什麼是塞爾特宗教

古代高盧和不列顛羣島的塞爾特人之宗教信仰與儀式。塞爾特人的宗教崇拜，集中於「另一世界」（神素）與自然世界間的交互作用。他們相信在井、泉、河流及山丘中，均住有守護神，且大多是女性。在塞爾特男神中，以太陽神盧古斯（Lugus）為最重要，精通工藝。另一個重要的神是塞爾農諾斯（Cernunnos），為具鹿角的萬獸之神。在所有女神當中，以牝馬女神為最有勢力，她在各地有不同的稱呼︰在高盧稱依波那（Epona），在愛爾蘭稱瑪查（Macha），而在不列顛則稱裏安農（Rhiannon）。眾女神經常以三種外貌或三位一組的方式出現。其宗教祭司是德魯伊特，他們保持一種口傳傳統形式，未留下任何的書寫資料。常舉行的季節性禮拜儀式有兩個︰一為11月1日的亡人節；另一為5月1日的貝勒努斯神節。他們還認為某些樹木是神聖的，如櫟樹、冬青和槲寄生。塞爾特人對死後靈魂轉生也有強烈的信仰。

Celtic religion

Beliefs and practices of the ancient Celts of Gaul and the British Isles. Celtic worship centered on the interplay of the divine element with the natural world. Springs, rivers, and hills were thought to be inhabited by guardian spirits, usually female. Some gods were widely worshiped; lesser deities were associated with particular tribes or places. The most honored god was Lugus, who was skilled in all the arts. Cernunnos was lord of the animals; the goddess of mares and fertility was called Epona (Gaul), Macha (Ireland), or Rhiannon (Britain). Goddesses often came in groups of three. The priests of Celtic religion were the Druids; they maintained an oral tradition and left no writings. Seasonal festivals included samhain (November 1), which marked summer's end and served as a feast of the dead, and Beltane (May 1). Oak trees, holly, and mistletoe were considered sacred. The Celts believed in life after death as well as transmigration of souls. See also Bran, Brigit.