The Nebra Sky Disc-Unetice Culture Part 1

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nebra_disc_1.jpg  

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Nebra_disc_1.jpg 

Frank Vincentz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

[[File:Nebra disc 1.jpg|thumb|512px|alt=Nebra Sky Disk|Nebra Sky Disk. Photo by Frank Vincentz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]]

The Nebra Sky Disc or to give it its German name, die Himmelscheibe von Nebra was discovered by two treasure hunters, equipped with a metal detector in 1999 near the town of Nebra in Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt) in Germany. Although their actions were judged to be illegal we must be grateful for their discovery which unearthed some incredible finds. The discovery came to light in 2002 due to a police operation when the treasure had for the second time been placed on the black market. The find led qualified state archaeologists to start their own dig. It is unfortunate that the treasure hunters damaged part of the disc with a spade and destroyed parts of the site. The find was part of a prehistoric site, enclosing an 827ft high  hill called the Mittelberg. Also unearthed at the site were the remains of two bronze axes, two bronze swords a bronze chisel and fragments of bronze armbands.

 Radiocarbon dating of the sword hilts gives a date of 1600-1560 BCE for the hoard. Likewise, an analysis of the corrosion and metal radioactivity on the disc support this date range. X-ray fluorescence indicates that the copper in the bronze originated from Bischofshofen in Austria; the tin and gold originated from Cornwall. This demonstrates that there were extensive trade links between this area of Germany with Austria and England over 3,500 years ago.

The disc measures approximately 32cm in diameter and weighs 4.9lb. The blue-green patina on the bronze disc is thought to have been created by the smearing of rotten eggs. The colour represents the night-sky and helps to contrast with the gold symbols on the surface of the disc. The symbols contained on the disc include a depiction of the sun, a lunar crescent, stars and two arcs (there were originally three). The stars which are symbolised by 32 gold dots include a cluster of seven stars which are believed to represent the Pleiades. The gold used to make the arcs appears to come from a different source and these symbols are considered to be a later addition.

Around the edge of the disc were originally 38 to 40 holes punched. Researcher, Howard Crowhurst speculates in his book, The Nebra Sky Disc. Cycles in the Cosmos (second edition, 2023) that the actual number is 39. Scientists cannot say with any certainty whether the number is 38, 39 or 40 due to some damage to the edge of the disc. Mr Crowhurst advances several reasons as to why he believes the number to be 39, based on his knowledge of geometry and archaeoastronomy, citing examples from the Mayan calendar and the cycles of the Moon, Mars and Venus as well as the human gestation period. I recommend that my readers purchase a copy of his book. It contains only 76 pages but it is vital reading if you are interested in finding out about the disc. Be aware that it contains a lot of geometry which I found quite difficult to follow: several readings of the book would be necessary for most people to fully understand and consolidate all the information.

Originally, there were two arcs on the left and right sides of the disc but only the right side one has survived. The two arcs have an angle span of 82 deg which show the angle between the positions of the two solstices from the line of latitude of the Mittelberg. This demonstrates to me that the disc was an integral part of the archaeological culture of that area for it has been clearly calibrated for this specific region. 

Mr Crowhurst speculates that the 39 3mm diameter punched holes on the edge of the disc were intended for the insertion of small pegs for the purpose of keeping track of the cycles, making this disc a very practical tool for calculating and synchronising the solar and lunar calendars. In other words, this is a portable version of the likes of megalithic structures such as Stonehenge and Carnac. The science appears to be the same. This is surely evidence for a professional priesthood in the early European Bronze Age?

