Oliviasthoughts's Blog

Beauty for Ashes: The Ancient Celts

oliviasthoughts — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:48:30 +0000

By studying the culture and history of the Celts, both ancient and traditional, one can see that the Word of Gd can indeed change one’s culture in drastic and beautiful ways.
The tribe of the Celts began somewhere around 800 – 450 BC, being the original Gauls from Wales. The Celts were an easily distinguished and ethnic group, from dress to fighting styles, which is often the reason for the resurgence of Celtics and Neo- Paganism. Sadly, these people often overlook the fact that the Celts were for much of their existence a highly Christian tribe, more orthodox than the Roman Church.
The Celts were a rich culture, from tomb to shrine to dress. Skilled in metal working, the Celts usually wore much of their jewelry as a sign of wealth and because of this, men wore more jewelry than women. Although their signature knot work was perfected later in their history, the Celts always wore their hair intricately knotted and designed jewelry and weapons in the design of the knot and whorl.
Warriors, druids, and bards were considered the noble class, often in places of leadership under the kings or chieftains of small cities or people groups. Warriors were the life of the clans because they were the protectors of the land and were often the richest members of society, due to plundering cities during their raids. In order to instill fear into their enemies in battle, Celtic warriors fought naked, painting themselves with blue woad, and liming their long hair into spikes. They also honed the skill of frightening enemies in battle by sound. The Celts would beat their shields, scream in high pitched voices, and use drums to wreak mental and emotional havoc in enemy warriors. Often, even women were warriors. Although they did not always accompany the men to battle, the women were trained in the ways of war so that they could defend their towns and children when men were away. Druids were the priests of ancient Celtic paganism whose main symbol of worship was the oak. Bards were closely related to druids, a class of refined poet musicians who accompanied war bands everywhere, and who lived with the people, singing courage into everyday life.
Christianity came to the Celtic people around the year AD 400 or 500 by missionaries, mostly under Saint Patrick. One of the main missionaries was Saint Boniface, who amazed even the fearless Celts with his bravery. While druid priests were worshipping a holy oak, Saint Boniface came and cut down the holy tree. The pagans were so amazed by his forwardness that when Boniface built a chapel using the wood their sacred tree, they became Christians and were baptized in Boniface’s chapel.
During the development of Celtic Christianity between 400 and 1200, there occurred an early medieval renaissance of Celtic art. This is the time period in which the Celtic style of crosses, knots, and intricate whorls became more apparent and refined. Also during this period of Celtic Christianization, the Celts war-mongering behavior was almost completely done away with. Formerly, the Celts traditionally pillaged cities for no apparent reason. This practice was called head- hunting, because the head was the greatest prize that a Celt could obtain from war. A man’s worth was determined by how many heads he had collected. Often, the pagan Celts would dip their most prized skull in gold and use it as a drinking cup. Christianity stopped these horrific practices. Because of these people’s backgrounds in pagan Celtic mythology, they were able to convert many Druids and people who still clung to their pagan beliefs, because they could show how the Light of Christ had improved their own lives. Celtic Christianity, as opposed to Roman Christianity was much friendlier to women in the church and in community leadership. The Book of Kells and the Ardagh Chalice are some examples of the art that has come from the Celtic Renaissance.
By the example of the Celts, we can see how only a few men can an entire culture. Only a few missionaries were able to turn around the mentality of the Celts from a culture of death to a culture of life. These men did not introduce Christianity and completely change the identity of the culture, but Christianity brought out the beauty of the Celt’s ethnicity through the Light of Christ. Christianity made the Celts a beautiful and glorious people, though often little recognized. The Celts could have been completely defeated, but when Christianity came to them, they lasted for a few hundred more years, making the Celts last for over 1000 years. This is how the Gospel of Christ can change a culture, giving beauty instead of ashes and death.

April

oliviasthoughts — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:58:54 +0000

Waking up to horns blaring
Slipping into consciousness… then staring
At flames that would take everything that I knew
Rushing, knowing the moments were few
To gather the things that I loved so dear…

Taking the day to cry
Asking G-d, “Why?”
I have learned to trust
That the things I own are but ashes and dust…
But His Love lasts forever

New challenges, new changes
Never question what Our LORD arranges
His ways are not mine
But with His plans, I am fine
Because He loves me beyond belief

I’m Coming Back!

oliviasthoughts — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:43:25 +0000

I am going to start writing again!!! Thanks to Mr. Gatlin, I’ll be writing two essays a week and hopefully they will start some discussions…

I have been pretty busy over the past few months, beginning demo on the burned house, moving, teaching second grade, starting my senior thesis…

But… I’m back!

