Posts tagged Celts

A video about the history of the Celts and their possible connections to north African cultures the Berbers and Ancient Egypt.

Berbers, Celts, Egyptians

Stephon Marbury’s Celtic Debut Celts win 104-99

Mar 5th

Posted by in Celtic Languages

Marbury’s debut @ Garden 104-99 win by Celts

10499, Celtic, Celts, Debut, Marbury's, Stephon

Stephon Marbury’s Celtic Debut helps Celts win!

Feb 15th

Posted by in Celtic Languages

Stephon Marbury’s Celtic Debut helps Celts win! Check out my other pages www.youtube.com www.youtube.com

Celtic, Celts, Debut, helps, Marbury's, Stephon

Ancient Celts in the Tarim Basin (in modern day China)

Feb 3rd

Posted by in Celtic Languages

3 comments

CELTS en.wikipedia.org The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages. PROTO-CELTIC LANGUAGE en.wikipedia.org The Proto-Celtic language, also called Common Celtic, is the reconstructed ancestor language of all the known Celtic languages. HALLSTADTT CULTURE en.wikipedia.org The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC (European Early Iron Age), developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC (Late Bronze Age) and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture. TARIM MUMMIES en.wikipedia.org The Tarim mummies are a series of mummies discovered in the Tarim Basin in present-day Xinjiang, China, which date from 1800 BCE to 200 CE. Some of the mummies are frequently associated with the presence of the Indo-European Tocharian languages in the Tarim Basin, although the evidence is not totally conclusive. TARIM BASIN en.wikipedia.org The Tarim Basin is a large endorheic basin occupying an area of about 906500 km2 (350000 sq mi). It is located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China’s far west. CELTIC MYTHOLOGY en.wikipedia.org Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure. Among Celts in close contact with Ancient Rome, such as the Gauls and Celtiberians, their …

Ancient, Basin, Celts, China, modern, Tarim

Celts – [Braveheart Theme]

Jan 16th

Posted by in Celtic Languages

BRAVEHEART THEME – The Celts (pronounced /ˈkɛlts/ or /ˈsɛlts/, see pronunciation of Celtic) were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages. Music is from BraveHeart

Braveheart, Celts, Theme

Enya – The Celts

Jan 4th

Posted by in Celtic Languages

www.tarawatch.org (Help save TARA) Performed By: Enya www.enya.com The term Celt, normally pronounced /kɛlt/ (see below), refers to a member of any of a number of peoples in Europe using the Celtic languages, which form a branch of Indo-European languages, as well as others whose language is unknown but where associated cultural traits such as Celtic art are found in archaeological evidence. Historical theories were developed that these factors were indicative of a common origin, but later theories of culture spreading to differing indigenous peoples have recently been supported by some genetic studies. The Celts themselves had an intricate, indigenous polytheistic religion and distinctive culture, though the spread of the Roman Empire led to continental Celts adopting Roman culture. The eventual development of Celtic Christianity in Ireland and Britain brought an early medieval renaissance of Celtic art between 400 and 1200, only ended by the Norman Conquest of Ireland in the late 12th century. Antiquarian interest from the 17th century led to the term Celt being extended, and rising nationalism brought Celtic revivals from the 19th century in areas where the use of Celtic languages had continued. Today, “Celtic” is often used to describe the languages and respective cultures of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and Brittany (see the Modern Celts article), but corresponds more accurately to the Celtic language family – of which six languages are spoken …

Celts, Enya

Sixty Second Celtic Chronicle: The Earliest Celts

Dec 30th

Posted by in Celtic culture

The second episode of Sixty Second Celtic Chronicle, your fast-paced source to [incredibly simplified] Celtic history, featuring the origins of the Celts.

