Celts (modern)
The modern Celts (/kɛlts/ KELTS, see pronunciation of Celt) are a related group of ethnicities who share similar Celtic languages, cultures and artistic histories, and who live in or descend from one of the regions on the western extremities of Europe populated by the Celts.[1][2]
A modern Celtic identity emerged in
The concept of modern Celtic identity evolved during the course of the 19th century into the
The Celtic revival also led to the emergence of musical and artistic styles identified as Celtic. Music typically drew on folk traditions within the Celtic nations. Art drew on the decorative styles of Celtic art produced by the ancient Celts and early medieval Christianity, along with folk styles. Cultural events to promote "inter-Celtic" cultural exchange also emerged.
In the late 20th century, some authors criticised the idea of modern Celtic identity, usually by downplaying the value of the linguistic component in defining culture and cultural connection, sometimes also arguing that there never was a common Celtic culture, even in ancient times. Malcolm Chapman's 1992 book The Celts: The Construction of a Myth led to what archaeologist Barry Cunliffe has called a "politically correct disdain for the use of 'Celt.'"[4]
Definitions
Traditionally, the essential defining criterion of Celticity is seen as peoples and countries that do, or once did, use Celtic languages and it is asserted that an index of connectedness to the Celtic languages has to be borne in mind before branching out into other cultural domains.[5]
An alternative approach to defining the Celts is the contemporary inclusive and associative definition proposed by Vincent and Ruth Megaw (1996) and Raimund Karl (2010). It holds that a Celt is someone who uses a Celtic language or produces or uses a distinctive Celtic cultural expression (such as art or music) or has been referred to as a Celt in historical materials or has identified themselves or been identified by others as a Celt or has a demonstrated descent from the Celts (such as family history or DNA ancestry).[6][7]
Since the
Less common is the assumption of Celticity for European cultures deriving from
Celtic revival and romanticism
'Celt' has been adopted as a label of self-identification by a variety of peoples at different times. 'Celticity' can refer to the inferred links between them.
During the 19th century, French nationalists gave a privileged significance to their descent from the
Before the advance of
At the same time, there was also a tendency to stress other heritages in the
A
.Contemporary Celtic identity
The modern Celtic groups' distinctiveness as national, as opposed to regional, minorities has been periodically recognised by major British newspapers. For example, a Guardian editorial in 1990 pointed to these differences, and said that they should be constitutionally recognised:
Smaller minorities also have equally proud visions of themselves as irreducibly Welsh, Irish, Manx or Cornish. These identities are distinctly national in ways which proud people from Yorkshire, much less proud people from Berkshire will never know. Any new constitutional settlement which ignores these factors will be built on uneven ground.[16]
The Republic of Ireland, on surpassing
These latter evolutions have proceeded hand in hand with the growth of a pan-Celtic or inter-Celtic dimension, seen in many organisations and festivals operating across various Celtic countries. Celtic studies departments at many universities in Europe and beyond, have studied the various ancient and modern Celtic languages and associated history and folklore under one roof.
Some of the most vibrant aspects of modern Celtic culture are music, song and festivals. Under the Music, Festivals and Dance sections below, the richness of these aspects that have captured the world's attention are outlined.[17]
Sports such as hurling, Gaelic football and shinty are seen as being Celtic.
The USA has also taken part in discussions of modern Celticity. For example,
Criticism of modern Celticism
In 1996, Ruth Megaw[19] and Emeritus Professor Vincent Megaw[20] of Flinders University in the Antiquity article "Ancient Celts and modern ethnicity" examined ethnic identity particularly in relation to Celtic identity in arguing against critics seemingly motivated by an English nationalist agenda opposed to further integration with Europe who saw modern Celtic identity as a threat.[21][22]
In 1998, Simon James of the University of Leicester [23] in the Antiquity article "Celts, politics and motivation in archaeology" replied to Ruth and Vincent Megaw's article questioning the suitability of the term Celtic in the historic sense.[24] The core of his argument was that the Iron Age peoples of Britain should be considered not as generic Celts, but as a mosaic of different societies, each with their own traditions and histories.[24] Later in 1998, this line of reasoning came under criticism, being labelled an intellectual extension of modern British cultural colonialism, as well as for simplifying the anthropological correlation between material culture and ethnicity. Ruth and Vincent Megaw in the Antiquity article "The Mechanism of (Celtic) Dreams?': A Partial Response to Our Critics."[25] attacked 'Celt-sceptics' for being motivated by English nationalism or anxieties about the decline of British imperial power.
