Northern Europe

Geography Activity

The Celtic Nations

Alba Cymru Kernow Mannin Galicia Briezh Eire

Scotland Wales Cornwall Isle of Man Spain Brittany Ireland

Rivers & Oceans      Mountains        Others

Atlantic Ocean     Ben Nevis           Scotland           

Boyne Valley

Thames River   East Highlands     Wales               

Barrow River Stonehenge

Trent River        West Highlands      Cornwall           

Brecon Beacons   Newgrange

Severn River        Snowdonia          Isle of Man

Lee River     Wicklow Mountains

Shannon River       Iberian Peninsula    

Loire River          Mournes Mountains Brittany

            Ireland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg-F6QHkwyk

Cornwall

Wales

Scotland

Isle of Man

Brittany

Topography

Stonehenge

• Built between 3100 and 1550 BC, Stonehenge is located on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England.

• Stonehenge's axis is pointed in the direction of the sunrise at the summer and winter solstices.

• Site used for Celtic Solstic Rituals • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4IF6LaC0eQ

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UXLWXepk1U

Druid Stonehenge Site

Ben Nevis

Snowdon: The welsh name Eryri means 'place of the eagles'

Carlin, known as the Queen of the Cailleach lives at Ben Nevis the highest mountain range in the united kingdom. She is known to have created the landscape and control the weather.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfeIbUaHNfs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE3PumAfOYo

• Thames River The river's name is derived from the Celtic Temese and Tamesis or Tamesa - meaning "Dark one".

• The river Thames has its own diety, Old Father Thames, who appears as a bearded man with healing powers.

• A confluence of three rivers, where the Tyburn enters the Thames from the north and the Effra from the south, and the tidal turning point would have made this a sacred area for Celtic tribes.

• In 1998 the Thames Archaeological survey found the remains of a huge oak bridge built 3500 years ago were votive offerings of valuable goods to appease the spirits of the river were unearthed

• The Celts saw rivers as the life giving forces of health, and plenty, and offered them rich gifts and sacrifices. At one time rivers were thought of as deities with powers to cure illness (south-running rivers)

Topography

Boyne

• The Boyne Valley is the believed resting place of The Dagda, Father of the Gods

• In Boyne Valley are Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, centers of Celtic activity and rituals

• Newgrange’s chamber and passages are illuminated during winter solstice

• It was the Winter Solstice that was believed to be the time both of death and rebirth, in Celtic Tradition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbKkwCx5zyM

• the spiral was used to represent the sun

• A loosely wound anti-clockwise spiral represented the large summer sun.

• A tightly wound, clockwise spiral represented their shrinking winter sun.

• A double spiral is used to represent the equinoxes, when day and night are of equal lengthNewgrange Entry Stone

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGe-txewrJo

• On the banks of the Shannon Rover, stands the ruin of one of the largest ancient Celtic monuments a place of learning and pilgrimage.

• According to Celtic legend, Rowan trees once dropped their bright red berries into a sparkling well full of salmon.

• Fish that ate the fruit grew red spots and great wisdom, and men labored to catch and eat these "fish of knowledge.“

• Women were barred from catching the salmon. • A brave rebel name Sionan caught and ate one of

the wise fish. The next moment, a great flood burst from the well forever carrying her westward to the sea. This is now the longest river in the land.

Topography

Home of the goddess of fertility Brigene (sp)

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMA7k_-jLSU