The god arc at the bottom of the disc is more problematic when it comes to interpreting its symbolism and practical function. Like the other two arcs it is known that this was a later addition to the ensemble of symbols. One rule of thought is that the arc represents the solar boat which is a feature of Indo-European mythology and symbolism found in Latvian, Greek and Hindu mythology and on many Scandinavian petroglyphs (see Chariot of the Sun and Other Rites and Symbols of the Northern Bronze Age by Peter Gelling and Hilda Ellis Davidson, 1969). The archaeologist, Mary Cahill (2015) draws a link between solar boat symbolism and the gold lunulae of the Bell Beaker culture. The subject of solar boat symbolism deserves an article specifically devoted to it which I intend to pen in the not too distant future.

The Nebra site is 25 miles northeast from the Goseck neolithic circle (also in Sachsen-Anhalt) which dates back to 4900BCE. I will discuss this circle in a future article. The disc is part of the Aunjetitz or Unetice culture which is of particular interest to me personally, being genetically related to three burials from this culture at Leubingen, Thueringen (Thuringia) from 1950BCE, two male and one female. Again, I may discuss these burials in a future article.

Hagalaz and the Chaos of this Age

 My inspiration for writing this article stems from my meditation on the Hagalaz rune of the Elder or Common Germanic FUTHARK, a rune that held a great deal of personal significance for me in the late 1990s. This rune also appears in the Anglo-Saxon or Anglo-Frisian FUTHORC as Haegl and in the Younger FUTHARK as Hagall. Guido von List included this rune in his own Armanen FUTHARKH as Hagal.

The shape of the rune stave differs significantly across the aforementioned rune rows. The Elder and Anglo-Saxon versions resemble a letter H and have that letter as the initial sound in the rune name. The latter version features a double rather than a single-barred cross bar. The Younger and Armanen versions, however resemble the Iar rune stave of the Anglo-Saxon FUTHARK. It should be noted that Hagalaz or more accurately *Hagalaz is a reconstructed Proto-Germanic term in contrast to Haegl and Hagall.

The general accepted meaning of Hagalaz in all three rune poems is hail which symbolises destruction, chaos and change. Usually this destruction is swift and devastating. This interpretation can be seen very clearly in the various rune poems:

Old English Rune Poem

Hail is the whitest of grain; it is whirled from the vault of heaven and is tossed about by gusts of wind and then it melts into water.

Norwegian Rune Poem

Hail is the coldest of grain; Christ created the world the world of old.

Icelandic Rune Poem

Hail = cold grain and shower of sleet and sickness of serpents.

Swedish Rune Poem

Hail best in home.

 I believe that the rune or runic influence which governs this age is Hagalaz. The last vestiges of the old word order are now perishing, a process which began in the Industrial Reveolution and gained pace in the aftermath of WWI and WWII. Here in recent years in the United Kingdom we have witnessed huge, rather than gradual swings of support between the two main parliamentary parties, the Labour and Conservative parties, and now we are witnessing the emergence of a third political force in the form of political populism with the Reform UK Ltd company!

 Unfortunately, events have shown that the electorate, specifically in England, lack a general education in politics and are unable to understand the rudiments of how the United Kingdom is governed and the different functions of the various organs of state. The primary consequence of this general ignorance is the easy manipulation of the vast majority of voters, most of whom would not have been qualified to vote until the 19th century. To extend the electoral franchise to all and sundry is based upon the erroneous assumption that all men (and women) are of a minimum level of intelligence and education, which is clearly not the case. Mother Nature does not recognise the concept of 'equality' or the 'brotherhood of man': these are modern liberal man-made concepts which are not based in reality.

In the 18th century the franchise was only applicable to men who owned land worth a minimum of 40 shillings. All this changed in 1832 with the passing of the Representation of the People Act which extended the franchise to any man who paid an annual rental of £10 or more. The 1867 Representation of the People Act extended the franchise to men over the age of 21 who lived in the urban towns and cities provided that they met the property requirements. The impetus behind this act was to appease the growing demands for political representation by the urban working class. More single member borough seats were created in urban centres, allowing more men to vote, not just residents in rural areas. These new seats were Darlington, Stockton and Hartlepool in County Durham, Middlebrough in the North Riding, Dewsbury in the West Riding, Burnley in Lancashire, Wednesbury in Staffordshire, Stalybridge in Cheshire and Gravesend in Kent. The 1884 Representation of the People Act extended the franchise further as well as introducing other changes. Employees who were not tenants but lived in property provided to them for their sole use by their employers could now vote also.

