The Celts: 500 BC
Artifacts
Society Tanaiste Tuath/Kingdom Derbhfine Nobles Farmers/ Slaves Ri Derbhfine Nobles Warriors Aos Dana Farmers/ Slaves Tanaiste Tuath/Kingdom
Warriors Fight for the clan Go into battle without armour (which they consider cowardly) They also lead the cattle raids
Aos Dana: Skilled People Craftsmen / smiths / stone masons and carpenters Bards / recite poems and sing songs Fili / Poets Druids / Priests Brehons / Judges
Whose job was it to recite poems about Celtic Legends?
Craftsmen Carpenters Houses Fences Boats Wooden Ploughs Chariots Wooden plates and bowls Smiths Axes Sickles Spades Hammers Swords Spears Arrow heads Jewellery
Commoners / Peasants Farming Farmers rented land from nobles Barley, wheat, but most importantly cattle They ate porridge, bread, pork and drank milk and ale
Arts & Crafts Smiths
Spirals, curved lines and florals. Gold, Silver and Bronze and polished stones
What is this famous Celtic artifact called?
Primary Sources The Greeks wrote that the Celts “love decoration. They wear ornaments, torcs around their necks and bracelets on their arms and wrists”. Natalie found out that the Celts also used beads. Both men and women wore jewelry Silver and gold jewelry was very desired and if you wore it, it showed you were very important
Stone Masons Ogham Stones
Ogham Alphabet
Carpenters Houses Fences Boats Wooden Ploughs Chariots Wooden plates and bowls
Buildings Dun Promontory forts Ring forts or raths Houses
Promontory fort Defensive features of Celtic buildings
Ring Fort / Rath
Julius Caesar says “Of the two important classes .... one consists of Druids, the other of knights[warriors]. The Druids are concerned with divine worship, the performance of sacrifices, public and private, and the Interpretation of ritual questions: a great number of young men gather about them for the sake of instruction and hold them in great honour.”
Religion Many deities Dagda is the main god Lug is the god of War Brigid and Morrigan are goddesses Deities live in wells, rivers and woods The druid is the priest: sacrifices to the gods
Celtic Festivals Samhain – November 1 when dead spirits visit the world of the living Bealtaine – May 1 the festival to mark the beginning of summer Imbolc – February 1 the festival of the goddess Brigid Do you know these words in Irish? What do they mean?