With Both Feet off the Ground

oliviasthoughts — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:47:03 +0000

At church last week, we sang the song In Christ Alone. Little did I know that I would have to depend on the words to that song this week. Little did anyone know that one of my dear, dear friends would be in Heaven tonight.

When I first met Julie, I was two or three years old, she was sixteen, the same age that I am now. At first, I was a little scared of her, I wasn’t sure why she made the sounds that she did or why she looked so little when she was so much older than I was. Soon I learned that Julie was no one to be afraid of, she was a really cool person, with the sweetest personality of anyone that I have ever met. Even though she couldn’t talk using words, she had a language called sign language, that her mom and dad and sisters could all understand and tell me what she was saying. When I was little I remember thinking that Julie always had the coolest blankets, and that she had books about Barney and Cailliou that I wanted and that we shared in church. Over the next few weeks, I learned to love Julie with all of my heart, and that love only grew.

Over the next years, I learned about Julie’s condition more in-depth and I learned why she couldn’t talk, why she looked so little. I found out that Julie’s entire life was a miracle, because when she was born, the doctors said that she wouldn’t live past the age of two, if she could even make it to two. I was delighted to find that Julie could understand me when I talked to her, and then Miss Sheryl, Julie’s mom, would translate her sign language back to me. We had lots of Sunday morning conversations about lots of different things: how she was going to visit Dr. Brian, that she was going to the dentist soon, that she was hungry for pancakes, that Mrs. Shirey brought her a new book about Barney, or that Mr. Elmer brought her chocolate milk from his store. One of my best memories with Julie is that one week after church, I helped Miss Sheryl teach Julie how to jump. We succeeded in teaching her to bounce, but we never could get her to take both of her feet all the way off of the ground.

I also found that Julie was deeply in love with Jesus. Despite her lack of words, Julie sang on Sundays, worshipping Jesus with what voice she had, lifting her hands to praise Him. She listened intently on Sundays to the sermons, and when she wasn’t there for church, she would listen to the tape of my daddy preaching. Julie and I were even baptised on the same day.

This Sunday, we sang the song In Christ Alone. I had no idea that a few hours later, I would be tested in how I really truly believed in what the last verse of the song said.

No guilt in life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me

From life’s first cry, til final breath, Jesus commands my destiny

No power of Hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand

Til He returns, or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I stand

On Christ the solid Rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

Sunday night, only a few hours after singing this hymn, Julie was admitted to the hospital with severe double pneumonia. Today is Thursday, and Julie is with Jesus in Heaven. She can talk and dance and sing and read. I am sure that now she can jump and take both of her feet off of the ground. I have really had to come to grips with the truth that in both life’s first cry and final breath, Jesus commanded her destiny. I have wondered, why couldn’t He have healed Julie. He could have preserved her life, like He has done so many times in the past. When Julie was born, doctors told her parents that she wouldn’t live past the age of two. Miraculously, Julie lived for thirty years, and lived her life to the fullest, impacting my life, and the lives of all those with whom she had a close relationship. I know that after tonight, my life will never be the same. Going to church will be different without Julie’s sounds. Serving church dinners will be different without Julie watching Sid the Science Kid in the kitchen, or scooting herself across the floor with her blanket. Church breakfasts won’t be the same without Julie eating her cream of wheat in the kitchen. Everyone’s lives will be different without Julie in them, and we will all miss her for a very long time. But we know that Julie has gone to be in the arms of her precious Jesus, the One who loves her more than any of us could even fathom loving.

I thank Jesus so much for the influence that my precious little Julie has had on my life, and I will miss her so much. But I know that she is with Jesus, singing His praises with the saints in Heaven, jumping and leaping with both feet off the ground.

Girls Gone Wise

oliviasthoughts — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:34:27 +0000

This is a great new blog that I recently found for girls! Being a godly young lady is really hard in this pagan culture in which we live, and people need to speak out about who a Christian lady should be, dress like, act like, and give examples of other women who are living the way they are supposed to be living! This blog is great! Check it out!

www.girlsgonewise.com

Chanson de Roland

oliviasthoughts — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:10:55 +0000

The main theme of The Song of Roland is chivalry. Chivalry could be defined as “a standard of virtuous behavior that has inspired great men and women throughout the ages—causing them to long for a kinder, gentler society that abides by the conditions of genuine civilization.”¹ The Song of Roland is a chanson de geste or a song of deeds. Chansons de geste were written by itinerant jongleurs, and, although many of the facts concerning the battle were mistaken, the morals and virtues displayed by the minstrel often reflected a Christian worldview with high moral standards to accompany it.