Celtic, Celts, Chronicle, Earliest, Second, Sixty

The Ancient World – The Celts part 4

Dec 5th

Posted by in Celtic Languages

The historical Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age Europe. Proto-Celtic culture formed in the Early Iron Age (1200 BC-400 AD) in Central Europe (Hallstatt period, named for the site in present-day Austria). By the later Iron Age (La Tène period), this Celtic culture had expanded over a wide range of lands, whether by diffusion or migration: to the British Isles (Insular Celts), the Iberian Peninsula (Celtiberians), much of Central Europe, (Gauls) and following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC as far east as central Anatolia (Galatians).[2] The earliest direct attestation of a Celtic language are the Lepontic inscriptions, beginning from the 6th century BC. Continental Celtic languages are attested only in inscriptions and place-names. Insular Celtic is attested from about the 4th century AD in ogham inscriptions, although it is clearly much earlier. Literary tradition begins with Old Irish from about the 8th century. Coherent texts of Early Irish literature, such as the Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley), survive in 12th-century recensions. By the early first millennium AD, following the expansion of the Roman Empire and the Great Migrations (Migration Period) of Germanic peoples, Celtic culture had become restricted to that of British Isles (Insular Celtic), and the Continental Celtic languages ceased to be widely used by the sixth century. Insular Celtic culture diversified into that of the Gaels, the Welsh and the Bretons of …

Ancient, Celts, part, World

The Celts and Their Art

Nov 23rd

Posted by in Celtic Languages

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Home Page > News and Society > Women’s Issues > The Celts and Their Art

The Celts and Their Art

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The Celts and Their Art

By: Jem Jamey

About the Author

Celtic Jewelry symbolizes the span that links the gap between heaven and Earth, available at http://www.irishindeed.com

(ArticlesBase SC #1317288)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – The Celts and Their Art

Celtic Jewelry: Watching Over the Narrative behind the Celts’ Jewelry

The Celts have long been related to people in Europe who spoke Celtic languages. The Celts were already there dating back from the pre-historic period, and their culture, art, and ways have stayed until the modern-day times of now. In The Beginning, the Celts were in Central Europe running to Ireland and Britain. Although they were quite far from each other and were ruled by diverse rulers, they shared the same customs and traditions, beliefs, spoken language, and art. It was in Ireland, the country that was never seized by the Romans, where Celtic art stayed and remained to be a part of their custom.

The Celts and Their Art

The Celts and their art are celebrated to be ornamental, that is, their art inclines to obviate straight and symmetrical lines and normally postulates complicated symbols. It covers an expanse of geography, age, and time, which has been influenced in different periods of time, from the Neolithic epoch to the Stone Age to the Iron Age and down to the Middle Ages of Renaissance. Over time, it has been adapted to adjust several civilizations and modes. It is clearly manifested in their common Celtic jewelry pieces.

The Celtic Cross

The cross is the spiritual symbol for Christianity and is also best-known to the Celts. To them, a Celtic cross is the most favorite symbol for Celtic art. It is thought that the Celtic cross symbolizes the span that links the gap between heaven and Earth, while the four arms of the cross constitute the four temporal elements, namely Earth, wind, water, and fire. Celtic crosses were worked as decorations in the bible memorials. A Celtic cross likewise turned a frequent symbolisation for men’s Celtic jewelry.

The Celts and Their Celtic Jewelry

The Celts and their art were similarly accommodated in Celtic jewelry pieces. The rich account of the Celts was being manifested in handmade Celtic jewelry inspired by nature and the Celtic culture. Their customs, notions, and manners were all reverberated in their beautifully complex jewelry pieces. Celtic knots netted in abstract ways are observed sculpted in gold and silver Celtic jewelry. Splendid spiral patterns are enlaced and were urged by Celtic art that were witnessed engraved in the stones from the Stone Age era. Silver Celtic jewelry especially grown more routine when there was an enlarged trading of silver during the Viking selling. More silver Celtic jewelry compositions were made including brooches and pins. When Viking selling was believed to have worsened, large stone crosses were frequent among men’s Celtic jewelry. This was prompted by the Ahenny High Cross and the Muiredach’s Cross.

Celtic Jewelry Online Site

Indeed, the Celts have sustained up with the modern-day times. Not just in Celtic jewelry pieces, but they have not been left by technology as you may purchase your Celtic jewelry from an online site: Irish Indeed! Women and men’s Celtic jewelry in versatile designs and sizes are all purchasable at Irish Indeed! Surf the site for that wide align of obtainable Celtic jewelry.

