The third month of the traditional Celtic calendar
Riuros - the New King
The month of high summer, whose name derives from Gaulish rix-, 'king' (I. and W. rí, 'king'), combined with ur, 'new, fresh': the bright long days of high summer leading up to the Lughnasadh.
Riuros - from the first quarter moon: June 29 - July 28, 2009
Follow the year from Celtic 2009 a celebration of the passage of the year.
Winter deepens in Australia...
Southern Equos, 'horse',
the month of deep winter.
Follow the Southern Celtic year, whose seasons are off-set by six months to the Celtic homelands.
Teine Geimhreadh Deas
The Southern Fire Feast for Winter is held on the Eve of May
This is the South's 'soft' fire, the feast at the head of the Southern winter,
often called 'Southern Samhain' because it is the seasonal equivalent to
Shamhna, the time of prophesy,
the Fire Feast of November in the Celtic homelands.
My tidings for you: Winter has come, summer is gone.
Low the sun and short his course, sea running high,
The wild-goose has raised his wonted cry,
Cold has caught the wings of birds
Caer Australis presents an exploration and celebration of traditions born in the Heroic age and recorded for centuries since throughout the Celtic world.
We celebrate The Celtic Fire Feasts, and present an in depth investigation on the origins and workings of The Celtic Calendar, showing that the great two-fold division of the Celtic year opens at Samon in Samhradh and followed by Giammon in Geimhreadh. Follow the remarkable cultural continuity that links the sweep of northwest Europe, in which Cétemain, that is cét-Sam-sin, continued the traditional Celtic month of Samon into the Julian calendar of Ireland and names the season it heads, that is, Samrad: the summer.
From the The Southern Seasons we look at Australian perspectives of the Feasts, the Calendar and here too are links to Australian Celtic websites and cultural festivals.
We celebrate Celtic song and poetry in The Grove, and mythology and thoughts on The Gorsedd. We present an ancient history from Brennus to Boudicca in Conquest, and explore to meet King Arthur in The Arthur Project.
Today Celtic people abound all over the globe, and throughout its history, Celtic culture has expressed through its deities, myths and languages a most powerful ideal - the Celtic hero - and has met the challenges of the ages, full of tragedy mixed with unyielding hope. The modern Celtic homelands are secure and increasingly independent, the languages flourish, and a desire to know what once was is driving forward the impetus for what is yet to be.
To understand the past so that we may meet the future with knowledge and wisdom is a worthy challenge, and it is worth seeking with honesty, passion and integrity. Since 1995 Caer Australis has enjoined with others in this challenge in our celebration Celtic traditions and our reasoned analyses of some popular modern ideas. In exploring the song, myths and history of the Celts, we join those who strive to find the magic and meaning of the powerful literature of an enduring culture.
Eadar dà theine Bhealltuin! We hope you enjoy your visit!
Original written and art work and layouts © Caer Australis 1995 - 2009
The authors are John Bonsing and Scott Rhys Jones, unless otherwise stated.
Other work used with permission if possible, in public domain and referenced in any case.
Any enquiries, please use the Contact Form
Caer Australis PO Box 439 Maylands WA 6931 Australia
| Site Design by Arcturus Solutions | Last Updated June 27th, 2009 |
Connecting Celts is an Australian based forum and online community to celebrate our Celtic heritage and interests.| SAMON (~May) | "Summer" (samo-, samrad) | GIAMMON (~November) | "Winter" (gaimo-, gaimred) |
| DUMAN (~June) | "The World" (dumno -, doman) | SEMIUISONNA (~December) | "The Source" (sem+uis) |
| RIUROS (~July) | "The King" (rix, ri + úr) | EQUOS (~January) | "Horse" (ekvos, echu) |
| ANAGANTIOS (~August) | "Unwonted" (an+gant,ingantach) | ELEMBIUOS (~February) | "Nurturing" (ailim+*bivo-s) |
| OGRONNOS (~September) | "Coldness" (ogro-) | AEDRINI (~March) | "Warmth" (aedh) |
| CUTIOS (~October) | "Hidden" (cuddio) | CANTLOS (~April) | "Exhalting" (cantla, canu) |
"Grows an oak upon a steep,
The sanctuary of a fair lord;
If I speak not falsely,
Lleu will come into my lap"
- Gwydion, Mabinogi of Math ap Mathonwy
Caer Australis presents...
