprinted on the coins of our ancestors. A single large star signaled the beginning and end of the day, first in the early morning and then as soon as the sun set. This particular star belonged to the goddess Sulevia; today it is called the evening star. But in truth, it is firmly anchored in the handle of the bell for those who know how to hold it.

The sword.

Gallic warriors had a very particular way of life; once you were a warrior, you never left it. An old legend speaks of a magic sword that was sealed in stone. It also tells how whoever wields it becomes master of their destiny. This was a Gallic tradition: men-at-arms were free men; none were slaves. This sword is sometimes confused with a dagger or a large double-edged knife, and it is a Gallic constellation also found imprinted on our coins. Its five main stars are easily recognizable; it is the cluster known as "Cygnus" in your time.

Atis.

There was a very high priest among the Galatians who traveled with the troops of the conquest. He was known everywhere at one time, and he established a number of the rules of Druidism.
It was he, the very high Druid, who instituted the mistletoe ceremonies throughout our colonies, and he was so renowned for his magic that he was made into one of the greatest constellations, that of Boötes. Thus, he still gathers the mistletoe of the stars up there for eternity, his sickle in hand, indicating a place as special as himself, toward the center of the great cosmic tree.

Saranicos.

In his right hand, Boötes held the constellation of Saranicos.

The sickle of Druid law, of harvests, festivities, and birthdays resembled a crescent new moon. The ancient dwelling had been given to them by Cernunnos himself, and indeed its name has been passed down through time, becoming that of sacred places. And yes, Cernunnos transformed into Kernone, then into Sernon. This druid's sickle is the pruning knife of Cernunnos the Elder, the master of dreams, the one who gives birth to consciousness. So, if you need to know, we also call Sianos the dreamer. And thanks to inspired thought, true justice was dispensed; that's why the saranicos has remained the emblem of justice under the oak tree.

And so, you know, in the old legendary cities there was the city of Ys and Esus, there was also the city of Tara, of Taranis. Well, I was told a story one day about the city of Cian where Sianos was...

The name of a hero, a king, and above all, it seems, that of Cernunnos, the city of Druid justice. This is what you call the Northern Crown.

The Three Cranes.

This is a small constellation known today as Orion's Belt. It consists of three aligned stars and is central to temporal worship and the crown of stars. These three stars, nicknamed the Three Cranes, belong to the Three Masters; they have always been inscribed in the Tree of Stars as a reference to the beginning and end of Gallic history. At one time, they were positioned at a pivotal date in the year. They symbolize the past, present, and future.

Taurus.

The black bull of religion and the gods keeps its secrets in the Tree of the Sacred. It is the constellation of Taurus today, but in a distant past, it was that of the immense aurochs. Its noble strength is ever spiritual; upon its back have alighted the three cranes of eternity. This is therefore the constellation of Donn. This bull represents the incredible strength of belief, a force that cannot be slain.

The axe of Esus.

And Esus advances ever onward, cutting back the branches of the spiritual tree, seeking the light of the gods through the dark foliage. His axe remains in the tree, beside the cranes and the bull, at the dawn of ancient spirituality.

The seahorse.

Today, our Gallic seahorse constellation has been replaced by Pisces to bury the Druidic cult, but at the time, it was one of the most important. This great constellation marked a period of awakening and resurrection through the cult of reincarnation. It is part of the crown.

The mistletoe.

This famous evergreen mistletoe belongs to a god of life wearing his green cloak. It is located in what you call the Pleiades star cluster. Its spheres are stars, and these are used in a ceremony marking the beginning of the new year. It is associated with the cult of the sacrificial bull and with religious eternity.

The Great Eagle and the Eaglet.

Before they were called the constellations of the Great and Little Bear, these were the Gallic constellations of the Great Eagle and the Eaglet. They represent the mother and son whose image we often see on our coins. The four stars in their heads rotate together because they are bound by eternal filial love in their flight high in the tree. They are the mother goddess and child, representing the queen on earth who bestows power upon her descendant.

Eriapos.

The Eagle's Eye, a star located in its constellation. It is the eye of this mother goddess who gives birth to the Gallic descendants. She watches over the world from the sky.

Llamos.

This is the constellation of Gemini; llamos means "the inseparable ones." Their two faces belong to a single being divided into two parts, light and dark, physical and spiritual.

These are truly mysterious people, sons of gods. There were indeed two twins born to Epona, the nurse who raised them. Their mother said they were Dana, and of their father, it is known that Cernunnos played a part, that he took the form of a stag for this reason.
It was said that the twins would be different, so different that they were strangers to each other; they were separated when they were very young. These two boys had absolutely nothing in common, night and day, and they only ever met to trade.

The first was as blond as wheat, while the second had hair as dark as barley. The first was generous, and the second, it was said, very miserly.

And the first was as sweet as olive oil, but the second as harsh as wine.
One would be seen strutting about laughing, while the other, serious, reserved himself for his home.
That was how they were, tolerating each other for the bare necessities and avoiding each other for everything else. The first, naive, loved the sunlight, and the second, cunning, never believed in it; he loved only the light of his hearth.

The Spear.

From the North Star, there was a constellation called the Spear, formed of eight small stars outlining a leaf shape, like the tips of the great Gallic spears. This formation is used to locate north, of course, but by comparison, it also serves to locate the four cardinal directions. A spearhead that indicates direction, in a way.

The Sleeping Dragon's Nest.

The Dragon Galaxy, also known as the Sleeping Dragon's Nest, appears on our ancient designs. Its lights and size were once more visible, dating back to the ancient Gallic period. The image shows a dragon coiled upon itself as if asleep. This is the Andromeda Galaxy today.

The Ancient Serpent.

On some coins, we see the great eagle holding a serpent in its beak or talons. The Sleeping Dragon was located in its galaxy, and the serpent...

The ancient serpent in place of the current constellation of Draco. It is the famous serpent in the tree, the one representing irrepressible instincts. The current constellation of Draco was then that of the ancient serpent in Gaul. On some coins, it is located behind a queen on horseback.

The Horsewoman.

In the past, women were mistresses of the city, and men traveled to wage war. This horsewoman is none other than the stellar queen who, mounted on her steed, traverses the heavens, as her myth tells us; this is said to be Edunia. Today you call her Hercules.

Epedatectorix.

There were indeed two great horsemen up there, a queen and a king. Epedatectorix is the great rider of the dragon; he is located in the constellation now called Andromeda, mounted on his horse with his weapons and shield.

Vascos.

There are many cross-shaped coins with different constellations; one of the main ones is Vascos, the palace of the gods. It is very often found in two different forms: either that of Cepheus, or as a tall house with a roof. The palace is in the mountains, as they used to say, high up among the stars.

It is the palace of the righteous, and it appears in the form of a wheel-shaped sea urchin or a tree-man with four branching limbs and his head above—quite a story.

DEXIVA.

A plant shoot, a bud at the end of a branch.

She was called the luminous one of the south, undoubtedly the star Procyon. Dexiva embodied the magic of young women, dazzling and swift. She was a deity of counsel, giving her opinion, and in this at least, she was a nïskae of omens and spells. She belonged solely to the realm of light. By metaphorical comparison, Dexiva was considered the eye that watches over the heavens; caring, she gave the strength to see clearly.

She was also called "Dexia."


Diara:

A young star of vivacity, a star known today as Vega.

The Lyre.

This is a small constellation of three stars, a larger one forming the resonating chamber. Today it is known as the constellation of the Little Horse.

Nemausos.

This is the well-known constellation of the zodiacal lion, which has remained unchanged for centuries. It is clearly linked to the heat of summer and the god Ogmios.

The Goat.

Frequently depicted on coins, this mythological animal has a very long tail with a large star at the end, its head bowed towards the Pleiades. This is what we call Perseus today.

The Whale.

It can still be found today in the constellations, and this fantastical whale belongs to the Gallic world. On coins, it carries the earth and trees on its back, possessing two front legs for swimming in the celestial waters. On the Gundestrup cauldron, it participates in the liberation of the soul; here again, it is the lightness of the stars that distinguishes it.

The Three Sisters.

On coins, they are each surrounded by their own circles, meaning they each have a constellation, a particular cycle. The triangle can only represent the stars we now call Altair, Deneb, and Vega. Of course, they had Gallic names at the time, including Diara. The stars are the Nyskae, the nymphs.

The Boar.

Its eye is located in the modern dolphin. On its back are stars that extend from the modern arrow to the wing of the modern eagle. Between its legs lies Altair. The stars on its legs indicate that it runs along the zodiacal crown, just above the current Capricorn. It was therefore the boar that kicked off the new year by beginning its charge anew each year. The numerous stars on its legs demonstrate its position on the crown.
It is thus the boar that embodies the strength of the crown's cycle and why it was considered unstoppable.
This boar represents one of the four annual seasons; it is depicted with a star-shaped square, not a circle, signifying the four-part cycle. Opposite it is the wolf, another season.

The jar.

Well-known on coins and linked to water worship, the jar is located in the current raven, with its two handles on either side.

The triskelion.

It is located in the current Aquarius.

The lizard.

Well known to the Gauls, they appear on our coins right next to the bird of the Carnutes, which is apparently a raven.

The raven.

It eats mistletoe balls up there, composed in part of what you call Pegasus. Its eye must be in M31.

The Tarasque.

Derived from the dragon, it embodies fear; it is also known as "the hungry wolf."
It is located between the charioteer and the modern giraffe. Its star loudly proclaims its light; it's a way of saying that it howls. In some images, it has scales, a tail with a terminal plume, and bear claws. In other images, the beast transforms into a kind of howling human werewolf.

The cauldron.

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It combines the eagle's tail star and the shield. Very well-known on coins.

The fern.

Guarantor of new generations and present on coins in front of the horses, that is to say, in the future, the fern is recognizable; it is none other than the constellation of Cassiopeia. Its story is that of a plant in which the light of life always returns to flourish.

Eridanus.

This is the river of history, the waters of time descending from the sky to the sea, to our ocean shores to fill the celestial ocean. Even today, it is the constellation of Eridanus.

Ancamna, the divine hand.

This is the divine hand of the goddess, always located beneath the horses galloping among the stars as if she were lifting them. There are two borders on each side, like on a lily, and it's true that both were symbols of royalty among the Gallic lords and queens. Today, it's the constellation of Ophiuchus.

This sanctuary represents filial and familial love.

Moltinos.

He is in the zodiacal crown and bears almost the same ancient symbol today. He is a creator and a leader. Today, Moltinos is called Aries.

The crayfish.

It closely resembles the modern-day Scorpion. Present on coins, it claws at the bellies of celestial horses; armed and aggressive, it remains a symbol of discretion and surprise.

Canabetia.

The young dog Canabetia, also known as Canabetia, hasn't aged in the last two thousand years and is still here, except that today she is called the Great Dog, with Sirius as her reference point, a principal star that lends its feminine character to the small constellation.

The Dancer.

On coins, he holds his two arms outstretched at his sides, wearing a low tunic that falls below his hips. Elsewhere, he is surrounded by several ancient musical instruments, dancing in the forest. Today, we see his two outstretched arms in the constellation Lynx.
Apparently, it is the song of the higher constellations that makes him dance with their long, singing tongues. He is also known as the Man with Branched Fingers; he belongs to the tree and is often placed beneath fantastical animals.

Sirona.

Without a doubt, Sirona is present on coins with her two flowing braids around her face, forming what look like fins. Today it's the constellation of Virgo.

The Crushed One.

This is a man crushed by the celestial centaur; on coins, he appears to be somersaulting. Today, it's located in the constellation of the Cup, associated with part of the Hydra. From what we can deduce, it represents physical humanity crushed by the passage of time and by divinity.

The Scepter.

Its main star is Altair. On coins, it takes the form of a short staff of command or serves as a standard-bearer for the boar.

It was part of the ancient zodiacal crown.

The Messenger.

It resembles a runner in full stride; unarmed, it can only be the messenger running through the countryside to deliver messages. Today it's the constellation of Cancer.

The Rooster.

A rooster with a human body; the creature was located where Sagittarius is today. The zodiac was redesigned during the invasion, but before the centaur, it was the Gallic rooster.

Matos.

I would say it's part of what we now call Capricorn. The bear would be under the boar.

The lily.

Indeed, it can only be what we call Libra today, with its four stars outlining its sides and its apex. The lily was a symbol of higher justice. Elsewhere, it takes the form of a forked branch or a triangular cloak. It can be called the lily cloak.

The wolf.

It's still the constellation of the wolf today; it appears in its form on coins. Yet, from what I've seen, the wolf represents one of the four major seasons of the year.

The hare.

The lucky hare still appears in its place today.

Acionna.

Acionna, goddess of the waters of Aquarius. She appears prominently on coins, seated on a throne with angel wings, holding a large, very bright star, as if light were flowing down to Earth. Elsewhere, in the same position, she holds a vase turned upside down towards the ground, the Earth—a Gallic symbol.

Iaë.

The old grandmother should be the star called Alpha Centauri if I consider its ancient cyclical positioning. It would be the center of the nascent universe, the direction from which our solar system originated, according to what I have read.

The Maniaces necklace.

The famous torc belongs to the constellation of Taurus, according to the coins.

The fox.

It appears on coins with a necklace; it is the tame fox. It is related to the whale and Eridanus.

The cane.

The Sequana is made up of a star prThe first star is visible, but only its eye is shown, and we see only its neck in the shape of a horizontal S.

The Owl.

It is indeed there, but we only see its eye in the tree, a single star.

The Face.

Prominently featured on coins, it represents one of the four major seasons, the one opposite the winter of the eagle; it is therefore the constellation of summer. There is a large star on its left cheek, two smaller ones for the eyes, one on the right side of the storm, and two more at the corners of the lips. This is the season of maturity.

The Hammer.

Recognized on coins, sometimes one of the seven horsemen throws it before him, as if to mark the future. Today it is the constellation of the triangle.

Kerionnos.

Kerionos has always been part of the western sky; its home was in a constellation that appeared at the time of the summer harvest. He was a lord of the wheat fields, to whom people prayed and to whom this special moment was dedicated. It is said that the cry of certain birds that fly very high in the sky called for the harvest, and Kerionos was one of them. He dwelt in the sacred ash tree during the day, on the banks of the great river. Protective and generous, he thatched houses with his ash, thus preparing for winter. He knew the eagle, the crane, and the great stag among the stars he frequented. He was young, not very tall, and very serious about his schedule. He owned a boat, it is said, with which he crossed the sky, a constellation of the vessel built from sacred wood.

Carrus.

The so-called chariot tree, it belongs to the Gallic civilization. These chariots served as dwellings during great migrations.

Luxsa. A very bright star in the 12th month.

Tasgos.

Traces of the cross of Tasgos, the badger god, still exist today.

This cross signifies that the animal had its own cycle and therefore its own constellation. Its burrow was surely located just below the zodiacal crown.

The Foot.

This is a very ancient constellation, "the Foot," where "feet" are very consistently associated with the middle of the celestial waters, like a ford. There must be five stars in an arc associated with it, representing the toes, precisely.

Lugus and the New Religion.

This was 9,000 years ago already; some say 6,000 years, the youngest 4,000 years.
The old world was cut off from the new; the young warriors rebelled against their ancestors, the giants.

Lugus was at their head.
There were giants, ancient gods, before humans.

They had a master above all others, one called Cernunnos, who controlled dragons and serpents and freed spirits. He was the celestial king of the ancient world.
Cernunnos possessed one open eye and one closed eye, a physical side and a mystical side.
This second side knew the inner paths and had to remain closed to the physical world, otherwise a curse would spread across the earth and the sky, overturning the destiny of humankind.

But ancient priests opened the forbidden eye to the world of light. Then came the lie, a monster that could convert all souls. Cernunnos's left eye had just been reversed.

And the lie shared nothing; it came as a conqueror and wanted to be honored. This monster was later called Balor, the eye of treachery, the one who could turn all his enemies to stone through the power of lies and fascination. It was a treacherous black dragon, of which only the left half was visible.

Kernunnos had a son, Lugus, perhaps even his grandson. Offspring of the moon and the sun, master of all things spiritual, eminent god of light and knowledge. Lugus could not abide lies and saw the truth wherever it hid. He was nicknamed Singi, the falcon of the morning, who, thanks to his keen eyesight, could never miss his target. He was invincible.

Then a war broke out between the old and the new, and all the warriors took up arms. The kings allied against the old religion, and a flood swept away the past. Canauos fought the bull and pursued the beast that inspired fear.

And Lugus fought, and he pierced the treacherous eye with his spear of light.
The black dragon vanished from the face of the earth, carrying its hatred into the lake of oblivion. Religion was separated from its magic, and a new sun rose in the sky.
The black eye was pierced, and the bloodthirsty priests were swept away by the waters. All that remained of this great battle were stone giants, eternal witnesses to the grandeur of Lugus, those known as the Clavaiates.
His cult of the eternal armies has since replaced the old warrior cult.
Yet the black dragon could not be slain, and it waited for new priests to release it once more from the shadows.
Lugus assumed the form of Esus to await the moment when he would again unleash the light.

The memory of the old cult of Cernunnos was preserved.

Another god took his place, a young god named Belenos.

Deugdonoï.

Our ancestors, the gods.

During the daytime, the great hammer of the god Sucellus was seen crossing the sky, with half a day counted each time it took off. Another time, when it crashed against the horizon, thousands of sparks rose from the abyss at the edge of the world.
His companion, Nantosuelta, possessed the secrets of the eternal night and the benevolence that blessed marriages in Gaul.
She crossed her part of the night sky, scattering thousands of luminous seeds behind her in a trail now called the Milky Way. This was the goddess's robe, known as the Hidden River, because it belonged to the great celestial oceans. Men and women married under the auspices of the gods of love, and the man often held the heavy hammer while the woman carried with her the secret of the creative waters of life, symbolized by a sealed pot. It was during the summer months that unions were celebrated, for it was at this time of year that the sun's path marked the rhythm of the days and the river's magnificent illuminated course could be seen at night.
Men shone by day, while women held their domain by night.
Those who were dark and those who were light were bound together forever.

