Paganism in general and in Ireland and in

particular, the Festival of Lugh.

PaganismThe term pagan is from the Latin paganus, revived during the Renaissance.

Paganism is a group of indigenous and historical religious traditions.

Paganism encompasses a diverse community with some groups concentrating on specific traditions, practices or elements such as ecology, witchcraft, Celtic traditions or certain gods.Wiccans, Druids, Shamans, Sacred Ecologists, Odinists and Heathens all make up parts of the Pagan community.

In a wider sense, Paganism has also been understood to include any non Abrahamic, folk or ethnic religion. Modern ethnologists (social scientists who studies the characteristics of different people and the differences and relationships between them) often avoid referring to non-classical traditional and historical faiths as Pagan.

Contemporary or modern paganism (also known as neopaganism) is a group of new religious movements claiming to be derived from the various historical pagan beliefs of

pre-modern Europe.Contemporary Pagan religious movements are diverse, sharing no single set of beliefs;

nor do any claim to be absolutely authoritative. However, there is a great deal of overlap amongst Pagan movements and there are a number of beliefs commonly

shared by many Pagans, including pluralism, pantheism, polytheism, and a general belief that divinity is found in mind and nature.

Paganism in IrelandThere are 3 main principles in Paganism in Ireland:

- Love for and kinship with Nature. Reverence for the life force and its ever-renewing cycles of life and death.

- A positive morality, in which the individual is responsible for the discovery and development of their true nature in harmony with the outer world and community.This is often expressed as "Do what you will, as long as it harms none".

- Recognition of the Divine, which transcends gender,acknowledging both the female and male aspect of Deity.

The Festival of Lugh

Lughnasa is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season that was historically observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.

Originally it was held on 31 July – 1 August, or approximately halfway between the summer solstice and autumn equinox.

Lughnasah is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals; along with Samhain, Imbolc and Beltane.

It corresponds to other European harvest festivals, such as the Welsh Calan Awst and the English Lammas.

Lughnasah is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and is believed to have pagan origins. The festival itself is named after the god Lugh. It involved great gatherings that included religious ceremonies, ritual athletic contests (most notably the Tailteann Games), feasting, matchmaking and trading. There were also visits to holy wells. Much of this would have taken place on top of hills and mountains.Lughnasah customs persisted widely until the 20th century, with the event being variously named 'Garland Sunday', 'Bilberry Sunday', 'Mountain Sunday' and 'Crom Dubh Sunday'. The custom of climbing hills and mountains at Lughnasah has survived in some areas, although it has been re-cast as a Christian pilgrimage. The best known is the 'Reek Sunday' pilgrimage to the top of Croagh Patrick on the last Sunday in July.

An altar depicting a

three-faced god identified as

Lugh

In Irish mythology, the Lughnasah festival is said to have been begun by the god Lugh as a funeral feast and athletic competition in commemoration of his mother Tailtiu. She was said to have died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland for agriculture.

People climbing Croagh Patrick on "Reek Sunday". It is believed that climbing hills and mountains was a big part of the festival since ancient times.