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Jem Jamey -
About the Author:

Celtic Jewelry symbolizes the span that links the gap between heaven and Earth, available at http://www.irishindeed.com

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celtic jewelry, mens celtic jewelry, silver celtic jewelry

Legends of the Celts 6/6

Nov 17th

Posted by in Celtic Languages

Celts is a modern term used to describe any of the European peoples who spoke, or speak, a Celtic language. The term is also used in a wider sense to describe the modern descendants of those peoples, notably those who participate in a Celtic culture. The historical Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age Europe. Proto-Celtic culture formed in the Early Iron Age in Central Europe (Hallstatt period, named for the site in present-day Austria). By the later Iron Age (La Tène period), Celts had expanded over a wide range of lands: as far west as Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula, as far east as Galatia (central Anatolia), and as far north as Scotland. The earliest direct attestation of a Celtic language are the Lepontic inscriptions, beginning from the 6th century BC. Continental Celtic languages are attested only in inscriptions and place-names. Insular Celtic is attested from about the fourth century AD in ogham inscriptions. Literary tradition begins with Old Irish from about the eighth century. Coherent texts of Early Irish literature, such as the Táin Bó Cúailnge, survive in 12th century recensions. By the early first millennium AD, following the expansion of the Roman Empire and the Great Migrations (Migration Period) of Germanic peoples, Celtic culture had become restricted to the British Isles (Insular Celtic), and the Continental Celtic languages ceased to be widely used by the sixth century. “Celtic Europe” today refers to the lands surrounding the …

Celts, Legends

The Ancient World – The Celts part 3

Nov 5th

Posted by in Celtic Languages

The historical Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age Europe. Proto-Celtic culture formed in the Early Iron Age (1200 BC-400 AD) in Central Europe (Hallstatt period, named for the site in present-day Austria). By the later Iron Age (La Tène period), this Celtic culture had expanded over a wide range of lands, whether by diffusion or migration: to the British Isles (Insular Celts), the Iberian Peninsula (Celtiberians), much of Central Europe, (Gauls) and following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC as far east as central Anatolia (Galatians).[2] The earliest direct attestation of a Celtic language are the Lepontic inscriptions, beginning from the 6th century BC. Continental Celtic languages are attested only in inscriptions and place-names. Insular Celtic is attested from about the 4th century AD in ogham inscriptions, although it is clearly much earlier. Literary tradition begins with Old Irish from about the 8th century. Coherent texts of Early Irish literature, such as the Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley), survive in 12th-century recensions. By the early first millennium AD, following the expansion of the Roman Empire and the Great Migrations (Migration Period) of Germanic peoples, Celtic culture had become restricted to that of British Isles (Insular Celtic), and the Continental Celtic languages ceased to be widely used by the sixth century. Insular Celtic culture diversified into that of the Gaels, the Welsh and the Bretons of …

Ancient, Celts, part, World

Sixty Second Celtic Chronicle: The Celts and Alexander the Great

Oct 28th

Posted by in Celtic culture

The seventh episode of Sixty Second Celtic Chronicle, your fast-paced source to [incredibly simplified] Celtic history, featuring Celtic contacts with Alexander the Great.

Alexander, Celtic, Celts, Chronicle, Great, Second, Sixty

The Early Histories of the Ancient Celts (Part 2)

Oct 7th

Posted by in Celtic culture

The basic sanctuary was the home and the hearth, often only family members could approach the hearth. These were in most cases highly decorated and contained many fire tools; it was their centre, each family performing rites, sacrifices to the ‘House God’, to protect the house and family. The many fire tools were for sacrifice of garlanded rams and horses, ready to feed the Gods and people.

The hearth was used for banquets, with elaborate utensils for eating, as found through archaeology. The best record of the banquet was by Posidonius, quoted by Athenaeus; the Celts sitting on dried grass, with their meals on slightly raised wooden tables. The food consisting of some small bread loaves and a large amount of meat. The meat being bitten off the limbs whilst being held in both hands, sitting in a circle with the leader, or the most influential in the middle, with the next in superiority next to him and so on.

The Celts often fought each other in hand-to-hand mock battles, which could lead to death when they got out of hand, unless separated by the others. In the earliest times, the hind quarters were often fought over to show bravery, often to the death.

It was at the feast or banquet that ‘Gifts’ were made. This was a redistribution of wealth, with an elaborate debt structure binding all the members together. Receivers of ‘Gifts’ repaying the giver in kind, loyalty and service, in the extreme the recipients life could be the repayment. This system of ‘Clientage’ has been documented in myth and the ancient laws of Ireland and Wales.

The Celts feasted with burial items for the ‘Otherworld’. These are known from Irish and Welsh mythology, Manannan’s Feast of Wisdom, the Feast of Bran’s head with companions, Giobniu’s Feast where the participants neither aged or died. Otherworld Feasts usually featured an ever full cauldron, or reincarnating animals to be slain again the following day. Flagons of wine with drinking vessels, animals with hearth implements were left as ‘Grave Foods.’