As adjuncts to the main Caer Australis site, where the focus is on Celtic culture, are two historical websites -
The Arthur Project, which presents an introduction to the Arthurian legends and the historical endevours to penetrate the Dark Age of Britain; an overview of the stories and Arthurian romances; and the power of the legend today.
The Arthur Project - Home
The Time & Place
Arthur Pendragon
Romances of Arthur
Historical Arthur
The Birth of Arthur
Arthurian Themes Today
On-Line Resources
References
AP Contact Form
Conquest of the Celts, which presents a comprehensively referenced and documented account of the ancient world of the Celts from the earliest of historical times. Events through four and a half centuries of are examined, the conflict with the emergent Roman Republic and later the Empire. From Brennus, through to Vercingetorix, Cunobelinus and Boudicca, this is the rich history of the Heroic Age of the Celts.
Conquest - Home
The Heroic Age
Gallic War
Vercingetorix
Cunobelinos
Britain
Boudicca
On-Line Resources
References
Conquest Contact Form
The Celtic Fire Feasts:
The Celtic Fire Feasts - Introduction
Beltaine
Lughnasa
Samhain
Oimelc
The Southern Seasons Celtic Fire Feasts
Samhain is not the Celtic New Year - Introduction
1886: Hibbert Lectures
1899: Literary History of Ireland
1903: A Social History of Ancient Ireland
1922: The Golden Bough
1934: The Greatness and Decline of the Celts
The Expedition of Dathi
Pursuit of the Giolla Dacker
The Celtic Calendar:
"Now when at intervals of thirty years the star of Cronus, which they call 'Night-watchman', enters the sign of the Bull, they, having spent a long time in preparation for the sacrifice, choose by lot a sufficient number of envoys, while those who have served the god together for thirty years return home"
- Plutarch (De Facie, AD75).
The Celtic Calendar
Introduction and 2009
The Pleiades Cycle
The Coligny Tablet
Saturn return 2002
The Celtic Calendar - 2009
Celtic Calendar 2008 complex, linking to individual months in a calendar of correspondences to Gregorian May 1, 2009 - May 19, 2010:
| Samon | Duman | Riuros | Anagantios | Ogronnos | Cutios |
| Ciallos | Giammon | Semiuisonna | Equos | Elembiuos | Aedrini | Cantlos |
The Southern Seasons Celtic Year 2009
In the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are off-set by half a year, and the southern Celtic Summer begins at the time of Samhain in the North. In this presentation, the Celtic response to the year in the Southern Hemisphere is explored.
Caer Australis is based in Perth, Western Australia. The coastline and offshore islands of the Perth area have been known to Europeans since 1619, and Rottnest Island and the Swan River named and explored in 1697 by Willem de Vlamingh. Heirisson in 1801 prepared the first detailed map of the Swan River (displayed). The Swan River Colony was established in 1829.
Featuring the works:
Featuring the works:
Featuring the works:
Featuring the works:
In 503BC, the planet Saturn appeared in Taurus marking the start of a Celtic 30 year cycle as described by Plutarch.
Caer Australis presents the hypothesis that this was the first 'Celtic Calendar Year', at the dawn of the La Tène Period.
Shown (using Cybersky) is the European dawn of May 503BC, Samon, with Saturn (and the other planets) rising with Aldebaran.
Original work and design © Caer Australis 1995 - 2009 PO Box 439 Maylands WA 6931 Australia