The celestial currents, moving in the divine direction, these formidable forces that gave meaning to the middle world, belonged to a very particular deity.
In the heavens, the scales of hidden fish reflected the light in tiny nocturnal glimmers.
In the beginning, in the tree of the great bull, a being had used all his strength to advance the light.
This was Esus, master of cosmic and earthly wills.

A god who knew the secrets of the great ship that carries us all, for he had skillfully built it, selecting each frame and sculpting its shape with his axe.
The wooden beams displayed their green foam around the prow that cleaved through the night seas,

And no one in the heavens could have stopped the axe of Esus.
Thus he carved twelve ribs on each side of the ship, making twenty-four frames.

Six of these carvings held the boat firmly together, a seventh was the binding. Three others were joined together as a sacred symbol. Then two more were mounted separately, and they were called the two brothers and the two sisters.

The ship was the link between the two worlds,
It carried the dead there,
And brought the living back to us,
It had a human side at its prow,
And a divine side at its stern,
In its center the cantalon was raised,
And it was a place of song,
The ship's forms were copied from those of a sacred animal,
A dragon child from the ocean washed ashore,
The axe that floated in the air at the bow restored its will,
Its sails were made like the wings of a seahorse,
And its pilots were chosen from among humans because they knew the seahorse,
They were called: "the Gallic Nautes".

Esus, it is said, was one of the kings born of the ancient civilization of the waters.

And on earth, the spirit grew like stars in their greenish fields,
The second half of the year belonged to spiritual practices,
Many festivals punctuated the months of the dark period,
The first of which was called Samonios,
A time when life and death intertwined,
When the living laughed with their ancestors of the past,
That gate was guarded by the red dragon,
No one could pass without its consent,
No one could return without that of its divine other half, Lugus,

This dragon was called Taranis,
god of horsemen and drungeo warriors,
Somber in character and cold-blooded,
No one would have dared defy the dragon,

it obeyed only the woman.
The dragon's cloak was a deep red, and it guarded the Gate of the Tramont.
The goddess of death and dying was named Donn, also known as Daouina, or Dana, the Stepmother of the men of the western tribes.
The sorceress possessed the beast, having vanquished it with the seven charms of womanhood. Despite its deadly allure, it retained the power of life within it.
In the gardens of the earth, a rider in a red cloak sacrificed animal bodies to release their divine spirits. Taranis ushered the souls into a world of peace after this final trial. In the gardens of the spirit, no one feared anything anymore.

Daouina had eight faces in all,
Three of them were secret,
Six others were known,
She knew the fiery worlds,
The part of the earth where all returned,
As well as her share of sky and the name of a sacred virgin,
In her right hand she held aloft a torch,
It was her share of light,
And to her left the mists curled to protect something sacred,
And the clouds aided her,
It was her dark side,
She knew the omens and

She foretold the future,
On earth she gave birth to destinies,
The sky was divided in two,
As if she had two eagle wings,
Which was also later represented as a double-headed eagle, there were in fact two immense birds of prey that dispensed implacable justice to the living.
The goddess wore scarlet red hair,
On her banner one could see two red eagles,
In broad daylight the first announced death from bestial follies,
The second laughed in the sky at the souls delivered,
It was the one who incensed the night.

In that distant era we already knew the tree of life.

It was said that in the sky lay the realm of the dead,
And that life came from the earth and the underworld,
From the world of eternal and living, uncontrollable passions,
It lay beneath the surface of the Gallic land,
Then, between the abyss of birth and the heaven of the dead,
There was a place where we had the right to live in freedom,
It was on the earth,
At the center of it all there had existed a fountain of youth.
In the great forest of the Abnonae,
amidst the newborn Damos.
On the earth, men and women honored the goddess and her two faces,
It was said that they were her two daughters,
Perhaps even her two sisters,
In the divine sky, all recognized them under the name of the three masters.
But on Earth, each group, each tribe, each trade guild had given them a name that allowed them to be distinguished.
The horsemen called the goddess of horses Epona,
In the Dunon, she was called Dana,
According to custom, they had been given a different pseudonym,
For the two sisters were also honored,
Yet it was always the same great deity,
Our mother the moon,
The great mother goddess and her two faces.
She was also called Mori, or Morgana,
the young mother of the Atlantic coasts,
The divinity, the gods among the Gauls, could not bear their divine name on Earth,
So they were given hundreds of them,
To each new landscape was the new goddess,
She who bears the thousand names of femininity,
The cat with silver claws that she wore like jewels.

The god of light, who reigned over the visible world, gazed upon the goddess of the nocturnal moon, who ruled over the invisible world.
Without the sun ever having physically touched her, the sacred virgin, named the young Mori, became pregnant.
The light made her belly swell night and day,
for the sunlight caught up with her a little more each day.
A child born of the two celestial bodies was to be born.

The dragon wished to keep him with him in the spiritual world.
The god of light, who was the child's true father,
made sure that the baby was born in broad daylight.

He was to become the one who would lead the Gallic nations,
into the physical and luminous world.
He was a Gaul, and he was named Deugdonïo,
for he was both man and god,
animal and divine.
These new men and women,
Born of the goddess of night and light,
Founded the Gallic civilization which spread throughout the Mediterranean,

That was 3,000 years ago.

They advanced far north into Europe,
Immigrated and built other lands,
Far east,

Gallic tribes also invaded North Africa where they left their mark.

Among the heroes born of light,
All carried the blood of the dragon within them,
One of these was called Canauos.

The young war dog.

Canauos and the myth of death.

He is still known as Cuchulainn or Conan,

He was the son of a goddess,
Born on Earth, he received his share of animality,
In this case, he was nicknamed "the mad dog,"
And he became a very famous warrior,
Invincible thanks to his divine nature,
He participated in the battle between the underworld and that of Albios,
He had the flaw of not knowing when to stop,
Because he had no master above him on Earth,
If the elders had learned to fear death by loving life,
The young warrior did not fear it,
Thus he embarked on a mad quest,
That of banishing the deadly madness from the lands of his ancestors.
For fifteen years he pursued the beast. Around his neck he wore the Maniacis,

A double-headed necklace bequeathed to him by his ancestors,
For it carried the sacred blood of the ancients born of the same earth,

and the renewal of divine spirits.
Born of reincarnation, he had to face his new time, and he hunted the beast.
Such was the destiny of the warriors of our tribes.
He knew neither falsehood nor fear.
Told of a young man who pursued the beast throughout our kingdoms,
Throughout the entire period of the great bull,
For 2500 years.
His hunting dog instinct followed the monster's trail to the other world,
And the soldier-dog confronted the great bull that concealed the foul beast,
And the young man

He faced the great Bull, who prevented him from pursuing her,

And the demigod faced the great bull in the other world,
It was there that the vanished dog,

And that Canauos died, for in that world the guardians of fate brought bodies back to the same place,
The troops praised him even though he no longer possessed his invincible body.
Thus the goddess raised her right arm holding the torch,
She took him in her arms,
The war dog was dead.
His animal part was placed in the first heaven, the realm of animals where birds whistled enchanting melodies.

His human part remained in his mother's heart,
And time passed around a story that remained long in the memory of men and gods. A myth recounting the exploits of a young warrior who became a demigod by pursuing a hideous beast from the other world through the eternal gardens.
Since then, the warrior has been remembered by a dog image inscribed among the stars.
Of the young man, it is remembered that he too wielded the sword of destiny,
And of his three sacred animals,
he was first a tenacious wolf,
The killer eagle was his second,
The boar gave him the unstoppable strength of decision,
He was only human last,
He was a demigod and he was destined to be reincarnated again.
For if we die, it is because we are compelled to be reborn,
So that our time may continue to move forward,
So that it may never stand still.
The young dog was destined to return.
Thus lived and died our warriors.

The Tarasque.

They spoke of an immense beast roaming the countryside at the edge of the known world.
It bore a thousand scales on its back, these scales were diamond-shaped and perfectly articulated. Iron spines and sharp edges grew on its back and around it. It had six legs, and smoke billowed from its head.
This was the one they called the Tarasque, the beast of Taranis. It inspired fear in all men and women because it always appeared at least once in their lives.
The dragon came to claim mortal bodies and bring them before the goddess who weighed souls. And no one could escape. Its tail lashed the air, inflicting deep wounds on its prisoners.

The beast was as large as an entire village; the clanging of metal and horrific screams surrounded its arrival somewhere.

The dragon lived in the world of physical passions, but then its double appeared in the spiritual world; it was named Tarasque. Its maw was that of a raging lion, and its skin was covered in scales like shields and thorns like spears.
The two dark and opposing poles of attraction and passion, of physical connection and spiritual bond, grew like twins, then separated, leading to rejection. The first brightened and existed vividly, while the other grew darker, and old age took hold.
The balance of the world resided between the llamos, the two twin brothers who represent the two human aspects, but the beast that inhabited them went mad.
And the balance was broken; the Tarasque began to devour the very bodies of men, for men, the llamos, were all children of the dragon. From that time on, the beast devoured the bodies and spirits of people, leading to their deaths, whether through violence or old age. This was also sometimes said of the noble dragon of his troops when they turned against his people. The father of all lords would then transform into a bloodthirsty beast, eating his own flesh. This spiritual animal could not be killed, and its madness could not be stopped. It was the Tarasque, feared throughout the Gallic territories; the destructive beast was the heir to the ancient wrath of Cernunnos, the Taranucus.
There were priests driven mad, and to bring peace, to avoid the wrath of the foul beast, they sacrificed humans to it. Often these were chosen in the prime of life, noblemen, for the dragon, now a spirit, desired more than anything to devour the physical world and destroy it. Only the sacrifice of a nobleman could calm it for a time...


The Temple of the Four Suns and Four Moons.

At the center of the universe burned the first fire; from this fire, all things were born. The stones stood as mountains, the most enduring things on Earth. They embodied time and eternity, which is why they were raised up to become sacred objects, and why they were engraved with equally divine motifs, those representing the invisible world, timeless magic, and the most powerful spirits.

Four directions emerged throughout the year, according to known magnetic currents. Using circles, the positions of four moons and four suns were calculated.
The four moons belonged to the night; one of them was married.

At the first sun. The masculine star was also divided into four parts of the day, four suns, and one of them remained married to the first moon.
This is how the Temple of the Four Suns was born next to the Temple of the Four Moons.
It is said that together they had three daughters and three sons.

The chain of clouds.

The clouds and wisps of clouds were caught in the light of creation. As time passed, things followed one another, one cloud replacing another in perfect measure. And of course, the days and nights passed, the light reflecting in the purity of the sky's waters was not always the same. One moment red in the morning, the dark blues of autumn arrived, and then after this disguise came another, lighter one. And so on, the cycles of days and the lights of the sky succeeded one another, always pure and untouched, except for those who went to meet them in the heights. Therein lay the key, the tangible link in the divine chain, the only link that could belong to humankind.

Brigania.

From the very beginning of the world's history, the emerald had witnessed the birth of the gods and goddesses. They were present at the dawn of life on Earth, many of them hidden from human sight. The she-wolf held love for her cubs in her eyes, and from time to time she would set out to conquer new territories. The Gallic tribes gradually emerged from their ancestral lands; the dangers were numerous. But with them, one of the firstborn from the forest of the gods jealously watched over the territories and the young children. The she-wolf had transformed into a ferocious guardian, guarding the sacred fire. This goddess, half-woman and half-wolf, was Brigania. A fairy from the very edge of creation. She guarded the borders and participated in every Gallic conquest; it was said that she protected civilization. Further north, it was also said that she was the twin sister of Lugus the benefactor. This luminous Brigania was invoked against all evil, against illness, against dangers lurking for young children; she also protected fortune and wisdom. Forts were built on hilltops to honor her with nighttime fires. For, according to what is said, she too was a sacred virgin and an inhabitant of the maternal heavens. From this came her reputation as a nymph, for the abnoba knew the celestial seas of Mori. People said that she could appear at any time if invoked, for she was present in every house.

In this famous era of change, Brigania, also called Bergusiae, was associated with the blacksmith Ucuetis.

Grannos.
God of multitudes.

The cranes laid an egg on the earth; it was the first seed. The seed germinated in the early morning night under the protection of the Boar of Dana. When it hatched, a chubby-cheeked child emerged. And he began to play and sing. This was Grannos, god of numerous lineages and all abundance, the god of life who made plants grow. On his head, plants grew in every direction, and among them, three heads of forest spirits. One lay prostrate like a plant of the past, the second gazed directly at what was happening around it, the third had not yet risen and looked down at the ground. This child was no ordinary one; he sang all summer long in praise of life. He was often invoked because Grannos was benevolent to the fields, to war, and to merchants.

He was the embodiment of beauty and good cheer, accompanying people, the smiles of peasants seeing their harvests double.
He was exuberance itself, and he often accompanied Belenos, for his good humor was contagious; the sick recovered more quickly thanks to him. He would have stood alongside the equites and valiantly wore his helmet.
In the markets, the playful young man was also adored; he was then called Grannos magounos, the abundance and heap of good grain. Moreover, he gave his name to all the seeds of the earth and also to the soft gravel that flows down from the mountains, for it contained gold. The god of numerous visions was greatly appreciated.
This great, luminous vision upon the wheat was that of wisdom and the wheels of time.

The underworld.

The dragon's cradle.

The forbidden subterranean realm was a world where the key to the universe lay hidden from human eyes and the light of the sun. Many of the dead were carefully buried because of a persistent belief. It had been thought since time immemorial that if life sprang from Mother Earth, then beneath this divine soil must lie the gateway to life, the cradle of the dragon. And so, tumuli, dolmens, and mountains were built. The Dunons, sacred hills, drew closer to the astral heavens, but within them lay the gateway to the great secret of the druids. In some places, priests in trances were buried in a seated position, the position of osmosis.

of prayer, thought, and communion with the universe. For within the world there was something else, a nebulous cosmos where thought and vital energy merged; this was the womb of the world, the earth goddess. There lay the cradle of the dragon, father of all living beings. It was the interior of the mountain, the place where water and fire raised the clouds into the sky, there that the secret of the universe was hidden from profane eyes, lest it be defiled. In certain places, the druids dug into the earth, and underground passages led to the sacred gate. Before reaching the other world, one had to die, but not for the initiates. "You had to fight the dragon!" the soldiers would say.

But the druids taught other ways; one had to know plants and prayer well before seeing what the other side of the world looked like. Others said that the gate opened only once every thousand years, and then the ancient king, the stag-god, a magician, or even the dragon's son would reappear... these are old stories, but it seems that it was Cernunnos himself, the greatest god of Gaul.


The Dragon King and the Sacred Fire.

There was once a true dragon, standing at the center of the earth. Then he fell in love with the woman, she took the fire of his passion, and the beast slumbered. Evening fell, and the fire gradually died down; the great blaze was nothing but ashes adorned with a few embers. At the same time, the people felt death approaching. Cold invaded their hearts, and the weakness of their actions hastened their civilization toward its end. It was at this moment that the most absolute horror was decided, for from it, we know, life would be reborn.

It was decided to send four riders to the center of the sacred world, and they were tasked with tending the burning flame of the fire's all-consuming passions. They were to awaken the dragon and keep it awake for centuries and millennia to come.
So it was done, and four immortals, those known as the guardians, chained the incomprehensible fire. Each was allotted a period of watch, corresponding to the four seasons of life. The dragon was bound with four chains in the middle of the earth. And every quarter hour, its guardian pulled on the chain to awaken the dragon and unleash the fire.
Thus, life on earth awoke from a long winter in which almost everything had died. The survivors of the cold were filled with a new power they had never known in living memory. Plants and animals awakened instinctively, the energy of fire filled them, trees blossomed again, and new births occurred in all the tribes of the world. There was an old story that was passed down through all the families long after the dragon had been chained. It was said that one day the beast would reappear, unleashed, and come to claim the fruit of its union with the goddess of water, life, and death. Woe to those who, still alive, had angered it, for with a single glance, they would burn for eternity.
Because of this, Lugus gave the world a stone that could stop the monster. It could stop it... but not kill it.
No one knows where the place is anymore, almost no one. An old sage once told me how to recognize the place: a great mountain with a huge hole at its very top, in its center. That's where the dragon king was chained. There's supposedly a lake there now, but from time to time the earth trembles, and you can see the smoke from the smoldering fire rising from the ground.

The Eridanus

On the mountain of the beginning of time, where the dragon was born, the ancient circle was destroyed, and its location and the source of the river of history were forgotten.

According to the prophecy, another circle was to be rebuilt on the mountain, and the source of the great river of the new sacred history was preserved forever as the place where the beauties of the history of the Gallic nations were kept. For this place was the center of our millennia-old memory, where the sacred history of the dragon's descendants was memorized, in the light of the thought of Lugus, with its light-bearer who dwelt there.

The great river Eridanus was erased from ancient history, but some remained to perpetuate its myth.

Thus, at its source, one can undoubtedly still find the remains of an old cromlech, high on the mountain of the eagle, from which springs the sacred source and its noble beauty. In the Pyrenees mountains, this myth is remembered, and the roaring dragon of storms and volcanoes came to be known as Aereda in these parts, the same dragon that caused the waters of the Eridanos River to appear in a region still called the Ardèche today...

The river is life-giving.

