Gaelic culture remained relatively unchanged throughout the remainder of the Christian Era until the Era of Invasions began. Though both the Vikings and Normans invaded Ireland throughout the early middle ages, they never gained anything more than a tenuous foothold on the fringes of Irelandís coast, in the area of what is now Dublin. This changed, however. Beginning in 1541 CE, the English began a campaign of settlement in Ireland that culminated in warfare between the two nations. By 1598, the Irish had been pressed back into the west and the north, with only Ulster remaining a purely Gaelic land. After the defeat of the Irish army at the Battle of Kinsale in 1601, the full brunt of the Anglo invasion began.

Throughout the 17^th and 18^th centuries, the English invasion of Ireland displaced most of the remaining Gaelic tribes, with most of the tribes either wiped out by warfare or starvation, sold into slavery in the West Indies and Americas, or forced into the Donegal and Galway regions of Western Ireland. Gaelic language, religion, traditions, dress, art, music and any other cultural or religious items were outlawed by the English on pain of death. Likewise, the English forced the surviving Gaels from their lands, seizing them and giving them to English landlords. Stripped from their lands, which are integral to their culture, the Gaels began to lose touch with their traditions and their roots. Thus began the Diaspora.

The Diaspora, a term which means the breaking up and scattering of a people, was the period between the 17^th century and the early 20^th in which millions of Irish were forced to immigrate to America, Canada, and Australia. In fact, many of those reading this article may very well be the descendants of Gael sent into this Diaspora. Whether sold into slavery abroad, or forced to leave their lands due to threat, starvation, or crushing economic hardships, these Gael took their culture with them wherever they settled.

However, the Diaspora created a schism that resulted in two distinct and separate groups of people: the Irish and the diasporan Gael. As the crushing social and economic pressures forced more and more Irish to abandon their culture and embrace Anglo aspects in order to survive, the traditional tribal culture of the Gaelic people waned rapidly. By the 19^th century, only small pockets of Ireland retained the Gaelic language and folk-traditions. The Gaelic populations of Scotland and the Isle of Mann were likewise devastated, and many of these people were displaced from their lands in the same manner as the Irish Gael. The native Gaelic traditions survived in Diaspora and in rural Ireland throughout this period in the form of folk traditions and superstition.

In the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, several nationalist groups began to form to fight against the English occupation and cultural imperialism. The roots of the Gaelic Traditionalism movement are found in these groups, since it was this wave of anti-English sentiment that sparked a desire to reclaim Gaelic culture and strip away the Anglo influence. Though not a cultural Traditionalist movement, per se, the very first elements of the Traditionalist movement trace their birth to these nationalist elements. In its infancy, Gaelic Traditionalism was viewed by most as an idealized romantic creation of the lower Irish classes to bolster their resolve and embolden them to rebellion. While this was true in many respects, there were some who chose to embrace the culture for its own merits rather than as a banner of opposition.

The evolution of the modern Traditionalist movement as we know it occurred in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries with these people. One group of cultural supporters later evolved into the Gaeltacht civil rights movement, another into the Fenian movement which, though militant in nature, also had elements of cultural and linguistic preservation, and yet another into the musical traditionalism movement. All three of these would form the core of the later evolution of the Gaelic Traditionalism movement.

By the beginning of the 20^th century, Irish culture, language, legends, traditions, etc. became the centerpiece for a literary and musical revival. Though by no means a clamoring for a return to the culture as it existed prior to Cromwell and the Anglo invasions, it was nevertheless an important period of psychological and social breakthrough in which it was no longer an embarrassment to be Irish, but became something to be proud of. Irish culture, literature, lore, language, and music began the long and arduous reversal from teetering on the brink of extinction in this period.

It was in the transition from the idealistic frenzy of the Irish Renaissance to the more practical and realistic revival of the culture that the core of the movement as we know it today truly began. This core- the preservation, spread, and evolution of native Gaelic culture, traditions, customs, language, music, poetry, etc.- became a goal unto itself rather than a means to an end. Prior to this, these things had largely been tools to rally nationalist fervor to for the purpose of reclaiming Irish sovereignty. Now, these goals were realized to be worthy in and of themselves, and finally stood on their own merits. This period has seen the evolution of many sub-branches of Gaelic Traditionalism, ranging from the revival of the religious traditions of the early Celtic Church and the Polytheist religions, to the development of purely musical revivals and foundations.

