CERNUNNOS

The powerful and archaic image of the horned God dates back to the paleolithic age. The Lor of the Animals was a nature deity and god of the Hunt. The Celts were a people whose lives were intrinsically woven with the natural worldand teh animals that surrounded them. Animal gods were especially popular. since their survival depended on teh welfare of the animals they hunted, they Stag God was particularly revered. The success of the hunt depended on his favour, as he governed not only the animals, but also humanity's relationship to nature, ,ensuring the ecological balance of preservation and harvest of the wild game.

Frightening yet fasscinating, the appearance of Cernunnos echoes the threatening yet irresistible power contained in teh primordial self. This is a reminder of the challenge we face when encountering our animal impulses. Aggression mating, and herding instincts are but a few of the traits that reside here. To repress them can create unhealthy , distored perversions, yet when uninhibted they create chaos. The body of Cernonnos symbolizes the integration and balance--part man, part beast. He retains the primordial wisdom and vitality of the beast and yet has achieved consciousness. This affords him a supernatural poewr with which he controls and protects teh animals. He is their Master, hencetorc, symbol of a chieftain, while the antlers are symbols of his maturity and vitality.

Though Cernunnos has a strong association with the stag (occasionally even riding one) he also appears with other, generally horned animals who suggest masculine strength. The Gundestup Cauldron (first century BC) depicts Cernunnos attended by the stag, ram-horned snake., bull, and boar. Since the Horned One embodies the masculine principle, he is believed to be the conThsort o fteh Goddess--Mother Earth. Their union holds the promise of fertile lands and an adequate source of game.

The potent image of the Horned God continued to hold sway over its people, despite the efforts of the new Christian church to stamp him considered blasphemous and an affront to the church. Ultimately the image of the Horned One would be condemned to represent the devil of the Christian religion. Nevertheless, the Horned Hunter has survived in folklore, art, placenames and even Shakespeare as herne the Hunter in The Merry Wives of Windsor. The enduring popularity of Pan attests to the appeal of the pastoral God. Part man, part beast, God of Shepherds and Huntsmen, the roles of Pan and Cernunnos are virtually one and the same.

Our limited understanding of the worship of the Celtic Horned God and Celtic religion in general is due in part to their practice of memorizing their religious teachings rather than committing them to writing, as this was considered sacrilege. In turing to other cultures where ancient customs are better preserved, we gain a glimpse of what it may have been like. The Chief or Shaman of the tribe appears at a sacred rite, destined to bring fertility and an adequate source of game to his people. In animal guise, washed in firelight he dances, imitating the movement and behavior of the animal. Chants and the rythm of the drums induce a trance: the human form sinks and the beauty of the animal soul rises. In such a setting the chief is transformed, possessed by his totem animal god.

Nikolas Tolstoy, in his book Quest for Merlin, points out that Myrddin (identified with the Merlin of Geoffrey of Monmouth) fulfils this role. Driven mad by his dreadful experience of the battle of Arderydd, the suffering Myrddin retreated to the isolation of the forest. There he foraged with the animals, and gained a supernatural control over their behavior. Here, Merlin was "Lord of the Animals, the Horned One."

From Ferguson, Anna-Marie. Keeper of Words. 1995 Llewellyn Publications. St. Paul, Minnesota. (90-91)