Celts (named from the Late Latin celtis, a chisel), is the name given to certain prehistoric weapons or other implements of stone or bronze which have been found over nearly the whole surface of the earth. Stone celts are found in the form of hatchets, adzes, chisels, etc. In size they vary, some being found only about one inch in length, and others approaching two feet; but the most common length is from six to eight inches, and the breadth is usually about half or one third of the length. The materials of which they are made are flint, chert, clay-slate, porphyry, various kinds of greenstone and of metamorphic rocks, and, in short, any very hard and durable stone.
Bronze celts belong to a later period than stone ones, and are not so numerous. Some stone celts, however, have been found along with bronze celts in such a manner as to show that stone celts were still used when the method of working bronze had been discovered. Bronze celts are not found so large as the largest stone celts, the largest bronzecelt being under one foot; but the average size of a bronzecelt is about the same as that of a stone, namely about six inches. Research Celts
Laws of Bretts and Scots was the name given in the 13th century to a code of laws in use among the Celtic tribes in Scotland, the Scots being the Celts north of the Forth and Clyde, and the Bretts being the remains of the British inhabitants of the kingdom of Cambria, Cumbria, or Strathclyde, and Reged. Edward I issued in 1305 an ordinance abolishing the usages of the Scots and Bretts. Only a fragment of them has been preserved. Research Laws of Bretts and Scots
The Breton is an old breed of French heavy horse originally developed by the Celts and then adapted during the ages. The modern Breton stands 15 to 16 hands high, is chestnut or chestnut roam in colour often with a flaxen mane and tail. They are lively and energetic, but with a very good temperament and are used for pulling wagons and carts. Research Breton
The Basques or Biscayans (properly the Euscaldunac) are an ancient people of the Pyrenees of south-west France and northern Spain. They are probably descendants of the ancient Iberi, who occupied Spain before the Celts. They preserve their ancient language, former manners, and national dances, and even in the 19th century were renowned for making admirable soldiers, especially in guerrilla warfare. Their language is highly polysynthetic, and no connection between it and any other language has as yet been made out. There are four principal dialects, which are not only distinguished by their pronunciation and grammatical structure, but differ even in their vocabularies.Legend tells that the Basques visited America prior to Christopher Columbus in pursuit of whales and fish. During the 20th century an independence movement formed in northern Spain seeking independence from Spain for the Basque people, the campaign being often punctuated by terrorist attacks directed at the Spanish people. Research Basques
The Celtiberi were a race of Celts who at an early period invaded the Spanish peninsula and intermarried with the inhabitants - the Iberians. They became subjects of Rome in the second Punic war but frequently rebelled. Research Celtiberi
The Celts were, according to some sources, ancient tribes of people which came to Britain from central Europe in the late Bronze age and again in the Iron Age. The name is also applied to the Ancient Britons, peoples living in Britain around the time of the bronze age until the invasion by the Romans. The Celts left no written accounts of their life, written accounts were made by the Romans, who in all probability were less than gracious.
Through archaeology we are able to understand a little of Celtic life, we know that they wove cloth, and yet corpses found are all dressed identically in a cloth made of brown felt, like a blanket, comprising a skirt and a cloak like top covering, in the case of women sometimes a crop top arrangement. These clothes found on dead Celts are often very tatty, full of holes, even though the deceased was obviously wealthy and of status, established from the artefacts found buried with the body.
We think that the Celts lived in round houses constructed of wattle and daub, and thatched with straw - these houses did not have a hole in the roof to emit the smoke from the interior fire, contrary to popular belief. If they had, the roof would fall outwards, and rain fall in and extinguish the fire. Rather, the smoke from the interior fire assisted in seasoning the wood and killing insects. They were farmers, growing wheat, barley and keeping sheep, pigs and goats. They were very eco-friendly, sustaining their environment for over a thousand years, and understanding herbalism which was used for medicine, and the production of coloured dyes.