The Cult

In the very earliest times, the King or Queen held sacred power. As part of their sovereignty, they would have done divination, carried out sacrifices, identified sacred springs, natural features, and religious duties for the Clan, including becoming the ultimate sacrifice in times of trouble, according to mythical sources.

The Continental Celts were beginning to build cities from 200 BC, leading to secular administration by judges. Some cities were built around commercial centres, others around sanctuaries and schools of religion, and some around military strongholds. The archaeologists still have some way to give us civic rituals of this period.

The enclosure with ditch and maybe a wooden fence was the most common form of settlement around 500 BC-250 BC. There would have been interior pits and posts for sacred spaces and sacrifices, interior wooden buildings would have followed. It is document these sites with items made from wood, and many sanctuaries dismantled and hidden by their worshippers upon conquest. The post holes can give a good key to the archaeologists. Further problems were in the fact that the sites were often built upon in the building of Romano Celtic temples, but since the form of the temples was similar, just the materials used in construction different, amalgamation was not difficult.

Most of the Romano-Celtic Temples had a central sanctuary surrounded by a covered walkway within a precinct enclosed by walls and ditches, though some had additional buildings and divided sanctuaries. These buildings were not for congregational worship, with their small shrines for statues of their Gods and sacred symbols. They had openings for the worshippers to view the items in the sanctuary, any large gatherings were held in the courtyard enclosure. The sanctuary enclosures were normally rectangular, with the occasional round one. They were dedicated to a specific God with particular requirements, with posts, lintels, gates and other features of the wood fence were highly decorated, carved, painted and hung with offerings. The entrance was a very important feature. In early ditch enclosures there was a break in the ditch, fences forming gates, with monumental porticos. At Gournay in France, on the footbridge over the ditch the entrance was hung with human skulls, and two large heaps of cow skulls and weapons were stacked on each side of the ditch. These were probably the result of retaining successive decorations.

A post, pit or building would have indicated the centre of the sanctuary. Being closest to the Otherworld and farthest from the outer world, a line of posts with directional and astronomical significance were aligned around the centre. The size of the pit and number of pits were determined by the size of the settlement. One site in Czechoslovakia was 11 x 8 x 2 metres deep. Many pits were 10 pits grouped in threes, with one central pit. Sacrifices occurring in the central pit, with sacrificial animals being placed in the smaller pits to decompose, and then thrown into the perimeter ditch. It was a common belief in the ancient world for these pits to be seen as entrances to the Underworld.

The entrance to a city was an particularly important ritual area. In many British hill forts, ritual pits have been found at the entrance and along the main track way, with horses, humans, and more rarely dogs buried there. It is not clear whether the human burials are sacrificial of deposition.

The writer Strabo, tells us how Celtiberians worshipped an unnamed God at full moon; ‘They perform their devotions in company with all their families in front of the gates of their townships, and hold dances lasting throughout the night.’

Other classical writers mentioned the practice of choosing a figure within the community. They were kept richly for a year, before being ritually killed to cleanse the people from evil spirits. As the original source of this evidence is lost, it is difficult to say where this act took place, but one writer places it at Marseilles, France.

Shrines were built along borders where rituals could take place before going into battle, and for thanks giving after victory. Often sacrifices were promised before the battle and were carried out at these shrines. There are many alters dedicated to various Gods with inscriptions reading how the named person ‘gladly and willingly fulfils his vow’, only rarely however do they specify what the God had done for them.

Before being influenced by the Mediterranean cultures, the Celts did not attribute their Gods to a particular being. There were statues of boars, horses, bulls, bears, birds etc, long before there were any ones featuring humans. We do not know whether the people saw the animals as symbolic of the forces of nature, or whether there were attributes of the animals revered as being associated with the Gods. Some Gods later given human form are inextricably linked to specific animals; Epona with horses, Cernunnos with stags, Artio with bears and Arduinna with boars.

At Gournay-sur-Aronde there is a huge collection of animal bones, the horses and cattle are elderly and show no signs of butchering, whilst the pigs and sheep were young and consumed. Maybe the horses and cattle were revered and brought to the site for ritual burial.

At South Cadbury Camp near Glastonbury (England) there were horse skulls, all carefully buried right side up.

