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The Celts
Excerpt from the Preface: The appearance of Nora Chadwick's book The Celts a quarter of a century ago was a milestone in Celtic Studies. It marked the culmination of a lifetime's study by one of our greatest Celtic scholars, a distillation of knowledge and wisdom presented with consummate ease to delight and inform fellow scholars and the general reader alike. It was then, and is still, a masterpiece and we are all indebted to its publishers for keeping the work in print. Nora Chadwick had an encyclopedic knowledge of the Celtic world but her particular interest lay in the later period when Celtic culture was restricted to the islands of Britain and Ireland and the peninsula of Brittany. For those of us approaching the Celts from the depths of prehistory this was the Celtic twilight, but in the hands of Nora Chadwick the twilight became an Indian summer - a period which saw a remarkable cultural flowering, with echoes reverberating deep from the past yet a distinct phenomenon with quality and energy of its own.
317 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1970
36 people are currently reading
1523 people want to read
About the author
Nora Kershaw Chadwick
46 books20 followersNora Kershaw Chadwick, CBE, FSA, FBA, married to Hector Munro Chadwick, published widely on the Celts and Oral Literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
partially-read
September 27, 2015Set aside for now.
If I had exams coming up, or someone standing over me with chocolate each time I finished a chapter and a poke in the eye when I didnae, then I might have enough extraneous motivation to wade through this bog. As it is, my interest is more on the level of it-would-be-quite-nice-to-know-a-bit about the Celts, but not on the level of needing to have encyclopaedic knowledge of every detail of each of the different geographical areas where there is evidence of their existence. At first I thought it was just me, never one for military history, so I skipped swiftly past all the struggles for supremacy and who was in cahoots with whom and moved on to the social institutions. But even there, my appetite does not match the feast offered, especially as the fare is somewhat bland and tasteless.
PLUS I was trying to read this on a hand-held device. Not a book, which is also a hand-held device, but I'm sure you know what I mean. It simply doesn't work for me.
If I had exams coming up, or someone standing over me with chocolate each time I finished a chapter and a poke in the eye when I didnae, then I might have enough extraneous motivation to wade through this bog. As it is, my interest is more on the level of it-would-be-quite-nice-to-know-a-bit about the Celts, but not on the level of needing to have encyclopaedic knowledge of every detail of each of the different geographical areas where there is evidence of their existence. At first I thought it was just me, never one for military history, so I skipped swiftly past all the struggles for supremacy and who was in cahoots with whom and moved on to the social institutions. But even there, my appetite does not match the feast offered, especially as the fare is somewhat bland and tasteless.
PLUS I was trying to read this on a hand-held device. Not a book, which is also a hand-held device, but I'm sure you know what I mean. It simply doesn't work for me.
December 18, 2016
Although this book is undoubtedly out of date, published in 1971, it’s a fascinating survey of what was known and believed about the Celts at the time. Some of the theories are less in vogue now (with more credit given to the spread of ideas than the spread of people for the changes in agriculture, art, etc), but descriptions of the archaeology, art and literature are solid and worth reading. I found Chadwick’s style very pleasant and easy to read: this is serious and somewhat academic in depth, but not boring.
Pretty much my only quibbles, when you lay aside the outdated theories, were the way the literature was described at length. I don’t need a description of Táin Bó Cúailnge — I’ve read it! And my other quibble would be the intense focus on Ireland. It does make sense within the frame Chadwick gives us, where Ireland was more conservative in culture and thus retained purer Celtic culture for longer, but I would still love to have read as detailed a discussion of the Welsh texts surviving, particularly stuff like the Triads.
If you read it knowing that, of course, other theories are in vogue now and some of it has been disproved, it’s a pretty sober and admiring look at Celtic culture. Maybe a touch too much judgement re: civilisation vs barbarism, with the Celts decidedly on the latter end, but there’s still admiration, and no prurient focus on the idea of ritual human sacrifice (which, judging from this, was not considered common then either).
Originally posted here.
