The Witch's and Druids Den

Awen Inspired, Pagan Mysticism

The Directions

The direction one should face during a Gaulish rite is a subject that requires a mix of academic, literary, archaeological, and comparative Indo-European studies, as there are no direct instructions from Gaulish sources about orientation. However, through a synthesis of available evidence, we can explore possible alignments and their significance.

Gaulish rituals were often tied to specific locations, like natural groves, rivers, mountains, and sacred enclosures. Archaeological evidence from Gaulish sanctuaries and other Celtic sites gives us clues about how space was organized for ritual purposes, and this organization often reflects cosmic or divine alignment. Ritual pits and there alignments in sanctuaries like those of Gournay-sur-Aronde and Ribemont-sur-Ancre often featured sacred enclosures where offerings were placed in pits, ditches, or specific locations oriented around a central axis (Brunaux, 1988). The axis mundi (center) in these sacred spaces symbolizes the connection between the heavens, earth, and the underworld, an essential concept in many Indo-European traditions. Excavations at Gaulish sanctuaries show carefully planned spaces, often with central altars or pits that were aligned with certain natural features, such as rivers, forests, or hills. These may reflect directional symbolism in terms of cosmic order, with offerings or sacrifices directed toward certain points in the landscape. Some evidence from the sites at Gournay-sur-Aronde and Ribemont-sur-Ancre shows orientations that may align with celestial cycles or significant natural features (Brunaux, 1988). The importance of the center and cardinal directions can be inferred from these archaeological findings.

In many Indo-European cultures, orientation during rituals was symbolic, reflecting cosmic order and the divine realms. While there is no surviving Gaulish text specifying which direction to face, we can look at other Indo-European cultures, such as the Romans, Greeks, and Vedic Hindus, as well as later Celtic traditions, for guidance. In Roman rites, practitioners often faced east, toward the rising sun, as it symbolized new beginnings, illumination, and divine presence (Gell, 1846). This is relevant since the Gauls were neighbors of the Romans and shared certain religious features. The Greeks, like the Romans, often faced east during prayers and sacrifices, as the sunrise was considered a favorable time for communication with the gods (Parker, 2005).
In Vedic rituals, east was also considered the direction of the gods, associated with light and the sky, and the performer of the ritual often faced the east, with offerings directed toward it (Stall, 1996). In Irish and Welsh traditions, which preserve some echoes of older Celtic religious practices, there is emphasis on natural alignments (e.g., east toward sunrise during key festivals like Beltane). Sacred enclosures in these cultures often faced toward the east or other significant cosmological directions (MacCulloch, 1911).

A Hypothesis Based on Samos and Giamos

In the absence of Gaulish directions, we can infer their importance through the dualism of Samos (light, order, summer) and Giamos (darkness, chaos, winter), key concepts in Gaulish cosmology as seen in the Coligny Calendar with its duality with seasonal cycles and its potential influence on ritual directionality may hint at the orientation of rites in relation to the cosmic cycle. If some rituals were tied to the seasons, it’s possible that Samos-facing rituals (east) occurred during the light half of the year, while Giamos-facing rituals (west) were performed in the dark half (Olmsted 1992). This duality could suggests that the east and west would have been significant in the orientation of rites.

  • East (Samos): The east would be associated with Samos, representing light, order, and the divine realm. Facing east could symbolize calling upon the gods of light, new beginnings, and celestial forces (Lambert, 1994).
  • West (Giamos): The west, associated with Giamos, symbolizes darkness, chaos, and the Otherworld. It may have been the direction to face during funerary rites, reflecting the transition into the unknown and the afterlife (Green, 1989).

This duality could have influenced whether one faced east for life-affirming rituals (celebrating births, victories, harvests) and west for rites of passage (funerals, initiations, or transitions into the Otherworld).

Based on the above insights, here’s a possible structure for the directionality in a contemporary Gaulish Paganism.

East (Are, Samos)

  • Symbolism: The rising sun, light, order, celestial gods.
  • Rituals: Opening of rites, invocations of life, blessings, new beginnings, harvest celebrations, and rituals connected to growth or enlightenment.
  • Archetype: Facing east could invoke Taranos, the thunder god, or Lugus, the god of light and skill.

West (Eri, Giamos)

  • Symbolism: Darkness, chaos, the Otherworld.
  • Rituals: Funerals, transitions, divination, and connection with the ancestors or Otherworld deities like Carnonos.
  • Archetype: Facing west could be suitable for rituals connected to Carnonos, the lord of the liminal space, or other chthonic deities.

South (Dexsiuos)

  • Symbolism: Warmth, prosperity, good omens, vitality.
  • Rituals: Celebrations of vitality, fertility, and prosperity; petitions for good fortune.
  • Archetype: Rituals invoking deities of growth or prosperity, such as Rosmerta, goddess of abundance.

North (Tutos)

  • Symbolism: Cold, darkness, danger, the untamed.
  • Rituals: Protection rituals, banishment of negative forces, offerings to wild and powerful forces of nature.
  • Archetype: Rituals might invoke deities associated with protection and war, such as Camulos or Sucellos .

Center (Medios)

  • Symbolism: Balance, cosmic order, the intersection of realms.
  • Rituals: Central rites of balance, offerings to preserve cosmic harmony, the invocation of all directional forces.
  • Archetype: The center represents the unification of forces and might be the place of special focus in the ritual for invoking the Three Realms.

In constructing the direction to face during a Gaulish rite, the east is a strong candidate for rituals that honor the divine and cosmic order, while the west may be appropriate for rites connected to the Otherworld or the deceased. Using comparative Indo-European studies and archaeological evidence, we can suggest that the Gauls might have oriented themselves based on cosmic principles, seasonal cycles, natural landscapes, and their deep connection to the natural and divine worlds.

Sources

Brunaux, Jean-Louis. The Celtic Gauls: Gods, Rites, and Sanctuaries (1988).
Gell, William. The Topography of Rome (1846).
Parker, Robert. Polytheism and Society at Athens. Oxford University Press, 2005.
Green, Miranda. Symbol and Image in Celtic Religious Art (1989).
Lambert, Pierre-Yves. La langue gauloise (1994).
MacCulloch, J.A. The Religion of the Ancient Celts (1911).
Olmsted, Garrett S. The Coligny Calendar: A Reconstruction of the Lunisolar Calendar of the Ancient Gauls (1992).
Staal, Frits. Rituals and Mantras: Rules Without Meaning (1996).