The Polytheistic branches of Gaelic Traditionalism, those that pray to the Tuatha de Dannan, are a fairly recent development. This movement within Gaelic Traditionalism has its foundation in some of the rather controversial religious postulations engaged in, ironically enough, by members of the upper classes during the Irish Renaissance in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Though not an overt nor organized religious entity at that time, this proto-polytheistic aspect to the movement is the foundation upon which the modern Gaelic Traditionalist polytheism movement is built.

As many within the Traditionalist movement began moving to return to their native pre-Anglo culture, some, either through influence from early 19^th century Germanic heathen religions, a discontent with the failings of Christianity and the warfare between Christian factions, or a view that the "Good Old Days" (as described in the tales and books such as Gods and Fighting Men) were better than the current plight of the Irish, began to seek a return to the native Irish beliefs.

The pre-Christian beliefs of Ireland were fairly well preserved (despite claims to the contrary by many neopagan "scholars" who seek to disenfranchise the modern Polytheistic Gaels) not only in folklore and customs, but in legends, lore and tales recorded in the 5^th, 6^th and 7^th centuries. Unlike Christianity and similar religions such as Islam, Judaism, Wicca, and other ritual-based, priest-led religions, native Gaelic belief was an integral part of the secular culture, and easily seen as surviving just below the surface in areas where the culture remained fairly intact. The process to strip away this thin veneer of Christianity and take these beliefs back to their native core began sometime shortly after the Irish Renaissance.

An integral part of the evolution of the polytheist movement was the re-establishment of the sacral kinship bonds and the social structure of the pre-Anglo Gael as found in the Fenechas (Brehon Law) and the legends. The movement to restore the entity of the Tuath (tribe) as the core socio-political entity of the Gael has been an on-again, off-again movement since shortly after the battle of Kinsale in 1601, but in its current form can be traced largely to the first half of the 20^th century in the nationalism and cultural renaissance movements. Despite these earlier roots, this aspect of the Traditionalist movement has only been fully embraced by the Polytheist branch, and has only seen active development and implementation in the last half of the 20^th and first part of the 21^st centuries.

This is partly due to the view of many of the Irish and some Diasporan Gael that there was no need for the old form of tribal government due to the existence of national governments in the lands where the Gael dwell, and partly because of a lack of certainty as to how to implement such a structure. It has only been recently, with the spread of tribal and familial identity slowly winning out over soulless nationalism, that people have begun to see that the entity of the tuath has a place in the modern world. It is important to note that the term ËGaelÓ is not the same as ËIrishÓ. Though the distinctions between the two are subject to personal interpretation and often controversial, it is important that they be made. Irish is a nationality, not a culture, and much of the modern population of Ireland do not actively speak their native language, Gaeilge, nor do they follow the clannar or tribal social structure or customs. Thus, I shall describe only the culture and social structure of the polytheist Traditionalists, referred to as Gael for brevityÇs sake from this point on.

And now on to who and what we are and what we believe today. It would probably take many many books to give a comprehensive overview of Gaelic Traditionalism, but due to constraints of space and reader sanity, I will have to condense this to the highlights. As such, do not take the following to be a definitive treatise on Gaelic Traditionalism, simply an overview of the basic elements of the polytheist branch of the movement.

To discuss the modern expression of the native Gaelic religion, it is important to understand the interconnectivity between the religious traditions and the culture. To prevent confusion for readers wholly unfamiliar with the Gaelic way of thought, however, each needs to be discussed separately to some extent. So, let us begin with the body in which those religious traditions are carried: the culture.

Gaelic culture is the basis from which all else in a Gael's beliefs are developed.

