Do Celts still exist?

Why don't we broaden the discussion to include all Atlantic Celts. There is a similar thread on DNA Forums.

Well, all Celts are open to discussion, certainly. I was thinking more along the lines of direct answers to the question: "Do Celts still exist?" I have seen the answer "no" to that on the other thread. And the most direct counterexamples IMHO are in the British Isles and Brittany.
 
I think that there are people with celtic heritage (cultural and ascendency) but the celts dissapeared. Italians aren't romans for example, and Irish aren't celts, they are people of pred. celtic origin and culture but they're a bit different of their antecessors. But it's only my opinion.
 
I think that there are people with celtic heritage (cultural and ascendency) but the celts dissapeared. Italians aren't romans for example, and Irish aren't celts, they are people of pred. celtic origin and culture but they're a bit different of their antecessors. But it's only my opinion.

OK, so would you make a distinction between "Celt" and "Celtic," like how "German" and "Germanic" are used differently? And would you be comfortable saying that Welsh, Irish, etc. are Celtic peoples, but not Celts in the old use of the term?

I think that the terms "Celt" and "Celtic" are usually used interchangeably in English, although if we want to be strict about it, we should probably be using "Celtic" only for modern peoples, and "Celt" only for the contiguous ancient culture. "Celtic tribes" would be most appropriate for the Roman era, post-P/Q split.
 
Well, all Celts are open to discussion, certainly. I was thinking more along the lines of direct answers to the question: "Do Celts still exist?" I have seen the answer "no" to that on the other thread. And the most direct counterexamples IMHO are in the British Isles and Brittany.

I do believe there is a legitimate Celtic consciousness. It's an enduring component of the habitus of any population group with Celtic ancestry.
 
OK, so would you make a distinction between "Celt" and "Celtic," like how "German" and "Germanic" are used differently? And would you be comfortable saying that Welsh, Irish, etc. are Celtic peoples, but not Celts in the old use of the term?

I think that the terms "Celt" and "Celtic" are usually used interchangeably in English, although if we want to be strict about it, we should probably be using "Celtic" only for modern peoples, and "Celt" only for the contiguous ancient culture. "Celtic tribes" would be most appropriate for the Roman era, post-P/Q split.

I would say "Celtic peoples". Communities with an awareness of Celticity.
 
I do believe there is a legitimate Celtic consciousness. It's an enduring component of the habitus of any population group with Celtic ancestry.

Can't argue with much of that... although there are certainly degrees. Somebody could challenge, "the Swiss have Celtic ancestors but they don't go around calling themselves Celts!" Well... there are ways in which the Swiss have tiny vestiges of their ancient ancestors, like how many Swiss speak French, and French, although Romance, has words of Gaulish origin.

Still, the most obvious Celtic peoples nowadays are those who speak a truly Celtic language as their first language and live in culturally Celtic areas. Although uncommon, they exist.
 
Can't argue with much of that... although there are certainly degrees. Somebody could challenge, "the Swiss have Celtic ancestors but they don't go around calling themselves Celts!" Well... there are ways in which the Swiss have tiny vestiges of their ancient ancestors, like how many Swiss speak French, and French, although Romance, has words of Gaulish origin.

Still, the most obvious Celtic peoples nowadays are those who speak a truly Celtic language as their first language and live in culturally Celtic areas. Although uncommon, they exist.

Yes, I agree. A living Celtic language is important but the strength of overall Celticity is paramount - traditions, norms, etc. resulting in Celtic or Celtic-like behaviors.
 
Here in Ireland many people who have a reasonable knowledge of history and culture would classify themselves as Gaels moreso than Celts. We are led to believe from a young age that our culture was a celtic culture which came to be influenced by the succesive waves of invaders and colonisers (Vikings, Cambro-Normans, English, Scottish, French Hueguenots) but large parts of our ancient customs remain commonplace particularily in sport and music. Our national sports of Hurling
Picture+1.png

and Gaelic football
Fball.gif
get the biggest attendances of any sports in Ireland and our traditonal music is commonplace in many pubs throughout the country. Our national language is Irish (Gaelige) and there has been a recent surge in the number of schools which teach through the medium of Irish only in the last 20 years, thus helping to preserve the language into the future.

However in saying all that, modern Ireland like most other countries is influenced heavily by mass communication and the media. Our indigenous media is quite small so many media publications and TV stations from our neighbours in Britain are widely available in Ireland and American sitcoms are regularly appearing on television. Nobody can be quite sure where all this globalisation will lead though.
 