Simon James, in 1998, wrote a response arguing that the rejection of a Celtic past was not 'nationalist' but partly due to archaeological evidence, and usually by a post-colonial and multi-cultural agenda with recognition that Britain has always been home to multiple identities.[26]
Recently, the Insular Celts have increasingly been seen as part of an Atlantic trading-networked culture speaking Celtic languages of the Atlantic Bronze Age and probably earlier.[27]
In 2003, Professor John Collis[28] of the University of Sheffield wrote a book titled The Celts: Origins, Myths and Invention, itself criticised in 2004 by Ruth and Vincent Megaw in Antiquity.[29]
Celtic nations
Six nations tend to be most associated with a modern
These six nations alone are considered Celtic by the
A number of activists on behalf of other regions/nations have also sought recognition as modern Celts, reflecting the wide diffusion of ancient Celts across Europe. Notable regions include
.A Celtic language did not survive in Galicia / Northern Portugal (together Gallaecia), Asturias nor Cantabria, and as such they fall outside of the
Elements of Celtic music, dance, and folklore can be found within England (e.g.
Similarly, in France outside of Brittany, in
Ancestry
A profound interest in
The genetic disorder hereditary haemochromatosis has by far its highest prevalence rate among people of Celtic ancestry.[52] Other traits far more prevalent among people of Celtic ancestry include lactase persistence and red hair, with 46% of Irish and at least 36% of Highland Scots being carriers of red-head variants of the MC1R gene, possibly an adaptation to the cloudy weather of the areas where they live.[53][54][55]
Although they are not usually considered a Celtic nation, the
Migration from Celtic countries
A significant portion of the populations of the
There are three areas outside Europe with communities of Celtic language speakers:
- the province of Y Wladfa)
- Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia with Scottish Gaelic-speaking Scottish Canadians
- southeast Newfoundland with Irish-speaking Irish Canadians.
The most common mother-tongue amongst the Fathers of Confederation which saw the formation of Canada was Gaelic.[60] There is a movement in Cape Breton for a separate province in Canada, as espoused by the Cape Breton Labour Party and others.
In some former British colonies, or particular regions within them, the term
Music
The claim that distinctly Celtic styles of music exist was made during the nineteenth century, and was associated with the revival of folk traditions and pan-Celtic ideology. The Welsh anthem "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" was adopted as a pan-Celtic anthem.[62] Though there are links between Scots Gaelic and Irish Gaelic folk musics, very different musical traditions existed in Wales and Brittany. Nevertheless, Gaelic styles were adopted as typically Celtic even by Breton revivalists such as Paul Ladmirault.[63]
Celticism came to be associated with the
Unaccompanied or
The emergence of
Festivals
The Scottish
The Celtic Media Festival is an annual 3-day event that promotes the languages and cultures of the Celtic Nations and Regions in media. This festival takes place in a different Celtic nation every year and has been running since 1980.
The birthdays of the most important Celtic Saints of
Attitudes and customs associated with the routine of the year's work, religious beliefs and practices survived the coming of Christianity in the conservative rural areas of much of the Celtic countries.[85] All over these lands there were sacred places which had earned their status in pre-Christian times and which had only been gingerly adopted by the Christian church and given a garnish of Christian names or dedications, hills, stones, and especially wells which can still be seen festooned with rags in observance of an old ritual.[85]
Certain days in the year were marked as festivals, and time was counted forward and backwards from them without reference to the ordinary calendar.
