#gaulic

"The Taking of the Temple at Delphi by the Gauls"

This is Nico - I was helping Aiden look for different mythical creatures, because all we could remember at a glance was dragons & Aiden wanted to know more kinds than that, &...we found a creature we’d never heard of before.

Most people have heard of a chimera (a mythological creature made up of body parts of other animals). This creature, an enfield, is a subtype of chimera.

I originally got interested because we thought the enfield was super duper cute, so I’m gonna share some cute photos/art & then I’ll talk about what it is, its origins, & what it does (its mythical purpose).

So this cute lil baby is Celtic in origin, specifically Irish Celtic. Legends detail it being seen in both England and Ireland.

It’s not firm whether this sub-chimera is a mix of fox (head & chest), eagle (talons & wings), & wolf (hind legs & tail), or a mix of fox (head), greyhound dog (chest), eagle (talons & wings), lion (back legs), & wolf (tail). (Basically, some myths add lion & greyhound to the mix, while others don’t.)

Enfields are known to be fierce, smart, loyal, cunning, courageous, very loyal, careful, & persistent. ((“It was reputed to possess the subtlety & cunning of foxes, the magnanimity & fortitude, with the honour, labour, industry, & diligence, in great manners, of the eagle, and the fierceness of the wolf. It’s also possible this creature was an excellent hunter. The animals it was inspired by are all good hunters (fox, greyhound, eagle, lion, & wolf).”))

‘In Celtic tales, Enfields had the role of being the guardian of the leaders/chieftains fallen in battle. The Celts believed their enemies would try their best to steal the bodies of the chieftains and, to put it into milder words, disgrace them. This meant (in Celtic culture) that the dead would be cursed to never find peace in the afterlife unless properly avenged. The want for a guardian of their fallen, made the Celts conjure forward the Enfield, a fierce defender to protect the lifeless body of their chieftains, remaining by the dead man’s side and protecting the body from anyone with ill intent.’

To simplify, the job/purpose of an enfield is to protect the dead from being disgraced/cursed, so that fallen Celtic chieftains would be able to have a peaceful afterlife. They satisfied a human need for safety & protection, even in the afterlife.

Most myths & legends came to be to interpret nature’s strength, the divine, & the unexplained; enfields came to be to satisfy/fulfill the want/need humans have for security & protection.

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I don’t exactly have a point to this. I just wanted to share because they’re not very well-known & I think they’re cool & adorable.

Vercingetorix throws down his arms at the feet of Julius Caesar

Vercingetorix

Vercingetorix (82 BC - 46 BC)