Here in Ireland many people who have a reasonable knowledge of history and culture would classify themselves as Gaels moreso than Celts. We are led to believe from a young age that our culture was a celtic culture which came to be influenced by the succesive waves of invaders and colonisers (Vikings, Cambro-Normans, English, Scottish, French Hueguenots) but large parts of our ancient customs remain commonplace particularily in sport and music. Our national sports of Hurling
Picture+1.png

and Gaelic football
Fball.gif
get the biggest attendances of any sports in Ireland and our traditonal music is commonplace in many pubs throughout the country. Our national language is Irish (Gaelige) and there has been a recent surge in the number of schools which teach through the medium of Irish only in the last 20 years, thus helping to preserve the language into the future.

However in saying all that, modern Ireland like most other countries is influenced heavily by mass communication and the media. Our indigenous media is quite small so many media publications and TV stations from our neighbours in Britain are widely available in Ireland and American sitcoms are regularly appearing on television. Nobody can be quite sure where all this globalisation will lead though.

Great explanation, Great pearson, Great nation....anyone else should learn of this. Congratulations irish.
 
Great post, Eireannach. I think that there is continued confusion regarding the word "Celt," and whether all peoples who speak a Celtic language fit, or a subsection of them, or whether they were just an ancient set of tribes...

Either way, there seems to be commonality among the cultures historically related to Celtic languages, beyond the P-Celtic/Q-Celtic split. Taking hurling as an example, see the Cornish hurling tradition.

As for globalization, well... it's inevitable. Not that that's a bad thing per se, because spreading world culture makes us all closer to one another, in a sense. But maintaining local culture is also, in my view, a positive thing.
 
Ireland is the last living celtic nation. Hope they never give up their customs
 
Ireland is the last living celtic nation. Hope they never give up their customs

Independent one anyway, yes? Because we also have Wales as a constituent country within the UK.

Either way, another thumbs up for Irish culture from me. (y)
 
Fball.gif


interesting, how is that of the "gaelic football"? it makes me remember somehow the ancient aztec game of tlachtli.
tlachtli-court.gif
pelota.jpg



 
However in saying all that, modern Ireland like most other countries is influenced heavily by mass communication and the media. Our indigenous media is quite small so many media publications and TV stations from our neighbours in Britain are widely available in Ireland and American sitcoms are regularly appearing on television. Nobody can be quite sure where all this globalisation will lead though.

Like language, all cultures are prone to outside influence, it is a natural and healthy process in the evolution of any culture and language. Ireland today is the sum total of its past cultural influences, as is England, Scotland, Wales and Spain. It is what makes us who we are and the process is on-going, just more exelerated than ever before.

I think the stagnation in China before its re-emergence into the world is a perfect example of what happens when a society closes itself to the outside world. North Korea is another example.
 
Fball.gif

interesting, how is that of the "gaelic football"? it makes me remember somehow the ancient aztec game of tlachtli.

As I understand it, tlachtli was like volleyball, yes? Whereas gaelic football and hurling follow the same pattern as association football, where people try to get a ball into a goal on a field.
 
Another pan-Celtic cultural practice is bardic tradition, practiced today in Wales as eisteddfod. There are also bardic revivals elsewhere, such as in Cornwall.
 
CELTIC CONSCIOUSNESS:

An ancient Celtic tradition in North-east Portugal is stick dancing. Also very prevalent in Wales, popularly known as "Morris dancing".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0V4RwhndKw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvyfOktmUnw&feature=related

I don't know if it's originally celtic, but I can tell you is danced in several parts of Spain, such as la Rioja, Navarra, Aragón and Euskadi. We call it "paloteado" (I think it's not necessary to translate :rolleyes:)
 
I don't know if it's originally celtic, but I can tell you is danced in several parts of Spain, such as la Rioja, Navarra, Aragón and Euskadi. We call it "paloteado" (I think it's not necessary to translate :rolleyes:)

It's certainly a practice encountered in a number of Atlantic Facade lands. In Portugal, it is thought to have originated from a Celtic sword dance. Definitely pagan...
 
I don't know if it's originally celtic, but I can tell you is danced in several parts of Spain, such as la Rioja, Navarra, Aragón and Euskadi. We call it "paloteado" (I think it's not necessary to translate :rolleyes:)

Not surprising that it's found in parts of Northern Spain.
 

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