For more celtic articles, information and celtic crosses please visit realalternativesite.com

Ancient, Celts, Early, Histories, part

The Ancient World – The Celts part 2

Oct 6th

Posted by in Celtic Languages

The historical Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age Europe. Proto-Celtic culture formed in the Early Iron Age (1200 BC-400 AD) in Central Europe (Hallstatt period, named for the site in present-day Austria). By the later Iron Age (La Tène period), this Celtic culture had expanded over a wide range of lands, whether by diffusion or migration: to the British Isles (Insular Celts), the Iberian Peninsula (Celtiberians), much of Central Europe, (Gauls) and following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC as far east as central Anatolia (Galatians).[2] The earliest direct attestation of a Celtic language are the Lepontic inscriptions, beginning from the 6th century BC. Continental Celtic languages are attested only in inscriptions and place-names. Insular Celtic is attested from about the 4th century AD in ogham inscriptions, although it is clearly much earlier. Literary tradition begins with Old Irish from about the 8th century. Coherent texts of Early Irish literature, such as the Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley), survive in 12th-century recensions. By the early first millennium AD, following the expansion of the Roman Empire and the Great Migrations (Migration Period) of Germanic peoples, Celtic culture had become restricted to that of British Isles (Insular Celtic), and the Continental Celtic languages ceased to be widely used by the sixth century. Insular Celtic culture diversified into that of the Gaels, the Welsh and the Bretons of …

Ancient, Celts, part, World

Legends of the Celts 4/6

Sep 24th

Posted by in Celtic Languages

Celts is a modern term used to describe any of the European peoples who spoke, or speak, a Celtic language. The term is also used in a wider sense to describe the modern descendants of those peoples, notably those who participate in a Celtic culture. The historical Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age Europe. Proto-Celtic culture formed in the Early Iron Age in Central Europe (Hallstatt period, named for the site in present-day Austria). By the later Iron Age (La Tène period), Celts had expanded over a wide range of lands: as far west as Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula, as far east as Galatia (central Anatolia), and as far north as Scotland. The earliest direct attestation of a Celtic language are the Lepontic inscriptions, beginning from the 6th century BC. Continental Celtic languages are attested only in inscriptions and place-names. Insular Celtic is attested from about the fourth century AD in ogham inscriptions. Literary tradition begins with Old Irish from about the eighth century. Coherent texts of Early Irish literature, such as the Táin Bó Cúailnge, survive in 12th century recensions. By the early first millennium AD, following the expansion of the Roman Empire and the Great Migrations (Migration Period) of Germanic peoples, Celtic culture had become restricted to the British Isles (Insular Celtic), and the Continental Celtic languages ceased to be widely used by the sixth century. “Celtic Europe” today refers to the lands surrounding the …

Celts, Legends

Legends of the Celts 3/6

Sep 12th

Posted by in Celtic Languages

Celts is a modern term used to describe any of the European peoples who spoke, or speak, a Celtic language. The term is also used in a wider sense to describe the modern descendants of those peoples, notably those who participate in a Celtic culture. The historical Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age Europe. Proto-Celtic culture formed in the Early Iron Age in Central Europe (Hallstatt period, named for the site in present-day Austria). By the later Iron Age (La Tène period), Celts had expanded over a wide range of lands: as far west as Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula, as far east as Galatia (central Anatolia), and as far north as Scotland. The earliest direct attestation of a Celtic language are the Lepontic inscriptions, beginning from the 6th century BC. Continental Celtic languages are attested only in inscriptions and place-names. Insular Celtic is attested from about the fourth century AD in ogham inscriptions. Literary tradition begins with Old Irish from about the eighth century. Coherent texts of Early Irish literature, such as the Táin Bó Cúailnge, survive in 12th century recensions. By the early first millennium AD, following the expansion of the Roman Empire and the Great Migrations (Migration Period) of Germanic peoples, Celtic culture had become restricted to the British Isles (Insular Celtic), and the Continental Celtic languages ceased to be widely used by the sixth century. “Celtic Europe” today refers to the lands surrounding the …

