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The Celts in Britain

© Matthew White

The Celts were not, as is commonly supposed, one race but rather a collection of independent tribes. As we have seen in previous articles, the first settlements of Britain by Celtic Hallstatt and La Tene peoples took place in the first millennium B.C., followed by the invasion by the Belgae. They brought with them metalworking skills as well as other assets such as coins and chariots. They also brought with them new beliefs and languages.

The languages of the Celts are divided into two main groups, P-Celtic and Q-Celtic. Irish and Scottish Gaelic have their roots in Q-Celtic while Welsh, Breton, Manx and Cornish (the latter two are almost extinct) developed from P-Celtic. The Picts of Scotland were also P-Celtic. The main difference between the two is that in P-Celtic the 'p' (or 'b') sound is used instead of the 'c' sound in Q-Celtic. Thus the word for 'head' is 'pean' in Welsh and 'ceann' in Gaelic.

The Celtic priests were called Druids. They were also the doctors and teachers of the society. As they refused to record their beliefs in writing (although they were literate), little is known about their religion. The first archaeological evidence for Druids dates back to the La Tene culture when larger settlements often incorporated shrines. There is no evidence that the Druids ever used the older standing stones or stone circles built by the earlier inhabitants of Britain. Druid places of worship included rectangular wooden-built 'temples' and sites of votive offerings by lakes and pools.

Much wrong information has been published about Druidic rites of human sacrifice. There is very little archaeological evidence for this practice and most of the conjecture is based on the writings of Julius Caesar in 53 B.C. It must be remembered that Caesar was writing about the Gauls with whom he was at war and that there was a long history of animosity between the Celts and the Roman, (who had themselves banned human sacrifice only eight years prior.).

Archaeology can only tell us that a body has met with a violent death which appears to be ritualistic. It cannot tell us the motives - was this sacrifice or punishment of a criminal? The exhumations which give evidence of sacrifice or the death penalty mostly occur in the lands of the Germanic tribes and seem not to be connected with the Celts. However in 1983, a 1700 year old body was found in a peat bog at Lindow near Liverpool, England. The body was of a healthy young man who appeared to have been clubbed, throttled and stabbed. Many people believe this to be evidence of human sacrifice. However it is impossible, after such a long time, to state with any certainty that these wounds were received at the time of death. These apparent 'injuries' may, in fact, have resulted from later damage to the body as it lay in the bog.

The copyright of the article The Celts in Britain in Scottish History is owned by Wendy J. Dunn. Permission to republish The Celts in Britain in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.