Little lives flowed like small streams, and the great history of peoples and nations would later feed the great river of time.

flowing and swirling all the way to the great western ocean where the abyss of the sky lies.
The great river of history, the Eridanos, sprang from the first pure spring; then other branches grew from its banks and also mingled with the great history of the Gauls. Many nations, tribes, and peoples later joined the Eridanos. And the great, broad river, like an enormous trunk, supported all the branches of the tree of life, the one whose sap rose and fell through its branches with the seasons. The one whose forms the stars and the moon made shimmer in glimmers of gold, silver, and amber. For the Eridanos, with all its tributaries, had taken the form in people's minds of a tree of history and the passage of time, the tree of the year's stars.

The new sanctuary.

The three times.

Beautiful Gaul had many different deities and prayers; the ancient Galatians were very focused on the religious aspect of life.

There were three paladin kings, three Magi who were inseparable, three brothers who traveled on foot the roads of Gaul.

And each of them had a particular reverence for his land.
The first worshipped nature, animal forces, plants, and the luxuriant life of the primordial gods and goddesses.
The second, in a different way, directed all his prayers to the gods of the sky, the mind, science, and philosophy.
As for the third, more pragmatic, more warlike, but still very religious, he worshipped his country, its institutions, and its people; all his prayers were directed to them. The civilization and culture of the three Gauls were often honored under the benevolent auspices of these three brothers, who, it seems, were druids. Their effigies are often found in the most prestigious places of Gaulish religion. In honor of the three Gauls, a modern god of the new entity was sculpted. He possessed the three faces of the one who came from the old world, Cernunnos, the light of the spirit, god of consciousness, who was no longer depicted with stag antlers in the new sanctuary.

He was accompanied by a ram and a rooster, sometimes by the principal goddess of the new sanctuary and the well-known serpent god, Belenus, god of medicine.
Cernunnos was the most ancient of the gods, the god of time. He had always kept with him the old religion, with the torc of life, the master's necklace, the most sacred object among the Gauls.

He embodied the three faces of time: faith in the past, faith in the present, and faith in the future, surrounding the goddess of matrilineal transmission.

The heir.

The heir of Cernunnos.

With the new organization of the Gallic sanctuaries, Cernunnos retained the figure of the father, or rather, the grandfather. And she who was to pass on her necklace of power, the great goddess of life, gave it to a son named Belenos.
It was to him that the serpent of primal life and the torc of power of thought for modern times fell. It was also he who would later pass on his place and his wisdom to new generations when the time came. Thus it was carved in stone and in the walls of the sacred cauldron.
The one who would then take hold of time was called, depending on the region, Cucul-atis, Cocoluix, or even Caletos... the Gallic physician, merchant, and warrior, the Gallic peoples heirs to the ancient gods.

OLLOUDIOS.

Olloudios was a god of tireless workers, the architects of great and wealthy lineages, known as "the one with the sure hammer," one of the titles bestowed upon the god of families. He truly projected his hammer into the future; he was sometimes seen mounted on his galloping steed, which propelled its bronze weight far ahead. He nurtured the passionate yet tranquil flame that illuminates homes; his great heart constantly inspired reasons for love. His numerous descendants also carried the hammer of Ordos. He emanated from the warmth of that family forge, from familiar scents and welcome sounds. He was a god of education, politeness, and cherished memories. With him lived the vestiges of passionate and ancestral paths; he was a fertile god whom one could trust, and his dog accompanied him everywhere, always transmitting the first blood and the long litany of the names of all our ancestors. With each hammer throw, a new generation was born, destined to inherit it in the future, wherever these young people would find it. Later, it was renamed Sucellus when Druidism was modernized.

SUCELLUS and Nantosuelta.

In the universe, the spirit of Cernunnos was renewed.

On Earth, a being was born, but this being had not yet found the woman who would renew him, grant him immortality once he reached adulthood. Sucellus, the god with the great mallet, possessed all his strength.

Physical strength and the will of the winds, commanding destiny. Sucellus was the god of family men.

He searched for a long time for what he lacked, without knowing what it was; his steps sustained him in rhythm, and he loved only that.
It is known that the gods granted him a place because his rhythm pleased them. And then one night, Nantosuelta, the goddess of the pot, met him. The god with the powerful mallet had just met the goddess of the waters that resonate with life. They became the two deities of marriage. A little later, with the reform of religion, Sucellus alone was entrusted with the power of the mallet and the pot. Patriarchy was established, and women faded into the background to serve it.
The gods gave him Nantosuelta's pot, filled with the liquid of eternity, and his large mallet, whose blows resembled heartbeats, remained with him. He was called Sulis here and there, the god who possessed the will of the winds.

It was said that he hadn't truly found his place on his own, even though from that moment on he represented the marital family all by himself; he could never do without the water nymph.
Sucellus held the famous pot and the power of women, which he mastered from that moment on, high in the eyes of the Gallic world, but it must be remembered that the ancient sanctuary had belonged to the great mother goddess, in an era descended from the masters, a very matriarchal one.
There were still queens to lead their people, but from that time on, women were more seriously involved in religious affairs, leaving the patriarchy with the task of leading the family.
And so there was a high priestess of the Druids, recognized by all. A goddess then became the central figure of reformed Druidism, a goddess of matrilineal succession.

Sucellus's mallet is immense because he is the deity of the day's workers; it is the mallet of the sun that rises in the sky during days of hard labor. Nantosuelta, at his side, is the goddess of well-deserved rest and rewards.

DUNYIO.

The Birth of the Lion's Throne.

When the Bull's Throne came to an end around 500 BC, and while work was being carried out on the new Throne of the Lion and Lugus, a figure appeared at the entrance to the old stone circle: Dunyio, the messenger of the new Throne.
And the bull's heads that framed the entrance to the circle were exchanged for lion heads. The new forged torques also bore their two lion heads.
Among the Gauls, humankind was considered a divine part of creation, or rather, as possessing a central third of the divinity of the world. They were called "Gdoniis" or "Deuogdonioi," men and gods imbued with the morning light of the sun. Inhabitants of the great celestial river whose current can be seen in the moving stars. They considered this land theirs, believed they had received its magistracies, and that they were all children of the mother goddess. Thus, at each winter solstice, in the morning, the new light of the year would be seen again, and for millennia to come. This spirituality was considered a citadel, the guardian of thought. They felt invested with a gift from the gods and ardently protected their culture. These were the Gdoniis: men imbued with the power of the gods, those who possessed the physical land and the sacred time for the entire realm of the lion and along the river of great history, the Eridanos.



The celestial horsemen.

The old religion had vanished, and the story of the dragon king from the past was cast aside. The wars and excesses had to be erased; the misfortunes of the past had to disappear in the new Gallic world. The dragon's descendants were raised in the new religion of Lugus, but they retained their roots of divine blood. Then, when the luminous period following the dark times of the storm settled in for several centuries, these children formed the order of the Equites, who lived in the light of the sky. On their helmets, two wings were added on either side, for mounted on their horses, they embodied the highest, noblest divine forces. They had become the birds of the sky, the army of celestial horsemen.

Centauri.

There was the old religion, that of the dragon from the depths of time, the ancestor of all tribes and especially of all kings. This was the dark and intensely religious period of Taranis, the storm god. Again, this god was the wrath of the heavens, and the dark nature of the dragon was associated with him.

And then came the new religion that succeeded him, that of the druids and bards, which was passed down, however imperfectly, through the centuries. This second cult succeeded the first as it should have; it was the religion of the light and glory of Lugus, the renewal of a new generation, and the ascension of youth to the throne of heaven. It was also an opportunity to forget, for a time, the old traditions.

and to enter a more modern cycle. It was at this time that the ancient dragon was incarnated in the form of a young seahorse, a symbol of youth and nobility. And from there, the story of the conquering centaurs was told, galloping through the sky to conquer the world. Kings of this era were associated with the centaurs because they traveled long distances, never leaving their horses; this was the order of divine equites by virtue of their origins. Thus, Lugus was represented as a charioteer guiding the centaur kings; sometimes he changed form, but it was always him—another way of representing the dragon in its luminous form. Most often, the centaur was depicted galloping and surrounded by his most well-known symbols, including the sword of destiny pointing toward the future, as if aiming for the conquest of the other world. The conquest of history was sacred to the bards and druids; our kings had to be forever etched in the memory of men as much as in that of the gods with whom they were associated.

The city of Ys.

The great river Eridanus rose at the foot of the sacred dragon mountain, in the kingdom of Erda. This spring was called the Waters of Erda, and this river is now known as the Loire. All the trade routes in Gaul led to a place that the ancient kings had chosen as their residence in the territory of the Carnutes. It is said that the river of memory eventually dried up, and the city of the ten dragon kings became inaccessible to trade and exchange, for its site was forgotten in favor of the new city. There lay all the riches and refined pleasures of life and the old civilization. It had once been at the heart of great history. It is said that this city was then swallowed by new waters, a new history, and that its riches were first bequeathed to the religious, who in turn passed them on to the next generation. The past was forgotten in favor of the future; the old city of Ys had vanished, but a new one had replaced it, protected by four guardians who guarded its beauty.

And I was also told this: "Among the four immortals was a woman all clothed in shadows and light." She called herself Mori, and her mystery is one of the greatest in this world.
From the ancient religion of the eagle woman and the dragon king, the best was preserved. The cult that followed was that of Lugus; today it is called the religion of the light of the druids.

Yet the myth tells us that after the dark clouds of the storm always come the light of summer, and then the water dragon must return and be reincarnated for another dark period of several hundred years, a return to the ancient religion that existed before Druidism. For these are eternal cycles that the passing of time tells us about, and that nothing can stop.

The crosses.

The tribes praised the four horsemen for the miracles of the restored life. It was decided to divide the world into four distinct parts for each Gallic people. This made four tribes per people.

The cross represented the moral of the resurrection; in some clans, it embodied four parts of the moon. Elsewhere, four constellations were represented. One of the most beautiful crosses depicted a part of the sun, and another part of the clouds of the sky serving as its garments. A third depicted the moon and her favorite star, Oxouna, and the fourth represented the three perfect stars of a constellation instantly recognizable; it was the knot of the moon goddess's starry, nocturnal cloak, from the beginning of time.
They were the crosses of destiny, of women and men, of life perpetuating itself.
It would seem that these crosses were fashioned using the four strings of the divine lyre. The one depicting four moons once traced the four tracks of a magical horse, its hooves shaped like moons, beating out the rhythm of the gods' music.
There was the waxing moon and then the waning moon, the morning moon and the evening moon.
Thus, time was divided into rhythm.
This was the design and its symbols.
Thus, the rituals were organized, between day and night. This particular cross resembled a trefoil with its whitish, lunar-shaped crossbeams; it was a symbol of life reborn.

This plant became the emblem of abundance, nourished by thousands of horses and their riders. There was a king nicknamed "the Centaur King," so called because he never dismounted. The trefoil was his emblem; he reigned in heaven and on earth. That was thousands of years ago...



Esus, son of the dragon.

No wonder, indeed, Esus had a reputation for being a god, or at least a demigod, in the Gallic era. He is also known as the ancient...

A torchbearer, who has passed into modern posterity under another name... Merlin.
It is said that the dragon had numerous descendants, over generations, these lineages being among the noblest in Gaul. They were the lineages of kings and great tribal chiefs. This Esus was born a descendant of the dragon, but instead of being raised among warriors, he took the path of Lugus's light as a scout. He crossed the dark forests toward the light of the sky god during his luminous period. And thus he crossed the gate of the dead to become the new lightbearer. And yes, for those who still know his story among the druids, Esus was a survivor from the olden age, and he too had become a storm magician of Taranis before returning to the peaceful light. It was Esus, while crossing the forest, who met the wyvern woman later named... Viviane. In any case, he was a magician capable of miracles, for by leaving his warrior destiny behind, he became an orphan, since only warriors could inherit. He had followed the unique path of the druids and great magicians, and it was he who should have been the bearer of light, the torchbearer, and the one to found the true religion more than 2,300 years ago.

The axe of Esus.

Lugus was called the god with the silver hand, for from his light, the colors of the clouds in the sky changed.
The clouds took on silvery hues, and the luminous effects attesting to the presence of the god of light in the sky were magnificent.
At the center of the world now grew the tree of the luminous spirit; at night, the stars adorned the immense divine thought, and by day, the clouds covered it with their seasonal colors.

A demigod named Esus appeared on Earth, and Lugus gave him his silver hand. Esus fashioned it into a sacred axe, the axe of the house builders. Thus, while Lugus sculpted the clouds of the sky, Esus, the determined one, sculpted the tree at the center of the world. And he too was nicknamed "The Hand of Lugus," the divine will, because of his axe with its metallic sheen. These two became linked in the minds of men, and when Esus worked, the light of Lugus was never far away.

This silver hand remained famous in Gallic memory, to the point that it became an important symbol. As for Esus, he and his axe remained inseparable. He had become a great builder.

The son of light, Esus-Maponos, was driven by an unwavering will; he was the one charged with building the house of the gods on Earth. And around the tree of knowledge he drew three circles; the interior was reserved for the spirits of the gods, and a moat surrounded the structure—the symbol of the abyss of death that one had to cross to reach the divine realm.

The Gate of Light.

The seasons, represented by four horsemen, were divided into two periods, a dark one and a light one. The gate of the light period was located at the edge of the dark woods.
It is said that every year Aesus emerged from the woods where he had been hidden for six months.
When he was seen cutting the last branches before passing the edge of the tall trees, people knew that spring had arrived with its treasures. On that day, and only on that day, a covered stone revealed fantastic treasures that brought joy back to people weary of winter.
So, on the day of his arrival, a great feast was held, and many prayers were offered to the gods of spring to bestow their blessings.


The Artionis.



She is remembered today as Mori, but she is far more ancient, perhaps thousands, millions of years old. Life appeared on the land of Gallia, and death followed. Mori was the mother of these twins. She presided over the destiny of humankind. She was undoubtedly a maritime goddess, for the sea was named after her. So too was the guardian of the cauldron, she who decided who would enter the spirit world. When humans crossed her realm, Mori offered them the youth of the spirit for eternity, but beware, for before this, she condemned living beings to relinquish their flesh. The body, though considered the vessel of the soul, was nonetheless its constraint. On one side of the goddess, she raised a luminous torch, and on the other, darkness reigned, protecting the secret of eternal youth. This second part belonged to her twin, Morigana, Goddess of mists and waiting, the weaver of the spiritual world. She was associated with thick mists because she guided souls to good fortune or lost them forever. A little later, the enjoyment of the luminous world was granted to men, while the night remained for women; for the world had to be shared between inseparable couples. But before that,

This luminous part belonged to the first twin, the aptly named Andartae. And Andartae united with the dragon and had a son. This first luminous male hero, the son of the dragon and the Great Bear, was the one who grasped the sword of destiny. He was called Matos, the orphaned bear cub, for the dragon ascended to the heavens to join Andartae. Another story tells how bears seem to die in winter and be reborn in summer, so deeply asleep that death does not see them and glides over them without having any hold on their lives. Andartae, the queen of the bears, was also called Artiana, the great celestial Bear, the giver of life to great and strong warriors. The little bear was named Matos before becoming Artos, the adult and powerful warrior.

And he became king, founding the line of the Artionis, the bear warriors. Today he is called Arthur, Arthur Pendragon, the son of the dragon. The dragon, ascended to the heavens for the love of the goddess of warriors, remained among the stars, within the tree of eternal life. At certain times of year, it would plunge, and at others, it would rise again from the abyss, where the sea ended at the horizon, to ascend to the highest reaches of the night sky.

Ageion.


When Mori withdrew to the island of Senna, where she was honored, a traveler named Ageion took up his torch once more, while his brother Abaginus carried the light of day. This light in the night, the sacred torch, carried its sparks to the heavens, forming the stars. It was he, now guardian of the limits of the night sky, who gave fire to humankind so that they would no longer perish in the darkness. He was called the Light-Bearer or the Light-Sower, and he ceaselessly circled the earth, scattering stars across the sky. He descended from the mountain with the sacred torch of the master. Further north, he was called "Aenghus," but in our land, he was more often associated with inciting love and war. A true bardic god, possessing the power to gather people around a festive hearth.


Every year, Ageïon descended from his mountain. He lived on the steep foothills belonging to the goddess Pyrée. No one would have dared disturb him up there when it wasn't the right season, and a powerful magic barred access. As he descended, he stopped in the middle of a village where everyone awaited the bard-magician.

That evening, a large bonfire was prepared, and the traveling god threw a substance into the center, causing great sparks to fly. The scent emanating from the hearth was reputed to heal people, transporting them into a euphoric state. It was a sticky substance extracted from the Pyreus tree.


And Ageion told the fine group seated around the fire a story.

A gigantic boar was ravaging the peasants' crops, taking revenge for an affront to the gods. The bristling hair on its back promised the gods' devastating fury to anyone who stood in its way. Several men had tried to stop it, but the animal, driven mad with rage, killed them without a fight. The most renowned hunters of the region and their hounds were summoned, and a large reward was promised to them. Yet none were fast enough to catch the wrathful Eburos. Then the great wrestlers challenged him, assuring him of defeat in advance; nothing, they said, could escape their firm grip. And all were beaten, so great was the boar's power. It broke their bones and pummeled them relentlessly. None could emerge with pride, and it ridiculed them, for the boar was the instrument of divine justice; it belonged to Dana.

Then a rider appeared to put an end to the slaughter. On his proud steed, he feared nothing and no one. His long lance easily identified him to all as a representative of the god of light. Lugus did not like the sacred gardens of Edunia being ravaged, so he sent his direct representative to the land of men. The enormous beast, sowing terror wherever it went, had to be stopped.