Pretty much my only quibbles, when you lay aside the outdated theories, were the way the literature was described at length. I don’t need a description of Táin Bó Cúailnge — I’ve read it! And my other quibble would be the intense focus on Ireland. It does make sense within the frame Chadwick gives us, where Ireland was more conservative in culture and thus retained purer Celtic culture for longer, but I would still love to have read as detailed a discussion of the Welsh texts surviving, particularly stuff like the Triads.
If you read it knowing that, of course, other theories are in vogue now and some of it has been disproved, it’s a pretty sober and admiring look at Celtic culture. Maybe a touch too much judgement re: civilisation vs barbarism, with the Celts decidedly on the latter end, but there’s still admiration, and no prurient focus on the idea of ritual human sacrifice (which, judging from this, was not considered common then either).
Originally posted here.
June 14, 2020
The Celts expanded out from Central Europe around 1200 BC, eventually establishing themselves from Ireland to Spain and as far east as Anatolia. A tribal, warrior culture, they were feared throughout Europe. They plundered the temple of Delphi, and in 390 BC laid siege to Rome, which was only lifted when the Romans agreed to pay a large ransom and accept a humiliating peace. They were also noted for their expertise in metalworking, and their eloquence was such that Celtic teachers of rhetoric were in great demand after Caesar conquered Gaul.
If you are looking for a book that explains Celtic history and society across Europe, The Celts is probably not what you want. This book is primarily about Celtic Ireland, with occasional forays to Scotland and Wales. The reason for this is that it was published in 1971, when most of what was known about the culture came from Irish history and literature. Since then a great deal of additional information has emerged from archaeology and other research.
Celtic culture was oral, and what little was known about them in writing came from their enemies in Greece and Rome.
With Caesar’s conquest of Gaul and the arrival of Mediterranean languages and cultures, the old ways were quickly pushed aside. They lost influence in the Britain after the Romans imposed their way of life, and then were further submerged when Christianity replaced the old belief systems.
Only in Ireland, where the Romans never set foot, did Celtic culture remain. Christianity had arrived there too by the time the Romans evacuated Britain, but it coexisted with the existing Druidic religion and in isolation from the Church of Rome. “The Christianity of the Celts has a marked spirituality of its own. Having no towns, no currency, no large-scale industries, it had little temptation to material and worldly ideals. It retained to the end a serene inner life which could never be repeated in a rapidly changing world.” (p. 219) Since there were dozens of petty kinglets across the island, the Church could not rely on the support of centralized authority, and so developed as a series of loosely associated monasteries which crossed political boundaries and tried to avoid getting involved in the feuding kingdoms. There was no church hierarchy but the monks were not necessarily paragons of godly virtue. For instance, “there is literary evidence even from pre-Norse times of the raiding of one monastery by another.” (p. 214)
When the Roman Church finally made its presence felt, there was considerable resistance from the indigenous Catholics, most notably in a highly contentious though now forgotten dispute over how to calculate the date of Easter. Eventually the better organized Roman Catholics got the upper hand and assimilated or drove out the native church.
The Vikings started raiding around 800 AD, plundering, murdering, and enslaving. Originally attacking the west coast of Ireland, including the offshore monasteries, they were eventually despoiling the east coast as well, and far inland with their shallow draft longboats. Their depredations forced the Irish to begin centralizing authority, although no one king ruled over the entire island. The Irish forces won some notable successes against the invaders and the raiding gradually ceased, partly because the Vikings had become settlers instead of pirates, partly because they found that commerce was a better long term strategy than plunder, and partly because they gradually became Christianized and found common cause with the Irish natives.
Celtic art, poetry, and literature influenced and was influenced by trends in Europe, and there was a surprisingly robust exchange of people and ideas between the continent and the British Isles. Much of the literature was not written down until the 10th century or later, and there is considerable scholarly debate about how much of that material is original and how much was changed to conform to later tastes and prejudices. There was a rich, ancient tradition of bards and their stories, which could not easily be suppressed by the Catholic church, so they decided not to fight them, and instead simply demoted the subjects from their previous position as local gods to a new ones as mortal heroes.
