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The drum carvings

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tiompan T
tiompan Sep 25, 2009 19:18:39
Replying to Branwen

Branwen wrote:
tiompan wrote:
it fascinationg that these druids are arrogant enough to pretend to know what the symbols represent.
No more arrogant than anyone else having a theory as to what the symbols mean. If you look again, I didn't say their beliefs were ancient, or that they claim it to be ancient knowledge. Not a lot is really known about ancient druids. Modern druids are reconstructionists. i.e. A lot of Druid groups do scholarly research, and then make up their own minds when trying to reconstruct the past, just like anybody else.

Probably why its called "celtic reconstructionism".

My comparison was in the idea that symbols can be giving topographical information, and not just symbolic or religious in nature.

I didn't think you thought their beliefs were ancient .The arrogance is not only applicable to druids who claim to know what symbols from a hugely different culture and separated by millenia "mean" . We are on slightly firmer ground with pictish art in that it is at least representational and farly recent .

B Branwen
Branwen Sep 26, 2009 03:26:53
Replying to tiompan

I like the Paul Devereaux theories on entoptic representation. It's a theory that makes a lot of sense to me.

I still don't see why a druid is being arrogant in forming theories based on a study of the artworks. No one knows what they mean, so theories are all anyone has. What makes the druid more arrogant than a megalithic enthusiast with a theory, for instance?

I read an article recently about cup and ring mark formations being done by people ingesting stone dust, and hallucinogenic moulds growing on the stones which grew there because of libations of milk being left there. Basically saying they ground out the markings on a vision quest, ingesting the stone dust and mould mix to get high while doing so, and each questor made the marks deeper each time they visited. Didn't have an answer, or even a mention as to how the milk could sit in the marks on vertical slabs though.

No doubt there's dozens more theories on those I've yet to come across too.