The Fathers of Central Europe
Who Were the Celts?
From the dawn of European civilization, one group ruled over much of central and Western Europe until the arrival of the Roman empire. These people were probably the most masterful artisans of the civilized world, creating manuy of the most elaborate metal and gold works. They were farmers, herders, miners, traders, and weavers. They worshipped a myriad of gods and goddesses, and were very religious. The had judges, assemblies, schools.
These same people also had the reputation of being the most fearsome opponents to be faced in battle. They were ruthless in warfare, attacking without giving q1uarter, or expecting it to be given. They were looters, pillaging the religious sites of both the Greeks and the Romans. They were head hunters, collecting their enemies skulls because the head contained the soul, and thus gave them power over the vanquished. They practiced ritualized human sacrifice. They collected slaves from their defeated opponents.
The also left little in the way of the written word.
They were THE CELTS.
The word Celt comes from the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus, who recorded the greatness of the western people known as the "Keltoi", or the painted people. They were conssidered one of the four great barbarian races, along with the Persian, Scythians, and Libyans. Herodotus noted that the Celtic tribes stretched from the headwaters of the Danube to the western coast of the Iberian peninsula. There were reports that the Celts were related to the people of the Hyperborean Islands north of Gaul.
At the height of their power, the Celts would rule over lands that went from the Atlantic Ocean to the Greek Isles, and from the Alps to the British Isles. They would leave their names on variuos places throughout Europe, including Bohemia, Paris, Trent, Kent, York, Belgium, and Germany. The Celts would found a colony in Asia Minor, called Galatia, whose peole were the source of both fear and mercenary soldiers for the Greeks. The Celts stretched fom Sliesia and Galacia in modern Poland to the Po valley of Italy.
The Celts were considered the best artisans of the their day, and their gold work was highly sought after. The Celts were highly skilled traders, and for centuries used their abilities to get the best deals possible. They had a monopoly on the mining of tin, which was needed in the making of bronze, and also had a stronghold on the salt mines of central Austria. Julius Caesar was known to have placed a great value on his wollen British cloak.
REports on the Celts said that they were boastful, argumentative, and given to taking offence at the smallest of slights. But they were noted as being the most cordial of hosts, inviting strangers to dinner before even finding out what their business was.
The Celts ruled without central authority. They governed with kings and assemblies. Each tribe was divided into septs, or subsections, and each was virtually autonomous.
The Celts also did not have a written language. Value was placed on the eloquence of the speaker. Also, most knowledge was maintained by the Druids, the priestswho acted as the doctors and magistrates. The Druids flet that the written word wasn't as full of the secrecy and mystery of the spoken word.
So, what became of these masters of the middle of Europe? Why did their power disintegrate?
Why were they pushed to the edges of the British Isles and the coast of France, the only places to find them today? Where did the Celts go?
Burial Rites|
Who Were the Celts?|
La Tene|Halstaat
Burial Rites|
TORCS|
Hillforts and Oppida
Boudicca and the Romans|
Druids||Social Classes
Terrifying Helmets|Arms And Weaponry|Gods and Goddesses
Were the Celts Illiterate?|European Celtic Place
Names
Email: celtoman@hotmail.com
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