Celts, Legends

The Ancient World – The Celts part 1

Sep 6th

Posted by in Celtic Languages

The historical Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age Europe. Proto-Celtic culture formed in the Early Iron Age (1200 BC-400 AD) in Central Europe (Hallstatt period, named for the site in present-day Austria). By the later Iron Age (La Tène period), this Celtic culture had expanded over a wide range of lands, whether by diffusion or migration: to the British Isles (Insular Celts), the Iberian Peninsula (Celtiberians), much of Central Europe, (Gauls) and following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC as far east as central Anatolia (Galatians).[2] The earliest direct attestation of a Celtic language are the Lepontic inscriptions, beginning from the 6th century BC. Continental Celtic languages are attested only in inscriptions and place-names. Insular Celtic is attested from about the 4th century AD in ogham inscriptions, although it is clearly much earlier. Literary tradition begins with Old Irish from about the 8th century. Coherent texts of Early Irish literature, such as the Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley), survive in 12th-century recensions. By the early first millennium AD, following the expansion of the Roman Empire and the Great Migrations (Migration Period) of Germanic peoples, Celtic culture had become restricted to that of British Isles (Insular Celtic), and the Continental Celtic languages ceased to be widely used by the sixth century. Insular Celtic culture diversified into that of the Gaels, the Welsh and the Bretons of …

Ancient, Celts, part, World

The Celts ╠01╣

Aug 31st

Posted by in Celtic Languages

9 comments

Celts (pronounced /ˈkelts/ or /ˈselts/, see names of the Celts; the most common academic usage is with a hard “c”, pronounced as “k”), is a modern term used to describe any of the European peoples who spoke, or speak, a Celtic language. The term is also used in a wider sense to describe the modern descendants of those peoples, notably those who participate in a Celtic culture. The historical Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age Europe. Proto-Celtic culture formed in the Early Iron Age in Central Europe (Hallstatt period, named for the site in present-day Austria). By the later Iron Age (La Tène period), Celts had expanded over a wide range of lands: as far west as Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula, as far east as Galatia (central Anatolia), and as far north as Scotland. The earliest direct attestation of a Celtic language are the Lepontic inscriptions, beginning from the 6th century BC. Continental Celtic languages are attested only in inscriptions and place-names. Insular Celtic is attested from about the fourth century AD in ogham inscriptions. Literary tradition begins with Old Irish from about the eighth century. Coherent texts of Early Irish literature, such as the Táin Bó Cúailnge, survive in 12th century recensions. By the early first millennium AD, following the expansion of the Roman Empire and the Great Migrations (Migration Period) of Germanic peoples, Celtic culture had become restricted to the British Isles (Insular Celtic), and the …

╠01╣, Celts

Legends of the Celts 1/6

Aug 25th

Posted by in Celtic Languages

5 comments

Celts is a modern term used to describe any of the European peoples who spoke, or speak, a Celtic language. The term is also used in a wider sense to describe the modern descendants of those peoples, notably those who participate in a Celtic culture. The historical Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age Europe. Proto-Celtic culture formed in the Early Iron Age in Central Europe (Hallstatt period, named for the site in present-day Austria). By the later Iron Age (La Tène period), Celts had expanded over a wide range of lands: as far west as Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula, as far east as Galatia (central Anatolia), and as far north as Scotland. The earliest direct attestation of a Celtic language are the Lepontic inscriptions, beginning from the 6th century BC. Continental Celtic languages are attested only in inscriptions and place-names. Insular Celtic is attested from about the fourth century AD in ogham inscriptions. Literary tradition begins with Old Irish from about the eighth century. Coherent texts of Early Irish literature, such as the Táin Bó Cúailnge, survive in 12th century recensions. By the early first millennium AD, following the expansion of the Roman Empire and the Great Migrations (Migration Period) of Germanic peoples, Celtic culture had become restricted to the British Isles (Insular Celtic), and the Continental Celtic languages ceased to be widely used by the sixth century. “Celtic Europe” today refers to the lands surrounding the …

Celts, Legends

The Early Histories of the Ancient Celts (Part 1)

Aug 19th

Posted by in Celtic culture

Celtic describes a language group which over a period of time divided into two strains:

P-Celtic (Brythonic) spoken in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany.

Q-Celtic (Gaelic) spoken today in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.

The ancient Celts were communities of people sharing linguistic and cultural ties, who inhabited most of Northern Europe between 800 BC and 400 AD. The Iron Age Celtic communities spread from Ireland to the Eastern Europe at the peak of their expansion from 400 BC-300 BC.

