Celts and human sacrifice
The Celts practiced human sacrifice on a limited scale as part of their religious rituals[?]. The evidence for this is as follows:
- Writings by Romans and Greeks (usually with a point to make) and often at second hand or hearsay
- Irish medieval texts
- Archaeological data
The most reliable evidence is certainly the lattermost. The Lindow man is the best example: a human sacrifice from the 1st or 2nd century CE, preserved in a peat bog in near perfect condition. The evidence for sacrifice is fairly incontrovertible: he was throttled, clubbed around the head and had his throat slit. This dovetails with the three-fold death detailed in medieval texts.
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On her right hand there marched a male deity, who bore several
his name was Wit. The approach of these two enemies filled all the
that the go/goddess.html">goddess.html">goddess of those regions appeared in person upon her
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forces into a body, with a design to stand upon their guard as
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hearts of fire, and women that had breasts of snow. It would be
composed this great army, which immediately fell asunder, and
behind the banners of Truth, and the others behind those of
some paces before the front of the army; but as the dazzling light
insensibly; insomuch that in a little space she looked rather like a
Truth approached still nearer to her, she fell away entirely, and
not remain the least trace or impression of her figure in the place
stars go out one after another, till the whole hemisphere is
the goddess herself, but of the whole army that attended her, which
proportion as the goddess disappeared. At the same time the whole
beasts to the woods, the fountains recovered their murmurs, the
scents, and the whole face of nature its true and genuine
it were, awakened out of a dream, when I saw this region of
disturbed my imagination, I took a full survey of the persons of Wit
without seeing the other at the same time. There was behind them a
.
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