Surviving examples of Celtic art are among the wonders of the world: magnificent illuminated manuscripts, masterpieces of engraving and metalworking, and a timeless, dignified sculptural tradition. They fused ideas from other cultures into their own unique styles in complex and surprising ways. The idea of illustrating manuscripts by adding small colored dots around the main figures almost certainly comes from Syria, although how it made its way across Europe all the way to Ireland is a mystery.
The book is not a general survey of Celtic culture; for that the reader should turn to more modern, comprehensive works. There are also times when it gets lost in a welter of obscure place names, so unless one has a good geographic reference at hand, the military campaigns and political maneuvering do not shed much light on the times. If the reader is interested in Irish Celtic history, however, there is a lot of good information, and the writing style is straightforward and non-academic.
If you are looking for a book that explains Celtic history and society across Europe, The Celts is probably not what you want. This book is primarily about Celtic Ireland, with occasional forays to Scotland and Wales. The reason for this is that it was published in 1971, when most of what was known about the culture came from Irish history and literature. Since then a great deal of additional information has emerged from archaeology and other research.
Celtic culture was oral, and what little was known about them in writing came from their enemies in Greece and Rome.
Among the ancient southern civilizations with their written documents, all individual experience, whether practical or intellectual, could quickly be pooled so as to become the common property of the community, whereas among the illiterate Celtic people experience was exchanged orally, and in certain aspects may have been fragmented. Writing has become so integral a part of modern civilization that it is difficult to remember that it is a comparatively recent acquisition, and originally very restricted in area. The Celtic peoples did not acquire it till the fifth century A.D., and to transmit their traditions and to give permanence to their thoughts they depended on the spoken word. (p. 43)
With Caesar’s conquest of Gaul and the arrival of Mediterranean languages and cultures, the old ways were quickly pushed aside. They lost influence in the Britain after the Romans imposed their way of life, and then were further submerged when Christianity replaced the old belief systems.
Only in Ireland, where the Romans never set foot, did Celtic culture remain. Christianity had arrived there too by the time the Romans evacuated Britain, but it coexisted with the existing Druidic religion and in isolation from the Church of Rome. “The Christianity of the Celts has a marked spirituality of its own. Having no towns, no currency, no large-scale industries, it had little temptation to material and worldly ideals. It retained to the end a serene inner life which could never be repeated in a rapidly changing world.” (p. 219) Since there were dozens of petty kinglets across the island, the Church could not rely on the support of centralized authority, and so developed as a series of loosely associated monasteries which crossed political boundaries and tried to avoid getting involved in the feuding kingdoms. There was no church hierarchy but the monks were not necessarily paragons of godly virtue. For instance, “there is literary evidence even from pre-Norse times of the raiding of one monastery by another.” (p. 214)
When the Roman Church finally made its presence felt, there was considerable resistance from the indigenous Catholics, most notably in a highly contentious though now forgotten dispute over how to calculate the date of Easter. Eventually the better organized Roman Catholics got the upper hand and assimilated or drove out the native church.
The Vikings started raiding around 800 AD, plundering, murdering, and enslaving. Originally attacking the west coast of Ireland, including the offshore monasteries, they were eventually despoiling the east coast as well, and far inland with their shallow draft longboats. Their depredations forced the Irish to begin centralizing authority, although no one king ruled over the entire island. The Irish forces won some notable successes against the invaders and the raiding gradually ceased, partly because the Vikings had become settlers instead of pirates, partly because they found that commerce was a better long term strategy than plunder, and partly because they gradually became Christianized and found common cause with the Irish natives.
Celtic art, poetry, and literature influenced and was influenced by trends in Europe, and there was a surprisingly robust exchange of people and ideas between the continent and the British Isles. Much of the literature was not written down until the 10th century or later, and there is considerable scholarly debate about how much of that material is original and how much was changed to conform to later tastes and prejudices. There was a rich, ancient tradition of bards and their stories, which could not easily be suppressed by the Catholic church, so they decided not to fight them, and instead simply demoted the subjects from their previous position as local gods to a new ones as mortal heroes.