Archeological map of distribution of the Celtic Hallstatt culture ca. 800 -400 BCE. The Hallstat culture 800 BC-250 BC named after a site at Hallstat in Austria, they ranged from the Paris Basin to the valley of Morava in Eastern Europe, and from the Alps to the North European plain. Early burials (800 BC- 600BC) show small cemeteries denoting small settlements, perhaps one family or a small group of related families. The graves show little wealth, a few graves with wagons and horse equipment, but most as warriors both male and female with their swords, a few personal ornaments and pots containing food.

Between 600 BC-450 BC aristocratic burials start to appear, associated with much larger residences with architecture inspired by the Greeks, and Mediterranean artefacts begin to appear in graves. The overall leader or chief being accompanied in a wooden chamber with the wagon and horse equipment, filled with imported items, bronze wine drinking vessels, silk, gold, amber, glass and coral. The individual ‘vassal’ chief with wagon filled with more locally made goods, and ‘sub-chiefs’ similar, but less elaborately furnished with totally locally produced items. This prestige system of burials was widespread from Burgundy to the settlements of the middle Rhine. This unstable system based solely of imports and exports, as its core, threw up warrior societies, whose wealth came from raiding the settled traders. Along with the growth in population among the tribes and political changes within the Mediterranean area, this caused collapse, and the Celtic migrations began around 400 BC.

The ‘La Tene’ culture, known for its elaborate artwork, coincided with the last 50 years of the Hallstat culture, and this culture was carried forward in migration. Warrior bands moved south and east towards the rich pickings of the peoples whom they had traded with. Rome was attacked in 369 BC and continued into Italy, Delphi being attacked in 279 BC, and eastward roving bands continued into Asia minor. Migrations due to population growth continued throughout the next few hundred years.

The migration attempt of the ‘Helvetii’ was halted during the eight year war with Caesar’s Rome, as hundreds of thousands of Celts were killed, sold into slavery or maimed. After his victory Caesar went back to Rome; Gaul and Britain were left alone for 15 years. When the Roman emperors later began to set up an administration, most of southern and eastern Gaul was brought within the Roman empire fairly easily, as the Celts in this region had already established a sedimentary lifestyle, and a trade based economic system. The further borders of the Roman Empire remained in a state of flux for sometime, with the constant pressure from the so called ‘Germanic’ tribes pressing in from the east, which finally contributed to the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. The term ‘Germanic’ was termed by Caesar who called anybody north of the Rhine ‘Germanic’, and anybody south of the Rhine ‘Celtic’. Archaeology makes it clear that while there were two different material cultures, with different house building and burial styles, they were much more intermixed than Caesar’s simplistic geographical divisions would indicate.

There were differences between the religious practices of European and the British Celtic peoples. The south of England which was settled by the Belgic peoples is more closely tied to the Continent, while northern England has more unique deities and practices. Ireland had even less contact with Europe and maintained its culture the longest. The Continental Celts had been influenced by the Mediterranean cultures, with their regular trading with the eastern Mediterranean from as early as 8th century BC, and regular river and inland trading between southern Britain and the Mediterranean since 6th century BC. Where as the trading links, with the other Celtic regions was occasional and maritime.

Recorded History.

According to Caesar there are no contemporary religious writings from the Celts themselves because, as the Celts had a religious prohibition against writing things down, although they eventually kept trade related records using Greek characters. We must rely on the writings of others. A number of classical writers mentioned the Celts. The very first use of the term ‘Keltoi’ is by the Greek Hecataeus of Miletus around 500 BC. Most of these Greek and Roman authors whose works have survived didn’t have any first hand knowledge of the Celts. Most of the extant writing comes from the first two centuries of the common era, and rely on observations of the Stoic philosopher Posidonius, early 1st century BC, whose own writings have been lost. His information was based on first hand knowledge of Celtic society in Gaul. Scraps of his writings are contained in later writings, especially Athenaeus, Diodorus Siculus, mid 1st century BC and Strabo 40 BC-25 AD.

From Posidonius we learn that Celts subscribed to the Pythagorean idea of transmigration of the soul, which Caesar mentions as well though he couches it in terms of making the fighters unafraid of death. Julius Caesar had the opportunity to see Celts at first hand, both on the continent and in Britain, but his concerns were mainly military. His writings also served as propaganda to raise money for his campaign against them. He wasn’t particularly interested in religion other to note the influence of the Druids on the nobility. Caesar describes the Druids, saying they ‘officiate at the worship of the Gods, regulate public and private sacrifices, and give rulings on all religious questions. Large numbers of young men flock to them for instruction and they are held in great honour by the people. They act as judges in practically all disputes whether between tribes or between individuals.’ He also noted that the Druids had the power to ban someone from the sacrifice, which meant both excommunication and shunning by the community. He mentions that there are many and diverse deities but does not name them except to use the name of whichever Roman deity possessed similar attributes.

