Ancient Reverence: Pre-Christian Sacred Landscapes

Long before Christianity arrived in the Alps, mountains commanded spiritual respect. Archaeological evidence suggests prehistoric peoples considered peaks as axes mundi—connections between earth and sky, human and divine realms. Stone circles at high cols, votive offerings in glacial lakes, and cave paintings depicting mountain spirits reveal our ancestors' recognition of alpine sanctity.

"Mountains were never empty of meaning," explains archaeologist Dr. Amina Khouja, excavating a Bronze Age ritual site near the Col de Balme. "We find evidence of pilgrimage, sacrifice, ceremony. These weren't just geographic features but cosmic architecture—places where worlds touched."

Celtic peoples layered their beliefs onto existing mountain reverence. Peak names preserve their presence: Brévent possibly derives from the Celtic briga (height) and venta (market or sacred place). Water sources—springs, lakes, glacier melt—held particular power. The Arveyron source, where the Mer de Glace releases its meltwater, likely served as a ritual site for centuries before Christian appropriation.

Roman occupation brought Mediterranean deities to Alpine heights, but syncretism prevailed over replacement. Mountain passes accumulated shrines to Mercury (protector of travelers) alongside older altars. Local deities persisted under Roman names, their essential mountain nature unchanged.

This spiritual palimpsest—layer upon layer of belief—creates the foundation for contemporary mountain spirituality. Modern seekers, whether conscious or not, walk paths worn by millennia of pilgrims, adding their own meanings to ancient patterns.