The rider set off in pursuit, and like light chasing away darkness, he tried to catch Eburos. But even he couldn't win, or rather, the race between the two deities never ended. Since that time, two constellations, known as the Great Hunter and the Boar that precedes him, can be seen in the Gallic sky, the two combatants thus engaged in a race for eternity. At certain times of the year, the sacred boar returns to ravage the fertile lands, and following closely behind, the Lugus rider pursues him to drive him away.
Some malicious tongues secretly recount the link uniting Dana, the face of night, and Edunia, the lunar rider. They say of this boar that it was sent by the goddess of the forests and gardens of the moon, to reclaim from humankind the lands conquered by day, aided by...

By the light of Lugus. Like a woman's revenge on a territory that has always belonged to her.

These two constellations are close to the center of the star tree; the great hunter and the boar are easily recognizable, very close to each other, yet they will never meet except to hunt each other.








Samonos, The Sons of Light.

Men old enough to understand religious matters of light, born in the physical world, decided to march with their torches in formation toward the aidubno. Every year, a great ceremony took place at the beginning of the dark season. Toward the end of summer, the men gathered during the day. They lit their torches in the tramont, facing the sun, and then, in long processions, traveled for kilometers before arriving at the place where the fire was to be lit throughout the cold season, a place sacred above all others. They had skirted the ancient monoliths and stood around the stone circle, the gateway to the heavens. The stars formed shapes, and between these imaginary lines, the Gallic sky recounted its ancient myths, those fantastical tales that forge nations. There, the priests prayed, and offerings were made to the gods of the otherworld. A great nocturnal festival shone with dancing lights everywhere; it was at this time that people spoke with the dead, weeping and laughing in turn, recalling memories of the past and rebirths to come.

Ageion's Lyre.

Dana was pleased to see the new reverence shown to the gods thanks to Ageion, and she decided to bestow some of her magic upon this demigod.
She was already a most secretive goddess, so she gave the artist a very special lyre; a lyre that no one on earth would ever steal, lend, give away, or sell. And this object could only belong to one person, so unique was it. An object from the dark world whose magic could not be seen; and so it was, and the Lyre of the Stars belonged to Ageion. Indeed, no one could see its magic, but on the other hand, everyone could hear it. Thanks to it, Dana had the reputation of leading wild animals wherever she wished, transforming their bestial nature into a gentle temperament; it is often said that this lyre could open the gates of the celestial realm. There was another instrument of the same type, but this one belonged to Taranis, and it could make men's legs run and women's hearts beat faster; it was a very special drum. Ageion threw a few amber grains into the fire, and the stars rose in the night sky. Dana's lyre appeared before all eyes, and it remained inscribed in the Tree of Eternity. What had been said about it was true; no one could sell, steal, or give away the sacred lyre.

Aghos's Drum.

Many battles raged on the borders of Gaul; fear, blood, and sweat flowed everywhere, ravaging the land. To defend his tribes, Ageïon decided to accompany the troops in broad daylight. He then assumed a different appearance and his war name: Aghos the Terrible Walker.
Taranis had given his drum to the one who knew best how to play it. It came from a great mountain cirque where storms unleashed their rhythms, echoing in the forges of Pyrenn. Terrifying sounds that no one would dare defy, the bursts emanating from the love of Taranis and Pyrenn were renowned for their merciless power over anyone who dared disturb them. The skin of a mountain ram was stretched over a vessel filled with the waters of the storm god. And it was no ordinary ram. This drum was called Nerto in Gaulish, which likely means "courage."

It could rally scattered troops, unleash enormous waves against enemy lines, and strike terror into the hearts of the foes. Taranis made it the leader of the celestial armies and also granted it the power of hail because its repeated blows always blended with the din of battle. This territory was named the kingdom of Aegasis, son of Taranis and Pyrenn, a giant, half-human goddess whose domain stretched high into the heavens. A land where nymphs laughed in spring and where tumult often followed profound silences.

Dusios.

Dusios, The Beastly Creatures.

Magic was known, as were beings from different worlds, and among these were hideous and incomprehensible creatures, the Dusios. They were represented in various ways, especially in wooden sculptures, and these were the ones that adorned the corners and walls of houses. Curious people wondered what these horrible and bizarre beings were, and why they constantly stood in grotesque positions. The Dusios were a kind of human demon, sometimes crossed with animals, fantastic creatures whose image...

It was meant to frighten or disgust passersby, so that they wouldn't be corrupted by taking too close an interest. For the Dusios sometimes possessed humans, and this was a danger to all.

But they were not all evil, and some were even raised above the others, to the noble heavens.





Catu-Bodua



After the battles, the fields were covered with corpses; the brave fallen in combat were not yet at peace. The crow goddess came to weep over the bodies, and crows invaded the battlefields. She was a goddess of families, and she wept for the souls of those who would be missed by their loved ones upon returning home. All dressed in black, the women, girls, and mothers came to cry out their love to those who were to ascend to the bright heavens. This is said because, through their incantations, their songs, and their tears, the appeased souls left the world of the living behind them, departing far from the madness of the world.




The Flute of Ianuaria.



Seeing this, Ageïon was deeply saddened, and he asked the goddess of beauty to do something.

Belissama was known as Ianuaria; she alone could lead the living spirits to enchanted places. Ageïon threw some amber beads into the fire, and Ianuaria transformed into a majestic swan rising into the starry sky. This swan was enormous, and all the tribes could see it. It remained suspended for an entire season in this moment of grace. Bellisama then gave one of the swan's leg bones to Ageïon to make a flute from. This instrument, it was said, had the power to rejuvenate hearts and bring a smile to even the saddest. Ianuaria knew the magic of the breath of life, and the bone was transformed into a musical instrument. The god of bards put it to his lips, and in the great marsh of creation, the sound soared in all directions, and all the Gallic tribes could hear it. It was the triumph of goodness over the forces of evil that Ageïon played for the grieving families. Another story is told about this flute: it could also heal the sick. And indeed, it was observed that the wounded healed more quickly. Thus, the great swan remained inscribed in the tree of life and memory as the symbol of eternal beauty.

The seven Sulevias.

Bellisama withdrew to his island in the great celestial ocean; he had been given the name of a divine kingdom, the planet Ianuaris. The seven Sulevias guided humans along the celestial paths; each inhabited one of the seven known planets of the solar system, Earth being the eighth.

In the Gallic spiritual tree, they were the goddesses of the nest, inhabitants of the heavens, seven nymphs representing the seven faces of woman.

Their names are often confused because they resemble each other, and I myself no longer know which one stands on each celestial realm. With all these nymphs, it's easy to confuse them.

What we are fairly certain of (but not completely, because one can never be certain with women) is that their mother is Epona, the goddess of Gallic horsemen.

They were seven virgins, and they barred the ancient serpent from entering the kingdom of heaven; no bestiality could penetrate the tree of the eternal spirit. These seven young women welcomed the spirit of those who had ascended; these were the ones who bore the seven faces of humankind.

Ianuaria defended the planet of gentleness,

Brigania proudly guarded the planet of fidelity,

Oxouna stood at the entrance to the planet of games, harmony, and optimism, the planet of pleasures,

Argantia seemed to have chosen to reside on the planet of wise freedoms,

Sequana, goddess of rigor and moral strength, dispensed justice,

Two other planets were, firstly, those of devotion, courage, and accomplishment, a red planet coveted by the warrior god Halarmados, Mori, goddess of destinies; the other was named Issamos, planet of will and commitment, the planet of true appearances and revelation. Among all the Sulevias, one was special, one of these mother planets bore another name, Onuava, the mysterious world populated only by women, almost forbidden to men except for… one a particular god.

The seven Sulevias welcomed seven young gods and thus founded the great families of the Gallic nobility. Originating from the cult of the waters, seven rivers were attributed to them, as many paths leading to the sacred mountain, routes guarded by these deities.




Atesmerios;



In the beginning, people were lost in the great forests. Villages were established, fragmented and scattered, dependent on the opportunities that nature and the landscapes offered. The gods preserved life, the earth to nurture it, and its wild diversity.

When the dragon was

Divided in two, the luminous landscapes succeeded the dark nights of Dana. And one still lost oneself in the shadowy forests. In the great clearing, the bull tree continued to grow; Esus then took on a new title, and an extraordinary giant appeared: Atesmerius, the guardian of truths. The god of stability, so to speak, for he resided in a place in the universe where everything had begun. Atesmerius was the son of Dana, and for her sake he sent eight of his finest horsemen to traverse the world of men. He had asked them to found eight cities around the world that would honor the great goddess of the night. And the eight knights set out on the roads against all odds, advancing through the nebulae, slaying the formidable monsters that blocked their path. A great sign appeared in the night sky. On one of the branches of the Tree of Eternity, a ball of mistletoe, visible to the naked eye, grew. Each of these balls represented one of the eight cities built by the Equites throughout the world. Myth tells us that these were the eight pillars of the modern world; they were called "the Eight Truths." It was also said that the mistletoe symbolized stability and eternal life because it never withered, remaining ever green even in winter. It now grew on the Tree of the Bull, the tree whose trunk supported time and the spirit of Gaul.

On Earth, great peasant processions were organized, like great rivers. Atesmerius came down from Earth to ascend the Tree of the Gods, and he carried a sickle in his right hand. This sickle was used to cut the mistletoe, which fell to Earth in broad daylight. The peasants gathered it with devotion, for it was the symbol of the unity of all the Gallic tribes. Each chief, each leader, received a portion as a sign of belonging to the divine realm. It was at this time that mistletoe became a sacred plant brought by the gods; certain things were said about it, about its powers and its benevolent magic. Peace was associated with it. This cluster of stars is called the Pleiades today; it represents the eight civilizations founded by traveling equites at the beginning of time. It is also said that one of the cities was swallowed up, but from time to time, it reappeared from the sea. Atesmerius was raised to the heavens above all others, and he is still depicted as the druid capable of bringing mistletoe to earth, a peasant demigod who laid out roads, one of the faces of Esus. When the horsemen died one by one, they were buried on the sites of the new cities, beneath enormous tumuli and pyramids. Mistletoe, in addition to being a symbol of unity and peace, was also considered the plant of science and spirituality, the plant of inventors and magicians. We remember the one who sent the eight horsemen to serve Dana, known as Atis, a diminutive of Atesmerius. We owe him the prism of truth, the forms of mistletoe having been given to the sacred philosopher's stone. He was a demigod, a very great druid; he remains inscribed among the stars as the one who was at the center of the known world, and he still holds a sickle in his hand; in France, he is called "the herdsman."


The sickle of Atis.




Atis was a giant raised by Dana in the wild forests of ancient Europe. He learned much from his surroundings: the shapes of plants, their flavors, their fruits, and the medicinal substances contained in their sap.

And he gazed in wonder at the great tree whose trunk grew at the center of the universe.

Nature had taught him the balances and laws governing his world. But Atis, ever curious, left the forest to meet his kind. At that time, a particular race of giants inhabited the earth.

He also learned much from them, but they lived according to the rules of Mother Nature. None of them possessed tools or enough knowledge to understand the depths of everything. Moreover, giants though they were, none could reach the tops of the even more gigantic trees. This earthly place, at that time in the ancient world, stretched out in all its immensity.

Atis was the son of Dana, so he was allowed to understand what lay above men and giants.

The moon goddess gave him her golden sickle on the morning of the first day of spring, and he took it with joy. This formidable tool made him the possessor of great power. It had been said that the sickle could only belong to lords. Only they were given the right to decide for the people. This is why, even today, true druids carry a golden sickle as a symbol of their rank.

Atis took the moon's sickle and began to prune the Tree of Eternity. Thus, he decreed that twelve parts of the sky would belong to the twelve tribes.

Half of the celestial beings would live in darkness while the other half would live by day under the watchful eye and protection of Ana. Depending on the time of year, some tribes passed into the night, and those facing them in the new circle passed into the light.

He divided two major seasons and four minor seasons, then, noticing new movements in the sky, he inscribed the thirty years of the Gallic calendar on a stone.

From that time on, the sickle remained the emblem of all druids capable of deciding what should or should not exist in the tree of the universe.

The sickle remained hanging in the tree of stars, and it is still there; its golden color was the moon that had been bestowed upon it.


Carnix, The War Boar.

Of this famous boar that accompanied men into battle, it was said that its cries came straight from the bowels of the world.
It was taken as an emblem, and the great carnixes warned the enemy in advance of the coming carnage. It was the boar of wild and primal life; its bestiality made it a beast feared by all. Myth recounts that no one, neither human beings nor anything that existed in the universe, could stop its frenzied charge. Emerging from the sacred forests of Dana, it obeyed only her. And its mission in the midst of battle was a terrible one; it was called the gravedigger, the devourer, its terrible, savage strength having earned its reputation.

When it appeared, everyone knew that it would soon be time to return its body to the primal goddess who had given them life on earth.

It was Teutates, the dragon, thus represented because the great male never retreated in an engagement.

And men and women died in battle by the dozens, their bodies brought back to Dana. Prisoners, too, had no chance of surviving the first of the Teutates' laws: to die to return to the goddess what she had entirely created; the tissues of flesh belonged to her by right. Wherever the boar appeared, it never failed to cause carnage. Moreover, the Carnix, with its boar-like face, the Gallic war trumpet, gave its name to the modern language in the form of the word "carnage."

This is why the boar of Dana was carried as an emblem by all Gallic war chiefs.

It was the animal that brought death, and on its effigies one can still see a half-sun; it was the sun of the tramont wind, of the disappearance of light...

The tomb of the stars.

Yes, the valiant chieftains had learned from the druids how the eternity of the stars awaited heroes. The Boar of Dana led the warrior life, and all men in arms were to die praised by the song of the gods. This was the symbol of the famous boar, without fear or remorse, an animal sent by the gods to demonstrate its courage and its complete lack of fear, which, once launched into battle, could not be stopped, demonstrating absolute courage and a glorious death—the kind that all men, women, and children in Gaul could not ignore. Heroes die with panache and strength before being accepted into their cradle of eternity. They then had to appear before the goddess of the gate and cross the threshold, their spirit forever alive. Then their praises were sung in a four-part ode, the four parts of the world, the four parts of spiritual life. Annual ceremonies were dedicated to them to remind the tribes, forevermore, how great they had been. Thus they remained eternally young in the cradle of stars, themselves part of the great eternal cycles.

The blood of the dragon.

The blood of the dragon was perpetuated through the woman; her descendants were innocent.

And they were protected, all princes and princesses of divine blood, bearing the mark of a single family.
As adults, their characteristics were manifested by eternal perseverance and a vengeance feared everywhere by their enemies.
These ancient kings carried within them the fury of their ancestor, and their brooding nature showed no mercy to invaders.
They possessed the powers of the storm, torrential rains, gushing springs, raging rivers, and the great western ocean; their words carried fear everywhere.

They were fathers, and merciless to those who would try to divert their offspring from the destiny of kings and queens, warriors, guardians of sacred lands. The priests taught them their roots, and no one had the right to corrupt their word; lying was punishable by death.

They carried within them the blood of the dragon, the blood of a great destiny.

MAPONOS.

Families were formed; offspring were important. They were meant to represent fathers and sons, for indeed, a part of Gallic civilization was patriarchal, patriarchal but subject to a great mother goddess.

It was thanks to her that sons took over from their fathers.

And male children were taken from their mothers early to be raised in martial and warlike conditions. Maponos was their tutelary god, the god of these young Gauls destined for military training.
The mother of the city had given birth to a god who was to act in this way; he represented lineage, the likeness of spirit, craft, and body. This was Maponos, the little boy with the angelic face who was later to become a rugged Gallic warrior by the will of the gods. He was the one who walked the roads already laid out, who spoke in the same way as his ancestors, and who, from his earliest years, was to be educated to take up the torch of his father's nobility.

Gallic wine
The prophecy of blood.

Our ancestors possessed within them the blood of the dragon, that of the true heirs of the divine blood. This blood is the blood of our betrayed ancestors' anger, the wine filling the cup of the gods. But this blood cannot be extinguished; thus, it carries prophetic myths. It is said that Gallic blood will be reborn and will remember, that inevitably a prophet is born every thousand years to announce the return of innocence, of the Gallic renewal bearing all the strength of the first dragon king. He who is to bring about this renewal, this new king, is recognized as faithful to his religion and endowed with enlightened judgment. He has mastery over the heavens, as indicated by the tree. He adorns himself with linen, surrounds himself with incense; he will win all his battles against the obscurantism and sorcery of the foreigner. His own religion remains that of the dragon, the storm, and the reddening sun. He will give his orders to the army of those who live with enlightened minds.

There is a fate ordained by prophecy, however: when the old religion, the true religion, reappears, the one that replaced it with obscurantism will quickly disappear and become repugnant.
This new king was called "the torchbearer," the light-bearer, and nothing hidden in religious darkness can escape him. He is a demon-slayer, as some would say, but he is the heir of the dragon and is therefore himself half a dusios. He is a King Arthur allied with a magician named Merlin. And with him, the storm rumbles, terrifying his adversaries in advance. It is an old European myth.

Gallic vengeance.

To say that this great people of the west were barbarians rests solely on the flimsy fables of obscure figures. Despite the truth of a good upbringing geared towards the best possible peaceful life, the truth of Gaul has always been a reality. Yes, the Gauls were fierce warriors, among the most fearless and dangerous in human history. There is a myth still recounted today by the druids, who have received the knowledge from their ancestors. This story, hidden because it doesn't set a good example, nevertheless comes from the most ancient European times. It tells of a man who loved a woman with all his being, a pure virgin, as they were called. It was from this original purity that came the sacrifice of a man once considered a demigod.

