Highlights, Quotes, & Marginalia
“It is said that during their training, the Druids learn by heart a great many verses, so many that some people spend 20 years studying the doctrine. The do not think it right to commit their teachings to writing. I suppose this practice began originally for two reasons: they did not want their doctrines to be accessible to the ordinary people, and they did not want their pupils to rely on the written word and so neglect to train their memories.”
–Julius Caesar, De Bello Gallico 6.14
An interesting statement about memory and cultural traditions.
Added on Monday, January 1, 2018 night
There is something about committing mythic–or any other–stories to physical form that changes them, because such an act codifies them, freezes-frames them and renders them less organic.
Added on Monday, January 1, 2018 night
… the San of southern Africa and the Aboriginal peoples of Australia to name just two, chose and still choose to commit their myths to rock-art. Change still occurs, for it is possible to paint over previous art and to add picture-panels.
Added on Monday, January 1, 2018 night
Shape-shifters are common protagonists in Celtic myths.
Added on Monday, January 1, 2018 night
Another striking custom in the Welsh stories in the way that tenses change, in order to enhance dramatic effect.
Added on Monday, January 1, 2018 night
For it usually does happen that if people have the help of written documents, they do not pay as much attention to learning by heart, and so let their memories become less efficient.
Another snippet on memory
Added on Monday, January 1, 2018 night
 Late Iron Age bronze figurine of a man holding an egg-like object, perhaps a Druid’s egg, an opject used in prophecy, from Neuvy-en-Suillias, in France.
Or an early rugby ball?
Added on Monday, January 1, 2018 night
Indeed, it was not until the 17th century, under the relentless onslaught of the English government against the old Irish order and the filidh [teachers, kingly advisers, poets, satirists, and keepers of tradition] disappeared.
Added on Monday, January 1, 2018 night
The Welsh and Irish stories are very different from each other both in content and in timbre. […] It is highly likely that storytellers travelled freely between the courts of Ireland and Wales, and the sharing of storylines between the two countries is not hard to explain.
Added on Monday, January 1, 2018 night
Guide to highlight colors
Yellow–general highlights and highlights which don’t fit under another category below
Orange–Vocabulary word; interesting and/or rare word
Green–Reference to read
Blue–Interesting Quote
Gray–Typography Problem
Red–Example to work through
