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Why do I use the year notations BCE and CE when talking about Irish mythology instead of BC and AD?
Because they’re better.
Pssst. You can watch a video adaptation of this Mythic Rant right here:
It really boils down to this: When was Jesus born, according to the Bible?
No, it’s not year zero. (There is no year zero.) And no it’s not 1 AD (AD meaning Anno Domini, “in the year of the Lord”) although that would certainly make sense.
Most scholars agree that—assuming Jesus actually existed—the Gospels and the reign of the historical King Herod point to him being born around 6 or 4 BC.
Do you see the problem?
BC is short for Before Christ.
So using that notation, I’d be forced to say something like: according to the Bible, Jesus Christ was born in the year 6 Before Christ. Which is nonsensical.
That’s why when I studied the Bible and Christianity at university, professors—including Christian professors—used the Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) notations.
That way we could discuss topics like “when was Jesus born?” without contradicting ourselves.
“But this is a channel about Irish mythology, not Christianity,” I can hear you saying. “Why does the Jesus birth year thing even matter?”
Because for better or worse, Christian scribes were responsible for recording the Irish myths. And they did their best to weave Ireland’s gods and other mythical figures into a broader Christian context, tracing the lineages of certain mythical Irish characters all the way back to Adam and Eve and even alluding to Jesus in certain Irish myths.
Hence, I do talk about the J-man and Christianity on this channel from time to time, so I use CE and BCE across the board.
Arguments for B.C. & A.D. / Arguments Against B.C.E. & C.E.
All that being said, I get that many people still prefer BC and AD. Which is fine. You’ll never see me in a comments section deriding someone for their year notation preference.
Meanwhile, in my channel’s comments… yeesh.
I’ve had folks tell me using BCE and CE is akin to Christian cultural appropriation. But I’m not sure how that works given that I was raised Christian. Am I appropriating my own culture?
I’ve also heard that using BCE and CE is an attack on Western Civilization, which is weird because these notations were invented in the West by a Westerner.
Johannes Kepler coined the term Vulgar Era a.k.a. Common Era in 1615.
What’s more, instead of outright replacing the work of the Eastern Roman monk Dionysius Exiguus, who invented the BC/AD notations in 525, Kepler preserved his system. Nay, improved upon it.
By keeping the years the same but changing the notations, Kepler eliminated the Jesus birth year contradiction without forcing everyone to update their calendars.
Finally, for those keen to argue: well, if we’re taking Jesus out of the year notations then we should also change the names of the planets and the names of the days of the week because those have religious connotations as well…
Yeah, to me that sounds like a fun experiment.
Let’s rename Jupiter, named for the Roman sky god, to Spot, and let’s officially change Wednesday, named for the Norse god Odin, to Humpday.
It’d be no skin off my hump if we did that.
Granted, the initial comparison is flawed. The names of the planets and the days of the week don’t lead to logical inconsistencies.
And I’d be remiss not to mention that while there aren’t many practitioners of ancient Greco-Roman or Norse religions left in the world, there are more than two billion Christians.
And that is the real issue here. To the Christian faithful, or at least a very vocal subset of the Christian faithful, moving away from BC and AD might feel like, at best, an erasure, and at worst, an attack on their faith.
To which I’d counter:
How fragile must one’s faith be if it can be shaken by just a few letters?
Hey just a quick announcement: my new YouTube channel (and blog), Folklore in Film, is officially live.
And I’m here on location in New England to let you know that my first Folklore in Film video is on the Folklore in the Lighthouse that Everyone Missed.
So go check that out and let me know what you think. Thanks.
Want to learn about the darker side of Irish and Celtic mythology? Check out…
Samhain in Your Pocket
Perhaps the most important holiday on the ancient Celtic calendar, Samhain marks the end of summer and the beginning of a new pastoral year. It is a liminal time—a time when the forces of light and darkness, warmth and cold, growth and blight, are in conflict. A time when the barrier between the land of the living and the land of the dead is at its thinnest. A time when all manner of spirits and demons are wont to cross over from the Celtic Otherworld. Learn more…
Irish Monsters in Your Pocket
In the Ireland of myth and legend, “spooky season” is every season. Spirits roam the countryside, hovering above the bogs. Werewolves lope through forests under full moons. Dragons lurk beneath the waves. Granted, there’s no denying that Samhain (Halloween’s Celtic predecessor) tends to bring out some of the island’s biggest, baddest monsters. Prepare yourself for (educational) encounters with Irish cryptids, demons, ghouls, goblins, and other supernatural beings. Learn more…
Neon Druid: An Anthology of Urban Celtic Fantasy
“A thrilling romp through pubs, mythology, and alleyways. NEON DRUID is such a fun, pulpy anthology of stories that embody Celtic fantasy and myth,” (Pyles of Books). Cross over into a world where the mischievous gods, goddesses, monsters, and heroes of Celtic mythology live among us, intermingling with unsuspecting mortals and stirring up mayhem in cities and towns on both sides of the Atlantic, from Limerick and Edinburgh to Montreal and Boston. Learn more…
More the listenin’ type?
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As a Christian I totally disagree with B.C.E. and ACE!! This is totally leaving out Jesus Christ birth and death.
I did not enjoy your “myth” speak. Jesus is NOT myth!!
Just because non Christian academics want to change things to suit their narrative does NOT make it so!!
Why can’t I comment? Your site will not allow!!
So to recap, your argument is “I disagree.” Please re-read the post and try again. My whole argument hinges on Jesus’ year of birth. I never refer to Jesus as a myth, just merely allude to the fact that there isn’t a whole lot of evidence to support his existence (there’s only one 1st-century historian who wrote about him, Josephus). Finally, if you had read the whole post, you’d know that Christian academics use BCE and CE all the time. It is the default in academic circles. My Christian professors taught me to use it when I studied the Bible and Christianity at university. Thanks for the comment!