The Industrial Revolution had created new urban areas which people flocked to from the rural towns and villages for work, consequently placing a huge demand for accommadation which was quickly built to a poor standard. These new populations were cut off from their organic rural roots and so crime, poor health and living standards and degenerate living ensued. A people divorced from their roots become aimless, atomised cogs in a wheel with no sense of identity. The origins of today's society has its beginnings in the Industrial Revolution which has done more harm than good for the broad masses of people.  

The horrors of WWI placed further demands upon the establishment to extend the franchise even further. Parliament, terrified by the prospect of revolution spreading to the United Kingdom, and having seen the downfall of the German, Austro-Hungarian and Russian royal dynasties, introduced the 1918 Representation of the People Act which extended the franchise to ALL men over the age of 21, regardless of whether they owned or rented property or land, and to woman over the age of 30 who resided in property with a rental value of at least £5. Voting in local government elections was also granted to women over the age of 30 on the same grounds as men. Finally, in 1928 the Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act extended the franchise to all men and women over the age of 21 and there were no minimum property qualifications. The Representation of the People Act, 1969 lowered the voting age to just 18. In summer of this year, the government announced its intention to reduce the voting age even further to a mere 16. Between 2013 and 2015 the voting age in Scotland was reduced to age 16 for various types of elections but obviously not for the general election as this covers the entire United Kingdom and the voting age remains at 18 for the time being for this type of election.

There has been a general presumption, frequently stated, that political literacy has greatly increased over the last 100 years or so due to mass compulsory education but I beg to differ. In my encounters with the general public I have found very little political literacy but a great deal of ignorance, both of a political and non-political kind. It is of course very easy to blame the educational system but in reality it is the quality of the human raw material which is to blame. In my 65 years I have found that the great mass of the native English population seem lacking somehow. The cause of this, in my opinion, is to be found in the Norman Conquest of 1066 when England's elite were exterminated (with a few exceptions) and the English population were bred for serfdom, a state of affairs which has continued until the aftermath of WWII and the emergence of the counter-culture of the late 1960s and early 1970s. From this point onwards a significant part of the educated population began to wake up to the horrors of war and the evils of capitalism.

Over the last couple of years, due to the ongoing war between the Ukraine (the 'west's' proxy) and the Russian Federation, the subject of conscription has periodically reared its ugly head. The establishment has from time to time tested the barometer of public opinion by the leaking of information and careless remarks made by generals and intelligence service chiefs (both of whom should in theory and practice be politically impartial) and then subsequently denied by ministers when the barometer readings do not meet with their jingoistic expectations. The days when young men could be expected to risk life and limb for the military-industrial complex without complaint and resistance are over. 

Since the summer of 2024, the United Kingdom, most especially England has witnessed mass demonstrations and even riots in protest against illegal and mass immigration. Ordinary people, frustrated by the establishment's refusal to listen to, acknowledge and act upon their legitimate concerns and fears have turned to extra-parliamentary means to vent their anger. Unfortunately, these people lack legitimate and respectable spokesmen and leaders. Many people are using various forms of social media to voice their frustrations but more often than not their comments are inarticulate and uneducated, descending into what is in reality 'hate speech'. Inciting others to commit acts of violence and to engage in treasonous acts (violent removal of government, military coups and political assassinations) are both illegal and reprehensible, and such people rightly deserve to be punished.

The discontented masses know what they are against but not what they are for; they have no concrete goals and lack any kind of ideology beyond hate. Such a directionless and leaderless body of angry people will accomplish nothing except play into the hands of the establishment who will simply double down on their efforts to silence and criminalise dissent. The pitchfork-wielding insensate mob is a danger to the good and the bad, and  most of all to themselves. Destruction and chaos are the end result of their efforts. They are the very epitome of the actions and meaning of Hagalaz.