In their pilgrimages the people combined the celebration of a holy place and a holy day.[93] Pilgrimages are still an important feature of country life, particularly in Ireland, Brittany and Galicia.[93] The most impressive pilgrimages include Croagh Patrick on the west coast of Ireland on the last Sunday in July (the beginning of harvest) and Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.[93] The inspiration for famous Celtic singer and harpist Loreena McKennitt's million-selling CD The Mask and the Mirror came in part from a visit to Galicia and in particular Santiago de Compostela.[94] Some of her songs are about Celtic feast days such as All Souls Night about Samhain on The Visit CD which featured in the erotic thriller film Jade starring David Caruso and "Huron Beltane Fire Dance" on the Parallel Dreams CD.[95][96]
Dance
To signal the coming of summer and the return of real warmth, on
In the early 1980s seven-time world champion
Arts and crafts
Revival of Celtic art has been seen in the Celtic jewellery that revived ancient traditions based on the museum pieces that archaeologists had recovered.[103] An example is the Claddagh ring produced in Galway since at least 1700, but popularised in the 1840s.[104]
Textile craft industries based on Celtic fisher designs such as Aran jumpers were developed in the early 1900s by enterprising island women to earn income.[105]
Following the authoritative publications on Celtic Art of the
Literature and mythology
Similarly, there has been a rebirth of interest in fantasy fiction based on Celtic themes inspired by history and the vast body of Celtic myths and legends.[109]
See also
- Anglo-Celtic
- Celtic Congress
- Celtic League
- Celtic Neopaganism
- Celtic Revival
- Germanic peoples (modern)
- Pan-Celticism
Citations
- ^ "History of the Celts". Live Science. 7 April 2014.
- ^ "Celtic Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary". dictionary.cambridge.org.
- ^ "Celtic League – About us". Celticleague.net. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ Barry Cunliffe, The Ancient Celts, Oxford University Press, 1997, p.276.
- ISBN 978-1-85109-440-0. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
- S2CID 162732496.
- ISBN 978-1-84217-410-4.
- ^ a b "Who were the Celts? ... Rhagor". Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales website. Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. 4 May 2007. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
- ^ Chadwick, Nora (1970). The Celts. Penguin Books. p. 53.
- ISBN 0-520-05297-8.
- ^ Laurent, Peter Edmund (1868). An introduction to the study of ancient geography. Oxford. pp. 20, 21.
- ^ Weber, Eugen (1991) "Gauls versus Franks: conflict and nationalism", in Nationhood and Nationalism in France, edited by Robert Tombs. London: HarperCollins Academic; Dietler, Michael (1994) "'Our ancestors the Gauls': archaeology, ethnic nationalism, and the manipulation of Celtic identity in modern Europe", American Anthropologist 96:584–605.
- ^ Posner, Rebecca.Romance Languages. Page 3.
- ^ "A brief history of the Cornish language". Maga Kernow. Archived from the original on 25 December 2008.
- ISBN 0-85025-371-3.
- ^ The Guardian, editorial, 8 May 1990
- ^ "Things Celtic Music Directory : Festivals and Pubs". Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
- ^ Metress, Seamus. "The Great Starvation and British Imperialism in Ireland (University of Toledo)" (PDF). The Irish People. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
- ^ "Emeritus Professor JVS Megaw and Dr M Ruth Megaw Collection". Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ "Vincent Megaw". Flinders.edu.au. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ Megaw, J. V. S & M. R. "Ancient Celts and modern ethnicity (full text)". Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- S2CID 162732496.
- ^ tk74. "Professor Simon James — University of Leicester". 2.le.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "Celts, politics and motivation in archaeology". Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ "'The mechanism of (Celtic) dreams?': a partial response to our critics. - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ "Simon James's Ancient Celts Page – Further info". Archived from the original on 2 November 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ "O'Donnell Lecture 2008 Appendix" (PDF). Wales.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ Sheffield, University of. "Collis, J - Our Staff - Archaeology - The University of Sheffield". Sheffield.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ "John Collis. The Celts: origins, myths and inventions". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ "The Celtic League". Celtic League website. The Celtic League. 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
- ^ "Information on The International Celtic Congress Douglas, Isle of Man hosted by". Celtic Congress website (in Irish and English). Celtic Congress. 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
- ^ "Visio-Map of Europe Celtic Europe.vsd" (PDF). Retrieved 31 October 2008.
- ^ The last of the Tinsmiths: The Life of Willy MacPhee, by Shelia Douglas 2006
- ISBN 0-85389-832-4
- ^ Gamito, Teresa (10 September 2005). "The Celts in Portugal" (PDF). E-Keltoi: Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies. 6 (1). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
- ^ Álvarez-Sanchís, Jesús (28 February 2005). "Oppida and Celtic society in western Spain" (PDF). E-Keltoi: Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies. 6 (1). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 June 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
- ^ García Alonso, Juan (14 February 2006). "Briga Toponyms in the Iberian Peninsula" (PDF). E-Keltoi: Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies. 6 (1). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
- ^ "Old Celtic Dictionary". Archived from the original on 4 November 2012.