At an early date the Celts divided into two great branches, speaking dialects widely differing from each other, but doubtless belonging to the same stock. One of these branches is the Gad-helic or Gaelic, represented by the Highlanders of Scotland, the Celtic Irish, and the Manx; the other is the Cymric, represented by the Welsh, the inhabitants of Cornwall, and those of Brittany. The Cornishdialect is now extinct.
The sun seems to have been the principal object of worship among the Celts, and groves of oak and the remarkable circles of stone commonly called 'Druidical Circles', their temples of worship. All the old Celts seem to have possessed a kind of literary order called Bards. The ancient Irish wrote in a rude alphabet called the Ogham; later they employed the Roman alphabet, or the Anglo-Saxon form of it. The chief literature existing consists of the hymns, martyrologies, annals, and laws of Ireland, written from the 9th to the 16th centuries. The Scottish Gaelic literature extant includes a collection of manuscripts in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, some of v/hich date from the 12th century; the Book of the Dean of Lismore, 16th century; a number of songs from the 17th century to the present day; and the so-called poems of Ossian. The Welsh literary remains date from the 9th century, and consist of glossaries, grammars, annals, genealogies, histories, poems, prose tales, etc. Research Celts
The Cymri were the great Celtic family of people to which the Britons belonged and which came from Asia and occupied a large part of Europe about 1500 BC. The Cymri appear to have succeeded the Gaels in the great migration of the Celts westwards, and to have driven the Gaelic branch to the west (into Ireland and the Isle of Man) and to the north (into the Highlands of Scotland), while they themselves occupied the southern parts of Britain. At a later period they were themselves driven out of the Lowlands of Britain by the invasions of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, and compelled to take refuge in the mountainous regions of Wales, Cornwall, and the north-west of England. Wales may mow be regarded as the chief seat of the Cymri. Research Cymri
The ancient druids were divided into three functional orders: primitive druid, bard and ovate. Druidism originated amongst the megalithic ancient British. They taught it to the immigrant Celts, and later trained Celts from the continent. Research Druid
Halloween (All Hallow Even) was the last night of the British Celtic year (equivalent to the modern new year's eve) - October the 31st, later adopted as the Eve of All Saints by the Christian church in Britain when the Pope of Rome in 610 ordered that the heathen Pantheon should be converted into a Christian church and dedicated to the honour of all martyrs.
Halloween was a Celtic fire festival and a day on which the spirits of the dead revisited their old homes and evil spirits roamed the land. Superstition, based in part upon the reality that November the 1st (Samhain) ushered in the cold, dark months of winter, encouraged the Celts to placate the spirits of nature at Halloween, lest the next year's crops should fail, and because of the presence of so many spirits at large at this time, and the strong supernatural forces at work, it was a time for divination. Later, games were held throughout Britain for teenagers, including apple and sixpence bobbing, success at these games being thought to guarantee good fortune for the coming year and to enable divination with regard to forthcoming marriages. In early Ireland, it is reported that children were sacrificed to placate the evil spirits at Halloween, but this is more probably propaganda than a reality. During the 19th century Irish immigrants introduced to America the concept of mischief on Halloween, with young men playing tricks on residents and demanding a treat lest they should play a trick on them - an echo of sacrifices of foods to the spirits so as to placate them. This practise having originated in the North of England, while elsewhere young people demanded of their elders to be shown a magic trick or receive a treat by way of a forfeit by the elder.
Welsh tradition had it that on Halloween, an evil spirit sat on every stile. While in Scotland the notion of the goblin was invented, which only came out on Halloween. Modern Halloween is not, as is popularly thought, an American invention, but a survival of an old British festival. Sacrifices are still made to placate the witches, goblins, ghosts and other supernatural spirits, though these now generally take the form of sweets given to costumed children dressed as representations of the spirits, that call from house to house demanding of those devoid of supernatural powers (proven by performing a trick) tribute (a treat) so as to ensure good fortune the following year. Research Halloween
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Celts
