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Articles listed in this section were contributed by
members of the wider community and do not necessarily reflect the views
or opinions of House Shadow Drake.
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I saw one put a hollow reed to his lips.
It was a forlorn, sweet air that he played, an ancient forgotten strain
learned of a shepherding woman upon the hills. The Song of Songs it was
that he played: and the beating of hearts was heard, and I heard sighs,
and a voice like a distant bird-song rose and fell. "Play me a song of Death," I said. Then he who had the hollow reed at his lips smiled, and he played again the Song of Songs.
(By: Fiona MacLeod (William Sharp, 1855-1905) The Silence of Amor)
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Who We Are
House Shadow Drake is an Irish traditional
household for seekers to the elder traditions of Witchcraft. More
specifically, we are a welsh-Irish tradition with a little "w" and a
big "I."
In
the past, we have sought to provide resources of interest to the
general Pagan community. However, the website is being reformatted to
focus more on seeking and offering information and resources specific
to Irish traditions. Traditional Witchcraft by its very nature
is not open to the public. This website will only provide you with the
tools for seeking the traditions of Witchcraft. If you are truly
interested in seeking, then you will need to actually do your own
research and ask questions. We do not endorse spoon-feeding, poetic
dribble, petty games, politics, or other such wastes of time and
effort.
Please note that House Shadow Drake is a household for Seekers to the
religion of Witchcraft. Although we maintain an online presence and
contribute to the wider community, the household itself remains
private. We offer this website as a resource for Seekers. We always
invite intelligent dialogue with individuals regarding Western European
traditions, folklore, and beliefs. If you have any questions, we always
invite you to contact us.
Please make your questions specific and to the point.
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What is Witchcraft?
Witchcraft is the continuation of the native cultural
beliefs and practices of the ancient Europeans as they continued to be
passed down and followed, generation after generation, after the advent
of Christianity. Witchcraft is the name that was given to these
practices by the Catholic Church and was not the name by which those
who followed these beliefs and practices originally called their
religion. |
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Our Stance on Wicca
We believe that everyone has the right to their own
beliefs. We believe that people, regardless of their religion, should
understand their chosen religion and why they believe as they do.
Today, far too many people are ignorant of their religion and rely on
poorly documented books and authors to instruct them on what they claim
to be their beliefs. The information and questions contained in this
website will hopefully help those who truly seek to learn, to question
their own religious paradigm. The key element to ANY religion is to truly understand your beliefs. |
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A Brief Note on the Use of the Word "Celtic"
Throughout the website you will find a collection of articles on folklore, history,
stories, linguistics, and other pieces of unique and unusual information. We
have tried to use the actual term "Celtic" as little as possible.
"For 100% of the instances where the term 'Celtic' is used there is a
more appropriate cultural term that can be used."
- Draig Tiernan, House Shadow Drake, 2001.
The term "Celtic," from the Greek Keltoi was used by the Greeks to
refer to the peoples who lived beyond the Alps. This term, more or less, meant
stranger. There were many tribes who were referred to as the Keltoi, each
of which had their own unique culture and identity. These tribes were mainly
found in the areas we modernly refer to as Northern Italy, France, and
Germany. Of note, the cultures of the British Isles and Ireland - which in
contemporary thought form the heart of the Celtic culture - were still unknown to
the Greeks and therefore not held under the term Keltoi. It is only later
that archaeologists and linguists begin defining things such as the Hallstatt and
La Tene' periods and deciphering the Indo-European languages that we see an
expansion of the use of the term "Celtic" extending into non-Keltoi
cultures. Coupled with the European unification propoganda of the 1800's, the
term "Celtic" became a rallying point for all of the European countries as a
point of mutual identification.
Many times, the term "Celtic" is used by scholars as a way to generalize and
hide their lack of knowledge regarding the origin or subject of their work. By
taking the time to specifically state the culture we are able to alleviate
vagueness in our writing and expand our understanding of the topic. However, the
term "Celtic" has become quite popular and is perhaps one of the more widely
recognized terms we can use when referring to this widespread group of cultures
on a collective basis.
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Website Disclaimer
Please be aware that the information contained within this website is
not necessarily a reflection of our own private beliefs and practices. This website is
provided solely as an informational resource for those seeking information about
traditional Witchcraft. The website is written in English as that is the predominate language of communication.
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