The Celts have long been the subject of intense interest and speculation not only in Britain, Ireland and the European continent, but worldwide. The purpose of this book is to present a collection of contributions by people who are currently in the forefront of Celtic research. With forty authors from all over the world, there is inevitably a diversity of approach, methodology and treatment which, to my mind, enriches and enlivens the subject: scholars from varied disciplines examine aspects of Celtic culture from the differing perspectives of archaeology, language, literature and anthropology.
The book is divided into twelve main sections, each comprising a major theme; every section is subdivided into chapters. Part I explores the origins of the continental Celts and the spread of their traditions over most of non-Mediterranean Europe. Miranda Green’s introductory chapter examines the problems of how Celtic culture may be identified; David Ellis Evans looks at the evidence of early Celtic languages; and David Rankin discusses the way in which the Celts of the late first millennium BC are depicted through the media of classical art and literature.
Parts II-VIII are thematic in approach: in Part II, Graham and William Ritchie and Ian Ralston present the evidence for Geltic warfare, in terms of both the way armies functioned, and the different forms of defensive installation employed. In Part III, Timothy Ghampion discusses political organization and the hierarchical nature of society, while Glenys Lloyd-Morgan takes a closer look at the Gelts themselves, the stereotype and reality of their appearance, and aspects of daily life. Barry Burnham’s analysis shows how Geltic and Roman cultures interacted and merged to become a new, hybrid society. Parts IV and V explore environment, rural and urban settlement, trade and Industry: Martin Bell sets the environmental scene and shows how It changed through time; John Gollls examines the emergence of urban centres in the second and first centuries BC; and Peter Reynolds discusses rural life and its agricultural base. The latter chapter leads naturally to consideration of economic themes. Here, in Part V, Peter Wells contributes two chapters on the closely related subjects of resources, industry and trade; Daphne Nash Briggs examines the use of coinage both as a trading tool and as an indicator of the evolving relationship between classical and Celtic Europe; and Sean McGrall discusses the vital issue of how goods and people were transported. Parts VI and VII are concerned with technology, craftsmanship and Celtic art; bronze - and goldworking are examined by Peter Northover, whilst William Manning explores the extraction of Iron and the blacksmith’s craft. The use of wood for building and, In particular, for making vehicles is dealt with by Stuart Piggott. The craft of the Celtic potters is treated by Alex Gibson, who is especially interested in technological and artistic development. Ruth and Vincent Megaw discuss the enigma of Celtic art, its nature, function and interpretation; Martyn Jope concentrates on the Celtic artist; Sara Champion analyses the specific art forms associated with personal ornament, as found m both settlements and graves, and argues that such Items are important not only intrinsically but as indicators of rank and relationships within society. In Part VIII Anne Ross discusses priests and aspects of ritual, including festivals; Jane Webster’s chapter explores the concept of sacred space and, in particular, expresses doubts about the usual interpretation of the literary evidence. Miranda Green’s survey of the evidence for divinities and for Celtic perceptions of the supernatural is balanced by Gerald Walt’s examination of burial ritual and the implications that may be drawn from this material about beliefs concerning the dead and the afterlife.
The Celts, in their different geographical settings are considered in Parts IX and X: in the former, Celtic settlement in Italy and Spain is discussed by Otto-Herman Frey and Majolie Lenerz-de Wilde respectively; surveys of the Celts in France and eastern Europe are presented by Olivier Biichsenschiitz and Elizabeth Jerem; the problems of ethnicity in identifying the relationship between Celts and Germanic peoples in the Rhineland regions are explored by Colin Wells. Part X is concerned with the western Celts: here, the Britons under the influence of romanization are surveyed by Graham Webster but, by contrast, Barry Raftery looks at Ireland, an area virtually free from the overlay of Roman tradition. The evidence from Scotland and Wales, discussed by Euan Mackie and Jeffrey Davies respectively, presents aspects of Celtic culture in lands which were frontier zones, areas with a Roman military presence but never fully Integrated into the Roman Empire.
Finally, although the central focus of the book deals with ancient Celtic Europe between 600 BC and AD 600, Parts XI and XII extend the chronological framework to examine Celtic culture in the early medieval period and to look at Celtic traditions in the modern world. In Part XI, Thomas Charles-Edwards explores the relationships both between language and nationality and between language and status among British and Irish Celts from AD 400 to AD 1000; he looks also at the wider perspective of connections between Britain/Ireland and the wider world. Mark Redknap specifically studies the evidence for early Christianity in the Celtic West, focusing upon religious centres and monuments. This chapter is balanced by appraisals of the vernacular mythological tradition in Wales and Ireland, presented by Sioned Davies and Proinsias Mac Cana. This mythic literature was compiled in the medieval period but draws on pagan material which may well incorporate pre-Christian oral tradition. The concluding section. Part XII, deals with present-day Celts: Wynne Lloyd discusses the inextricable links between language and Welsh identity from the perspective of a Welsh-speaking Welshman; Glanville Price surveys the six surviving Celtic languages, their respective status in modern culture and the dangers of their extinction. It is for the reader to decide whether or not it is possible to make links between the Celts of the first millennium BC and the present day.
Contributors have been given the freedom to approach their own subjects as they have wished, and no attempt has been made to introduce any kind of academic uniformity nor to impose the views of the editor: indeed, it is felt that the retention of individuality is an important aspect of a multi-author work of this kind. The different viewpoints of each writer mean that any points of overlap between contributions have caused no concerns over repetition. There is, too, a certain diversity in bibliographical referencing: most authors have adopted the Harvard system, but a few chapters are supported by footnotes. In addition, the varied nature of the disciplines involved means that, whilst the chapters which deal with archaeology and art may be fully illustrated, the more literary contributions often require little, if any, visual material.
I should like to offer my warmest thanks to all the authors for their valuable contributions, and to the staff at Routledge, particularly Andrew Wheatcroft, Moira Taylor, Diana Grivas, Joanne Tinson and Margaret Deith.
Miranda J. Green June 1994
Figure o. i The territories occupied by Celts from the fifth century BC until the Roman conquest. (After R. and V. Megaw, Celtic Art,
World History