The Song of Roland is the account of a battle between Charlemagne’s French men and the invading Saracens. One of the focal points of the poem is the differences of chivalric code between the French and Saracens, or those, whose ethnicity may differ but because of standards or allegiance, have become one of the other side. Ganelon is one of these men. Although he is a Frenchman and claims he is loyal to the crown, Ganelon exchanges his love for hate and revenge and plans with the Saracens to ambush his step-son, Roland. Had he not even asked the Saracens for their help, his chivalry was that of a pagan, heathen Muslim. Instead of handling his anger with possibly a good argument, forgiveness, or perhaps even a witty, yet kind remark to cool the situation as Roland did, Ganelon allowed his temper to get the best of him. In the end, his temper caused the death of his step-son and many Christian soldiers.

The hero, Roland, is the epitome of chivalry, a standard to whom many could look. Ganelon is shown to be the standard of evil, his heart lying in allegiance with the godforsaken Muslims. He used deceit, lying and even the murder of hundreds to satisfy his passion for revenge. Samuel Johnson said, “Nothing is ended with honor which does not conclude better than it began.”² Although Ganelon believed himself honorable for recovering his wounded pride, Roland was the one clothed in honor. One may ask however, why Roland was honorable, since he died in an ambush, disgraced and beaten down by those he believed his friends and allies. Honorable Roland displayed his chivalry by protecting his true friends and sword-brothers to the end, not raising the alarm for help so he would not places his comrades in danger.

Roland could be displayed as the example for the French, while Ganelon could be the example for the Saracens. Although Ganelon was by blood a Frenchman, he was in spirit a Saracen. As one can see from the example in the early laisses of the poem, the Saracens were full of deceit and malice. Marsilion, the king of the Muslims, and Blancandrin, his battle chief, plan to bribe and lie to Charlemagne to gain his promise of peace. A few laisses later, the Saracen’s deceit is reflected in Ganelon’s pact with them to ambush Roland.

Roland is an example of the chivalry of the French. Even though he is skeptical of the Muslim’s proposed peace treaty, he later gives in, because Marsilion claims to have converted to Christianity. In both his skepticism and acceptance, he was chivalrous. He was skeptical in protection of his people and accepted Marsilion in protection of his own soul and those of his men. He had a kingly responsibility to be an example to the men he commanded. If Roland had rejected Marsilion’s confession of faith (had it been sincere), his men would have followed him in his sin.

By the definition of chivalry, one can see that chivalrous men and women strive for a kinder, gentler society. Without love though, this is impossible. Roland showed great love, and his chivalry reflected his desire to bring about peace. John 15:13 says, “Greater love hath no one than this, than he who lays down his life for his friends.”

1Medieval Omnibus Book. Veritas Press. Introduction for the Song of Roland. George Grant. pg. 144

2Medieval Omnibus Book. Veritas Press. Introduction for the Song of Roland. George Grant. pg. 150

Ora et Labora (according to St. Benedict and the Seasons)

oliviasthoughts — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:17:08 +0000

This week in Omnibus we read The Rules of St. Benedict, a book that has existed for nearly 1400 years, and is still in use by Benedictine monks to this day. There were some things that I think a lot of Christians need to put into practice today in their everyday lives, even if they are not monks, such as time management, prayer and Scripture reading, and work ethic.

One of the things that I thought was really cool in his book was the schedule of monks according to the seasons and church year. I think that we can all learn from it. There were twelve main hours in a monks day, numbered from dawn to dusk, usually starting around seven a.m. and going to around sunset, or six p.m. In these twelve hours were seven special times set apart to worship G-d and read His Word. Because of these hours, the monks read and sang all 150 psalms in the time of one week. These twelve or so hours of their day were split up between prayer, study, and work.

