November 2019: Celtic History

TCFA Cuairt Litir (TCFA Newsletter) Tucson Celtic Festival Association Website: TucsonCelticFestival.org Editor: Jack Hamilton, AAS, FSA Scot Email: [email protected] Date: December 9, 2019 NEXT MEETINGS referred to the Celts as “Galli,” meaning barbarians. The next TCFA meeting will be held at 9am However, the Celts (pronounced with a on December 14, 2019 at Wilmot Library at hard “c” or “k” sound) were anything but 530 N. Wilmot. barbarians, and many aspects of their The following meeting on January 11, culture and language have survived through 2020, will be the required Annual meeting the centuries. will be the election of some officers and Where Did the Celts Come From? By the third century B.C., the Celts members of the Board of Directors. controlled much of the European continent north of the Alps mountain range, including 2019 SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GAMES present-day Ireland and Great Britain. With more than 150 athletes participating It is these islands off Europe’s western in several classes, nine new world records coast in which Celtic culture was allowed to were set – in all but the caber toss. survive and thrive, as the Roman Empire We also hosted 22 clans. expanded on the European continent. Beginning with the reign of Julius Caesar in CELTIC HISTORY AND CULTURE the first century B.C., the Romans launched Part 8: Celtic Articles a military campaign against the Celts, killing them by the thousands and destroying their This article recently updated – October 24, 2019 by culture in much of mainland Europe. History.com editors Caesar’s Roman armies attempted an The Celts were a collection of tribes with invasion of Britain at this time, but were origins in central Europe that shared a unsuccessful, and thus the Celtic people similar language, religious beliefs, traditions established a homeland there. As a result, and culture. It’s believed that the Celtic many of their cultural traditions remain culture started to evolve as early as 1200 evident in present-day Ireland, Scotland and B.C. The Celts spread throughout western Wales, even now. Europe—including Britain, Ireland, France Celtics in Spain: The Galatians and Spain—via migration. Their legacy Several tribes made up the larger remains most prominent in Ireland and population of the Celtic people. Indeed, the Great Britain, where traces of their language Gaels, Gauls, Britons, Irish and Galatians and culture are still prominent today. were all Celtic tribes. The existence of the Celts was first The Galatians occupied much of the documented in the seventh or eighth Asturias region of what is now northern century B.C. The Roman Empire, which ruled Spain, and they successfully fought off much of southern Europe at that time, attempted invasions by both the Romans Celtic Languages and the Moors, the latter ruling much of In Wales, called Cymru by the Celts, the present-day southern Spain. native tongue—Welsh—is a Celtic language, Evidence of Galatian tradition remains in and it is still widely spoken in the region. the region today. Descendants of the Similarly, in Cornwall (the westernmost Galatians still participate in ancient outdoor county in England, and near Wales), many dances, accompanied by bagpipes, an residents still speak Cornish, which is similar instrument that is often associated with to Welsh and Breton. more well-known Celtic regions such as And, in Scotland, the Celtic language Scots Scotland and Ireland. Gaelic is still spoken, although by a minority, In addition, a Celtic symbol called the “Cruz and the local affiliate of the British de la Victoria” (similar to a Celtic cross) Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is known as adorns the regional flag. BBC Alba, the Celtic name for the region. The Galatians also settled in nearby Galicia, Of course, the bagpipes, the musical a region on the northwest coast of Spain. instrument for which Scotland is arguably Celtics in Brittany: The Britons best known, can also trace their origin to Britons and Gauls settled in the Celtic times. northwestern corner of present-day France, Celtic Religion the region known today as Brittany. Celtic Neither the Romans nor the Anglo-Saxons, tradition survived in the region as it was who took what is now England from the geographically isolated from the rest of Romans in the fifth century A.D., were able France, and many festivals and events can to successfully invade Ireland. This enabled trace their origins to Celtic times. the Celtic tribes that had settled there— Many of the French “Bretons” also wear namely, the Gaels and the Irish—to survive, traditional Celtic hats called coiffes (which and allowed their culture to flourish. means “hats of lace”), and roughly one- When Christianity arrived in Ireland with quarter of the region’s residents speak St. Patrick in 432 A.D., many Celtic traditions Breton, a Celtic language similar to Welsh. were incorporated into the “new” religion. Although Caesar’s invasion of Britain was In fact, it’s said by some historians that unsuccessful, the Romans eventually Catholicism was able to take over as the mounted a successful attack against the dominant religion on the island following the Britons following Caesar’s murder in the first mass killing of Druids, the religious leaders of century A.D. This incursion effectively the Gaels. pushed the Britons on the island west to However, even with Christianity’s new- Wales and Cornwall and north to Scotland. found prominence, traces of Celtic culture In fact, the Romans built Hadrian’s Wall remain. Ireland’s national symbol, the (remnants of which still stand today) near shamrock (a green, three-pronged leaf) what is now the border between England represents the “Holy Trinity” of Catholic and Scotland, in 120 A.D. The wall was tradition—the Father (God), son (Jesus designed to protect the conquering Roman Christ) and the Holy Spirit. settlers from the Celts who had fled north. The Celtic cross represents the region’s Finally, when at last the tree fell, Sir William unique take on the Catholic cross. In cried 'through' and they escaped across the addition, many Celtic folklore stories, such as river over the tree. The Clan Hamilton has the legend of Cu Chulainn, are still told in retained this motto since that eventful day. Ireland. Like Welsh, the Irish language of Gaelic is a Celtic language. Gaelic largely disappeared Robbie Burns Celebration is approaching in the 19th century, when the English The celebration of the birth of colonized Ireland, but the language is still Scotland’s Poet Laureate, Robert spoken in the western part of the country. Burns, will be held in January at our Celtic Designs TCFA annual dinner. Where it will be held should Across Europe, the Celts have been membership be announced soon. credited with many artistic innovations, booth with including intricate stone carving and fine TEST YOUR SCOTTISH KNOWLEDGE Jack Hamilton metalworking. Who wrote “Will ye no come back again?” As a result, elaborate Celtic designs in a) Carolina Oliphant artifacts crafted from gold, silver and b) Robert Burns precious gemstones are a major part of c) James McPherson museum collections throughout Europe and d) James Hogg North America. Carolina Oliphant (also known as “Lady Nairne”) wrote such classics as “Charlie is My MEMBER CLAN CONNECTION Darling” and “Wi’ 100 Pipers An’ A’”. She TCFA Board Member Jack Hamilton was called the “Flower of Strathearn” Clan Hamilton because both her father and grandfather Motto: Through. had joined Bonnie Prince Charlie in the 1745 Crest: From a coronet, an oak tree Jacobite Uprising. fructed and penetrated transversely by a frame saw. YOUR CELTIC EXPERIENCE Clan History: In 1066 AD, Sir William May neighbors respect you, Hamilton, arrived in Britain with William the Trouble neglect you, Conqueror from Normandy. He was granted The angels protect you, land in Hambleton. Because of his success in And heaven accept you. a duel, he shortly thereafter fled northwards Irish Blessing with his entourage to Scotland, hotly pursued by the king's men. With their Tidbits pursuers close behind them, Sir William and This issue celebrates one year since our first. Also, his servant exchanged clothes with two Jack Hamilton has been accepted into the Fellowship wood cutters and, using their saw, they cut of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. down a large oak tree to bridge a river. .

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