Ultimately, out of chaos and disorder a new order of being has its birth but all I can see at the moment is the destructive elemental force of Hagalaz, not a new beginning.

  

Brigantia, the Tutelary Deity of the Brigantes

 As many of my readers will be aware, the tribe known as the Brigantes was a major Britonnic tribal confederation located in the northern part of England, between the rivers Tyne and Humber, which corresponds to the ancient Anglian kingdom of Northumbria. The Brigantes were also resident in Ireland in the modern counties of Wexford, Waterford and Kilkenny, and on the continent in the Alps. Their capital in England was named Isurium Brigantum (modern day Aldborough, near Boroughbridge in the old West Riding part of present day 'North Yorkshire'). Isurium is taken from the Latin name for the River Ure, the Iseur.

The Devil's Arrows standing stones are located on the outskirts of Boroughbridge. This is one of the many places I lived at with my parents as a boy but my birth town is Darlington, County Durham, which is on the Durham bank of the river Tees, a border town between Durham and Yorkshire. As an aside, I have genetic evidence of being descended from the Brigantes and I have always had a strong affinity with the Devil's Arrows stones.

The name Brigantes shares the same Proto-Celtic root as the goddess, known as Brigantia, meaning 'high, elevated'. This may refer to physical human height, topographical height or metaphorical height. The Germanic Burgundi share a related term and both probably relate back to the Proto-Indo-European *bhergh.

Famously or infamously, the Brigantes were known to be allies of Rome. The defeated anti-Roman resistance leader, Caratacus, the chieftain of the Catuvellauni tribe, was betrayed to the Romans by Cartimandua, the queen of the Brigantes in 51 CE. This heinous act of betrayal strengthened her influence with the Romans. Her degenerate moral character was further demonstrated by the divorcing of her rightful husband, Venutius and her taking of his armour bearer, Vellocatus to be her consort. Despite attempts by Venutius in waging war against her, the Romans defended their client queen with military support, keeping her in power.

It is not known whether the goddess Brigantia was named after the Brigantes, or the Brigantes named after Brigantia. There is evidence for the cult of Brigantia in Gaul, Britain and possibly in Ireland (Brigid). The Romans identified Brigantia with their own goddess, Minerva, who was likewise a goddess associated with warfare and also with Victoria, the divine personification of victory. 

John Moss, writing in his The Celtic Tribes. Origins, Ancestry and the Warrior Class, 2024 hypothesises that she is the same deity as the goddess, Britannia but offers no explanation for his theory. I am not convinced that they are one and the same beyond a slight similarity with their names and the fact that they are both tutelary deities. Britannia is purely a divine personification of the British Isles and may be linked to the Hitto-Phoenician goddess Barat or Brihat who features on Lycaonian and Carthaginian coins, according to Professor L.A. Waddell in his Phoenician Origins of Britons, Scots and Anglo-Saxons Discovered by Phoenician and Sumerian Coins, 1924. See: Britannia, Aryan Tutelary Goddess of the British Isles

A bronze statue in fragments, dating back to the first century CE and housed in the Museum of Britanny is believed to depict Brigantia in her Roman aspect of Minerva. A head and shoulders image is shown below, and one can see the superficial resemblance to Britannia as depicted on pre-decimal British coins.

Museum of Brittany, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BrigitteCelt.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/BrigitteCelt.jpg

Below is an image of a pre-decimal British penny, which ceased to be legal tender on 1 September 1971. The last pennies for general circulation were minted in 1967, although souvenir pennies were also struck in 1970. One can see the image of Britannia on the reverse of the penny.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_pre-decimal_penny_1967_reverse.png

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/British_pre-decimal_penny_1967_reverse.png

Scan: Retroplum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons