"The Sacred Three
My fortress be,
Encircling me.
Come and be round
My hearth, my home."
____ Alistair MacLean, "Hebridean Altars"
The reverence for the threefold is deeply engrained in Celtic culture. This threefold conjunction is implicit within the creative process of beginning, middle and end; in the three sacred seeds of wisdommthat flash out of the cauldron of knowledge as primal sparks of inspiration; in the human family as mother, father, and child; in the apparent world as sea, land, and sky. Each of these threefolds offers an essential understanding of the nature of life itself and is recognized and revered as one of the supreme supports of the cosmos.
Ancient Celtic wisdom was encapsulated in triads, tersely gnomic renditions of precedents, proverbs, historical incidents, and knowledge that could be remembered by everyone. Triple-headed gods and threefold coteries of goddesses are also common in Celtic religion: a triplicity that is reflected in the Trinity - a concept thought by some scholars to have been developed by the Celtic St. Hilary of Tours in the fourth century.
Today the ancient respect for three has become part of our concept of luck: 'The third time's lucky,' we say. Or, if we have had two unfortunate happenings we may wonder what the third misfortune is likely to be. Three is the number that comprises creation, destruction and maintenance of life. For all these reasons, the Celts could not revere a greater or more encompassing number than three.
"What are the three sources or supports of your life - those people, things, or places without which it would have no meaning?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]
No comments:
Post a Comment