Archaeological excavations today provide the main source of information about the life of the Celts, their culture, religion, crafts. Written data were preserved by Greek and Roman authors, the works of early medieval chroniclers, preserved proper names, toponymic data, folklore tell about the ancient Celts.
One people
Celt is a representative of an ancient tribe that lived in the first millennium BC in the vast territory of Western Europe. The Celts are the descendants of a single prehistoric Indo-European people.
From this ancient race, the Germans, Slavs, Persians, Latins, later extinct Goths, as well as Indians subsequently formed. Then they also had descendants, nations formed, for example, the Slavs were divided into three groups: the western one - Czechs, Slovaks, Poles; eastern - Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians; southern - Bulgarians, Croats, Serbs, Macedonians. The Celts are the ancestors of modern Scots, Irish, Bretons, Welsh.
A genetically single Indo-European people who lived five thousand years ago on the territory of Russia (modern Krasnodar Territory), by the beginning of the Bronze Age created not only bronze weapons, but also invented the wheel anddomesticated the horse. With new weapons, provisions on carts, fast cavalry, they easily captured new territories in Europe and Asia, thus becoming one of the most widespread groups of peoples on earth.
Celtic language
In Western Europe, a new community of Indo-Europeans has formed - the Celts with a center in the Alps. Therefore, the Celt is the carrier of the Alpine language group. Their most numerous people are called Gauls. During the time of the Roman conquests, their language was strongly influenced by Latin, which is why it partially disappeared from everyday life. Later, the Celtic tribes living on the territory of modern France were invaded from the north by the Germans (the Frankish tribe).
In Britain, due to the remoteness of the Foggy Albion, the Celts retained their culture and language from the enslavement of the Romans. The settlement of the Foggy Albion by the Celts dates back to the beginning of the Iron Age (about 600 BC). A Celt is a member of a disparate group that did not recognize itself as a single people.
Druids
Three thousand years ago, the religious cult of the Druids, who possessed sacred immunity, was born. The emergence of the class of priests is associated with the need to manage the Celtic society. Stones placed vertically served as an altar. In the 19th century, the opinion was entrenched among scientists that Stonehenge was their sanctuary.
Mythology
Their rich cultural heritage was passed from mouth to mouth for centuries, legends and traditions existed in several versions. Like most ancient peoples, the Celts were pagans andbelieved in an afterlife. During the burial, many items were left with the deceased, such as plates, weapons, tools, jewelry, horse carts and carts were not excluded. The Celts were sure that everything that was needed in this world would be useful in the afterlife.
The main part of the mythology was based on the belief in the transmigration of souls, during the battles this confidence helped the warriors to be brave and selfless, reduced their fear of death. In difficult life ups and downs, human sacrifice came to the rescue. Celtic Gods: Taranis, Lug, Ogmios, Teutates, Cernunnos, Belenus, Esus, Brigantia.
Military equipment
Celt is an excellent warrior, living on robberies and raids, enmity with the Romans and relatives. The Celts did not have a single political center, that is, there were no kings, in each group only the leader of the clan had power. Information about the Celts, since they did not have their own written language, was first recorded by the Romans two thousand years ago when they invaded Great Britain. For a Roman, a Celt is a backward barbarian, standing lower, lagging behind in science and crafts, knowing little and able, while they describe themselves as an enlightened people.
Maybe in the eyes of the Romans, the Celts had no idea about the military strategy, but their equipment and weapons were in no way inferior to the Romans, they were excellent gunsmiths.
When a Gaul fights a Roman, it would be difficult for an outside observer to recognize who is who on the battlefield. The young men in the helmets of the Romans were not Romans - they were Gauls. The heads of the Romans were decorated with bronze hats with ponytails. Later they copied from the Gauls a more practical design of helmets with cheek shields.
The Celts had human-sized shields, and their decoration in the form of a convex bronze figure served not only for beauty, but also for protection. The Romans copied this find, as well as other types of weapons, giving them Celtic names.
Celt for the Roman was the creator of a new technological achievement - the war chariot. It may be strange, but it was surprising to the Romans. Some words are borrowed from the Celts, such as "league" (the word for "horse"), turned into "cavalry" and "cavalier".
The ancient Celts, three thousand years before the advent of Rome, created several grandiose monuments: stone fortifications, massive tombs and the famous monument of the ancient world, Stonehenge. We do not know how they erected all these structures, but even after five thousand years they still stand on the ground, striking descendants with their power, and are proof of the culture of the ancient people.