- ^ "Gallaic Revival". Archived from the original on 18 August 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "Gallaic Revival Movement". Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ Fischer, S. R. (2004) History of Language. Reaktion Books, p. 118
- ^ ISBN 0-00-653243-8.
- ^ a b Lewis, Colin (2009). "Cumbrian Welsh – an update" (PDF). Carn. 144: 10. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
- ISBN 0-00-653243-8.
- ^ "Derby Welsh Learners Circle". Derbywelshlearnerscircle.blogspot.com. 9 December 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ "The Gods of Gaul and the Continental Celts". pp. Chapter 3. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ^ "Gaulish Polytheistic Reconstructionism". Facebook.com. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ "Gaulish Reconstructionist Forum". Archived from the original on 15 April 2013.
- ^ ISBN 0-00-653243-8.
- ^ "Family Ancestry". Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Siol Ghoraidh - The Geneology Of Goraidh". Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
- ^ "Haemochromatosis - The Celtic Disease" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
- ^ Moffat, Alistair. "Celts' red hair could be attributed to the cloudy weather". Retrieved 31 December 2014.
- ^ "Red-Head". Scotlands DNA. Archived from the original on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
- ^ Neolithic and Bronze Age migration to Ireland and establishment of the insular Atlantic genome "Three Bronze Age individuals from Rathlin Island (2026–1534 cal BC), including one high coverage (10.5×) genome, showed substantial Steppe genetic heritage indicating that the European population upheavals of the third millennium manifested all of the way from southern Siberia to the western ocean. This turnover invites the possibility of accompanying introduction of Indo-European, perhaps early Celtic, language. Irish Bronze Age haplotypic similarity is strongest within modern Irish, Scottish, and Welsh populations, and several important genetic variants that today show maximal or very high frequencies in Ireland appear at this horizon. These include those coding for lactase persistence, blue eye color, Y chromosome R1b haplotypes, and the hemochromatosis C282Y allele; to our knowledge, the first detection of a known Mendelian disease variant in prehistory. These findings together suggest the establishment of central attributes of the Irish genome 4,000 y ago."
- S2CID 6040039.
- ^ Wang, C. August. 2006. Ílegur og Føroya Søga. In: Frøði pp. 20–23
- PMID 15815712.
- ISBN 978-2843468179.
- ^ Ministry of Canadian Heritage. Gaelic most common mother-tongue among Fathers of Confederation. URL accessed 26 April 2006.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2003, "Population characteristics: Ancestry of Australia's population" (from Australian Social Trends, 2003). Retrieved 1 September 2006.
- ^ Loffler, Marion A Book of Mad Celts: John Wickens and the Celtic Congress of Caernarfon 1904, Llandysul: Gomer Press, 2000, p. 38
- ^ Bempéchat, Paul-André, Allons enfants de quelle patrie? Breton nationalism and the Impressionist aesthetic, (Center for European Studies working papers).
- ^ Brake, Julie & Jones, Christine (2000) Welsh: a complete course in understanding speaking and writing. London: Hodder & Stoughton; p. 265
- ^ "Celtic Music Instruments". Ceolas.org. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
- ^ "Celtic Music Instruments". Ceolas.org. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
- ^ "The Australian Gaelic Singers at the Sydney A Capella Festival". Sydneyacappellafestival.com.au. Archived from the original on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
- ^ Alarik, Scott. "Irish Music and Scottish Music: What's the Difference, Really?". Scottalarik.com.au. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ "Dan Y Cownter 3" (in Welsh and English). Retrieved 9 May 2010.
- ^ "Welsh Music Foundation" (in Welsh and English). Retrieved 9 May 2010.
- ^ Robertson, Boyd & Taylor, Iain (1993) Gaelic: a complete course for beginners. London: Hodder & Stoughton; p. 53
- ^ Shuker, Roy (2005) Popular Music: the key concepts, Routledge; p. 38.
- ISBN 1-55082-205-5.
