Some pagans immediately dismiss the idea of adopting speical dress for ritual occasions, prefering instead to not dress at all. Going skyclad, or ritual nudity, is a concept that was probably not part of the ancient Celtic ritual experience, though no one can actually prove it either way. The concept came into modern Wicca via Italy where the words "you shal be naked in your rites" was found in a fifteenth century "confession" by a witch and said to be part of the "charge of the Goddess," a commission usually attributed to the Greco-Roman Goddess, Aradia. Wheathre this was truly a part of Italian Paganism or not is still open for debate, but the climate was certainly better suited to it than in the Celtic lands.
We do have extant references to Celtic warriors stripping naked for battle, which seems linked to their cosmological and religious beliefs. In C.E. 225, Polybius, a Roman general in th British Isle, wrote that the Celts believed that to disrobe would expand their personal "life-force" ( what we today think of sas an aura or astral body), and that with this expansion, they became one with nature and the divine. They would also better be able to attune to each other, allowing them to move as one in battle.
Certainly this is also a valid reason to adopt ritual nudity, as are the other commonly cited ideas: the belief that nudity expresses freedom and equality , or that it enables you to view the other members of your coven as God or Goddess Incarnate. ( keep in mind that a study taken in the late 1980's showed that mroe then 95 % of westerners mentally veiw their deity as a robed figure.)
Reguardless of this historym if you choose to go skyclad, either alone or with a group, you should be aware of the reasons you choose this option. I have found that many Pagans who embrace skyclad rites as a must come from families who followed a strictly orthodox version of their mainstream faith which frowned upon sexuality and viewed the body as dirty and shameful. These poor souls lived very repressed lives under those tenets, and now, under the liberalizing tenets of Paganism, feel free to coerce others into nude rituals which mak them uncomfortable. Inorder to do this they use the same manipulative tacatics that they were coerced by as children. This constitutes ritual abuse, and if recognized, should be immediately stopped for the health and well being of all concerned.
Worse yet many people see the coven as a little more than an endless supply of boddies for engaging in promiscuous sexual activities, which puts both the individuals and the group as a whole at risk. Sex used this way is not a sacred act, but on ewhich degrades both the experience and the spirituality of the participants. It also grossly violate the Pagan Rede, which requires us to "harm none," and only provdes ample fuel for the witch -burning fires of the anti-pagan fundamntalists.
Certainly not all Pagans who opt to go skyclad have these emotional problems, and ritual nudity can, in th right setting with the right people, be a powerful and meaningful experience. You should be aware, however that problem people are out there and be cautious when approaching other groups you might wish to be a part of. I know of several sad cases where irresponsible individuals carried their sexual problems into a group dynamics and wreaked havoc in the lives of veryone present.
Being skycald should be a choice everyone is free to adopt or dismiss at will. Neither way is inherently right or wrong, just a different interpretation of Paganism, as is choosing a wandinstead of a knife to represent the element of air. To choose to be robed or clothed does not mean someone is ashamed of their body, but that they view it as a sacred and holy and not to be put on display for just everyone.
In the past when we humans had less psychological baggage to tote around in our heads, wementally viewed our deities as nude and equated that with their primal power. Hence, being skyclad does not indicate freedom or an expression of fertility, as some Pagans mistakenly are taught. Rather, those who go skyclad are exptected to view not only themselves, but all unclotthed human beings as deity incarnate, a hard leap of thought to make in a society which fetishizes body parts as ours does. Those who would not or cannot see you in this light have no buisness being allowed to invade your privacy.
Since the rites and rituals are given here are solitary in nat ure, the issues of how one dresses will affect only the practitioner, but they should still be thought out so that the solitary Pagan is knowledgeable about,and comfortable with , the choices made.
Paganism is a choice of conscience, and all decisions made within should be viewed as sacred ones. Be Nude or robed as you will, but offer neither ridicule nor harm to others for remaining true to their choices.
CELTIC DRESS: THE MIDIEVAL FANTASY
--I bought thee petticots of the best,
The cloth so fine as fin might be;
I gave thee jewels for thy chest,
And all this cost i spent on thee.
Greensleeves ( elizabethan folk song)
Those following the celtic tradition known as the " Arthurian Tradition" take their mythology deities, etc, from the legends of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table. Though the mythic images involved pre-date Arthur- a sixth century King of the Britons- the stories of his life best known to us come from the Thomas Malory and the other writers who flourished in the late middle ages, and poetically place the legendary King in the medieval kingdom of Cornwall.
Hence, When we think of Arthurian times, what naturaly comes to mind is a medieval costumes, men with heraldic tunics and leggings, polished swords at their sides, women with long diaphanous gowns, pointed hats trailing voile, and wide draping sleeves. many Pagan robes which are purchased or made by the wearer have these wide sleeves. These appeal to our sense of the dramatic but they are not Celtic, nor are they particularly practical These sleeves are hard to control in a darkened ritual setting and have been known to knock things about at the best and at the worst catch fire when they are inadvertently dragged through a candles flame.
If you follow tradititions of Arthur or of wales and Cornwall which claim him, you may opt to dress yourself in medieval garb. The clothing of this period is well documented and even has a national following in the Society for Creative Anachronism, which holds medieval festivals for its members. Just be aware of the drawbacks of this style dress and resember that it was not Celtic but Anglo-Frankish in orgin.
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