The Celts originated
thousands of years ago and held dominion over Middle and Western Europe
for centuries. The true Celts have long since vanished as a whole except
for sections in Ireland and the Scottish highlands where the Celtic way
is still strongly followed, as the languages and customs still thrive.
The Celts had
no written history and very little is known of them until their contact
with the Greeks and Romans.The reason being is that the Celts preffered
oral records.The Celts were however highly educated especially in the subjects
of religion,philosophy,geography,astronomy,alchemy and other sciences.
Celts were
known mostly for their ferocity in combat and skill in tactics.Celtic society
allowed that women and men were equals and as such both served as rulers
and as warriors.Celtic men and women often went into battle together totally
nude wearing only facepaints in any weather.Marriage customs allowed for
both married women and men to have several lovers now and then but only
one spouse.
The History
of The Celts
Part One-Ancient
Europe
The first strong
evidence of Celtic history came around the year 600 BC when the Greek geographer
Herodotus wrote of a race living beyond "the Pillars of Hercules" (Spain)
and the upper Danube.The name Celt came from the name they gave themselves
when communicating with the Greeks which was the name Keltoi.450 BC made
way for the La Tene tribe which lived around Switzerland.The Celts first
came up from Austria.
Celtic tribes
such as the Pritani (England),Picts (Ireland and Scotland), Scotti (Scotland),Galli
(France),Belgae (Belgium) and the Galatians (Turkey).
Part Two-The
Celtic Golden Age
During the
4th and 5th centuries BC the Celts were at their strongest in 500 BC they
took over Spain,in 400 BC they controlled North Italy and at the close
of that same century they conqured the Illyrians at Pannonia.
The Celts were
closely allied with the Greeks having saved Greece by attacking Carthage
and keeping Greece safe ,during the abscence of Alexander the Great, from
attacks from the north. The Celts often fought the Phonecians and Persians
at the side of the Greeks.
Livy Ambicatus
led the celts around the year 400 BC and they were united with Rome in
battle against the Etruscans but the Romans had a secret hatred for the
Celts which was to show itself at the siege of Clusium in 391 BC. The Romans
betrayed the Celts.The Celts in retaliation mustered an army and marched
non stop to Rome passing cities and towns without plundering or attacking
anyone. Finally they reached Rome and after three days of combat the city
fell and the Celts stayed there for a year. The Romans would not attack
the Celts again for almost a century.
Part Three-The
Fall of the Celts
The Celtic
empire like all empires fell into decline. Around 300 BC Celtic tribes
searched for new lands while others came into Greece. The Celts took Delphi
in 273 BC.Some tribes attacked Rome in alliance with the Etruscans but
met defeat at Sentinum in 295 BC and at Lake Vadimo in 283 BC. Eventually
the Celts assimilated with Germadic tribes or fought each other by the
time Christianity came the only Celtic strongholds were Britain and Gaul
and Britain fell into the rule of The Roman Empire.
Part Four-The
Roman Empire
The Celts were
all but totally vanished by the time Julius Caesar attacked Britain on
July 8 54BC. The Britons and other tribes of that realm met the Roman army
of over 2,000 soldiers,5 legions and 800 ships. The first battle in what
is now Canterbury was to be an omen. The Romans easily routed the Britons
despite the bold efforts of Cassivellaunis leader of the Catuvellauni tribe.Various
tribes resentful of Cassivellaunis aided the Romans but pressing matters
in Gaul caused Ceasar to leave Britain and the Romans did not return again
until 97 years later this time with knowledge of the land and people.
Emperor Claudius
was the one who in 51 AD defeated the British tribes and again it was the
Catuvellauni tribe who led the resistance against Roman occupation. Emperor
Claudius who respected the Catuvellauni king Caratacus allowed him to live
and sent him and his family to Italy as guests of the empire and by 77
AD the Romans had annexed Britain to the Roman Empire completing Hadrian's
Wall in 122 AD.Roman occupied Britain was attacked several times by Picts,Saxons
and Scots with the brunt of the attacks occuring in 409 AD, the next year
the Britons were free from Roman rule.
Part Five-The
Saxons
Not very long
after the Romans left Briton the island was attacked by the Saxons. Close
to this time a religious movement known as The Pelagian Heresy began and
was widely promoted by Pro-Celtic factions but denounced by the Roman Church.The
Saxons attacked a Britain that was divided by religion,politics and famine.Pelagian
belief was so popular that it was made illegal for a 100 mile radius around
Rome.The Saxons attacked continously and around 485 to 496 the Saxons faced
continual defeat at the hands of a king named Arthur (yes THE King Arthur)
and after 496 AD a generation of peace came as did the rise of the Celtic
Church.
Part Six-Celtic
Renewal
The stage had
been set for a return to many of the old Celtic ways with the Romans gone
and the Celtic church thriving at Iona.Many believe it was the Celtic Church
that kept civilization alive for after Rome fell it was the Celtic Church
that kept many records alive.Things had indeed changed in a land where
it had been custom to keep only spoken records now it was written records
that so aided mankind.
Northern Scotland
was ruled by hereditary clans and eventually small tribes became kingdoms
ruled by such Kings as Kenneth MacAlpin,Aiden the False,Malcolm II,MacBeth
and Malcolm III.
Part Seven-An Ending
In 1071 William the Conqueror attacked Scotland after having defeated England and Malcolm III was forced to pay homage to him.Malcolm nevertheless attacked William's armies in Alnwick and was killed his wife Queen Margaret died of a broken heart several days later and was canonized.It was in the early half of the next century that Celtic influence was pretty much forgotten and the Celts themselves as an identifiable group had been all but memory.....
...or has it?