Celtic History (Celts)
The Celts are a collection of tribes with origins in central Europe that shared a similar language, religious beliefs, traditions and culture. It’s believed that the Celtic culture started to evolve as early as 1200 B.C. The Celts spread throughout western Europe—including Britain, Ireland, France and Spain—via migration. Their legacy remains most prominent in Ireland and Great Britain, where traces of their language and culture are still prominent today.
The word Celts are pronounced with a hard ‘k’ sound. They were referred to as the ‘Galli’ meaning Barbarians by the Roman Empire who ruled Southern Europe at that time (around 8th century B.C.) However, the Celts were the complete opposite of Barbarians and many aspects of their culture and language have survived through the centuries.
The Celts spread over Europe and controlled Great Britain and Ireland too. As they were pushed out of Europe by Julius Caesar’s military campaigns against them they made their homeland the Islands off Europe’s Western Coast (Great Britain & Ireland) where they were allowed to thrive. Julius Caesar did launch an invasion of Britain but was unsuccessful so many of the Celt cultural traditions remain seen in Ireland, Scotland & Wales still today.
Celtic Languages
In Wales, the language was called Cymru by the Celts, the native tongue—Welsh—is a Celtic language, and it is still widely spoken in the region. In Cornwall (the westernmost county in England, and near Wales), some (although very few) speak Cornish, which is similar to Welsh and Breton.
And, in Scotland, the Celtic language Scots Gaelic is still spoken, although by a minority, and the local affiliate of the BBC is known as BBC Alba, the Celtic name for the region.
Of course, the bagpipes, the musical instrument for which Scotland is arguably best known, can also trace their origin to Celtic times.
Celtic Designs
Across Europe, the Celts have been credited with many artistic innovations, including intricate stone carving and fine metalworking.
As a result, elaborate Celtic designs in artefacts crafted from gold, silver and precious gemstones are a major part of museum collections throughout Europe and North America.
To see the full range of Celtic Irish T-shirts see www.celticrebel.co.uk