Episode 1 Who Are the Celts?

The Celtic World

Dr Jennifer Paxton (2018)

Film Review

In this lecture, Paxton challenges the common fallacy that modern Celts are descended from a a great Gaulic empire (which Julius Caesar defeated in 46 BC) that extended across Europe and invaded the British Isles and Ireland during the Iron Age. There is no archeological evidence the Celts ever invaded Britain. Paxton finds it more likely that Celtic languages and culture arrived there via robust sea trade and gradual settlement.

At present, roughly seven million Celts live in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with another 13 million living in Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany (in France) and Gallicia (in Spain).

Prior to the Roman conquest of Britain, the Celts dominated the British Isles. Following the withdrawal of Roman troops in the fifth century, the Celts were pushed west and north by heavy influx of Germanic Angles and Saxons.

There are four main type of evidence for our understanding of Celtic history:

1. Historical sources – Greek and Roman historians (Greece and Rome faced significant Celtic invasions) and 6th century Celtic historians.

2. Linguistic evidence – the languages spoken in Ireland, Scotland and Wales are similar to the language spoken in ancient Gaul.

3. Archeological evidence.

4. DNA evidence.

Film can be viewed free with a library card on Kanopy

https://pukeariki.kanopy.com/en/pukeariki/watch/video/5701024/5701026