Gaulish Polytheism & Anti-Fascism
The Dying Gaul, Capitoline Museums, Rome
Polytheism is political. Always has been, always will be.
There has been a tug-of-war between those who want to use the Gods as tools of oppression and those who see them as a path towards liberation for as long as there has been reconstructionism. The Gaulish Polytheism Revival is relatively new on the block in contrast to other reconstructionist polytheistic traditions, but we’ve learned from our fellow polytheists what to look out for to prevent any insidious appropriation of our Gods — the Deuoi. We focus some of our efforts in preventing the appropriation of Gaulish identity by French ethno-nationalists, as the French state does not represent what Gaulish identity stands for, historically or in modern context.
French leaders have frequently referred to Gaul or Gaulish people in bids of national unity or expansion. Napoleon III commissioned the statue of the Gaulish hero Vercingetorix (Ministère de la Culture), and French president François Mitterrand who declared the Gaulish Aeduian city of Bibracte as where “the first act in our history took place” (Dietler, Michael). These assertions of nationalism alongside historical assimilations of non-French languages and cultures within France’s borders throughout her history demonstrate a conformist narrative that continues to this day, such as the case was with Occitan in southern France (BBC).
“Our ancestors, the Gauls,” is a familiar quote when entering this realm, often used to garner support from France’s far-right, like French politician Nicolas Sarkozy has attempted in recent years (Reuters), as much of the territory of ancient Gaul is modern day France, but so was Switzerland, Belgium, and parts of Germany, Spain and Italy as well. The Gauls cannot be touted as the singular ancestor of the modern ethnic French; firstly, their history is rich with the combination of dozens of ancestries such as Romans, Normans, Brittonic Celts (Bretons), Nicois, Corsicans, Arabs, Italians, Spanish, and of course, the Franks, whose name was given to France. Additionally, “Gaul”, or rather “Gallia'', was an exonym given by Julius Caesar to a group of loosely related Continental Celtic and Germanic people (Caesar, Julius, and S. A. Handford). Regardless, this ignorant and outdated academia that French people are the descendants of Gauls is also the result of generations of propaganda and these associations won’t disappear overnight — especially as organizations and other entities in France continue to use Gaulish motifs while sharing their hateful views.
Despite being debunked, it is regardless part of the largest obstacle that Gaulish Polytheism has encountered as it continues to develop; non-theistic Nationalist folk who have taken “our ancestors, the Gauls” to heart and use Gaulish identity and symbolism to push hateful ideas such as European purity, in which right-wing politicians call for immigrants to “live like the French” if they wish to stay in France (Reuters). They use the names of our Gods, plaster the symbols of the ancient Gauls over messages of hate, and praise the pre-Frankish Gallia as if it was a haven for homogenization. Many of these individuals are victims of a false narrative, fed lies of immigration and of their Muslim neighbors, filling their minds with poison. But it is not our responsibility to change their thoughts; it is to protect people from that hate and combat it to ensure the sanctity of our spaces.
Mosaïque aux Svastikas, Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon-Fourvière
It’s likely because of this that the majority of Gaulish Polytheists are from North America, as European polytheists, especially Francophone speaking ones, understandably tend to become general Celtic polytheists or Gaelic pagans (despite being in the land where the Deuoi were originally worshipped). Part of this is the language accessibility, as not enough work has been done to translate resources. However, a great deal can be attributed to French polytheists being repulsed by the rampant Islamophobia and other anti-immigration policies being propagated in the French State, with French Nationalism often presented as the successor to Gaulish legacy. Their hesitance in this regard is understandable. These organizations and entities have a much larger following than our small religious movement, and therefore undoing generations of damage to the Gaulish identity will be slow work, and requires us to grow much, much larger.
Ancient Gaul was not a homogenous land. Historically, the Gauls were a proudly mixed people: one part indigenous, one part Germanic, and one part from Britain, whose population was decimated in the Roman conquest between 58 and 50 BCE. A third of Gaul was sold into slavery back in Rome and another third killed in that war for Gaul. From there, Roman settlers occupied the depopulated land and mixed with the remaining Gauls, which resulted in the syncretic Gallo-Roman culture. Later, invading Germanic tribes came in, and a similar narrative played out. In reality, they didn’t see themselves as Gauls. Gaul, or rather the Latin “Gallia”, is in fact an exonym given to a diverse group of Continental Celts and Germanics who shared a similar custom (Caesar, Julius, and S. A. Handford).
Much like how archaeologists and academics determined the ancient Gauls by their shared material culture, language, and religion, today’s Gaulish Polytheists are united and determined much the same. This is our main argument that has prevented any ethnic based ideology from taking hold, backed up by decades of archaeological and academic research. Gaulish culture spread through conquest, yes, but spread much more prolifically through trade and the mingling of people and tribes. They were people who lived and breathed a curiosity for strangers and shared with them what they had. An ancient Greek account describes how the Gauls would invite strangers to their meal and make sure they were well taken care of before asking them of their name or business (Diodorus Siculus, Book V). Regardless, when non-theistic individuals are appropriating a “Modern Gaulish'' language with strong Islamophobic values, or when a clothing company utilizes the names of our deities and the iconography of the Gauls while proudly fronting racist views, it’s harmful to Gaulish Polytheism and contradicts our message of anti-hate.
