TGC - The Celtic World - (vonG)

A Khureshian release

When you hear the word “Celtic,” which images come to mind? These days it could easily be Braveheart, kilts, leprechauns, and St. Patrick’s Day. However, since the surge of interest and pride in Celtic identity since the 19th century, much of what we thought we knew about the Celts has been radically transformed. From the warriors who nearly defeated Julius Caesar to Irish saints who took on the traits of Celtic deities, get to know the real Celts.

In The Celtic World, discover the incredible story of the Celtic-speaking peoples, whose art, language, and culture once spread from Ireland to Austria. This series of 24 enlightening lectures explains the traditional historical view of who the Celts were, then contrasts it with brand-new evidence from DNA analysis and archeology that totally changes our perspective on where the Celts came from. European history and culture have been profoundly affected by the Celts, from the myth of King Arthur to the very map of the United Kingdom, where the English confronted the peoples of the “Celtic Fringe.”

With a wealth of historical expertise, Professor Jennifer Paxton, Director of the University Honors Program and Clinical Assistant Professor of History at The Catholic University of America, guides you through each topic related to Celtic history with approachability and ease as you unearth what we once thought it meant—and what it may actually mean—to be Celtic. Professor Paxton’s engaging, often humorous delivery blends perfectly with the facts about the Celts to uncover surprising historical revelations. The ancient Celts are very much alive in the literary and artistic traditions that their descendants have both preserved and very deliberately revived. All facets of Celtic life, past and present, are addressed by Professor Paxton, who demonstrates a masterful knowledge and carefully separates fact from myth at every turn.

Discover the Celts through Their Society

There is actually very little evidence to support the idea that there was ever a singular, all-encompassing “Celtic” civilization. Earlier historical narratives paint a picture of the Celts as a people that migrated (and sometimes conquered) throughout Europe before settling in the British Isles. In fact, as Professor Paxton highlights from the very beginning, the “Celts” of Europe and the “Celts” of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales were likely different groups, connected by aspects of language and culture (and some imaginative scholarship) but not by genetics.

While The Celtic World offers a look at the modern view of Celtic cultures as varied identities rather than a homogeneous group, you will still dive deeply into the history of the peoples most often recognized as Celtic—those who lived in what is now the United Kingdom and Ireland. And even these more familiar groups can offer some unexpected surprises. For example, when the English began to encounter—and try to assimilate—the other peoples of the British Isles and Ireland in the 11th and 12th centuries, many English lawyers and clerics were disturbed that the Celts didn’t practice “primogeniture”—the legal right of the first-born son to inherit his father’s estate. Instead, as Professor Paxton reveals, in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales a much more fluid system of inheritance dominated, one that even included rights for illegitimate sons. Instead of the criminal justice system that focuses on individual culpability that we are familiar with today, Celtic law was based on the kin group, so disputes were settled by the families of the plaintiff and the defendant. Under this system, if your cousin killed someone, the victim’s family simply sued yours for damages, and everyone in your family had to pay a portion of the compensation out of their own pockets! To paraphrase Professor Paxton, it was good incentive to keep your family from causing trouble.

The Celts also expressed themselves in unique ways. Rather than limiting their displays of wealth to big houses, clothing, or servants, wealthy residents of the Celtic Fringe also displayed their affluence by hiring poets to sing songs of praise about them at public events and parties. These poets also, perhaps most importantly, wrote and performed poems satirizing and insulting their employers’ enemies or rivals. The idea behind this medieval trash-talking was that the better the lord’s poet was, the more money he must have in order to meet the high price of these in-demand performers.

Celtic culture had its darker side as well; slavery and indentured servitude permeated the Celtic world. Poverty and dependence were common, much as in other parts of feudal Europe. However, in contrast to forced labor practices, lords and property owners often entered into contracts with peasants that offered them discounted rent payments in exchange for manual labor, service in combat, or participation in their lord’s entourage when he needed to travel through enemy territory.

This glimpse into the social life of the Celts constitutes just one small portion of day-to-day life in The Celtic World. As you trace this rich history with Professor Paxton, you will also explore subjects as varied as women’s rights, artificial islands built into lakes, and why it was insulting to fast on someone’s doorstep.

Discover the Celts through Their Arts

When they weren’t farming, fighting wars, or paying their murderous cousins’ legal fees, the Celts had to do something to pass the time. On the one hand, some of what we know about their earliest days remains limited because they believed that passing down their knowledge orally was highly preferable to the written word, which they saw as lazy. Fortunately for us, a culture of writing did eventually develop and Celtic books came along, bringing a rich tapestry of history, arts, and mythology with them. As you study the Celtic peoples with Professor Paxton, you will discover many aspects of their art, literature, architecture, and more, including:

The mythological Book of Invasions, an early Irish “history” involving one-legged, one-armed giants and sorcerers practicing black magic.
The surprising origins of King Arthur and Arthurian literature throughout Europe.
The intricate, curvilinear Celtic art style that was found on jewelry, armor, pottery, and more.
Traditional Celtic instruments like the carnyx—a long, vertically standing war trumpet with moving parts.
Celtic dress, from the nudity preferred in battle to the famous plaid tartan.
Real-life Celtic figures who inspired fiction much later, such as Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Braveheart‘s William Wallace.

Professor Paxton lays all these aspects of Celtic culture out with an accessible simplicity, and she shows how, from their influence on Latin to mythology-infused heavy metal, the Celts shine brightly across human history.

Classical “Celts”?

The Celts of classical Europe stood out as northerly neighbors to the Greeks and Romans as far back as 500 B.C. From that time until the English defeated the last Irish chieftains 2,000 years later, the Celtic world bursts with action-packed tales of lands gained and lands lost, triumphs and defeats, ritual practices that defy belief, and more.

The Gauls, who we know presided over much of Central Europe, nearly bested Julius Caesar himself. Professor Paxton gives you a thorough look at this page of history, from Gaulish victories to their leader’s public execution in Rome.

But Celtic culture was flourishing on the fringes of Europe, in Britain and Ireland, and it was continually enriched by outside influences. By looking at the Celts and their interactions with the Vikings—both peaceful and violent—Professor Paxton shows that the Celts happily adopted Viking art motifs and used the silver brought by Viking traders from the Islamic world to transform Irish fashions in jewelry. Vikings also influenced the fighting capabilities of the Irish by introducing them to the battle axe.

Aside from Julius Caesar, the Celts also had surprising and historic involvements with Hannibal, Spartacus, Henry II, and Richard Lionheart. In addition to these landmark European figures, the story of Celtic civilization sprouted in the fringe territories of Brittany, Galicia, Cornwall, and the Isle of Man, each of which you will explore in The Celtic World.

A New History for an Ancient People

By bringing a new historical understanding to long-held beliefs about the Celts, The Celtic Worldwill broaden your idea of what “Celtic” really means. This new perspective will open your eyes to the larger story of European history through the centuries, and with Professor Paxton’s personable and informative guidance, you will learn valuable new information about this vital and storied culture and will be able to further appreciate countless aspects of our modern world that have derived from Celtic influence, from Celtic music and dance, to government, law, and social hierarchies, and even the very shape of contemporary Europe.

Whether you’re interested in the whole of European history or simply want to appreciate your own Celtic heritage, The Celtic Worldhas so much to offer. Come along for a ride through history to discover your inner Celt.