THESIS: Many classical writers view the celts as barbarians (lacking in of civisilisation) this text will disprove these points of view Classical writers often refer to the celts as barbarians, these views stem from a number of different observations that these writers had. As Caesar, Strabo and Pliny wandered and fought throughout Celtic land they harshly judged the Gauls and their customs, comparing them to Rome and other cultures in a negative light. Caesar recorded the Celts religious rituals and sacrifices as acts of barbarism, and Pliny dismissed the Celts as simple and barbarous people willing to go to war for wine. Strabo commented on the fact that the Celts were war mongering barbarians. This text will disprove these assumptions.…
The Celts were a group of people who began to spread throughout Europe around 1000 B. C. At the peak of their power, they took over an area that started in the British Isles in the west and went as far as Turkey in the east. They conquered northern Italy and Macedonia. In the process of doing so, they took down Rome and Delphi as well. They were known to be fierce, courageous, and fearless warriors. The Romans treated the Celts with a lot of respect because of this. "They are very tall in…
The Celts are an ancient civilization which consisted of the Indo-European group, which is related to the Greeks, the Germanic people, certain italic group and peoples of the Indian sub-continent. This civilization originated from central Europe at the beginning of the first millennium B.C. and their main occupation was horse rearing and the use of iron was at large because of its availability in abundance. They started spreading across rapidly and by the end of the 1st millennium B.C. their…
Martin J. Dougherty states in the Celts: The History and Legacy of one of the oldest cultures in Europe that the Celts “…were far more complex than at first it might appear” (13). The birth place of Celts came from Keltoi which has been created from the Greeks, except another term they are called as is barbarians, by none other than the Romans (19). These Keltoi’s, barbarians, Celts, or however you decide to call them, are being hired by the Greeks for their mercenary skills to help the Greeks…
Magic traditions have long fascinated people, but none have been as captivating as the Celtic traditions. The Celts influence had a wide reach at their height of power that stretched from Ireland to Turkey, which was strengthened by their ferocity. Most of the written history and traditions of the Celts came from the Romans during their time of conquest, as the Celts passed down their traditions orally, which has added to the mysticism that surrounds them. Their spirituality was holistic,…
Era, a group of people called the Celts emerged. From about 450 BC to 250 BC, the Celts were the most powerful people living in Europe. They were not originally named the Celts until the eighteenth century. Before, the Brits would call them Britons. The Celts were consist of small tribes rather than one large group. Each tribe had their own king and land. However they all followed the same religion, political structure, and all looked fairly the same. Even though the Celts did not not have a…
whose purpose in writing these accounts was not due to an interest in the Celts, but rather to serve Roman interests. The physical image of Boudica that is known today emerged from these Classical writings, but the intention behind her as a symbol has changed from the Classical stereotype used by the Roman writers. Over time different leaders and groups in British society have drawn on the image of Boudica to stand…
Celtic Gods and Goddesses Religion and mythology is an important part of every major culture around the world, as far back in history as imaginable. The Celts were no different. Before Christianity became commonplace, the Celtic people had their own myths, gods and goddesses, and religious rituals. A main source of Celtic legends were Christian monks who recorded them, giving further insight to how the Celts viewed life. Celtic gods and goddesses played an important role in the Celtic people’s…
Halloween Halloween is a time where people can dress up. They can be whatever they want scary or cute. However where does halloween originate from? Halloween originates far back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. They celebrated their new year on November 1. Which marked the end of summer and harvest and the beginning of the dark, and cold winter, a time where death tolls would rise. The Celts believed the night before the new year, a boundary “portal” between the dead and the living…
The History of Halloween Why do we celebrate Halloween? When Halloween is mentioned today what comes to mind is candy, costumes, trick-or-treating, and mischief. But Halloween was celebrated very differently when it originated. The first form of Halloween was believed to originate 2,000 years ago from the Celts, who were located in what is today, Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France. Their celebration called Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween) is translated to mean “summer’s end”, it was…