For death seized the beautiful woman, carried off by monsters from the dark night, leaving behind only a stain of blood before vanishing. The strong warrior could never heal from this deep wound, but it did not kill him. The druids speak of a man wandering like a ghost through the woods, forests, and countryside, livid, as if dead, but he could not die before his vengeance was satisfied. Some speak of a name once forbidden, for misfortune followed him everywhere. I can only say that this tormented creature cannot die, for it is his pain that sustains him, an eternal pain.
It is said that he waited a thousand years before returning to his land. The curse was so great that even today, people speak of a knight-king coming to seek the love he once lost. And it is also said that if he finds nothing to love when he returns to his land, then he will destroy everything he touches and, in his fury, could destroy the entire earth. From this arose an inextinguishable evil passed down to all our peoples: the terrible vengeance of men and of the Gallic tribes. A deep, destructive anger, destined to be reborn again and again until finally this ancestor rediscovered his love for life and his land, could at last break the curse. Then, his name could still be spoken of as that of a spirit who had been liberated. This story was told to me by true druids who still believe today that it concerns the incarnation of a sky god and the curse of lost loves, a god still seeking revenge on his enemies and who will undoubtedly continue to seek them for eternity. Such a creature

so powerful that it would be capable of destroying the entire world.

The Gallic rooster.




The god Gara was known everywhere; indeed, he was the source of the joyful cries heard in the Gallic countryside. It is said that one day, in the form of a handsome rooster, he pecked vigorously at a seed in the middle of the night, and it split in two. These were the two faces of the dark man: one was the first part of the night, and the other hid in the shadow of the second. The goddesses Garmangabi officiated at the births of the clans' babies. They, the women of Gara, provided care to women giving birth and to newborns in need of their protection.

At midday, the rooster leaped onto the roof of a house where one of these divine births was taking place, for among the Gauls, all Gallic life was sacred. At the child's first cries, he loudly crowed his victorious cry to the heavens, praising the gods for this new blessing, and a great rainbow sprouted from his tail, joining the two sides of the earth, encircling the supreme halo, animated by the light of Lugus.


From that day forward, the god Gara, in his rooster form, was worshipped by the people, for it was he who brought good news to all around and even beyond.

It was said everywhere that this famous rooster awakened life on earth each day.



"He is born!!! He is born!!! Cock-a-doodle-doo!" he would joyfully cry from the highest peak in the heavens.

This cry of victory was attributed to the great warriors who distinguished themselves on the battlefield, and often certain Gallic chieftains wore a red headdress as a sign of recognition among the troops.



The Seahorse.

A great horseman who disappeared in the twilight of his life, he was a Gallic king, considered almost a demigod. All his life he had fought for his people, engaging in every battle without ever retreating. He had been educated by the druids and their magic. He was buried under a tumulus, his face turned towards his place of birth and rebirth. It was said then that the king had departed, heading west, towards the great celestial ocean. He died like the star he represented at the height of his glory, and then, old and weary, his red soul slowly sank to the horizon, setting the sky ablaze with the dragon's final cry. And the people prayed for his peace, and the druids reminded everyone that he must return. One night passed, during which the soldiers paid him great honors; another night passed, and the druids cast incantations to guide him; and then the third night passed, and everyone waited on the beach at the edge of the world for the light to reappear. The rider was inseparable from his mount; the equites were all of noble, fighting essence and were often compared to the centaur. It was on the morning of the third day that the sign of the princes' resurrection appeared. A child, gazing at the ocean of souls, saw something approach his wet feet. He bent down and picked up the object. The seahorse appeared in the hands that were being passed around on the western beach.

"Look, everyone!" cried the druids. "The king sends us a sign, a seahorse!" This symbol was well known among the tribes; it represented the soul of the past, returning again and again to guide a new body. This seahorse was known to resemble a developing fetus, life reborn in the maternal waters. And for a very long time, it was said to contain the souls of the horseman kings and centaurs of the past; it was the symbol of resurrection. It was said that the king's soul, freed from its human bestiality, had gone to ride the whale on the oceans of the spirit, and that the aquanaut then returned in this seahorse form. It was transformed into a rotating cross composed of four seahorses. In its center, the king, the rider, continued to ride the great whale, which also earned him the nickname "the fish." But for the equestrians, the symbol remained the image of the sea horse.

The fish.

We all know that life isn't easy every day. Our tired bodies eventually become heavy, the trials we endure marking our faces and testing our spirits. We say that in the twilight of life, the soul is freed from the constraints of this world. Nothing evil can touch us then; the bestiality here below bites its own tail, the serpent is no longer free to do with us as it pleases. Then comes the time of the great ride; the soul floats happily and freely in the infinite waters. This is why the fish has remained one of our beloved symbols for ages, because it represents the souls of those who have gone to swim in the heavens.

Later, this famous fish remained as a symbol of people who had risen in status; sometimes some wore it during their lifetime because their spirit was

freed from earthly constraints.

CAMULOX, the chamois.

"He who walks in the heights, close to the sky," god of dexterity, climbing, and acrobatics.
The Kingdom of Camulos, a god of unattainable heights, belonging to the gods. It was in this land, perhaps that of the Segusiavi, that a special divine tree grew in perfect peace; it was called "Melatia," the tree that heals wounds. It was also there that the god in question was incarnated in the mountains in the form of a chamois named "Camos." He was the king of agility, and his mountain was said to be the land of dexterity because his horns were curved and could grip trees to bend the fruiting branches. The animal's claws were also remarkably dexterous, allowing him to traverse cliffs effortlessly, running along precipices like a flying god.
One day, a bear nicknamed "Artorix," quite agile but not always so, decided to conquer Camulos's kingdom. He walked for a long time up the steep slopes and finally, through many obstacles, acquired power over this mountain where he could run nonchalantly.
He arrived at the foot of the tree and realized that there was no foothold that would allow him to climb to the summit. The trunk was smooth, the stony bark slipped with every attempt, and the coveted cones displayed their life-giving colors above him. He waited a long time at the giant's feet, but the thorns fell in the autumn; the precious stones remained firmly anchored in the divine veins. He waited again, but the extremely solid wood did not fall either. Finally, it was the chamois, passing by and stamping its claws loudly, that dislodged the fruits of health. This small stone was the coveted stone of dexterity. The bear in question then became so quick-witted that he was given the nickname comaterecos, he who possesses the agile mind.

The flower of dawn.

Thus, on the Atlantic beaches, thousands of people spread the word: the ocean of divinity, the domain of Mori, mother of the dead and of resurrections, had sent a sign. Tears of anger and sadness turned into warm, salty drops, but at that moment, these came from a warm atmosphere. These were tears of joy; destiny had done its work. A new king would soon be born, imbued with the spirit of the old, a guide for all the peoples of the west. Then they heard the rooster crow, "COCK-A-DOO! VICTORY! VICTORY!" And the people turned toward the sound of all the roosters, the word spreading from village to village. A great king would soon be born to replace the one who had just departed. On the horizon, great lights gradually flooded the sky, and the people left the beach to go toward the light of rebirth. Amidst cries of joy and the crowing of roosters, they roamed the fields, and another miracle occurred. At the beginning of spring, a time of light, the rising sun took on a blood-red hue as it hovered directly above the earth. And everywhere, where they hadn't been seen the day before, the dawn flowers revealed that same red color, covering fields as far as the eye could see. The flower of the spirit displayed all its magic; it was the flower of Lugus, the flower of Gallic blood, the flower of dawn, they said, because it opened at that precise moment. This too was a sign from the gods. Then a druid took the delicate poppy, turned towards the rising sun, and showed everyone what Lugus had learned. Inside the four floral veils lay the secret of divine destinies. Indeed, the famous dawn flower represented, within, protected by the blood of the elders, the cross of the four stages of human life: birth, youth, maturity, and old age. From this came the myth of the destiny of the knightly princes.

Four grains.

But Gaul was a vast territory, with hundreds of tribes living freely while sharing the same culture. It became necessary to unite all of us into a single trading people to facilitate trade. So all the territories consulted one another, and three large parts of this sacred land were designated to represent us all. The druids decided to give a portion of the cult to each of the three Gauls so that they would all have their share in the Gallic spirit. A first quarter of the moon was given to the central territory, a second quarter to the Gauls of the southeast, and yet another to the Gauls of northern Europe. Thus, the three Gauls possessed the three parts of the night, three grains of dark barley, and all these agricultural territories together possessed a single grain of light wheat to represent the entirety of the land and the full, clear moon. From that time on, barley belonged to the dark moon, and golden wheat represented the single, total full moon.

Four grains appear on some coins, like the four parts of the Gallic cross: three dark and one light. It has since been said that the three small parts of the night are worth a Gallic denarius, and also that the entire illuminated part of the moon is worth a Gallic denarius as well. The celestial body of night has since represented the single currency used for trade in the three Gauls, and it was a sacred currency. Some agricultural tribes represented it differently; on their coins, the moon was found divided into two large parts, ascending and descending, the two halves of a single seed.

The royal lily.

At the edges of streams, rivers, and streams, the great goddess of spring, Edunia, questioned the senses. Then a winged god passed by, at random through the marshes and puddles, a proud warrior on his human-headed steed. The moon accompanied his steps and his journey. The sun graced his hair with the reflections of day and spirit. Passing by the calm waters, he gazed at his reflection, then cast his eye upon the bank. There, a blue-mauve flower with a golden-yellow heart grew. It was the flower of elegance and nobility of kings, the one that grew only in places praised by the gods. From then on, this famous lily was the reflection of the king chosen by the gods and goddesses. And elsewhere, one often saw the hand of the goddess of spring emerging from the earth, for the royal lily and the queen's hand shared a common destiny. Later, a bee came to rest upon the flower, then another to gather the precious nectar. Thus, the royal lily, the divine hand, and the bees became the Gallic emblems of certain kings.

The winged cape.

The gods fixed their eyes upon the one destined to lead the Gallic nations, and each eye reflected the light of a star.
The lily grew and spread like a blanket over the rider's shoulders.
When its two ends were scattered in the wind, the cloak transformed into wings, and from these wings the new king, the rider, covered in the luminous lily of the stars, flew to conquer the world and vanquish all his enemies.
Upon him now was the symbol of purity and the protection of all the gods of heaven.

Verbeïa, the veil of the moon.

Verbeïa

The ancient amber spring shone in the night, the color of the oldest star in the night sky. In those days, this magical amber was sought after everywhere for its magical properties. On certain days, the moon had to remain hidden beneath a veil of sacred amber so as not to disturb humankind. Then the clouds surrounded the feminine celestial body and covered it with magnificent golden gleams; these were the lights of modesty. And thus Verbia gave its name to the veil of modesty that women used to show they were married. This protective veil of feminine feelings and truths was still used recently in the form of a headscarf.

The Hierarchy of the Gods

There were principal gods and goddesses, rather few in number; their number did not exceed three major representatives per realm. They were the great ancestors, the elementals. Below them were their children, important princes, half-human.

But there was yet another subordinate category, this third congregation encompassing all the diversity of creation. It included fairies, fauns, and various creatures with human or animal attributes; some resembled plants, others rocks. They were hidden everywhere in the world of the living, but one had to be intimately familiar with the magical world to see and possess them.

These were the little people of the forests, the spirits inhabiting places within houses alongside humans, traveling entities bearing messages.

TOLOSENDOSUS

Some lands are more pleasant than others, and even then, mountain dwellers often cannot abide the beach. It is according to one's desires that one glimpses the universe.

And Tolosendosus was one of the fathers of the human universe. A gigantic king whose desires gave rise to both beauty and evil; in those days, it was said that he was the father of the moon.

The land of the Tolosates has always been blessed by the gods; the climate is mild, most often pleasant. The inhabitants of these lands are thinkers and poets. It wasn't always so; long ago, frivolity, recklessness, and self-importance fanned the flames of desire. And then one day, seeing that the Tolosates would never take the path to true beauty, the great goddess of the celestial oceans grew angry. Slowly, gently, she summoned her father to Earth.

Tolosendosus, the Titan of the celestial oceans.
Far off to the west, the people saw an immense wave rising, something that surpassed human imagination in its grandeur and beauty. The foam of these waves rose to

'In the sky, and covered the luminous lands, in its slow, trembling movements, it took several hours to approach, several months, several years for some minds. A deluge fell upon the usually so calm, warm plains, lasting two hours. As evening approached, the Titan appeared, and a thick fog blanketed the territory of the Tolosates. The fog is quite peculiar there. The normally boisterous people went their separate ways. They had just lost themselves in the realm of spirituality, each on their own, their desires heightened. And with the ultimate beauty of the gods came the disappointment of not being able to possess it.
'Covered by the divine oceans, they sought that in which they could acquire wealth and wonder. No one knows how to live alone in their land.'
'And no one crossed paths, for each had their own desires.' Echoes could travel far in the fog, rolling for miles and miles in every direction. There was love and then hate, the beauties of war and peace, but above all, they learned to transcend the world of daylight and draw closer to the beauty of the soul. The bards sang the praises of the goddess and her father.
Then, for the first time, humans sat on the ground and began to truly think. Moving forward in the physical world led nowhere on foggy days. And the artists, in those moments, engaged in intense prayer. This lasted until morning, a few hours, a few months, a few years—almost an eternity for one who reflects. All this reasoned influence of Tolosendosus had taught them to… reason, but above all, it had shown them non-physical desire and longing, how to appreciate the lights of the night. The next day, Lugus tore away the dark veils that shrouded the land. Light burst forth. But the inhabitants had changed considerably; they no longer displayed the arrogant, childish behavior of children, but remained thoughtful. Touched by the hand of the colossus known as "He Who Demonstrates His Thought," the god of fervor. During the night, through all the echoes, he had taught them to sing as well. And to sing well, to sing alone, to sing together, to demonstrate their devotion in this world. And then there was something else that had changed during the night: the waters had eroded and carved deep into the earth in places, from the capital, Tolosa, to the westernmost plains of Gers. And everywhere one found proof that the celestial oceans had bathed the land for hours, for millions of years, during the night. Seashells littered the ground, some fossilized, others not. The Tolosates made necklaces from these shells; they were their stone of certainty, the stone of fervor and profound emotions.

This stone of certainty is called "Talos," and it is said that the Druids used it to measure the universe.

The word that comes to us from this Tolosate era is "talent" in English. "Talo" is also a unit of time. It is the only stone that allows one to measure the universe with fervor and desire, without need.

Belenos.

The young god of medicine was most often accompanied by his faithful servant, Cuculatis. He traveled to learn with the changing seasons, understanding ailments, benefits, and plants. He was known throughout the Mediterranean, with both good and bad fortune, for he was part of the divine and conquering armies that established colonies across the planet. Belenus, thirsting to learn the powers of life, later mastered the serpent, a master of primal physical life, and from there was able to know the source of life and death.
Inspired by his ancestor Cernunnos, he had a reputation for never wavering or going back on his decisions.
God of patriots, who warmed hearts, always present in the defense of the Gallic people, eternal among the eternal inhabitants of heaven. God of the conquerors of winter, son of Lugus and the nymph of spring. Belenus, who was honored for his intelligence, his decisiveness, and his conviction.

The sacred animals.

For each god there was a season,
each in the calendar had his home,
For on earth each animal has its time in its own way,
In the middle were the three faces of a god,
Who each time surrounded himself with two animals.

The Rooster and the Ram.

On one side was a rooster crowing of masculine beauty,
And on the other appeared a conscientious ram,
Where the first went to show off,
The second considered what he should do there,
And the rooster paraded under the sun,
And the ram demonstrated his somber strength of character,
How much struggle and love in the one who led his conquests,
How much restraint and stability in the strong defender of his flock,
And Cernunnos was inspired

It's in the middle.

The hare.

We have an old saying in our region that you should never chase more than one hare at a time. The animal in question has always had a good reputation, so much so that, as was often the case among the Gauls, it was considered a sign from the gods. It appears at the beginning of spring, when nature is reborn, swift as lightning but always seemingly unassuming, roaming paths both large and small to meet the fate of men. A famous good luck charm, ultimately; it is said that the hare never goes the wrong way. And that is how it became a totem animal; possessing this fantastic creature was a symbol of prestige. The Druids used it to discern omens by releasing it into the remote plains. Either he ran towards the sun or its opposite, perhaps to the east and youth, perhaps to the west and old age... the gods never make mistakes; they send signs, and one simply has to know how to recognize them. The famous book, the male hare, always knew where to go to find his loves, to unearth rare plants, and to locate clear watering holes. This great vitality earned him his share of magic; the hare traversed the year always in excellent health, going from winter to summer. It was said that he knew the cycles of life, death, and rebirth. When people wanted to visit other tribes or other places, they consulted him. For the hare is wise, he who has traveled everywhere. When the goddess of death came to claim her due and sow madness upon our lands, people offered her this gift to escape their fate. The animal of vitality, health, and fertility represented the most beautiful thing imaginable for the other world. So the eagle goddess left the men in peace, at least for this time.

The red arm.

There were prayers, grand ceremonies, offerings; the ancestor cult lived on by bringing them back to life.
The dragon ancestor was honored by the warriors, and his priests demanded much of them in the practice of their discipline. Among other things, lying was forbidden, and it could be grounds for social disgrace, or worse.
Priests from elsewhere tried to infiltrate the royal cult, that of the dragon's direct descendants, in order to corrupt the truth and undermine the authority of the sacred.
It is said that one of their ancestors presented himself as the dragon's messiah; however, he was nothing more than an imposter; a frog had tried to pass himself off as the progenitor. But the dragon devoured one of his arms, the arm on the side of the evil spirit. His body was not that of a nobleman, and he was made an example of. The fanatics of outside religions had lied, and they paid the price in blood. After devouring the liar's arm, they tore off his head, and he then appeared to hold two heads, one on the right and one on the left. It was physical death and spiritual death. This myth was told so that everyone would remember what it cost a frog to deceive the dragon cult.

Today, it is said that the "red arm" belongs to evil sorcerers. They appear in various forms to elicit your pity, but if you help them, you can never get rid of them!

Sacred animals.

