WHAT IS A “CELT?
” Today the term “Celt” generally applies to the many peoples with traditions as diverse as those to be found in Cornwall, Isle of Man, Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Brittany. Their origins belong to the prehistoric past; they may have descended from the Cimmerians, a little-known people from the north of the Caucasus who swept across Europe. By 500 B.C., Celts were a recognizable people in Central Europe. They flourished during the European Iron Age only to be eclipsed by Roman civilization. After the fall of the Roman Empire, they enjoyed a cultural renaissance that has left a rich legacy to the modern world. From their lavish and intricate art; music; and lyrical, mystical literature; to their cruel pagan religious customs, the Celts were and always have been a paradox. The term “Celt” is an umbrella term, under which the Gaelic people also reside. As a lad growing up in England, we were taught that the “true Celts” were the Welsh, Cornish, Manx (Isle of Man dwellers) and Bretons. Th