Believers today can learn so much about the life of a monk by the famous, yet simple Latin phrase, “Ora et Labora”, which means, ”Pray and Work.” Prayer and work took the majority of a monks time. Prayers, songs and recitation of the Scripture we given hours, seven times a day. The rest of the time was spent in individual services to the LORD, form producing all of the monastery’s food in summer and winter, brewing beer and ale and cooking, to caring for the sick and poor and doing laundry. Manual labor for monks was essential for growth in spiritual maturity. Each of the monks believed that whatever their job was, however menial the task, was their service to G-d. Work was not, as the civilization of the time (and indeed of this time ) taught, the condition particular to slaves, but the creation mandate and universal for mankind.

However, there were some monks that Benedict describes as worse than the worst kind of monks: the gyrovagues. They spent their entire lives drifting form region to region, staying as guests in different monasteries and trying to pull the younger monks away from the real faith, to join them in persuading others to preach the real news that Jesus was coming. They tried to persuade other monks to join them, quitting their real G-d- given jobs to tell others that they should also, and warn the world of impending judgement. To true monks, and also, to true disciples of Christ, work should be our highest way of achieving holiness, by discipline and reading of the Word.

Another interesting concept that I learned from Benedict was the reasoning behind the times of the feasts in the Church year, such as Christmas and Resurrection. Do you know what happens around the twenty-first day of December? The winter solstice, in which the hours of daylight equal the hours of darkness. And what holiday comes rights after this? Christmas! The early monks and desert fathers practiced celebrating the Light of the World on this day because after the winter solstice, Light begins to take precedence and overrule the darkness. However, even after the winter solstice, and even after the days have begun to get longer, the night is still longer than the day. But, when the time to celebrate Resurrection comes, the days begin to get longer than the nights, signifying the growing and all-powerful Light of Jesus’ Resurrection power. Spring is also a time of the new life in the material world, a time when we are to remember the new Life of Jesus, after He rose form the grave.

I got so much more out of this book on my second read: the importance of strong, faithful covenant community, the presence of a spiritual “abbot”, the usefulness and humbility that comes with acountablity, the beauty of forgiveness, and of course, just G-d’s absolute wonder in His creation of nature.

The Greatest Celebration of All

oliviasthoughts — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:39:43 +0000

As we enter the second week of Advent, what is on your mind? It could be gifts, all the cookies you have to bake, people and family you have to visit. Whatever it is (and this is true for almost everyone), many forget why we are even celebrating.

In the first few centuries Anno Domini, the early church had great feasts at Christmastide (in our writing class, we are reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and the Christmas feast in King Arthur’s court lasted for fifteen whole days!). Over these days, monks sang hymns and told the stories of Him whom they were all celebrating. There were fifteen days of Christmas celebration, each with games, worshipping of the Messiah, and of course, a giant feast. But, you may think, “How could they do this without the amount of stress we have today, with much more convenience?” The early and medieval Church could have such celebrations and feasts as this because they really knew why they were celebrating. They could see the real effects on the real world of a real Savior coming, and really saving them and their terrible pagan falleness.

Because they knew of the real importance and joy of the Incarnation and coming of the Promised One, and that they knew they had a High Priest, with whom they could be intimate and touch G-d, they were able to more fully understand the happiness and joy of the celebration. They knew what kind of pagans they were like before His coming, and they filled with true, unrestrained joy at the coming of the season of His Birth. And we all know the little Scripture, ”The Joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Of course, there is nothing wrong with buying gifts, visiting family, and all those things that we do on Christmas! But if we get wrapped up (no pun intended) in the gifts and shopping, there will be no real celebration. This doesn’t mean that we should go overboard on Christmas; you want to stay alive and be able to restfully celebrate Jesus’ birth. We should make it one of the greatest celebrations in the year because it is the most important event in the history of the universe. Why not celebrate it joyfully in fellowship with family, biological and covenantal?

Think this year about what Christmas really truly means. Read the prophecies and events in the Bible leading up to the Birth of the Savior over this Advent season. Buy meaningful gifts, for the joy of giving (because the joy of giving a gift is so much better than receiving one, I think). Remember that we are not the “reason for the season”, and neither is anyone else in the world. Jesus is. So make sure to think of what Jesus did for you, and remember that as you get ready for the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas!

Pies!!!

oliviasthoughts — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:54:08 +0000

Thank you sooooo much to everybody who bought pies from me! We sold around 550 pies! We will be able to pay for the books shelves for our new library with the money we have made! Thanks to everybody who bought or gave a donation! If you would like to buy any next year, I can take you orders in advance!

oliviasthoughts — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:08:51 +0000

“I cannot live without books”

~Thomas Jefferson