tdbcelts.org

Prior to our time period but still relevant as far as the grotesque style is concerned.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralaghan_Man

And then for 25 bucks you can read this article... saldy it only covers up to 350 BC but I wood (ha!) assume it's informative

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-prehistoric-society/article/anthropomorphic-wooden-figures-from-britain-and-ireland/279B4C5181F015D9A7D065D3E5C49E4B

here is a bit more on style...

https://www.museum.ie/The-Collections/Documentation-Discoveries/April-2014/A-Face-From-The-Past


Note in the Irish sagas, they often refer to an idealized head as "broad above and narrow below".

The Dagda at Pennsic 37
Sabha had purchased a bunch of different incense up top and the Dagda was kept in constant supply that year.

[attachment=0]IMG_4033.JPG[/attachment]

[i][color=#FF0000]note: I've split these posts off to a new thread in the public forums.[/color][/i]

You reminded me that that book should be added to the [url=http://tdbcelts.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=11]Library[/url]. I meant to do it, but never got to it. Maybe you could write something up?

I'd be interested in seeing some surviving wood carvings from our period if you can scan 'em in or point me to them.

I recently [url=http://tdbcelts.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=446]posted about the Sheela na gigs[/url] quoting an article I read in the Irish Times which makes a strong case that they seem to be associated with churches from the 12th to 14th century and could certainly have been older and incorporated into those churches, but just as easily NOT be old and just be a way that the church was reaching out to a population of folks who were still celebrating folk traditions.

Christians and Pagans of our time period would have the same tools and the art is stylistically the same.

Pagan imagery is common on Christian churches (Sheela na gig anyone?) So even thematically there is enough crossover to be comfortable to cite Boa island. I would refer to to the stone Lugh statue on the cover of a book you read as an alternate example, which is assuredly not Christian thematically.

Objects are hard to find on Google because any search is going to be flooded with modern items and anything that gets tagged celtic. Books are better resources, but, less convenient obviously.

With Ireland's boggy nature and woodperserving properties, coupled with the Celtic penchant for votive deposits, there are examples of wood and bone carvings that would be consistent with the "crudeness" of the boa island figures, even if slightly better detailed. Also note that castings using lost wax method (wax being easy to carve) also show the same "crudeness

While I would agree that the style looks almost too modern, I don't think there's really any extant wooden carvings we can look to from our chosen period to compare them to. The Boa carvings are in stone for one thing so its probable that they would be less detailed due to the difficulty in working that medium. Secondly, their similarity to the carvings of [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Island,_County_Fermanagh]White Island[/url] suggest that the Boa carvings are most likely early Christian carvings in that style. Certainly good for our period, but not as wholly pagan as some might think in my opinion.

That said, I really dig them and started to carve a copy of one of the Boa heads in soapstone which you've now reminded me I should get back to.

I would encourage everyone to think about carving some totems in the spirit of the Dagda that Aonghus made. Some good subjects might be: Brigit for Imbolc, or Lugh for Pennsic (Lughnassad), or Bel for Beltaine. The Celtic pantheon was just that. There are Gods and spirits a-plenty in the tales to choose from and each served a particular need.

[quote=Comyn post_id=1996 time=1510101890 user_id=2]
If anyone wants to have their own Dagda and isn't up to carving one, check this guy out:
http://studio-yarinka.com/product-category/celtic-gods/dagda/

dagda.jpg
[/quote]

As cool as that is, the style is inconsistent with examples from our time period:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boa_Island

[quote=Comyn post_id=1996 time=1510101890 user_id=2]
I agree with Faellon that the Dagda tradition should be revived!
In fact I think we should carve an entire pantheon!
If anyone wants to have their own Dagda and isn't up to carving one, check this guy out:
http://studio-yarinka.com/product-category/celtic-gods/dagda/

dagda.jpg
[/quote]

Those are seriously cool

I agree with Faellon that the Dagda tradition should be revived!
In fact I think we should carve an entire pantheon!
If anyone wants to have their own Dagda and isn't up to carving one, check this guy out:
http://studio-yarinka.com/product-category/celtic-gods/dagda/

[attachment=0]dagda.jpg[/attachment]