"One of the most shocking characteristics of the Celts for Classical commentators was that they were--at least in battle--head-hunters. The warrior who decapitated his enemy had more than proof of victory: he was also possessing himself of the sacred and protective powers supposed to reside within the human head. Skulls were frequently positioned at the doors of Celtic temples to act as spiritual guardians. Gods were depicted with over-large heads, while especial importance was attached to the janiform head, because of its ability to look in both directions at once. A famous example from Roquepertuse in the south of France shows the human and the divine, the warrior and the war-god, gripped in the bill of a goose."--A passage from The Celts: Sacred Symbols. Thames & Hudson, Ltd., London: 1975; reprinted 1996.
That's Fergus above, watching over the birdstand, a horned tripod, that I cobbled together recently. "Who will go with Fergus now?" Many birds, I hope, and may the spirits of all fly freely, here and hereafter.
Today would have been my father's 77th birthday, so I'm thinking of flights of fancy, of Otherworlds and other worlds (like one in which he would still be alive, and I could tell him about new frontage roads and shortcuts). I'll toast you, Dad, with a bit of Irish, though Mom would hardly approve. Here and hereafter.
P.S. Here's a shot of my father as a young man, maybe 30 or so. It's a photo of part of my favorite photo of the man; despite the age and condition of the photo itself, his spirit is clearly visible here.
