Lecture 1

Question 1

What is known about the origin of the Celts and their language?

Answer 1

• Shared a common culture with the Celts of continental Europe
traditions: head cult, human sacrifice to gods, war paint
• Organized in self-sustaining tribes (often hostile), similar in language, culture, religion
• Language as most lasting evidence of their existence, one of the main branches of indo-european languages
• “Celts”: from Greek keltoi= stranger