The Gael are an agrarian tribal people, belonging to family-based clans or tribes. Those of Éireannach (Irish) origins are grouped into a tuath (tuatha plural), while those of Albanach (Scottish) origins are grouped into a clann (clanna plural). Both tuatha and clanna consist of a group of people related by blood (i.e., mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles, aunts, etc.) and/or a secular/religious form of adoption called Fosterage. For brevityís sake, I will use ËtribeÓ, though it is not an entirely accurate word, to describe tuatha/clanna in general.

A Traditionalist tribe is made up of important components based around the kin-group, or Fine. This is not the typical family that your average Westerner knows (mother, father, children, maybe grandparents, etc.), but the entirety of all persons descended from a common ancestor. Imagine your grandparents, parents, kids, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins, etc. all being one huge tight-knit family clan, and you have an idea. Now, imagine them all following the same culture and religion, living communally, raising all of their kids together communally, and being a prideful, boastful, vigorous, and aggressive lot, and you have an even better idea.

The components of the tribe are the household (Teaghlach, Teaghlaigh pl., in Irish; Cagailt, Cagailtean pl., in Scottish), which is basically all family members and those they have fostered who live in one home or household, and the extended family (Dearbhfine, Dearbhfhinte pl., in Irish; Dearbhfine, Dearbhfineachan pl, in Scottish), which is generally two or more households descended from a common grandfather. In other words, Máirtín, Cristí, and their child living in house A would be one teaghlach, Breandán and Érin, and their fostered kin Róisín, Odhrán, and Cian living in house B would be another, and the two groups, descended from a common ancestor four generations back would be a dearbhfine. Two or more dearbhfhinte allied through marriage, distant family bonds, or political alliance create a tribe.

Each tribe is autonomous, even those that are members of one of the tribal confederations. They are made up of men and women of many ages, and are families, not religious circles. As such, there are tight bonds between the members, and even those fostered into a tribe rather than born into it are treated as if family. Most tribes are small. The usual number of members is between twenty and fifty, although there is no arbitrary limit or standard of numbers. At any size larger than a few hundred, however, it is commonly believed that the tribe will be unable to form the close family bond necessary to its survival, nor support itself and maintain itís autonomy.

Gaelic traditionalist tribal social structure is based around family and how one relates to that family. As such, oneís rank and status is often defined by what they provide to the tribe as a whole. This is seen in the hierarchy of occupational-related classes of persons that loosely organizes the population, with each class fulfilling a certain secular and/or religious role. This hierarchal structure is semi-feudal in some respects, but most closely resembles the hierarchy of rank and stature seen in military organizations. One rises in rank within the tribe based largely on their capabilities, merits, deeds, and leadership qualities. As they rise in rank, they gain greater privileges, as well as increased responsibilities and duties.

These ranks are generally broken down into two basic hierarchal structures, the freemen or common folk (Aithech, Aitheach pl., in Irish; Cumantach, Cumantaich pl. in Scottish), and the nobility (Uasal, Uaisle pl., in Irish; Uasal, Uaislean pl., in Scottish). Unlike the common image of pampered nobility living in palaces, the nobles of the Traditionalists are hardened people, experts in their fields and highly skilled. They have positions of power not through birth, but through skills and deeds and their dedication to and contribution to the tribe. In other words, as stated earlier, the higher in rank you go, the more social and political clout you have, but also the more duties and responsibilities you have for greater and greater numbers of people. Dispersed throughout these ranks are the various classes and ËcastesÓ of people based loosely on occupation.

Gaelic class structure has often been compared to the caste system of India. Unlike the Hindu caste system, however, the Gaelic classes are mobile and a great deal looser. Basically, if an individual can prove they have the will and the capability to fulfill the duties of another rank or class, and the tribe agrees, they are considered to be of that class. Like the military model, one has to fight hard to prove themselves to the tribe to rise in stature, but this ensures that only competent people are in the leadership positions.