- ^ "Wales – Land of Song" (PDF). 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- ^ "Celtic Music". Archived from the original on 14 May 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- ^ Robertson, Boyd and Taylor, Iain Gaelic – A Complete Course for Beginners; p. 63
- ^ "St Patrick's Day Parades and Events Worldwide". Archived from the original on 25 May 2010.
- ^ "The National St David's Day Parade". Stdavidsday.org. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ "St Andrew's Day: Scotland and around the world". Scotland.org. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ "St Piran's Tide". Archived from the original on 26 January 2012.
- ^ "St Maughold's Feast Day".
- ^ "Saint Yves". Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ Bretons de Sydney. "Fete de la St -Yves". Home.exetel.com.au. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ "Grand Pardon de sainte Anne d'Auray". Sainte-anne-auray.net. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d Kruta, Venceslas (1991). The Celts. Thames and Hudson. p. 671.
- ^ ISBN 0-86758-624-9.
- ^ Jones, Mary. "Jones' Celtic Encyclopedia – Lughnassadh". Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ^ Jones, Mary. "Jones' Celtic Encyclopedia – Samhain". Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ^ Jones, Mary. "Jones' Celtic Encyclopedia – Imbolc". Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ^ Jones, Mary. "Jones' Celtic Encyclopedia – Beltane". Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ISBN 0-7137-2642-3.
- ISBN 0-552-54021-8.
- ^ a b c Kruta, Venceslas (1991). The Celts. Thames and Hudson. p. 672.
- ISBN 1-55082-205-5.
- ^ CD liner notes
- ^ "Explore the Music: Loreena McKennitt". Quinlan Road. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
- ^ ISBN 0-00-653243-8.
- ^ ISBN 1-55082-205-5.
- ISBN 1-55082-205-5.
- ISBN 0-00-653243-8.
- ^ ISBN 1-55082-205-5.
- ^ "Gaelforce Dance – The Irish Dance Spectacular". Archived from the original on 20 February 2012.
- ISBN 978-0615805290. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
- ^ Jack Mulveen. (1994.) "Galway Goldsmiths, Their Marks and Ware", Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, 46:43–64.
- ISBN 978-0-486-47842-5.
- ^ Déchelette, Joseph (1914). Manuel d'archéologie préhistorique, celtique et gallo-romaine. Paris: Librairie Alphonse Picard et fils. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- S2CID 162583560.
- ISBN 0094618305. Archived from the original(PDF) on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ ISBN 0862436435. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ISBN 0905895134.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Jim. "Jim Fitzpatrick Gallery". Jimfitzpatrick.com. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ Davies, Courtney. "The Art of Courtney Davies". Courtneydavisart.com. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
General and cited references
- Koch, John (2006). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1-85109-440-7.
- Moffat, Alistair (2001). The Sea Kingdoms: The History of Celtic Britain and Ireland. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-257216-8.
- Megaw, J. V. S & M. R. (1996). "Ancient Celts and modern ethnicity". Antiquity. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
- Karl, Raimund (2004). Celtoscepticism. A convenient excuse for ignoring non-archaeological evidence?. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- Celtic Mythology. Oxford University Press
- Davies, Norman (1999) The Isles: a history. Oxford University Press
- Dietler, Michael (2006). "Celticism, Celtitude, and Celticity: the consumption of the past in the age of globalization". Celtes et Gaulois dans l’histoire, l’historiographie et l’idéologie moderne. Bibracte, Centre Archéologique Européen.
- Les Écossais du Québec (1999). Montréal: Conseil québécois du Chardon. N.B.: This is primarily a descriptive cultural and commercial directory of the Scottish community of Québec.
- O'Driscoll, Robert (ed.) (1981) The Celtic Consciousness. George Braziller, Inc, New York City.
- Patrick Ryan, 'Celticity and storyteller identity: the use and misuse of ethnicity to develop a storyteller's sense of self', Folklore 2006.
External links
- The Celtic Realm
- CelticCountries.com – Monthly magazine on current affairs in the Celtic nations
- "National Geographic Map: The Celtic Realm" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 September 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2007. (306 KB)
- Jones' Celtic Encyclopedia
- Music
- Dan Y Cownter 3 – Welsh Music Foundation artists (Cymraeg, English)
- Puirt a beul in Cliar – Celtic Lyrics Corner (Gàidhlig, English)
- KESSON The Cornish Musician's Collaborative (Kernewek, English)