Knowing this, it’s clear that the French State is not the successor of the Gaulish legacy, as they lean into the imperial ideals that would be more appropriate to suggest as a successor to the Holy Roman Empire or another imperial medieval power. The Gauls were all about religious and cultural diversity, welcoming strangers into their homes, bitterly rejecting Roman subjugation, and living in a dualistic power structure; local and regional powers were often off-set by near equal rivals that prevented them from oppressing their subjects, else they change allegiances and lose their prestige and influence (Caesar, Julius, and S. A. Handford). This was a remarkable thing, considering this was the Iron Age, and we cannot apply the same standards as we do to ourselves. The French State does not have this kind of check on power.
Drawing from this as the religion was reconstructed and revived, it’s clear anyone can become a Gaulish Polytheist, no matter where they are from; the Senogalatis — the ancient Gauls — can become their ancestors. Learning from our ancestors, modern Gaulish Polytheism has become a religion of liberation, sharing enrichment in the differences between us, but also drawing strength from our similarities and each other. It goes without saying: it’s also strictly anti-fascist and against any form of oppression, no matter the source.
The anti-fascist stance of Gaulish Polytheism is a modern concept that comes from the foundation of the modern custom. As White Supremacist arguments are often founded on poor and outdated academia, it can be extrapolated that while White Supremacy ideas and the individuals that follow them are dangerous, they also misrepresent or don’t partake in academic research. The process of Gaulish Reconstructionism has been extremely difficult, which has typically deterred polytheists from beginning a practice. While this has made it slower to build up momentum compared to Hellenism or Heathenry, who already possessed vast amounts of readily available customs and mythology, Gaulish Polytheism was built with the intentions of total inclusivity and hospitality to match how ancient Gaulish identity functioned.
To combat unsafe individuals from entering shared spaces, community moderation has had to become a fine-tuned art form over the past few years. It’s important to strike that crucial balance between maintaining community safety and not keeping deserving members out in the cold. In the Facebook community, it’s almost too easy as the far-right and Nationalistic folk make it extremely clear in their account history. However, it can be much more difficult when encountering alternate social media accounts such as Discord. The best trick has been to simply ask if they believe Gaulish Polytheism is a closed practice and what their pronouns are. Sometimes, it’s genuine misunderstandings that might lead to someone to say that Gaulish Polytheism is closed; however, it’s easy to spot someone unfit for your community if they become combative when their pronouns are requested.
It can be firmly said that Gaulish identity does not belong to the French ethno-nationalists. The French state does not represent what Gaulish identity stands for, and we must continue to actively prevent them from utilizing it. Despite this, the future of Gaulish Polytheism is bright, with several upcoming works in the community such as Toutâ Galation’s free curriculums, online conventions, and a novel newsletter. There is always the possibility of instability or ill-intentioned individuals undermining a new tradition, but I remain positive and adamant that Gaulish Polytheists will remain true to our core values, and will continue to grow positively and strongly through these uncertain years.
If you’re intrigued and want to learn more, feel free to check out our religious, cultural, and linguistic revival at toutagalation.org.
Cunobelinus Betullicnos
Uercobretos “Chief Magistrate”
Toutâ Galation
Ministère de la Culture. “Monument de Vercingétorix.” POP : la plateforme ouverte du patrimoine, https://www.pop.culture.gouv.fr/notice/merimee/PA21000061.
Dietler, Michael. “‘Our Ancestors the Gauls’: Archaeology, Ethnic Nationalism, and the Manipulation of Celtic Identity in Modern Europe.” American Anthropologist, vol. 96, no. 3, [American Anthropological Association, Wiley], 1994, pp. 584–605, http://www.jstor.org/stable/682302. Accessed 30/10/2021.
Reuters. “'Your ancestors were Gauls,' France's Sarkozy tells migrants.” Reuters, 20, September 2016, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-election-sarkozy/your-ancestors-were-gauls-frances-sarkozy-tells-migrants-idUSKCN11Q22Y. Accessed 30/10/2021.
Caesar, Julius, and S. A. Handford. The Conquest of Gaul. Harmondsworth, Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1965.
Diodorus Siculus, and Peter Green. Diodorus Siculus, Books 11-12.37.1: Greek History 480-431 B.c., the Alternative Version. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2006. Print.
BBC The language the French forbade” BBC 11 September 2018, https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20180911-occitan-the-language-the-french-forbade
Editorial note:
Changes have been made to this text to remove mentions of other pagan religions and their associations with problematic political leanings. We did this to avoid any confusion between practitioners themselves, and individuals who appropriate and mischaracterize the religious practice. This article points at how people may damage the reputation of these religions by using it to further dubious political agendas; its purpose is not to damage the religions themselves.
Cunobelinus Bettulicnos
is a longtime devotee of Belenos and an established member of the Gaulish Polytheist Community. He is known for his work as Uercobretos of Toutâ Galation and a founder of Sepânioi Rotî, an upcoming Gallo-Brittonic Activist Warband. You can find him at his mostly inactive WordPress and Tumblr blogs, https://houndofbel.wordpress.com/ and https://houndofbel.tumblr.com/, as well as the Gaulchat Discord server.