Gaelic classes of persons, though the names may vary from those shown depending on tribal descent, follow a semi-feudal model. At their simplest, they are defined as the general population with general skill levels (Aithech, Aitheach pl., in Irish; Cumantach, Cumantaich pl., in Scottish), the craftsmen and artisans (Ceardaí, Ceardaithe pl., in Irish; fear [male]/bean [female]-ceàirde, fer/ban-ceàirde pl., in Scottish), the musicians and poets (File, Filí pl., in Irish; Filidh, Filidhean pl., in Scottish), the warriors (Laoch, Laochra pl., in Irish; Laoch, Laoich pl., in Scottish), the intelligencia (Nemhed, Nemhedacha pl., in Irish; Nèamhaid, Nèamhdean pl., in Scottish), and the chieftains (Rígh, Ríthe pl., in Irish; Rìgh, Rìghrean pl., in Scottish).

The intelligencia includes the Draoithe, or the ËclergyÓ. Though not priests or clergy in the classical or Christian sense, draoithe are often ordained ministers and act in roles that would often be seen by the outsider to be those of a religious functionary. However, the true place of the draoithe is that of the wise one, the learned, so to speak. In most tribes, a draoi is a teacher, scientist, seer, and/or healer. They have degrees in their fields and, for the healers, have medical training ranging from paramedic to fully licensed physician. They act as healer, intellectual, teacher, scientist, etc. as well as being a spiritual and emotional councilor. A considerable amount of education and training, roughly twelve to twenty years above and beyond the average education level of a modern professional, goes into the training of a draoi.

Likewise, the warriors of many tribes have to meet high standards. They usually break down into the non-noble warriors (Saighdiúir/Saighdiúirí in Irish, Saighdear/Saighdearan in Scottish), who are those with basic levels of training (four years of military service, or as police officers, etc. Varies by tribe), and the noble warriors (Aire/Airí in Irish, Tighearna/Tighearnan in Scottish) who are highly trained in their fields (often officers, substantial experience and education in the military arts and law enforcement, etc.) Warriors are not considered such unless they are actively employed in a field related to warring (military), protecting (police, paramedic/EMT, firefighter), and, for the warrior-nobles, employment in a high capacity of skill or income such as an officer or a ranking member of a emergency agency.

The common folk are the average folk of the tuath, the bulk of the population who work in non-specialized fields. These are the Ëaverage JoesÓ, the people who work in normal day-to-day professions such as bank tellers, clerks, cooks, drivers, farmers, etc. In general, if a personís occupation or skill is not military, trade/technology-based (craftsmen, smiths, engineers, etc.), or culturally-based (lore keepers, draoithe, etc.), then they most likely fall into this class.

An important aspect of the culture is our worldview. Traditionalists wear normal clothes, work normal jobs, and are, superficially, no different in appearance from any other Westerner. However, the difference in worldviews is substantial and critical to understanding the Gael. Among the Traditionalists, there is a strong desire to reclaim their native traditions. This takes many different forms, but generally, it means going back to the period when foreign cultural elements, or even religious elements, began to overwhelm native Gaelic ones. Working from this Iron-Age base, the cultural core is then artificially accelerated through an evolutionary process through research, practical daily living, and general trial-and-error. The end result is a culture that is a legitimate descendant of our ancestorsí, retaining all of the cultural, religious, and social elements, yet is compatible with living in the 21^st century.

This hybridization of Iron-Age and modern paradigms creates and interesting worldview. It is more enlightened than that of our ancestors, and more primal than that of modern views. Gaelic worldview is an honor-based vibrant and idealized one that is tempered with a stoic realism and pragmatism that allows them to be patient and work on a much larger scale than other cultures. The Gael are ambitious and driven, yet know that something worth doing must be done right, regardless of how long it may take. The Gael do not think in terms of "me", "mine", or "now". Rather, they think in broader terms, longer and more inclusive paradigms such as "us", "ours", and "generations".

This communal and long-term worldview is difficult to understand from an outside perspective, and often causes confusion. Gaelic worldview is not based on socialism as it might seem at first, but on community and family. The Gael do not view the world in a nationalist or imperial mindset, but a familial one. The tribe is not a country or a state so much as it is a family. This worldview is why the Traditionalist Gael have fought long and hard to reclaim their traditions, and why so many are moving back to their native beliefs.

