Early and Iron Age Celts
Discussing the ancient Celts is complicated by the fact they left few written records. Author of Celtic Gods and Goddess, R.J. Stewart, believes the Celtic culture and peoples were a mixture of incoming and indigenous tribes who eventually developed a linguistic and religious unity (Stewart, 1990). The early Celts, in historical terms, are known to have occupied an area between the upper reaches of the rivers Elbe, Danube and Rhine, where traces of the culture may still be found (Stewart, 1990). The gradual assimilation of Celts arrival in Ireland transpired over the course of several centuries. The Iron Age Celtics, defined as a warrior-class tribal group, is thought to be the last wave of invaders in Ireland. They became the predominant group in Ireland, absorbing other ethnic groups throughout subsequent centuries. The Celtic’s are believed to have emerged from Europe’s heartlands as a distinct race, but under the Roman Empire retreated to western fringes such as Gaul, Britain and Ireland.
The Celtics defeated Rome in 390-387 B.C. and Delphi in 279 B.C.; by this time the Celtic expansion had reached as Gaul, Spain, Britain and Ireland (Stewart, 1990). However, the Romans had moved militarily and defeated the Celts in Italy (Green M. J., 1992). Void of a centralized and politically unified manner, the Celtic could not withstand the imperial might of Rome (Stewart, 1990). Their lack of a united defense against the Roman invaders by the Celts and the individualistic nature of their warrior ethos rendered their armies fragmented and unstable. Despite their bravery in battle, the Celtics were no match for the Roman’s superior organization, authority, and discipline in warfare (Stewart, 1990). Rome controlled Gaul, and Celtic Britain had fallen by 84 A.D., which effectively marked the end of the free Celtic world, excluding Ireland (Green M. , 1996). Only Ireland was untouched by Rome and remained for the most part, untouched until the fourth century A.D. Yet, it was inevitable the Celtic tradition in Europe would change, bringing forth a new hybrid Romano-Celtic culture (Green M. , 1996).
|
There is not a lot in history books, pertaining to the Celts. Timothy Joyce, author of Celtic Christianity, believes Celts were not taken seriously, due to their lacking of centralization as well as the written documents of Greece and Rome (Joyce, 1998). Features define in, the early Celtic cultures are their unity of language and myth, world-view and religious practices. Scholars argue that the ancient Celts all spoke related languages, forming a linguistic group (MacCulloch, 1992). They are often treated as a cultural group due to the similarities in their social structure, religion, and general customs (Savino H. P., 2001). Despite their lack of a seemingly unified culture, they had a high degree of sophistication in art, technology, story, warfare, social morals, and religion. The Celts are known for their verbal skills along with their visual ones.
|