If there is a land of a thousand landscapes, it was certainly the Gallic territories. The tribes had expanded considerably and conquered vast territories. There were mountains, plains, plateaus and marshes, forests and rocky soils, and coastlines stretching for thousands of kilometers.
Such diverse landscapes could only accommodate numerous tribes, each with its own distinct character. Animals abounded: hares, roe deer, red deer, mountain lions, silverfish, and birds were as numerous as their habitats.
Thus, the tribes designated certain animals to represent their territories. And like all emblems, these animals were honored because they embodied a certain spirit of place, a way of life, a local culture, and a benevolent folklore. Because these animals were found everywhere, it was decided to feature them on flags and shields, as they were common to all the tribes and all the territories. And besides, each one ends up representing a local or even national deity.

Epona.




In the night clouds, Mori gave birth to a seahorse; the celestial seas sheltered the animal in the form of their maritime stars.
Among these three mothers, one held power over humanity and descended to Earth in the form of a princess of great beauty. Epona was born.
Crossing paths with a great horseman who had gone to war and returned with his honor intact, she offered him a dish of seven fresh fruits. But, true to the deity's boldness, she compelled him to eat only

'Only one. They all have a different taste, but only one is reserved for you, and then you will know both misfortune and goodness.' He took a russet apple, and in doing so, the brutal memories of war were transformed into the discovery of love. Unbeknownst to him, the great warrior had just been married to one of the seven Sulevias.

As he did so, a horse goddess named Epona appeared on earth. It was this divine mother, descended to the land of men, whom the riders worshipped above all others. She brought the victors their reward. The people paid her great honors and placed her on the throne of the tribal mothers. Epona had become the chief mother of Gaul. She bestowed physical strength and youthful spirit through the milk of her white mare, so rich in luminous uses; for in the sky, her celestial portion, she Mori, spread all the moon's reflections toward the earth, causing plants and fruits to grow, harvests to flourish, and triggering childbirth. Epona was her face amidst the horsemen who worshipped her.

For the Gauls, the horse remained the symbol of obedience and sharing, the animal that stirred the fearless spirit in all its fervor. The Corsicans held a festival dedicated to the goddess of horses;

It seems that a red horse named Rudobios demonstrated everywhere the physical power of youth. It is said that Epona raised two horses and made them her sons; there was in them two aspects of animality and obedience. This is why she became a goddess commanding the Equites (horses) regarding their future.

Epona had two daughters who accompanied her everywhere; they sat on either side of their mother on the throne of the earthly rulers. The seahorse remained in the sky as one of the symbols of the twelve goddesses of the feminine zodiac. The twelve symbols formed by the twelve constellations formed Epona's crown in the new sanctuary, and the seahorse split in two, each part representing the opening and the principal sign. The other part of the zodiac was entrusted to humankind.


Damona.

We know the constellation of the Giraffe well today, but in another, earlier time, it was called "the Unicorn" because

its single horn pointed to the top of the tree, a unicorn of the celestial seas also because the narwhal was a mythical animal among our ancestors who worshipped the universal waves.

The Gauls compared it to a doe raising its head to graze on the buds of the spiritual tree. It was said that gentle Damona served as nurse to the white stag of Gallic spirituality, as well as to a young, all-black calf. The calf grew into an enormous bull, which the ancients Tales said he was the memory and the strength of the world. And so, thanks to him, an entire landmass, 2,500 of your years, were dedicated to him. He became the guardian of civilization, of the past, the present, and the future. That was a long time ago. The doe Damona was a goddess of the heavens, and her stars nourished the gods with their milky light. There were many stories about her; she was nicknamed "the divine breast" or "the kind mother." Each star on the doe served as a breast. She was killed by the great hunter, but her soul remained happy in the wondrous world of spirits.

The Doe Goddess.

On Earth, humans were born small, and the mother goddess Damona took some under her protection. They were the ones who aspired to grow taller. So the great doe protected them by surrounding them and decided to give them the maternal milk that allowed the little trees to grow tall. This milk was like the light shone forth and illuminated their minds. The little people then saw that their feet had taken root, and they settled in specific places. And then leaves grew on their fingers, and their arms became branches. In three cycles, the little people grew well and drew closer to the starlight, to the gentle light of the wise's wisdom. Then the doe was considered the nurturing animal of spirits, of those who transformed into great trees to reach the heavens, for she possessed a horn. As far as anyone knows, she was called Damona, but like all sacred animals on earth, she was the essence of a great goddess dwelling in the sky.

Nantos.

Among the Namnetes, carefree abandon descended upon the young people when a god emerged from the waters of the Atlantic. He was a god of storm power. On beaches battered by winds and westerly eddies, Nantos arrived in immense tides, filling the sky and engulfing the land. The raging force smashed through sturdy barriers and made even the bravest tremble. His legendary laughter and rages raced down slopes and scaled obstacles with the speed of sacred horses. His winds mingled with the known world, sweeping away the old ways. No one could ignore the uncertainties spreading across the coastal world, and sailors prayed that the power of the winds would spare them and carry them to their destinations. His currents entangled uncertainties like impenetrable knots with the seriousness of the dismayed. Nantos scoffed at everything, living in the moment, ruffling feathers even in the most stubborn pride, and commanding respect from all. His eternal youth did not fail him when lost souls sought to invade this territory at the end of autumn. He returned again and again, mocking, even scoffing at the sorrows that rose from the world below. Nantos the Laughing One guarded the borders of the end of the world. Considered a disruptor of the established order, he did not hesitate to join the fray, defying those who sought to impose their laws upon those of the gods. And yet his lightheartedness was unwavering; even death trembled before the waves of this simian king. His presence was most often heralded by seabirds; the laughing gulls, called Ernaes, invaded the lands, raising the eyes of those who had lost hope. Nantos could change everything; he feared nothing and no one. He lingered constantly at the gates of the other world, and it was from there that he came.
Nantos signified the brutal force of the ocean, the fearlessness of the winds of the immense Atlantic, a gigantic force of nature. The god of sailors and seafarers, a god of the ocean winds.

ACESONIOS
The gods interceded in everything, for every need, every question, for healing. There was a human who prayed fervently to Cernunnos to grant him peace.
So decided the white stag.
Thus was born Acesonios, the whale god of wondrous dreams and the blossoming of character. He was invoked to fall asleep quickly, to rest, and thus access the aidubno, the world of freedom. He was a deity of nobility and good mental health; the whale carried the spirit on its back, taking it across the celestial waves. That is to say, to a paradisiacal and enchanted world, a place of soothing peace and joy. Thus, Acesonios chased away the nightmarish dusii of war, leaving them to the antediluvian serpent. Plants used in shamanic rituals, in particular, belonged to him. He was a healing god who guided the spirits of initiates through the albios. Acesonios means "the arranger of dreams," a deity from shamanism. This whale, surmounted by the liberated spirit, remained forever marked on the sacred tree of stars. Acesonios can be seen engraved on the silver cauldron.

Gabenos.

GOBEN.

There was a time when humans needed an example of purity. Adamos provided them with the fires of creation and desire, but the blacksmiths lacked strength.

Lugus fathered Goben the Pure and sent him to Earth. His material was iron, and he was the god of physical strength, while Ogmios was the god of moral strength.

He was also the god of minerals, of the earth's lifeblood. It was said that he saw far and that no promising plot escaped him, just like his own share of protective metal. The renowned Goben displayed his powerful muscles during hard work; he was admired for his bearing.

Thus, thanks to Gobenos, humans forged strong, incorruptible tools made from the purest materials.

Goben had the art of revealing the truth, and he was the very foundation of this Gallic world. Statues made of the purest metals were dedicated to him.

Affiliated with Volkanus-Adamos, god of the fires of creation, and Ucuetis, the god who shaped metals, it was the latter who was the blacksmith. Goben was depicted as a naked warrior or clothed in a very pure garment, as well as with a shield, a symbol of solidity and resistance. He was a good Gallic god, certainly also the god of trust.

Kerionos

Kerionos has always been part of the western sky; his home was in a constellation that appeared at the time of the summer harvest. He was a lord of the wheat, to whom people prayed and to whom this particular time was dedicated. It is said that the cry of certain birds that fly very high in the sky called for the harvest, and Kerionos was one of them. He dwelt in the sacred ash tree during the day, at the edge

of the great river. Protective and generous, he thatched the houses with his thatch, thus preparing for winter. He knew the eagle, the crane, and the great stag among the stars he dwelt near. He was young, not very tall, and very serious about his schedule. He owned a boat, it was said, with which he crossed the sky like one of the woodland kings. In his family were other creatures of the celestial tree who had descended to earth to protect certain sanctuaries: the korigenatos and other mythical fairies who had also come from the stars.

SEQUANA.

The moon crossed the sky once more, its reflection imprinted on the water, and in doing so, a goddess descended to an eastern river whose source was hidden, and she walked on the water, following the current westward.

Between the Alps and the Vosges Mountains, there is a territory where a harsh tribe settled. They worshipped a deity named "Sequana," a goddess of the harsh waters who reigned over the Saône and gave her name to the Senones. At night, Sequana was a beautiful, enchanting young woman, and during the day she could be seen in the form of a rather rare white duck. She had become the mother of the river, and they honored her for this, seeking her blessings.

She traveled on the river, bringing wisdom, knowledge, cleanliness, and discipline.

These men of eastern Gaul were warlike; they were called "Sequani," those of the strong stone, the stone that endures through time. "Sego" was a certainty. Constantly, the warriors clashed with other peoples. They lived in a land of ruggedness, good food, and beer; they were heavy and powerful, sweeping away bloodthirsty passions like a tsunami in every battle. They could be seen surging down from the surrounding mountains, furiously determined to fight off the intruders. Their deities accompanied them like phantoms guarding the borders of the water goddess.

Their capital was called "Vesontio." The Saône at that time was called "Souconna," the river of Sequana; it was a major thoroughfare to the north and a hub for the trade of sacred amber.
It often represented the protective deity of river trade at the crossroads of eastern routes.
It is said that seeing a white duck at the source of the Saône is a good omen, but it is also said of the mists there, whose thickness prevents anyone from reaching their destination, that they are inhabited by the souls of ancient warriors from the other world; woe to those who come to lose themselves in that land.

Autumn.

Automnus was the fourth horseman of the year. His memory has come down to us through certain inscriptions, but also thanks to a stone engraved 3,000 years before your era, whose contours have miraculously been preserved by time. He carried a spear and a sword; he was a god of ominous signs. His role was to hunt the living, to track them down to the very gates of death. He killed many to fulfill his role as a merciless hunter. One day, he pursued a young doe who begged for time to leave her alone, preserving her natural beauty, but fate intervened. The god pursued her for a long time, and she finally succumbed to the sad fate that awaited her. Automnus pierced her with his spear and took her life. Thus, the doe's spirit found what she had sought since her earthly birth: eternal life. Her spirit, freed from her mortal body, began to smile, then to laugh endlessly, for by leaving her earthly remains behind, she acquired the immortality of goddesses, sublimated in all their beauty.

Bormos.

The Galatian migrations took place long before recorded history. A tribe called "Marianduni," inhabiting ancient Bithynia, north of ancient Galatia, and neighboring a tribe called Bebrikos, participated in the expeditions of the Argive warriors. Perhaps they came from the ancestral lands of Aiguasis or the Boii.
This occurred before writers recorded the first Gallic settlements in the East.

But most interestingly, it is said that the Marianduni had as their hero a certain Bormos, whose father was Lugus, the god and king of light. And once again, there is mention in their territory of a boar that killed an old druid who brought the light of day in his diatribes.
Bormos, also called Bormanos, embodied one of the arts of Lugus.
Cymru.

Around the same time, the kingdom of Cymru, Wales, sent its warriors to conquer nearby lands. The inhabitants of the new territory were then called the Cimmerians, nicknamed "the people of the night."
They were a people of horsemen led by a king named Lugdamos. They were descendants of the British Cymbres. The luminous magic of Lugus took hold, and these eastern territories belonged to the Galatian tribes for

Almost a thousand years.

Marcos.

But men thought only of themselves, and some dared to defy them.
A warrior stepped forward to the throne of the sun, and in full view of everyone, he denied Lugus, insulted him, and challenged him fiercely.
Then the sunlight dimmed, heavy clouds gathered around the throne, Lugus flew into a black rage, and his face was replaced by that of Tanaris.
The gods never obey humans and never mingle with them, for they are unworthy to see and understand true divinity.
A knight of the stork was sent to earth amidst the storm; his name was Marcos. He wore a helmet adorned with the wings of a bird and a red headdress; his breastplate and all his fighting gear were as hard as metal, and his cloak billowed in the storm winds. He arrived in a flash on his mount and, trampling the imprudent man with a deafening crash, he cut off his head and hung it on his lapel. Thus, everyone could see what happened to those who defied the gods. And he paraded everywhere through the streets and every land so that all would remember for a long time the adventure of the wounded profane man.

His body remained on the ground, still clutching a sword that had not yet had time to be used, his bones dislocated by the hooves of the horse of Marcos, the demigod born on earth, son of the storm and a vengeful fairy.

NODENS.
Nodens-Marcos.

Nodens dwelt on the land of men, the Bitu, and he was bound to the earth because, as a demigod, he had to live there to ensure justice and respect for the gods. It was a kind of heroic history that compiled the memories of those who had passed into divinity. As a living vessel, Nodens was to receive those who, like him, became legendary warriors, the many odes recounting the lives of the Gallic heroes who had lived on Earth. A special sanctuary was dedicated to him. All those who would later be reincarnated came to him. He thus compiled lives in what was called the Noble Stone, imperishable memories. So that these ancestors might continue to live in the present moment, in a present body, awaiting rebirth after their long journey to the other world. He kept them alive in the inner waters, bathed in passion and desire. It was thanks to these ancestors and the example of their journey that justice and balance were emphasized in the fortified mountains. Nodens was one of those chosen to safeguard the instincts and the legacy passed down by those who were honored. He was the god of courage and heroic tales. His stone encircled one of the sacred circles like an enclosure, and every year people came to pay homage to him.

MAGOS.

Knowledge had to be passed down. Ogmios ordered the ranks but did not possess all the knowledge of the magic stones.

One day, the dragon fathered a son named Magos. He understood the passions and was a mage of souls. He undertook to gather all the world's knowledge, and for this, he needed the stones of the sacred mountain.

He traveled for a long time and visited all the Gallic lands. He went to see the tribal chiefs to discuss with them each of the certainties of which they had become the guardians. Each of his steps sank into the rock.

Several years passed, and he managed to gather the beauty of all the passion stones and all the metals and stones that supported Gaul. This treasure was so vast that it reached the heavens. Then the mage returned to his starting point and founded a school where the truth about the elements and the origins of Gallic knowledge, about the ancestral roots of our people, was taught.

Upon his death, Magos requested to be buried beneath a mound of stones, a great tumulus whose location he kept secret. To deceive grave robbers, it was spread everywhere that one had to dig to the center of the earth to reach the treasure. He had learned much from our world and had become a magician. He was reincarnated many times through his descendants. They became a great family of merchants who later used magic. They were the ones who spoke with the whole world, a family of travelers who knew the curvature of the earth and the positions of the planets as well as the winding paths hidden from ordinary mortals.

...Larosso and Lerina.

Also called Laros the fisherman and farmer, he was the tutelary god of a place given to humankind, a wondrous island beyond the vicissitudes of this world. A place where auguries were made. A traveler from afar asked Larroso for help, and he fell madly in love with her for eternity. His misfortune was that he could not be with a human. He offered her a branch and said this: "This branch is from a tree of justice and power; you must plant it."

"I will go to a place where the wind and dust will carry you." The words were firm, and the ears heard. The wind carried Lerina to an island right next to hers. There she transformed into a wooden lyre. She became eternal, between dawn and dusk, the sole inhabitant of an island whose music charmed the ears of Larroson, who lived on the neighboring island. Thus, these two islands were united by love and separated by body in the calm and beauty of this landscape for eternity. The couple was protected by the shallows and the sea around them from the curious. Larroson's island welcomed a college of peaceful druids who honored it with stories and poetic tales. As for Lerina, she was long celebrated; the alder branch was used to make a very beautiful lyre to which magical virtues were attributed, such as the power to deliver divine justice and to heal the sick. People, thanks to its buds, and to influence destinies. It seems this island was also called: the island of the untouchable virgins. These two inseparable places are still called the Lérins Islands today.

Like all mothers, Lerina represented an entire territory, that of an island that belonged to her.

The flower of dawn, the poppy, well-known to modern druids even today, is also called "the flower of Lugus."

Xuban

The andounas polluted the surroundings; they formed the barrier between the world of the dead and that of the living. These fetid waters served as shelter for the old Griselis. These witches of misfortune stole souls and corrupted bodies. Their lies separated people, ruined families, and caused illness and then the terrible death of those who would get lost in mists of abyssal depths. At the edge of these waters Living Xuban, the hidden genius, he hid himself so well that his form was barely discernible in the mud. But he could be heard at certain times; a dweller of the night, he endlessly discoursed on his own qualities, constantly comparing himself to a great king invested with divine power. From the sound of his voice, people thought he was enormous, but in fact, he concealed in the darkness the weakness of a rather unmuscular body. And Xuban made those who listened to him believe anything. That he was tall, that he was a magician, that he was a demigod, and more. He possessed the talent of charmers and that of liars. So many questions arose about him. One day, someone recounted that his vices had come to him because of the venomous bite of a dragon. Moreover, that is how he was subsequently portrayed during the grand storytelling evenings. Xuban, with his frog-like body, had been devoured by the second dragon that evening. in the stinking swamps. To punish him for all the lies he had uttered to deceive people. Such is the fate of those who cannot understand the two parts of the dragon.