Surviving examples of Celtic art are among the wonders of the world: magnificent illuminated manuscripts, masterpieces of engraving and metalworking, and a timeless, dignified sculptural tradition. They fused ideas from other cultures into their own unique styles in complex and surprising ways. The idea of illustrating manuscripts by adding small colored dots around the main figures almost certainly comes from Syria, although how it made its way across Europe all the way to Ireland is a mystery.
The book is not a general survey of Celtic culture; for that the reader should turn to more modern, comprehensive works. There are also times when it gets lost in a welter of obscure place names, so unless one has a good geographic reference at hand, the military campaigns and political maneuvering do not shed much light on the times. If the reader is interested in Irish Celtic history, however, there is a lot of good information, and the writing style is straightforward and non-academic.
March 22, 2014
Since the beginning of my interest in ancient history and culture I have been held by an inexplicable fascination with all things Celtic. At least, what I perceived as Celtic from my admittedly untrained eye. Nora Chadwick's volume "The Celts" has only served to further my interest in their long history, varied culture, and supernatural worldview as expressed through their art, literature, and religion.
At the start of reading this volume I had only previously read T.W. Rollerston's "Celtic Myths and Legends", and R.J. Stewart's dual volume "Celtic Myths, Celtic Legends" and "Celtic Gods, Celtic Goddesses", so I didn't have a firm footing for the archaeological history of the Celtic peoples. The first 4 chapters (100 pages) cover nothing but that, tracing the nomadic Celtic tribes of Iron Age Europe, up through the refined Medieval Welsh society. I was completely unprepared for the language of the Celts, which Chadwick maintains to a fair degrees. After a brief online crash course in pronouncing names properly (something I need in order to feel comfortable while reading) I hit the book hard.
After those first hundred pages things settled down for me some. The historical element had been covered. I had learned about the Hallstatt period, the La Tene period, the insular nature of Ireland, the constant struggle between the Picts, the Scots, the Romans and everyone else in Great Britain, and so on, and so forth. It was all very interesting, as many of my previously held notions were finally set straight, including the fact that Celtic peoples are as old, if not older, in Europe than those of Greece and the Etruscan nation, and that written language (Ogham that so many modern Druids use) was not an early invention, and may have been in relation to the Norse/Viking raiders who brought their Runic characters with them. All things considered, a very interesting overview, especially since it was only a third of the book.
The final five chapters (and 200 pages) were what I was really interested in. Chadwick beautifully outlines the various influences from Rome and the Viking raiders that influenced mainland and island Celts, and traces in very plain terms the development of Celtic religion from animistic natural worship of the land and it's features, to a centralized pantheon of recurring characters, to the influence of Saints and Christianity, concluding with Ireland's refusal to give up her pagan beliefs, instead creating a blended faith of Irish paganism and Roman Catholic monotheism that resisted refinement for several hundred years.
I was also impressed by Chadwick's study of Celtic architecture, art, and literature. All three of which were topics I was only vaguely familiar with. I felt that in all three instances she provides a very sturdy foundation, which those interested can use as a springboard should they desire to know more about each individual topic.
That, in fact, brings me to the only warning I have concerning the volume. I went in with a lot of preconceived notions about the Celts and their way of life. Chadwick's volume wonderfully educated me concerning them. I, however, was new to Celtic culture. If you're different from me, and already have a firm grasp on the Celts, their traditions, their history, and way of life, then this volume will probably not enlighten you any further. Chadwick, by the nature of her undertaking, had need to only touch on each topic briefly, so as not to create a tome of unimaginable weight that would be unreadable.
If you're new to Celtic themes and ideologies, begin with this book. If you're already firmly established with their history and culture, then seek a writer with a more centralized focus, it will be significantly more appealing to you and your particular interests.
