Celtic Europe
The written evidence we have about the Celts comes from the Greeks, who were then the richest, most urbanised and most literate people in the west if not in the world.
The Greeks called them 'Keltoi', although they seem to have called themselves (if anything) something like Gaels, Gauls or Galla - the name crops up from Scotland to Turkey.
In language terms, Celtic seems to have developed from Proto Indo European perhaps around 3000 BC, and then itself split into to branches now known as Goidelic and Brythonic. We're in the realms of linguistics here folks, and anything could happen.....
But certainly the Greeks were beyond fascinated with these muscular, blond, brave, unmaterialistic, fiercely loyal men, and were equally fascinated that their women were not veiled, confined babymakers but were also blonde, muscular, brave, sexually confident mutigravidae, who could happily turn a hand to using a sword or spear. The legend of the Amazon was born.
Be careful about modern fantasies concerning these 'Celts'. Most of the grisly accounts of human sacrifice, such as the 'wicker man', come from Roman account written to put the Gauls in a bad light.
In fact when you look coldly at it, many of the values of Cetic society make them sound like modern gang members. They valued showy aggression, bling jewellery, big hair and fast chariots.Society was led by warrior elites who were shored up by men whose loyalty they recognised by giving them not Rolex watches but golden torcs. Arranged fights and gang raids on rivals villages complete the picture. Ah, the good old days.
In terms of archaeology, Celtic 'bling' jewellery is legend; but features long recognised such as hillforts may have been as much about status as about practical defence.
The Greeks called them 'Keltoi', although they seem to have called themselves (if anything) something like Gaels, Gauls or Galla - the name crops up from Scotland to Turkey.
In language terms, Celtic seems to have developed from Proto Indo European perhaps around 3000 BC, and then itself split into to branches now known as Goidelic and Brythonic. We're in the realms of linguistics here folks, and anything could happen.....
But certainly the Greeks were beyond fascinated with these muscular, blond, brave, unmaterialistic, fiercely loyal men, and were equally fascinated that their women were not veiled, confined babymakers but were also blonde, muscular, brave, sexually confident mutigravidae, who could happily turn a hand to using a sword or spear. The legend of the Amazon was born.
Be careful about modern fantasies concerning these 'Celts'. Most of the grisly accounts of human sacrifice, such as the 'wicker man', come from Roman account written to put the Gauls in a bad light.
In fact when you look coldly at it, many of the values of Cetic society make them sound like modern gang members. They valued showy aggression, bling jewellery, big hair and fast chariots.Society was led by warrior elites who were shored up by men whose loyalty they recognised by giving them not Rolex watches but golden torcs. Arranged fights and gang raids on rivals villages complete the picture. Ah, the good old days.
In terms of archaeology, Celtic 'bling' jewellery is legend; but features long recognised such as hillforts may have been as much about status as about practical defence.
Celtic languages were not the only languages spoken in europe in 500 BC. There were also Italo-Celtic, Iberian, Italic, Greekand Germanic - but most people were Celtic speakers.
Throughout this time, yet more wild nomadic horsement from the Eurasian Steppes were making themselves known to the literate Greeks. These go by the name of Cimmerians, Sarmatians, Parthians, and Scythians. They were consummate horsemen who developed sought-after skills in fighting on horseback. And we have their tattoos, preserved in the Siberian permafrost.
Throughout this time, yet more wild nomadic horsement from the Eurasian Steppes were making themselves known to the literate Greeks. These go by the name of Cimmerians, Sarmatians, Parthians, and Scythians. They were consummate horsemen who developed sought-after skills in fighting on horseback. And we have their tattoos, preserved in the Siberian permafrost.