It is to Pliny the Elder, 1st century AD, that we owe our image of the Druids cutting mistletoe with a golden sickle. It was an afterthought on the mistletoe entry in his book on trees. The word he used was ‘sacerdos’ not Druid, and it was probably the Vates who would perform such a ritual. We get this division of the Celtic ‘priesthood’ from Strabo’s ‘Geographica’ written at the end of the 1st century BC, which states ‘Among all the Gallic peoples, generally speaking, there are three sets of men and women who are held in exceptional honour: the Bards, the Vates, and the Druids. The Bards are singers and poets; the Vates, diviners and natural philosophers; while the Druids, in addition to natural philosophy, study also moral philosophy.’

Additionally, Irish vernacular evidence does tend to support this three part division.

Classical sources tended to sensationalise Celtic religion. They were, after all writing about foreigners who were considered barbarians. Like today it’s the unconventional and ‘uncivilised’ information that received the most attention, there was little accurate information about the Celtic Deities, as the authors tended to use their own Gods, already understood by the populous, who they thought nearest to worship of the Celtic Gods. Again like today they were the sensationalist’s like Lucan 1st century AD, who reported that the three major Gods of the Gauls demanded human sacrifice, Taranis (burning),Teutates (drowning), and Esus (hanging and wounding). The Romans had banned human sacrifice only a generation or two earlier and this was reported, so the Romans could be seen to be superior beings, early propaganda.

The classical writers of the day also describe the Celt’s appearance, Diodorus tells of the men of the Gauls being tall and fair with loud voices and piercing eyes, and the women being nearly as big and strong and as fierce as their menfolk. Tacitus decribed the Caledonii of Scotland as having reddish hair and large loose limbs, the Silurians of Wales described as swarthy, with dark curly hair. Dio Cassius as large and frightening, with bright red hair, Strabo records that both sexes liked to wear lots of jewellery, this is confirmed by archaeological findings, showing heavy torcs, brooches, rings, necklets and bracelets.

An idealised picture of the classical Celt is best described by Virgil in the following quote, ‘Golden is their hair, and golden is their garb. They are resplendent in their striped cloaks, and their milk-white necks are circled in gold.’

Inscriptions on alters and votive objects provide almost 400 names of Celtic deities, unfortunately many of the names just appear the once, and have no evidence about the deity, others had descriptive epithets added to their names, others are paired to Roman deities, allows us to guess more accurately about their Celtic counterparts. Some classical Roman deities receive Celtic epithets, and classical Gods often received Celtic consorts.

The Celts were seen to have a hierarchy in the sense of a coherent pantheon dwelling in some remote place. The human world and the Otherworld formed a unity in which the human and divine interact. Each location has numinous powers which are acknowledged by the people as we can see by their naming of mountains, rivers and other natural features many of which have associated deities.

When the Celts invaded Greece in 278 BC, Brennus entered the precinct of Delphi, saw no gold and silver dedications, only stone and wooden statues and he laughed at the Greeks for setting up deities in human form. Caesar mentions that the Germans worship the forces of nature only.

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The Celts: A History

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Posted by Maire in Celtic culture

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By the third century B.C., at the height of their greatest expansion, the Celts had spread from their Rhineland home as far west as Ireland and east to Turkey’s central plain, as far north as Belgium and south to Cadiz in Spain. They had crossed the Alps and defeated the armies of the Etruscan empire and had occupied Rome and invaded the Greek peninsula. Formidable warriors armed with iron weapons, they would find their way to Egypt and into Queen Cleopatra’s elite bodyguard. Tr…
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The Ancient Celts

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Posted by Maire in Celtic culture

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Each generation, the British scholar Jacquetta Hawkes has observed, chooses the archaeology that best suits its current ideology. For a century beginning in the late 1800s, archaeologists depicted the Celts as an inordinately brave and poetic tribal people who battled their way across the Eurasian world without being unduly aggressive–in the manner, that is, of good colonialists. Today some archaeologists are more inclined to consider the Celts as a people who kep…
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Happy Celtic New Year’s

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Posted by Maire in Celtic culture