At the start of reading this volume I had only previously read T.W. Rollerston's "Celtic Myths and Legends", and R.J. Stewart's dual volume "Celtic Myths, Celtic Legends" and "Celtic Gods, Celtic Goddesses", so I didn't have a firm footing for the archaeological history of the Celtic peoples. The first 4 chapters (100 pages) cover nothing but that, tracing the nomadic Celtic tribes of Iron Age Europe, up through the refined Medieval Welsh society. I was completely unprepared for the language of the Celts, which Chadwick maintains to a fair degrees. After a brief online crash course in pronouncing names properly (something I need in order to feel comfortable while reading) I hit the book hard.
After those first hundred pages things settled down for me some. The historical element had been covered. I had learned about the Hallstatt period, the La Tene period, the insular nature of Ireland, the constant struggle between the Picts, the Scots, the Romans and everyone else in Great Britain, and so on, and so forth. It was all very interesting, as many of my previously held notions were finally set straight, including the fact that Celtic peoples are as old, if not older, in Europe than those of Greece and the Etruscan nation, and that written language (Ogham that so many modern Druids use) was not an early invention, and may have been in relation to the Norse/Viking raiders who brought their Runic characters with them. All things considered, a very interesting overview, especially since it was only a third of the book.
The final five chapters (and 200 pages) were what I was really interested in. Chadwick beautifully outlines the various influences from Rome and the Viking raiders that influenced mainland and island Celts, and traces in very plain terms the development of Celtic religion from animistic natural worship of the land and it's features, to a centralized pantheon of recurring characters, to the influence of Saints and Christianity, concluding with Ireland's refusal to give up her pagan beliefs, instead creating a blended faith of Irish paganism and Roman Catholic monotheism that resisted refinement for several hundred years.
I was also impressed by Chadwick's study of Celtic architecture, art, and literature. All three of which were topics I was only vaguely familiar with. I felt that in all three instances she provides a very sturdy foundation, which those interested can use as a springboard should they desire to know more about each individual topic.
That, in fact, brings me to the only warning I have concerning the volume. I went in with a lot of preconceived notions about the Celts and their way of life. Chadwick's volume wonderfully educated me concerning them. I, however, was new to Celtic culture. If you're different from me, and already have a firm grasp on the Celts, their traditions, their history, and way of life, then this volume will probably not enlighten you any further. Chadwick, by the nature of her undertaking, had need to only touch on each topic briefly, so as not to create a tome of unimaginable weight that would be unreadable.
If you're new to Celtic themes and ideologies, begin with this book. If you're already firmly established with their history and culture, then seek a writer with a more centralized focus, it will be significantly more appealing to you and your particular interests.
January 13, 2011
This was a really interesting read, as history books go. Extremely detailed with the names of tribes, people, and places. (It was reminiscent of the million and one names you'll come across in the Illiad in only one paragraph.) Once I got over my anxiety of trying to remember all these names, then I was able to just focus on the larger picture and I found it fascinating. It not only deals with the names and dates type of history, but includes culture, religion, and language discussions, too. I always appreciate treatment of these in history books because history isn't just a list of dates, it's about actually knowing the people who lived in those times and knowing what they were like.
This book certainly isn't for most people, but if you're interested in the Celts, this is an excellent history.
This book certainly isn't for most people, but if you're interested in the Celts, this is an excellent history.
March 9, 2013
When I first read this in 1982, I was so fascinated, I was launched like a spiritual rocket ship down the path my life would take. However, after 30 years of training and study, my thoughts are vastly different; the subjective assumptions made throughout are inaccurate, however, the facts stand alone and are accurate. The interpretations made by the Author are too colonialized to be of much benefit as the embargo on the truth is lifted.
