The Celts - Origin, Influence and Importance.

Earliest references to a group of people known as ‘Celts’ can be traced back to the fifth century BC. The Celts were the most westerly people group in the Europe of their day and had their primary base around the Upper Danube Region. From here they fanned out into Spain, Italy, the Balkans, France, Germany, Britain and Ireland. The Celts seem to have been comprised of many tribes, two of the more notable tribes being the Gaols and the Belgae.

The Celts first brush with Christianity was through the missionary work of St. Paul. Prior to his arrival in Galatia, Celts had settled there and with others had set up communities in that area. These Galatians give us an insight into the passion of the Celts and their strengths and weaknesses as people in relation to understanding and living the Christian faith.

Earliest references to Celtic influence on Britain and Ireland date back to the sixth century, with records of trading transactions between the Celts and people of these islands. The first migration of Celts to Britain and Ireland was from France. During the Iron Age more migration came from the middle Rhine region reaching south western parts of Scotland. Cornwall became a hot bed of Celtic influence through trade. Celts made their way from Britain into Ireland. In Ireland they introduced a new language and literary and governmental influence. Ireland became the first place in Europe to use a vernacular in the writing of literature, evidence of a highly developed and sophisticated society. The oldest examples of written Irish are to be found in Church books of the eighth and ninth centuries.

The Celts were concerned with personal appearance; many artefacts recovered were used for personal adornment. The most characteristic Celtic accessory was the neck-ring made from gold or bronze. It also seems the Celts weren’t averse to hair colouring either!

The Celts were known as fierce warriors, war mad, high spirited, and quick for battle. Personal bravery sometimes gave way to recklessness on the battlefield and yet at the same time there was strong emphasis on hospitality and the Celts had a strong code of etiquette towards strangers.

With an emphasis on the supernatural and a complex system of deities and sacrifice the Celts were a superstitious people. Their worldview taught them that magical agencies pervaded every aspect of life and that these agencies had to be harnessed for beneficial purposes.

The Celts were traders as well and had an emphasis on the economic side of life as well.

Although subdued by the extension of the Roman Empire under Caesar, the Celts continued to hold sway in much of Britain and all of Ireland.

It was this people group to whom God entrusted the re-evangelisation of Europe after they had been ignited by the gospel by St. Patrick.