07/02/2026
Deeply resonated xx
Communalism, Reciprocity and hospitality were, and are, at the heart of Creideamh-sĂŹth, fairy faith and Scottish animist belief.
A different system of community was in place in Scotland before the impact of imperialism was fully felt- things could be hard, but because it was hard, folk knew their community and survival depended on no one hoarding the wealth and cooperating. Some say this changed when the Statutes of Iona happened, as the lairds were kidnapped by the English imperial force and forced to sign the agreement, which meant, amongst other things, their descendants, and anyone worth more than 50 cows, were sent to be educated in the world of commerce in the English system.
This meant the idea of communalism, hospitality and reciprocity became overwritten in a top-down way, you might say, by the goals of commerce. At the heart of the communalism and way of life was an understanding nature, and ecology was also part of the community, along with people, and we needed to work together to thrive. These ideas for me are at the heart of the creideamh-SĂŹth.
Of course, nature became less of a partner as things progressed and the reformation took hold, and the drive toward âimprovementâ was made. The notions of a collective working together became more about ownership, working for an employer and money for âthemâ.
If we hold to the Creideamh-sĂŹth it means exploring these more connected ways of relating to one another with an understanding that no one can survive alone or outside of nature. We need to rekindle these relationships as a matter of urgency, but how they might express themselves today is still hard for me to fully see. I try to explore this to the best of my ability in my book Mill Dust and Dreaming Bread and through the writing on my website.
