Pagan Holy Wells in Catholic Tradition

            It is no secret to anyone who has even a basic knowledge of Celtic history that Catholicism, when it reached Brittany, Cornwall, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, did not so much replace Pagan beliefs as superimpose itself over them.  Robert Scheer states, in an article published in the online magazine New Age Travel, that:

“Pagan worship was not actually destroyed by Christianity, but rather was overshadowed by it… Christian chapels were built over pagan holy wells and springs.” 

The same can be said for many holy sites in lands populated by people of Celtic descent.  Standing stones on the Island of Iona were carved with crosses.  The historic St. Mary’s Church was built within view of the even older ruins of a temple of Nodens-Nuada in Lydney, Gloucestershire, England.

            Perhaps one of the most interesting forms of Catholic adoption of Celtic Pagan aspects is that of holy wells.  There are hundreds of holy wells across the United Kingdom and Ireland– many of which are frequented by Catholics today and most of which were originally Pagan holy sites.

            That, however, is not what makes these wells interesting.  There are multitudes of holy wells around the world, many of which have been adopted by Catholics and dedicated to saints.  No, what is truly fascinating about these wells is the fact that Pagan ideas and practices concerning the wells have been adopted along with the locations.

            According to Holy Wells Sligo, a website maintained by St. John’s Parish in Sligo, Ireland, the Tobernalt Holy Well was originally a Pagan site.  Every year on the last Sunday in July parishioners celebrate Garland Sunday at the well.  The web page admits that this is a Christian version of two Pagan traditions– Lughnasa, which is celebrated by Pagans on August 1, and Domhnach Crom Dubh, which is celebrated by some Pagans shortly thereafter.  Even the idea of Garland Sunday has its roots in Pagan traditions.  According to Holy Wells Sligo, at one time unmarried women made garlands of vines, flowers and apples, which were then carried by unmarried men and women to the nearest burial place.  If an apple fell from the garlands on the way there, it was an ill omen for those carrying it because apples often represented love, fertility, and the goddess.  Once the parade reached the burial ground, they broke apart the garlands and scattered them on the graves while weeping and keening.  After they returned from the burial ground, there was dancing, feasting and merrymaking.  Although Garlands are no longer typically carried, Garland Sunday is still a day for visiting holy spots.  In fact, it is the official day of pilgrimage for Irish Catholics.

            Another Pagan tradition adopted at Tobernalt, as well as many other holy wells, is that of tying ribbons and small offerings to trees near holy wells.  Tying prayer ribbons to trees is a tradition that is still practiced by Pagans today.  (In fact, according to the magazine Blue World Gardener, the Pagan tradition of tying ribbons to trees is the basis for the modern tradition of decorating Christmas trees.)  The practice is still very much alive among Catholics who visit holy wells in Ireland and the U.K.  Ribbons, rosaries, and small offerings are tied to trees near holy wells, such as Tobernalt, in reverence of the saints who have all but replaced the Pagan deities once worshiped there.

Offerings tied to a tree near a holy well is Sligo, Ireland