Other cultures and religions that have been forced on the Gaels are not based around family and community in the same way as our native beliefs and culture. They are, to be frank, not Gaelic enough to be viable. Many have pointed to the rapid decline of Gaelic power after the coming of Christianity and the loss of native beliefs, and it is little wonder that Gaelic women especially, as they were the largest demographic disenfranchised by the coming of the Middle-Eastern religion, are the majority of those doing the pointing. This is why native beliefs are on the rise again.

The native beliefs of the Gaelic people are not entirely as they were 1,500 years ago, and have evolved due to influence from changes in philosophy, as well as modern scientific worldviews and the accelerated evolutionary process that took them from their stagnation over a millennia ago to what they are today. However, the cultural core is the same. Gaelic traditional belief is a spiritual and religious path founded on and intrinsically tied to the Gaelic culture itself, as the two are integrated at such a level as to be inseparable. In fact, for most, there is no separate name for the religious beliefs due to this integral nature. Now, some of you may wonder what this means, so let me put it in simple terms- Gaelic religious beliefs, like Jewish religious beliefs, are inseparable from the culture they are a part of.

The tenets of the religious beliefs include the lore, history, language, dance and other arts, values, beliefs, worldview, and customs that are found in the culture. A dance done for enjoyment can often have a sacred aspect. The act of feasting can have important sacral purpose. Even fighting and warfare has sacred elements for the Gael. Our beliefs hold that everything has secular (physical) and sacral (spiritual) aspects, from burping (which actually plays a part in a protective ritual to prevent possessions) to prayer (which for us is often frank, respectful, and to the point rather than a lot of mantras and flowery speech).

The core of our beliefs revolves around the sacredness of family, tribe or clan, honor, land, courage, warrior traditions, personal responsibility, and integrity. Gaelic traditionalists are polytheistic, meaning they believe in many gods and goddesses. Most Gael revere the Tuatha de Dannan, or the Tribe of Danu, a Gaelic pantheon of roughly 24 gods and goddesses, each a separate and distinct entity. They also practice a form of ancestor/hero worship wherein the ancestors of the tribe and the great heroes of the Celtic people are venerated not as gods, but as powerful guiding spirits. As mentioned, the Gael also believe in a spiritual aspect to the world around them, including a belief in living spirits of the land, sea, sky, etc. Most tribes will claim a particular deity or ancestral spirit as a tribal patron, and these are often venerated greatly by the tribes. The Gael have strong beliefs revolving around the land on which they live. They view the lands which they inhabit as a sacred trust to be guarded and stewarded well, and something to which they are intrinsically tied. It is widely believed that a bad chieftain will cause the land to reject the tribe, becoming barren and bringing them nothing but famine and disease. Thus, proper stewardship of their lands, often farms or ranches, is paramount.

Most of the gods of the Gael are benign or tolerant of mankind, with only a few being hostile, but none of them are viewed as ËevilÓ. This is not to say the Gael do not believe in good or evil, quite the contrary. The Gael believe in their own evil spirits and demons, usually called Púca and Fómorí respectively, and view these evil forces as their enemies and the enemies of their gods.

The core ethic of the Gael is enech (lit. ËfaceÓ), or honor. To the Gael, honor is more important than life itself, for it is the one thing that can never be taken, only given away, and something that is passed from generation to generation. Other ethics that rank nearly as high as honor are loyalty, duty, courage, family, and hospitality. The Gael follow an honor code that has often been described as similar to that of a knightís code of chivalry. This code of honor, which varies from tribe to tribe, generally includes such edicts as protecting the innocent, fighting for a righteous cause, showing no cowardice, loyalty to oneís tribe and people, honesty, etc.

Those who act dishonorably are shunned, and, depending on severity, can be stripped of all rights and status among their tribes and cast out. This act, called deoraíocht, is a fate which to the Gael is worse than death in many ways, for they are cut off from their kin, that which gives them purpose and existence. The Gael believe very strongly in personal responsibility, not just in everyday life but in a religious context as well. It is a sacred duty to maintain one's ongoing relationships with their gods and ancestors, as well as their living commitment to their kith and kin. Thus, the loss of those kin is a severe punishment.

Many, but not all, Gael believe in reincarnation. All of them believe in an afterlife to which they go when they die called Tír Na nÓg. They believe that when they die, the battle-goddess (among other things), Mórríghan, guides their souls along a spiritual journey called the Imrama nAnam through many different ËislandsÓ, or different afterlife worlds where the soul is deposited for a time to learn lessons he or she failed to learn in life, or to face punishment for misdeeds. Upon learning the needed lessons, or if the Gael lived a good, honorable life, he or she then goes to Tír Na nÓg, the Land of the Young. Those that believe in reincarnation believe that the soul can choose to return to An Domhan, or the world of the living, after a time, often within their family line.

As mentioned previously, the Gael employ such means as dance, song, art, sacrifice of valuable items, and feasting to celebrate their secular and religious ceremonies. Though there are some ritual elements to these celebrations, they are generally tailored to the specific event rather than pre-scripted mantras or formulae. When making prayer, either in group rituals or alone, a unique prayer is generally employed rather than ritual form, but a ritualized sing-song poem is used for specific parts of the four main fire festival celebrations.

Because of the Gaelic belief in the sacredness of the land, and the belief that the tribe is one with the land, many Gaels will regard all living things as sacred, and tend towards a moderate eco-consciousness. However, this does not mean that they are environmental activists, it is simply a guiding philosophy to their predominantly agrarian lifestyle. In other words, they will alter the land to build homes, grow crops, raise cattle, etc., but have a Ëdonít-crap-in-your-own-bedÓ view towards such activities. They will cut down trees when needed for material or to make way for fields, but will not waste the wood. The Gael are renowned for being masters at sustainable agricultural management, having maintained a solid balance between their agrarian lifestyle and the ecosystem of a relatively small island for millennia.

The Gaelís reverence for life does not mean they are pacifists, however, in fact, the opposite is true. As a warrior culture, the Gael are very apt to fight, and they participate in wars that they conscientiously consider to be just. Many armies throughout the world can attest to the courage and ferocity of Gaelic warriors, and it was with grim humor that an Irish soldier once remarked ËTis a sad thing that we have won every war we ever fought except out own.Ó In this day and age, most of the tribes have had a significant amount of their people, warriors and non, serve in the military of their nations of residence.

The Gael celebrate four major agricultural-based festivals, called ËFire Festivals,Ó as a means of attunement to the seasonal rhythms of Nature. These are Samhain (midway between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice), which is the traditional Gaelic New Year and a feast in celebration of their ancestors as well as the harvest; Imbolc (midway between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox), the festival of winter becoming spring, where the tribe gathers and feasts for several days, sharing winter stores to ensure no-one goes hungry; Bealtaine (midway between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice), a spring-to-summer festival celebrating the bounty of spring and the coming summer; Lughnasadh (midway between the Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox), the celebration of summer and the coming fall, where many marriages and feasts occur, and intertribal gatherings are held to make alliances and trade. In addition, each tribe often has their own holy days and celebrations.

Small to large bonfires are often used in the four fire festivals, these having various reasons depending on the specific festival. Most tribes will hold large feasts as a part of their celebrations, and there are certain dishes held as sacred. These include salmon and hazel nuts, both of which represent knowledge, and the choicest cut of meat, which is known as the Heroís Portion and is always reserved for the greatest warrior at the feast.

In general, the Gael approach religion from a reverent yet laid-back point of view. They do not get hung up on semantics or petty issues of dogma or theology, and do not feel the need to proclaim who and what they are to anyone they can get to sit still for half a second. However, they are very respectful of their gods and ancestors, even when they are praying in their typical frank manner. Nor do they take observances of their holy days or attendance at them lightly. Other than the four main festivals, religious practices are generally seen as a personal matter, and up to the individual to fulfill.

Sometimes, religious study will be used for schooling children or newly fostered adults. These are generally informal, and are often integrated into other curriculum. The Gael usually worship in their tribal groups at any festival. Individuals who are unable to do so due to separation from their tribe often choose to worship privately to mark religious occasions. These private celebrations follow certain guidelines that are the responsibility of the individual to see fulfilled, but are generally similar to the larger festivals.

There are many cultural-religious hybrid traditions, those customs, items and activities that have both secular and sacral meaning. During feasts and gatherings, many tribes bless and share a cup of mead (a drink made from fermented honey), called a Cuiache, as part of the ritual. In martial tribes, warriors do not drink of this cup, for they are forbidden to imbibe in intoxicants within 24 hours of duty. This is symbolic of the sharing of the tribe, the interconnectivity of all of the members of that tribe at a secular and spiritual level. Certain pieces of ritual jewelry such as the torc and flesc are particularly important religious symbols to some specific castes of the Gael. In addition to being symbols of religious dedication and talismans with certain spiritual aspects, these items are also a mark of that individualís status and caste within the tribe. Only warriors and chieftains wear the torc, a neck band which is usually made of bronze, silver, copper, and/or gold.

Warriors of many tribes also use an individual ritual sword called a Claomh na nAnam, which is a sacred weapon that symbolizes the warriors. These weapons, along with the torc, are highly personal and never leave the possession of the owner (unless prohibited by state or federal law, or base restrictions, in the case of the Claomh na nAnam). Warriors of many tribes will often have extensive tattooing of their bodies in a series of spirals, swirls, knots and totem animals which are done for secular and religious reasons. While these tattoos often cover from the wrists to the ankles, the hands, neck, and face are generally not tattooed until much later in life as these are generally marks of great significance that are earned through deeds. These tattoos are often done in various shades of blue, and are often what would be loosely termed as abstract in design. The reason for the tattoos varies significantly, but generally fall into the categories of: for protection, for strength, to honor an ancestor, to honor a child newly born, to venerate a deity, to show rank, or to venerate their clann or tribe as a whole.

Other commonly used ritual tools include statues or artwork representing the ancestors and the gods and goddesses of the Tuatha de Dannan. A place of ritual note is a small altar facing west (the direction of the gateway to the Otherworlds), often a mantelpiece or other hearth-based altar, that is used especially for religious purposes including ancestor veneration. All of these items are used in individual, private worship as well as in congregate rituals. Because of the intrinsic sacredness of the land to the Gael, many who are away from their tribal territories keep a small vial of soil or piece of rock from home, either in a personal shrine, or in a small bag that they keep on a thong around their necks.

Another aspect of the combined cultural and religious traditions of the Gael is their burial practices. They often bury their dead in elaborate rituals, but the ritual differs somewhat from tribe to tribe. Burial practices include the special washing of the body in water from a Holy Well, the death shirt, and the presents to the dead such as salt on the chest and others. Many tribes have wakes, funeral games, and some have the ritual of processing around the graveyard three times before entering for interment. Generally, the body of the deceased, ritual tools, materials, personal belongings of great importance, etc. from among the effects of the deceased are buried or cremated with him or her.

Burial is often done either in a Barrow, or large tomb covered with an earthen mound, or by burial in a crypt. Those who choose cremation have their remains placed in an urn and this urn is then in turn placed in a sacred place of the family. Most Gael will demand that the body be undisturbed by morticians, refusing embalming, which they view as desecration.

In closing, it is important to note some key conclusions made by a review of Gaelic native beliefs. First among these is the fact that, though the Gael may look like any other American, Canadian or Australian of European origins, they have a vastly different and utterly alien world-view and thought process. This is due to the second conclusion- that the Gaels have an unbroken cultural heritage tracing back directly to antiquity, and remember things as a people long forgotten by others. This is because, as a third conclusion, they are, in the opinion of many observers, closer to the primal root nature of man than many other cultures. This observation is made more from direct observation of their social structure and interaction than any documented science. It has been said that the Gael share similarities in social structure with a wolf-pack more than the formal nation-structures of Çcivilizedí man. Yet, this seemingly feral nature is tempered by their incredible talent as artists, poets, philosophers, musicians and tacticians. They are, as a final observation, a contradiction given form; warrior-poets following a pack-like tribal society that is held together by an intricate social and legal structure.