The Celts

EUROPE. THE CELTS LIVED IN INDIVIDUAL TRIBES AND SHARED A COMMON CULTURE AND LANGUAGE. THEY WERE A PROUD AND HONOURABLE PEOPLE AND WERE WELL KNOWN FOR BEING FIERCE WARRIORS

AGE LASTED FROM AROUND 700 BC TO AD 43. THIS TIME PERIOD IS CALLED THE IRON AGE BECAUSE THAT WAS WHEN PEOPLE STARTED MAKING ITEMS FROM IRON, SUCH AS PLOUGHS FOR FARMING, HELMETS, SHIELDS AND COINS.

WERE: KNEE-LENGTH TUNICS DYED AND EMBROIDERED IN BRIGHT COLOURS AND WORN WITH A GOLD OR SILVER-PLATED BELT TROUSERS, CALLED 'BRACAE' STRIPED WOOLLEN CLOAKS FASTENED BY A BROOCH.

BOTH SEXES WERE WITH LONG HAIR AND WORE JEWELLERY(IT SHOWED THEIR WEALTH). THE TORC WAS AN IMPORTANT ORNAMENT WORN BY THE CELTS. IT WAS A NECK RING MADE OF A ROD OF METAL (SOMETIMES TWISTED) IN BRONZE OR GOLD DEPENDING ON THE WEALTH OF THE WEARER. THE TWO ENDS OF THE TORC ALMOST MET.

OF THE VILLAGE. MANY FAMILIES LIVED IN A SINGLE ROUNDHOUSE WHICH CONTAINED ONE LARGE ROOM. THE DOOR OF THE ROUNDHOUSE WAS DECORATED WITH SPECIAL CARVINGS AND PLANTS TO KEEP EVIL SPIRITS FROM ENTERING.
ROUNDHOUSES WERE BUILT AROUND A CENTRAL POLE WITH POLES RADIATING OUTWARDS FROM IT TO FORM THE ROOF, WHICH RESTED ON VERTICAL POLES. THEY USED MATERIALS FROM THE FOREST TO BUILD THEIR HOMES. THE WALLS WERE MADE OF WATTLE (WOVEN WOOD) AND DAUB (STRAW AND MUD) AND THE ROOFS WERE THATCHED.

BELIEVED THAT EVERY TREE, EVERY BUSH, EVERY FLOWER, EVERY RIVER, ALMOST EVERYTHING HAD A LITTLE GOD LIVING IN IT. SOME OF THEIR GODS AND GODDESSES WERE EXTREMELY POWERFUL. BUT MOST WERE LITTLE GODS OR GODDESSES.
THE ANCIENT CELTS DID NOT WORSHIP THEIR GODS. THEY DID NOT GO TO CHURCH.
INSTEAD, THEY LEFT LITTLE OFFERINGS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

DAGDA WAS THE FATHER GOD OF THE CELTS. THEY CALLED HIM THE 'GOOD GOD' BECAUSE HE PROTECTED THEIR CROPS. HE HAD A CAULDRON CALLED THE UNDRY WHICH SUPPLIED UNLIMITED FOOD AND A LIVING OAK HARP CALLED UAITHNE WHICH CAUSED THE SEASONS TO CHANGE IN THEIR ORDER.

THE MORRIGAN THE MORRIGAN WAS THE GODDESS OF WAR, LIFE AND DEATH. SHE THEREFORE HAD A HABIT OF APPEARING TO THE GREAT HEROES WHEN THEIR LIFE WAS IN DANGER. CÚ CHULAINN HIMSELF ENCOUNTERED THE MORRIGAN IN A VARIETY OF FORMS. HER MOST WELL-RECOGNISED FORM WAS THAT OF A BLACK CROW.

WAS THE HIGHEST CLASS
AND WAS HEADED BY A KING, QUEEN OR A CHIEFTAIN. THE
NOBLES WERE THE LANDOWNERS AND OWNED MOST, IF NOT
ALL, OF THE LAND, HERDS, AND WEALTH OF THE TRIBE OR CLAN.
WHEN THE NOBLES WERE NOT AT WAR THEY SPENT THEIR TIME
DOING BUSINESS, PLAYING BOARD GAMES, WATCHING YOUTHS
PLAYING FIELD GAMES, TAKING PART IN CONTEST OF SKILL
AND STRENGTH, HUNTING AND FEAST