Cult of the Severed Head

[leshy]

The Sacred Cult of the Severed Head
John Heathcote

The Sacred Cult of the Severed Head is one of the reminders of the true history of the peoples who live in these islands. By following the slender threads of cult and tradition through the undergrowth of folklore we can begin to reveal what has been buried and supressed.

During research I was engaged in for a small antiquarian quarterly, I became aware of the Cult of the Severed Head. My assignment had taken me to the wild parts of Derbyshire, where the nights still hold the depth of darkness, unaffected by the light pollution, the sirens, the constant babble and hum of the city.

The accepted view of history in societies is written by the dominant tribe, the conquerors.

To ensure that the culture remains the servant of the power structure, rather than its engine, it becomes necessary to subsume or destroy all reminders of the previous inhabitants. The results of this process can be seen in most areas of the world where, since mankind first emerged, he has spread ever further from his points of origin in great waves. As various parts of the world became more isolated by the process of continental drift and climate change, others became melting pots of tribes and peoples always on the move. The islands of Britain were far enough from the mainland of Europe to provide sanctuary, but close enough to reach, for those willing to risk rough seas or the often treachorous coastline. Once here, new arrivals would find the islands covered by great forests; and working their way into the interior, would often be able to settle at a distance from any other inhabitants. The inevitable pressures of population growth and further waves of incomers began to merge these peoples together into tribes with distinct cultures which drew from both newly arrived, and older traditions. Philosophies developed their own explanatory and evocative rituals, and many of these have survived to the present day, despite the last thousand years of suppression, or submersion within the dominant belief system.

Within these islands there were at least two great waves of people within the mists of prehistory who predated the Celts. The people of the Mesolithic age ( or Middle Stone Age) probably arrived here from the frozen tundra of the Siberian plains. These people were responsible for the magical paintings of animal spirits, gods and rituals in cave systems deep within the Earth. Both Fire and The Bow became venerated as a sacred gifts, which ensured survival through the seasons. These people would follow the great herds of reindeer and elks, making temporary bases from which they would fan out, and hunt until the animals moved on. Although they have left us no permanent memorials or recorded histories, it was probably these people who first discovered the mysteries of music. Using the bones and hides of the animals they had killed to make drums, and the twang of the bow as the melodic precursor of the harp, they would call on the spirit of the animal to sacrifice it's kind for the good of the tribe.

As the climate became more temperate and hospitable, these hunters were followed by the Iberian tribes, travelling down from the African mainland, via Spain and Portugal. These peoples, described as Beaker People were the builders of the great stone circles, barrows and dolmens that have been regarded as sacred ever since. We shall see how the culture and beliefs of these peoples have never disappeared; and that the fruits of conquest often become poisonous on the lips of the conqueror.

The Iberian peoples never disappeared, either in this country or in the rest of Europe.The only place in mainland Europe where they have survived as an integral tribe is in the Basque country; and the language of the Basques is the only non-Indo European language. However, their identity in this country has merged into that of the people who followed them, and we can find the clearest traces of their culture, and history as a separate people within the the Celtic Mythos.

One of the earliest Celtic legends recounts the tale of the mythical hero Bendigeidfran. His name which means Bran the Blessed, or more literally The Blessed Raven, is a reminder of the importance to our ancestors of totemic names, and totems able to mediate with animal spirits. After being mortally injured in battle in Ireland, Bran commanded his men to sever his head after his death, and take it across the sea to Britain. There it was be buried beneath the White Mount in London, facing France to defend Britain from invasion. The story is first recounted in the Mabinogi of Branwen, daughter of Llyr; the original Cordelia of King Lear, Shakespeare's epic drama. Today, the White Mount is the present site of the White Tower in the Tower of London.

Whilst it remained there, the Island of the Strong Door, or Ynys Prydein as these islands were known by the Celts, would be safe. Bran's head would be protected by the Ravens of the Tower, a legend persisting to this day. However, since Bran's head was removed by Arthur for safe-keeping in the last days of his reign, it presumably now rests with the magical king, along with the Sword, the Cauldron and the Sangrael.

Here is the link for any who are interested in reading the rest of this article:

http://www.fantompowa.net/Flame/heathcote_severed.htm

[blow_fly]

Fascinating stuff... I might be mistaken, but aren't there quite a few neo-pagan cults located in the U.K that continue to carry out the old Druidic cults?