We don’t really know a lot about the language on these stones, but historians think that the writing is mostly people’s names. UNIT 2 We also know what the Ogham alphabet looked like. Here it is: THE CELTS AND IRELAND A O U E I We know very little about the people who lived in Ireland before 300 BC during the Iron Age. It was called the Iron Age because people began making tools and weapons from iron, which they used for B L F S N hunting and protecting themselves. CELTIC WRITING Iron Age artefacts H D T C Q Around 300 BC the Celts in Ireland began to write – but not in the way we think about writing. They carved with their iron tools on tall, narrow stones. Their writing was called Ogam or Ogham – pronounced ‘Owem’. M G NG Z R As you can see, not all of the Many other civilisations, like the letters from the modern alphabet Egyptians and the Greeks, had that you use in school appear their own alphabets and their in the Ogham alphabet. own special ways of writing. Which letters are missing? You may have seen these before. How is their way of writing different from Celtic writing? Ogham stone with inscription 10 11 CELTS ON THE MOVE FROM BRITAIN TO SAINT COLM CILLE The Irish were not the only Celtic BRITTANY Another very important event was people. There were also Celts in The north-west corner of France, shown happening during the 6th century, only France (or Gaul, as it was known on the map on page 12, is called Brittany. this time in Ireland and Scotland. Everyone then), Cornwall, Scotland, Wales It has this name because many people has heard about Saint Patrick and how Scotland and the Isle of Man. Each of moved from southern Britain to this part he brought Christianity to Ireland. But in these regions had its own Celtic our story, the most important of the early Celtic name: Alba of France in the 5th and 6th centuries. Language: Gáidhlig language. They were escaping another invasion by Christians was known as Saint Colm Cille or a people called the Anglo-Saxons. People Saint Columba. The map shows the names of who live in Brittany are called Bretons. the regions in English, and the They brought their Celtic language with Columba was a monk from Donegal who language spoken in each region. them and it still survives in the region to went on a mission to bring Christianity to this day. It is called Breton and is very Scotland. In 563 AD, he sailed to the island Three of the languages on the similar to Welsh and Cornish. of Iona from a place called Doire Calgaigh. map (Gaeilge, Gáidhlig and This place is now known as Doire in Irish or Ireland Isle of Man Gaelg) have very similar names. Derry/Londonderry in English. Celtic name: Éire Celtic name: Ellan Vannin This is because the languages Language: Gaeilge Language: Gaelg themselves sound very similar and follow many of the same rules and patterns. Wales Celtic name: Cymru Language: Cymraeg Iona Easdale Cornwall Celtic name: Kernow Crinan Language: Kernowek Colm Cille’s journey from Gigha Derry to Iona Brittany Celtic name: Breizh Southend Language: Brezhoneg Ballycastle Derry 12 13 The people of Scotland at that time There are many stories of miracles were known as Picts. These people had performed by Colm Cille during his a reputation for being fierce warriors mission to convert the Picts. His most and they spoke their own Celtic famous miracle was meeting a fierce language called Pictish. This language ‘water beast’ in 565 AD. People said has now died out, but many think that that he drove it away into the depths of it was very similar to Welsh. the River Ness in Scotland. Colm Cille and his followers went out Do you know of any other stories about amongst the Picts and converted them wild water beasts in Scotland? Have you to Christianity. As this was happening, heard of any other stories of saints and more and more people started using how they tamed or drove away animals? the language that Colm Cille had brought with him from Ireland. This language was Gaeilge which you may know as Gaelic or Irish. SUMMARY • The ancient Celts wrote on stones, using their own alphabet called Ogham. • Celts lived in Ireland as well as parts of France, England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man. • Each Celtic region had its own language. • Colm Cille was an Irish monk who brought Christianity to the Picts of Scotland. • Colm Cille also brought the Gaelic language to Scotland. Pict tribesman 14 15.