Orcia

The ancient druids knew her well, this goddess of the heavens to whom they offered the berries of spring. If there was a fantastic being of the ancient world who knew the heavens and the power of the winds, it was Orcia, the falcon of divinatory rituals, piercing the best-kept secrets. The noble animal had been tamed by the magicians. Her power over the storm was frightening; she protected the sacred oak groves as well as a treasure made of many silver acorns. Orcia withdrew to a sanctuary island off our coasts in winter, returning with the seasons of summer magic. When one saw a falcon in the sky, it was a good omen, but Orcia retained her wild nature. A killer, only the Carnutes druids could approach her in their protected natural sanctuaries. Many heroes and other thieves sought to seize her treasures and secrets, but none ever returned from their adventures to tell the tale. She could see traps from afar, was swift as lightning, knew who was coming, and was as merciless as her wild nature demanded.

Magoris.

He was an ancient god, or rather a kind of magician, it seems, and he knew many of the world's secrets. He could count infinity and one day managed to divide it into four parts. It is said that the four winds of life either propelled or held back the adventure of each day, and that those who received them as a gift could move forward without constraints or reconsider their desires and actions. A kind of interpretation of the potential for free men to do as they please, defined by the druids who count the time of each of the ours. Thus they could take the four directions of the known world at their whim, possess the four parts of infinity, its symbol, indicating that destiny belonged to you for eternity. That fame was yours forever, along with good health. This god...

He knew how to count and was one of those involved in fruitful trade and exchange. His praises were once sung in the Nemetons for his good deeds; his mark was widely known. Magiorix brought peace wherever he appeared; he was venerated across vast territories as one of the great ancients, a divine incarnation of a god of trade associated with one of the sacred animals whose fleece he may have worn.

The Unicorn-Goat.

Stories were told around the fireside. All the families came to listen to the local storyteller, and sometimes a few wandering bards returning from fabulous journeys would join them. They also possessed knowledge of plants and medicine. Many mysteries surrounded these characters, and they were often invited to speak of their wondrous encounters.
One of them had taken up residence with the Virudini family. One evening, he spoke of a creature he had met by the roadside. He had seen it with his own eyes: a unicorn-goat. And he described it in vivid detail.
The beast looked just like a goat, but its ears resembled two leaves. On its forehead grew a single horn, and at the very tip, there was a small, bright yellow sun, like the yolk of an egg. The shape of its head resembled that of a goat, but in place of nostrils, there was a beak. From her beak, she exhaled a cloud with every breath. This moving cloud curled around her, carrying the scent of the most beautiful perfumes of joy, which she used to cover her back. Her very long neck had folds like the belly of a serpent. Her bony legs also resembled those of wild goats, but instead of a tail, there was something like a leaf, edged and light in color. One of the hairs of this famous tail had curled into a serpent, and it was very pretty, said the bard-physician. So he advised everyone to look carefully along the paths, for they might well encounter her again in the area. That is how the famous Gallic unicorn was born, but of course, it was a goat and not a horse. And then another day, someone returned home with the famous unicorn. Oh, holy bard and magician, he couldn't have said that the creature indeed possessed leaves, but also a flower in place of its head!

And that's how the marvelous animal later became the symbol of herbalists. Did you know that the goat eats the good, healing plants and never the poisons? It never makes a mistake. Today, it's called the wild "doe," the female of the roe deer. And its flower? A flower with a horn and a beak, a unicorn.

The raven.

They gathered into tribes and used their territories. Each had their own stories and myths. Among the Carnutes tribe, they told the story of a mischievous raven. In the spring, it would perch on the horses' backs to whisper dreams to them. Another day, one of them was seen soaring so high into the sky that this greedy creature was able to tear off a sprig of mistletoe from the tree of stars and bring it back to the sanctuary. Moreover, its omens were eagerly awaited. For the animal had always inhabited the sacred lands. It had been heard in the morning calling to its lovers across the summer meadows. The bigots and the fools took it for a sign from the gods, for it mocked them. How many tons of wheat had it stolen this year? No one knew, but no one truly held it against it, for in times of trouble, it warned everyone nearby to be ready. It was also considered a musician, a fabulous creature, this Gallic raven with its blue-on-black sheen, the colors of night, a symbol of the gods and goddesses.

The Bardic Chronicles.

The bards recounted the stories of times past. The ancient kings were remembered, their names and exploits, their deeds, their marriages with cities, the long lineages spanning hundreds or thousands of years—all this through these famous sacred bards. And all of this was extremely important because they preserved and revived the memory of those destined to be reincarnated later.
These chronicles, kept in the memory of men, were not meant to be written down at the time, to keep the memory alive, in the style of professional artists who kept the fires burning during evening gatherings and stirred the passions of the crowds. But there was another reason why these old stories were not written down: it was because the wicked, the cowards, the losers, the tyrants, and the murderous leaders, driven mad by power and self-importance by the divinity bestowed upon them, all of them had to disappear from memory so they could never be reincarnated. Their names, their deeds, and even the location of their graves were deliberately forgotten. Of all the people—kings and queens, folk heroes, and demigods—who were to return, only the best were remembered, only those who made the tales of the past so beautiful. Of the others, nothing was to remain, and the druids and bards then erased their traces in the sweeping currents of the grand history of nations, peoples, languages, and tribes.

Aericula.

Aericula.

Each year, the goddess of war returned from the other world.
Her

Her name was Aericula, the west wind, or rather... the spring storm.
She arrived from the other world, crossing the sea of ocean monsters and flying through the stormy skies. A warrior goddess of conquests to the east, merciless and without remorse, she established herself for the months of war on the borders of Gaul, where preparations were made. A feared and renowned sorceress, she loved the silver of pots, the gold of necklaces, and the bronze of swords. Her season was spring, and the passionate loves of the underworld were dedicated to her; thus, she remained the goddess of conquests and freedoms, which is why she was nicknamed "the unstoppable west wind." The goddess who led adventures and exploits was in charge of supplies. She is called Aericula, Erricura, or Ricoria, a close associate of Teutates and the conquests of the Gallic colonies. Aericula spurred the hardened warriors into bloody battles; she was the goddess of the battle criers.

The Two Birds.

In the Gallic universe tree, high in its branches, perched two birds.

They played a significant role in the expression of Gallic stone and metal arts. Their significance was primarily religious.

The first bird stood on the left side of the tree, representing the physical realm of the elementals, high in the sky.

It often accompanied the animal souls of the deceased into the heavens, those ascending to the sacred spheres. This first bird sang of the end and of sorrow; its mournful song bound spirits in the passing clouds.

The second bird stood on the right side of the tree, also perched in its foliage, but on the side of the liberated spirits. Its song was one of joy, enchanting the spirits freed from their physical bodies, entering the peaceful and benevolent eternity of the luminous heavens.
These two birds, often depicted together, evoked in their songs the suffering of death and the joyful liberation of spirits who had reached a perfect state of peace.

The spirits.

The standing stones.

In Druidism, it is said that every place on this earth is special, and that each place has its queen. The standing stones are linked to the sky, but not only that; they were placed in locations marked by the magic of our ancestors. Indeed, these stones served as landmarks for ancient peoples, like on a living map. We speak of magic, forces, and particular spirits when we discuss our experiences in these places. What is almost never mentioned is that these places still belong to the ancient peoples and that only their descendants can understand them and live in their presence. It is as if the ancient spirits were still there, protecting their land, their descendants, and the traditions closest to them. Each standing stone on this world belongs to the spirits and the ancient gods and kings who lived there. There, on these sites, fortune belongs only to their descendants and misfortune to invaders, as if they were still marked by very ancient magic.

Ducavavios.

Men, women, children, and the elderly were all considered sacred beings, all having received the gift of eternal life. Thus, when one died, the physical body had to disappear from sight so that the grief would, with time, leave the hearts of the living. The souls then went to dwell in the night, and sometimes they manifested themselves in particular forms. This spirit of the night was called Ducavavios, a kind of entity that could be sensed without truly being seen. These souls possessed the night, made it their world, and left behind the harsh realities of earthly life. Ducavavios, having become a free soul, entered his night to reign there; he was to remain there until he was reborn. It is said that some remained in their night and never returned to Earth, taking refuge in broad daylight in deep caverns or perhaps even on the other side of the Earth, where the sun never reaches them, remaining in their divine part of creation. It is sometimes said that certain men can go there, cross the night hidden under a cloak, and bring back the secrets of the other world and the great palace of the gods.

The sacred grove.

Forests and woods, the seats of primordial nature and the origin of the gods of life, were objects of worship. There were dedicated places, sacred woods and groves surrounded by palisades and ditches, and these groves belonged to the primordial gods. When people from the non-warlike, civilian population, from the noble caste, passed away, they were offered a sanctuary near these woods, to bring them closer to the gods of primal purity. These woods belonged to the civil, not military, cult, a cult of the dead and of the

Eternal life, around trees considered the oldest witnesses to human history. The heads of these people were removed so that their spirits, thus freed from their earthly bodies, could mingle with those of the trees and return to serve the gods of primordial purity.

The Language of the Dead.

Thus, we live and we die after our time has passed. It is said that the dead all reincarnate one day and inhabit a body of flesh. And because we miss those who have passed, we continue to speak to them. In Gaulish religion, the sacred language served as a link between the other world and the world of the living. Some priest-magicians spoke to the dead through their reincarnation, and the Gaulish language held secrets. The initiated knew how to understand when a situation was no longer normal, when the dead, interfering with the living, asked to return to earth. This magical language was practiced in places of worship. At certain times of the year, people believed they could speak with the heavens, with various gods, and with heroes of the past. It was firmly believed that people who spoke wildly were possessed by the soul of a deceased person seeking reincarnation. It was said that for the inhabitants of the other, dark world, luminous physical appearances were not necessarily very appealing; conversely, those on Earth said that the dark world was not very livable. In truth, nothing could compare to expression and demonstrative beauty in the original light. The sacred language, in fact, possessed the two sacred and irreconcilable faces of human duplicity. Like the two sides of a blade, the sword of destiny, depending on which side it fell on, the futility and seriousness of a situation changed as if by magic, for this was the very basis of its understanding... everything rested on two divine faces, light and dark; futility and seriousness had become demigods.

And the sacred language spoke for the living as well; one of its primary precepts was to banish idleness and frivolity. People who did nothing, tourists, were viewed very unfavorably by the local population; those who amused themselves unconsciously were reputed to be haunted by the dusios, the forces of vice and malice. For among the Gauls, one did not speak idlely or for no reason. This kind of behavior had become punishable by the tutelary gods, and the druids were charged with upholding moral order.

Aidubno and Albio.

Aidubno and Albio are the world below and the world above. Aidubno is an inner spiritual realm of the soul and passions, while in the sky of Albio reside the master spirits, those who never yield to feelings.

It is said of the spirits of the albios, "they are the great gods, the deities who never yield to the flesh and instinctive desires." It is said that their roles govern the middle world, the land of men called Bitu.

In the sky reside the stars and the cycles; the albios is filled with numbers, shapes, and calculations.
The two realms, the aidubno and the albios, have always vied for the right to rule the land of men. Since time immemorial, the gods of the underworld and the upper world have fought in turn to influence human decisions. From this, sometimes actions become logical, sometimes incomprehensible, and fates can be cruel or benevolent.
It is said that in the aidubno there resides a white dragon and a black dragon, and they too fight to determine whether the senses are superior to the mind. There is a place where the sun was once hurled, and since then it must be reborn each morning and die each evening.
So since that time, the spirits above have ruled the world as best they can, while below, the druids of the senses amuse themselves by making heads spin.
Those above are said to be pure because they possess reflection and calculation, but those below are indispensable because they bring unthinking emotions, the joy or sorrow of life.
On the earth above, creatures are forced to obey their instincts; however, if civilizations exist, it is thanks to the gods and goddesses of the world above.

The bloody sky.

During the many battles, all know the divine law that their respective druids have revealed to them.
The defenses of the territories are noble and bring stability and wealth. Attacks on other territories were times when only the gods and goddesses decided the outcome of the battles. There were victors and losers; if the invaders won the battle, they had to thank the gods with numerous offerings so that they would be forgiven for the violence. But if they lost on the battlefield of a war they themselves had started, then the gods would feast on their flesh in the sanctuaries. This was what was called a celestial funeral.

of the loser. The bodies of enemy warriors killed in battle or subsequently sacrificed were displayed in the sanctuary so that the birds of the air could devour their corpses and bring their portions back to the gods of war. The heads of the bravest were cut off and preserved in cedar oil, while the others were burned so they would never return to haunt the place...

Virocatos.

Only truth was to prevail on the battlefield, for it belonged to the gods.

This struggle for truth also manifested itself in many aspects of civil life. Detestable behavior, liars, brigands, thieves, and murderers were condemned to terrible punishments because, throughout antiquity, they were considered unclean spirits. An unclean spirit was likened to a disease and to evil spirits. Thus, it sometimes happened that they were condemned and publicly tortured to warn people not to imitate them.

There is also an old tradition concerning these unclean spirits: they had to be made to disappear completely, body and soul, even their valuables were destroyed or melted down. Thus, in a kind of religious act, Uirocatos, the battle of truth, they were made to ensure they would never return. When it came to entire tribes who had wronged the victors, it was not uncommon for their names to be erased from all maps, again so that they would never reappear. They were nothing but evil spirits, after all.

The sacred vessel.

And the druids possessed the cup, the waters of human history. The soul of someone had been preserved in a vessel, one of the gods who had come to earth. The sacred vessel contained all the spiritual power of one of the original founders. This vessel, this cup, was carved in such a way that one could recognize one of the ancient kings, and it belonged to the great goddess. The vessel was guarded day and night by four guardians. One day, it was said, it would return, and its magic with it. For this ancient relic had been passed down since the Age of Magic, a time in history when priests, magicians, and all supernatural forces were an integral part of the Middle World.
But one day, a thief came, completely hooded in a silent cloak. He seized the object and fled with it. Since then, nothing has been heard of it, but the spiritual power had gradually diminished, leaving the magicians with little power. The bards, too, lost the strength that had once resided within them and sank into destitution, deprived of the ancient magic.
It is also said that if the vessel were broken, the spirit of the one imprisoned within would escape, no doubt to be reincarnated. There are still some graphic indications of the cup's existence, but what became of it? Many dealers collect these Gallic objects from another era. Many have also disappeared from museum collections. But this object...

The sacred body.

People entering religious life were part of the sacred body of its guardians of dogma. The Gallic cosmogonic plan, with its eight branches, representing the three worlds—underground, earthly, and the divine realm in the sky—was then inscribed on the believing and religious body. Thus, from left to right, the right side of the body was considered to belong to human animality, flesh and blood; the central part was solely human; and the left side belonged to the spiritual world, human but only spiritual. Clothing was worn with certain markings corresponding to this eight-part cosmogonic plan, the ninth being central.

AEREDA.

In a secluded valley, the sounds of war chants echoed. It was there that rites of passage were performed, through arduous trials. Aereda, the fiery spirit of the great mountain cauldron, was honored. His altar was raised near the heavens; it was the altar of the courageous, the manly warriors, a sacred domain where his disciples came to pray. And men died, but they left behind descendants, those who would perpetuate the dragon blood they themselves had received from their progenitors. Aereda the Red was there to ensure this. In this Pyrenean valley, in ancient times, this divine lineage, born of the earth, would have been honored. The metal that forged the dragon's weapons was drawn from this valley where volcanic activity still sometimes rumbled, making the full force of the ancestor of kings and great warriors heard and felt. The same metal flowed in their veins and in their weapons, and they were animated by a fighting spirit more than any other being on this earth.
It was to this place that Aereda had come, an invincible spirit rising from the fiery subterranean earth and reaching the mountain peaks, almost to the sky like a slender, gigantic peak. He was to provide the strength and vigor

The judgment of mortals, bringing terror to the hearts of the enemy. Aereda the Isarnon, whose body was made of a victorious metal and whose character was forged in steel, it was lava that flowed in his veins. So it was with him who transmitted the blood of the sacred dragon to our people in their swords and spears.
There, the sky sometimes takes on a deep red hue in the evening, when the sun sets. On high promontories lie the iron veins that yielded the precious metal; the incandescent hearths reprocessed the slag offered by the dragon. The forged weapons were likewise consecrated. Swords were synonymous with freedom and destiny, with profound spirituality and truth. This particular place where future warriors were educated was a cauldron of learning. To each warrior a sword, a destiny, the freedom to serve no one in particular; there, the equites took their destiny into their own hands. Weapons were forged as warriors' bodies were forged. Among the Gauls, this was the deity of magical weapons, of the finest quality, like the divine blood flowing in the bodies of the chosen, all descendants and sons of the dragon.

Dullovios.

In the night, wandering souls are lost forever. In the woods and dark forests once dwelt one of these souls, which had belonged to one of those adventurers, those who did not heed the wise men's warnings. For it was forbidden to venture into the depths of the dark forests under penalty of never returning to the village. It was said of lost souls that their souls wandered forever in the darkness, victims of the enchanters' revenge. Sometimes he thought he heard music, and, beginning to dance, he imagined the sacred instruments of the gods playing around him. Divos thought he was happy, but he knew nothing anymore; at the slightest sign of life, he would rush towards it, only to lose himself even more deeply. Even back in the village, people had said he wasn't serious, that something bad would happen to him.

Then one day, hungry and weakened, he found the light he had been searching for in the middle of a clearing. It awakened him, and he seized it immediately, never to let go. It is said that he returned home after years of wandering with light on his path, but he had changed greatly. In this, everyone soon recognized that he alone could lead them without losing them in the darkness. When he disappeared, they called him Divos, but when he reappeared, he was called Dullovios; he had been given his new name because he had become a druid.

Lagodos.

Among the Gauls, death did not exist; the vital substance flowed out of the body to be reborn in another form.
Among certain mountain tribes, they remember Lagodos, an old man who cultivated himself all his life to honor the light of Lugus, the light of the spirit. When the flame left his body, a strange glow rose to ascend the rocky slopes one last time. It reached almost the summit of the mountain, the world of the gods above, and it was there that a plant called lagon, a false hellebore, grew.

In the moors, the damp peat bogs where divine thought welcomed those who had ascended.
From that time on, all wise old men were called "Lagodos" and druidesses "Lagussa," those who rise with the peaks. They were said to be unique because they were always alone in settling up there. These mountain peats were considered sacred ground where humankind left its mark. Myth says that it is in this humus that great spirits reside, nourished forever. For up there dwell all those who have entered eternity.

CRAROS.

Craros was a deity of foul odors and carrion, the one who displayed his fury to intimidate young men. He was another of the gods of war, the god of paintings and striking images. Craros's paintings were reputed to cover all bodies and vehicles, and these designs were intended to frighten everyone. He was a god of base passions, nicknamed "the hairy one," and his wind drove those who saw him mad. It was said of Craros that one should not unleash him, for he could transform into a tempest, and his offenses became wounding.
Craros was the god of insults, which one had to resist when passing before him. It is still said recently that a basin located above an old menhir collected fragrant water from a lily. Men would bring their sons there and use it at the baptism of young princes to protect them from the creature's insults.

The wind.

In the world of visible light, there is also an invisible world where the wind is considered the blood of the gods.

For when it sleeps, spirits are calm, and when it rages, thoughts ignite.
It is this same wind that made the trees howl as it rushed through their branches.
This same wind, gently controlled, transforms speech into song.
From this wind of spirits there are a thousand twists and turns, and from this invisible blood were born the creatures dancing in secret in the undergrowth and inaccessible ravines, later called goblins and other fairy sparks.
It is this wind that makes the carnix's deadly call.
But if it is known that no human must be able to see it, it is to protect family tribes from pyromaniac conflagrations.
It is up there in the mountains and there by the ocean's edge that it is most powerful. This divine blood is the song of the gods, drawing the world into an intoxicating dance of playfulness and poignant tears.

The hidden spirits of reincarnation.

One wonders if it's possible, and indeed, the druids believe so. A related phenomenon exists in our lands. Stories have been told around the fireside for a long time, very old stories that at first glance seem quite recent. There are often references to underground realms where wonders, spirits, and apparitions are said to be hidden. These famous underground realms often don't exist, and this is actually a way of connecting with the ancient world, the past. Many of these stories refer to druids in their goblin-like forms, for example; there is also talk of creatures like werewolves that come from our Gallic past, without anyone knowing why. Elsewhere, it is said that three golden bells were buried in our ancient, forgotten sanctuaries. This is a veiled reference to the sacred druid necklace with its three triangular points and the wordless holes of creation. And people rehash these old stories in a modern way, unaware that they are actually recounting memories of their past lives.

Prophecies and the paths of destiny.

The Gallic prophets.

The Gallic prophets led the ancient cult; people listened to them and sought their counsel. Those who spoke with the gods and goddesses were imbued with a divine aura; they knew the secrets of divination, as well as those of prayers and spells.

They had learned to speak with invisible spirits. Whenever an important undertaking was required, whether it be war, marriage, alliances with other clans, or the buying and selling of property, their wisdom was sought.

For they knew who bore the mark of nobility and who bore the mark of infamy.
If any of these affairs were to go wrong, the treachery could have the most serious repercussions.
Then the soothsayers spoke a language known only to themselves and uttered the customary incantations.
Foreigners were excluded from these ceremonies; only true Gauls could hear the auguries and see the signs.
As if by magic, one knew who would be present and who would not, in whom one could place one's trust. The prophets spoke with the divine spirits that dwell within humankind. If humans did not know their destinies in advance, the spirits knew how to guide them where they wished to go.

The Book of Life.

We had many enemies, and even today, especially religious ones, who sought to erase the names of our ancestors so they would never reappear, to seize the power of the gods over the peoples and tribes. These enemies, obscure sorcerers from the East, had perverted the Druid cult to obliterate its names and memory. The Gallic gods, the peoples of Galatia, never die forever; they always return. And the race of Gallic prophets ensured that our names, like those of our ancestors, were inscribed in the Tree of Life, the Book of Life. Of all the Gallic names that have survived the millennia, some have changed little, others much. So, according to the prophecy, a day will come when our dead, their names, will fill our history books even more than they do today. In the Tree of Spirits, time passes and forgets nothing of the nobility of humankind. Those born into the Gallic nobility will have their personal histories inscribed in the great book of life, a testament to the renewal of Gallic civilization. Thus speaks the prophecy, fulfilled daily: the sun serves as a throne for the light of the spirit.

The thrones of justice.

A time will come when the war is over, when the dragon has fallen asleep. During this period of peace, only those who sit upon the throne will be able to judge the deeds of servants, and they will be clothed in white like the clouds to judge fairly.

Then they will judge each person who must be inscribed in

For when it sleeps, spirits are calm, and when it rages, thoughts ignite.
It is this same wind that made the trees howl as it rushed through their branches.
This same wind, gently controlled, transforms speech into song.
From this wind of spirits there are a thousand twists and turns, and from this invisible blood were born the creatures dancing in secret in the undergrowth and inaccessible ravines, later called goblins and other fairy sparks.
It is this wind that makes the carnix's deadly call.
But if it is known that no human must be able to see it, it is to protect family tribes from pyromaniac conflagrations.
It is up there in the mountains and there by the ocean's edge that it is most powerful. This divine blood is the song of the gods, drawing the world into an intoxicating dance of playfulness and poignant tears.

The hidden spirits of reincarnation.

One wonders if it's possible, and indeed, the druids believe so. A related phenomenon exists in our lands. Stories have been told around the fireside for a long time, very old stories that at first glance seem quite recent. There are often references to underground realms where wonders, spirits, and apparitions are said to be hidden. These famous underground realms often don't exist, and this is actually a way of connecting with the ancient world, the past. Many of these stories refer to druids in their goblin-like forms, for example; there is also talk of creatures like werewolves that come from our Gallic past, without anyone knowing why. Elsewhere, it is said that three golden bells were buried in our ancient, forgotten sanctuaries. This is a veiled reference to the sacred druid necklace with its three triangular points and the wordless holes of creation. And people rehash these old stories in a modern way, unaware that they are actually recounting memories of their past lives.

Prophecies and the paths of destiny.

The Gallic prophets.

The Gallic prophets led the ancient cult; people listened to them and sought their counsel. Those who spoke with the gods and goddesses were imbued with a divine aura; they knew the secrets of divination, as well as those of prayers and spells.

They had learned to speak with invisible spirits. Whenever an important undertaking was required, whether it be war, marriage, alliances with other clans, or the buying and selling of property, their wisdom was sought.

For they knew who bore the mark of nobility and who bore the mark of infamy.
If any of these affairs were to go wrong, the treachery could have the most serious repercussions.
Then the soothsayers spoke a language known only to themselves and uttered the customary incantations.
Foreigners were excluded from these ceremonies; only true Gauls could hear the auguries and see the signs.
As if by magic, one knew who would be present and who would not, in whom one could place one's trust. The prophets spoke with the divine spirits that dwell within humankind. If humans did not know their destinies in advance, the spirits knew how to guide them where they wished to go.

The Book of Life.

We had many enemies, and even today, especially religious ones, who sought to erase the names of our ancestors so they would never reappear, to seize the power of the gods over the peoples and tribes. These enemies, obscure sorcerers from the East, had perverted the Druid cult to obliterate its names and memory. The Gallic gods, the peoples of Galatia, never die forever; they always return. And the race of Gallic prophets ensured that our names, like those of our ancestors, were inscribed in the Tree of Life, the Book of Life. Of all the Gallic names that have survived the millennia, some have changed little, others much. So, according to the prophecy, a day will come when our dead, their names, will fill our history books even more than they do today. In the Tree of Spirits, time passes and forgets nothing of the nobility of humankind. Those born into the Gallic nobility will have their personal histories inscribed in the great book of life, a testament to the renewal of Gallic civilization. Thus speaks the prophecy, fulfilled daily: the sun serves as a throne for the light of the spirit.

The thrones of justice.

A time will come when the war is over, when the dragon has fallen asleep. During this period of peace, only those who sit upon the throne will be able to judge the deeds of servants, and they will be clothed in white like the clouds to judge fairly.

Then they will judge each person who must be inscribed in

in baptismal records and history books.

No outside evil will be able to enter the sanctuary, for it will be banished from it.

Then these new druids, heirs to the ancient kingdoms, will once again reign over the spirit of Gaul.

The Dragon Sanctuary.

Then the druid sanctuary on the mountain welcomed the dragon's solar throne,
A new and young king came to sit in the center, holding the chains of Ogmios,
And around the throne were four creatures with the faces of the four seasons,
On each side of each season stood three elders,
Then the tree was seen in the center of the world,
And around it the nations marched in the markets of the year,
And there were twenty-four elders with four creatures,
All guardians of the sanctuary walls for twenty-eight years,
They took turns without ceasing after each lunar fortnight,
On each opposite side stood two brothers who came from the underworld and ascended to the heavens,
And the sanctuary was thirty years old,
One could only enter it at dawn,
Around it stood the woman's domain,
There were twelve gates to her consecrated city,
And the city had descended from the Starry sky.

Birth and death of sacred blood.

The cup. Birth and sacrifice of blood.

There are stories concerning human sacrifices, yet at the time, animals were the most common. Human killings existed only within the context of warrior worship. It was the sacrifice of blood and the sacred birth, for indeed, access to immortality depended on the strength of the surviving soul.
There were prisoners sacrificed to the gods according to the value of their spoils, to thank the masters of the Gallic universe. But there was also another type of sacrifice, a military one, much more honorable.
In this warlike era, noble birth bore warrior fruits; all noblemen belonged to a warrior caste from birth. Those who escaped this fate became druids, or philosophical or scientific servants—educated individuals. As for the military caste, the insignia was worn on their clothing, either on the thigh—the place of birth, of blood in the family tree—or, of course, on the shoulder—the place of sacred death, of blood in the family tree, and of accession to eternity. For one was born a warrior and destined for war, and if one died in battle, then the cycle of life became eternal, the blessed soul retaining its purity.
The prophets then foretold the return of the ancient kings and heroes of old.
Thus, one was born twice, at the beginning of one's life and at its end.
There were other types of human sacrifices, more religious in nature. Here again, the principle was to sacrifice a noble heart to bring it into the realm of the gods, but we have no proof of these.

The wheel, the serpent, the dragon.

The wheel, the serpent, and the dragon's body.

The wheel of time, tracing the immutable path of beings, offered a place to all the gods.
The ancient serpent turned and fell into the underworld, deposed from the divine part of the wheel.

But it returned, for blood could not die.

And the beast was reborn with each cycle in the animal realm, in the underworld, only to rise again, taking the form of the dragon of vengeance.

And the dragon had two bodies: one physical, and the other, eternal, was made of spirit. Thus the first dragon was split in two, a right side and a left side. The physical side died because Cernunnos had decreed that only the spiritual side could live. But the blood returned, the serpent was passed down from ancestor to ancestor, it rose and was reincarnated until a new dragon appeared, younger and stronger than the old one, which rose again into the sky with the wings of life's fury. Thus it is with the prophecy: the dragon must constantly return to replace the old one. Then, on Earth, all will see the lion appear, protector of the new generation. Then, it is said, all will see the beast rise into the sky, it which returns ceaselessly from the kingdom of the west, from the other world. It is then that the lion will guard the soul of the white stag on Earth. Then the unchanging wheel of the souls' path will have shown who will be first and last, the origins of true history, and the new kings on their ancient sacred lands.

The resurrection of the named souls.

Every Gallic soul is noble and strong; it survives despite death, and this is true.
Each of those who bore the glory of Gaul has their name engraved in eternity.

And these names were inscribed in religious registers and engraved in stone and ceramic, for they had to be preserved in order to be reborn. The prophecy says that at the end of the world, ours will be reborn.

And then the souls of our ancestors will reappear, taking possession of new bodies, and these bodies will still bear the same names as in the past.

They will be inscribed in our baptismal records from birth.

Carnix.

All battles were accompanied by the sound of the Carnix.

All the funeral ceremonies, too.

When the warriors passed into the afterlife, they would hear the sounds of war once more, and thus the music of the otherworld would lead them back to rebirth.
The trumpets opened the way for them to redemption and the great goddess.
Then their lost souls returned to begin new lives of battles and great honors.
The Carnix accompanied the souls through the dark night, and the dead returned to the light to fight alongside the living.

Two million warriors.

Two million horsemen.

The Gallic cross embodies the eternity of our people, for those who bear the seal of the living god are always born each morning. The youth that follows will never cease to seek to fulfill their desires, because mature individuals will always be there to lay the foundations of their homes, and the elderly, too, will still exist, those who fear the fateful moment without ever regretting their past.
They were, are, and will always be a warrior people who never retreat, a people of sky riders whose souls will be reincarnated each morning of the world. It has been said that out of six million inhabitants, two million were riders, a third of the population, armed to the teeth, who set out to conquer the world, and the prophecy speaks of them as those who will regroup for the final battle at the end of the world. At that time, the noble equites will return to reclaim their thrones, reigning over the history of humankind. And the prophecy also says that all the peoples of the earth will serve them, for they alone possess the innocence to lead them ever to be reborn and to die on the thrones of heavenly light.
No one can stop what was, what is, and what will be.

The final war.

So we know that since their divine birth, the human race is doomed to its own destruction, this end of the world that the peoples of the earth have spoken of since the dawn of civilization. The prophets said that a race of giants would come to replace them and put an end to wars. Humankind will be at the gates of death, on the great beach where the waves come to rest and carry souls to the other world, where the rainbow bridge is located.

In the heavens, there exists a god of light who surpasses all others, and his name is Lugus. When it is time to descend to earth and fight, he takes on the twin form of Taranis. In this very place, the seven thunders are born, when Taranis's lightning bolts descend from the sky and the black dragon's roar can be heard beneath the sea. These are the seven signs of lightning and branches of the divine race that dwell in the sixteen realms.

of the soul.

The war between heaven and the underworld cannot end because Taranis and the red dragon are locked in combat on Earth, so the wrath of heaven and the rage from below mingle.

When the rage of heaven falls upon the inhabitants of Earth, great misfortunes will befall the unwary.

And the souls of all the brave souls who were once betrayed will be reincarnated to exact the revenge of the ancients.

The god of time.

Long ago, as bodies aged, the spirit grew stronger, and as one aged, one's character hardened.

The millstone was cast into the ocean, the storm arose, and came the seven waves of wear and tear, bringing death, and with them, the seven secrets of the birth of life. He who stood between the earth and the sea knew both worlds; all that belonged to the physical world had to dissolve and end in the ocean of stars, and thus the living souls ascended to heaven.

It had been so since the beginning of time, since the solar seed was split into two faces.

The first two faces of the sun: the rising face of the morning and the setting face of the evening. Cernunnos, the god of the magician kings, had separated the two red dragons and established the dominion of the two black wolves over the human world. For the wolves knew how to respect and organize themselves.

And since then, time can only be stopped by the one through whom it came, the god of animals and human spirits, or by the immense wrath of the two dragons reunited and the sword bearing the double symbol reforged.

Correspondence of dates of ancient ceremonies.

Days of ancient ceremonies to be placed in the old calendar.

Ten days' difference, for example, February 5th corresponds to Ogronios 15th, November 1st to Riuros 11th, etc.

The 30-year calendar begins on the first night of the first new moon of the nemeton at the winter solstice. On the sixth day, the mistletoe of the stars and the golden lunar sickle are gathered; on the seventh day, the sanctuary is created (the three circles).
The week is based on the days of the seven Sulevias planets; the seventh day is the week of fidelity, Brigania.

Reconstruction is underway, drawing on ancient traditions and peasant stories, and place names, closely resembling the ancient system.

Brigania (Borianna) November 25th; March 25th; (Bergonia) May 26th; August 25th: these four dates form the Brigania cross.

*Divine Nurse (the doe): 05/02*Namae-ues Matres: 09/02 (Linden tree festival, bonfires).

*Bormana: 04/23*Boriennus: 04/29
*Arcannos:10/05*Bergonia:26/05
*Sulis:16/06*
*Sucellus and Gavadiae mattres:03/07*Mori:29/07*
*Graselos the solid stone, the hearth-10/08*Damona, festivals of the Elm:13/08*Goddess of the sky: 15/08*Brictae Mattres-Aetucolis: 22/08*
*Badabe: 31/10

*"Cave of Kernunos" opening onto the world of freed spirits/Matae Mattres:01/11*Donations to sanctuaries:04/11*Gerudatiae Mattres:11/11*Borianna: 25/11*

*Canauos: 06/12*Luxsa: 22/12*Sequana the Healer: 26/12*

Gallic annual stellar calendar:
The stellar year began in the month of Anagantios at the winter solstice, with a half-dark period.

It ended with the fourth season, also called the dark season, beginning in Samonos (the great fires of Autumn). For purists, the beginning of Giamonos would correspond to March 21st, and the beginning of Elembivis to the summer solstice of June 21st; it all makes sense. The intercalary month "Ciallos," added every thirty years for the summer solstice celebrations, is why it's called Ciallos.

Giamonos (the brother) 30 nights

Simivis (the sower of life) 31 nights

Equos (the Harmony) 30 nights

Elembivis (the doe) 31 nights

Edrinis (the lion) 30 nights

Cantlos (preserved innocence) 31 nights

Samonos (moral discernment, opening of the spirit world) Kernunos (30 nights)

Dumannios (oral transmissions, great fires) 31 nights

Riuros (law) 30 nights

Anagantios (icy calm) 31 nights

Ogronios 30 nights

Cutios (rebirth) 31 nights

366 nights