August 24, 2024
I picked up this delightful 1970 Pelican paperback secondhand. Though academic it was a brisk enough read, providing broad and specific information about Celtic culture spanning the Bronze Age to the Early Medieval. From language to society to religion to craft and decorative art, the notion of what is Celtic is still very alive in modern Irish culture and heritage, so it was really interesting to read about the movement of peoples and the interactions with other cultures and societies which resulted in Celtic societies developing how and where they did. The Celtic period bridges prehistory and the beginning of recorded history in this part of the world, and Chadwick provides fascinating insight into the intersections of oral traditions, the earliest monastic documents, and mentions of Celtic societies in contemporary secondary sources, to piece together a picture of Celtic life and culture. While I imagine some of the scholarship has likely been added to in the decades since this was published, it’s given me a huge amount of historical context for the sometimes nebulous and mythic Celtic features in Irish heritage and tradition. A bit of an esoteric choice for sure but a great follow up for anyone who’s childhood bookshelf featured Horrible History’s The Cut-Throat Celts” 😂
April 30, 2020
I've never read something with so much focus on the archeology. By which I mean it seems that every discussion is backed up by some kind of unearthed evidence, like I'm reading an essay in college. Surprisingly I had a lot more interest through the chapter on Christianity (a chapter I think I enjoyed the most) but the art and literature sections at the end were so hard to read. So much description of archeological finds in the way of art, sculptures, calligraphy, etc.... so much description...
November 6, 2017
Talk about big things coming in small packages. This is a short book, only 301 pages in my edition (including notes), but one that has to be read and digested in small chunks. The author wrote for a different era, one where she could take a certain level of education and understanding among her readers for granted. She name drops like she's at a Hollywood party and keeps rolling, because she sees no reason why she should have to explain Bede's history. She also isn't big on definitions. There is, for example, and extended discussion about eremetical monasticism and cenobitic monasticism as it relates to 4th-century Christianity in Gaul, and there is not not one word of explanation given. We should all be able to just follow along with this like it's no issue.
And, I have to say, it's kind of beautiful, even though there were things I had to Google to keep up. Her writing is dense, but still readable, and her ability to condense thousands of years of history into digestible material is astounding.
I only have two real complaints. One, as mentioned above, is that she doesn't discuss anything she feels like she shouldn't have to discuss, and there were some things I wanted to hear more about that got some short shrift. Hadrian's Wall, for example, got less than a paragraph, and only in passing.
My other issue is that she organizes the book by subject matter instead of by timeline. While that allowed her to go in-depth on certain topics, it also made it hard for me to keep organized as to what happened when. I had to do a lot of flipping back and forth as she casually mentions something she hasn't talked about for one hundred pages. It would have been easier to follow, I think, if she had moved chronologically rather than topically, but you can't have everything in life.
And, I have to say, it's kind of beautiful, even though there were things I had to Google to keep up. Her writing is dense, but still readable, and her ability to condense thousands of years of history into digestible material is astounding.
I only have two real complaints. One, as mentioned above, is that she doesn't discuss anything she feels like she shouldn't have to discuss, and there were some things I wanted to hear more about that got some short shrift. Hadrian's Wall, for example, got less than a paragraph, and only in passing.
My other issue is that she organizes the book by subject matter instead of by timeline. While that allowed her to go in-depth on certain topics, it also made it hard for me to keep organized as to what happened when. I had to do a lot of flipping back and forth as she casually mentions something she hasn't talked about for one hundred pages. It would have been easier to follow, I think, if she had moved chronologically rather than topically, but you can't have everything in life.
August 9, 2021
Nora Chadwick was an academic of the highest order and has produced a comprehensive and scholarly study of the Celtic culture of the British Isles, from around 800 bc.
January 1, 2014
In my course "Celtic History and Culture" in Uppsala universety Sweden I've read this book(1997 edition) as a supplement to the course ground book Barry Cunliffes "The Ancient Celts".
In this great book and I've read chapter 3(The origins of the Celtic kingdoms in Britain and Ireland), 4(The development of the Celtic kingdoms of the west), 5(Institutions and way of life), half of chapter 6(Religion and mythology) and 8(Celtic art).
This book is well written with a lot of facts mostly regarding the Insular Celts (the Celts in Britain and Ireland) not mention on the other books I've read and it's written in an easy languish and have a clear and comprehensive structure throughout the book.
That this books focus is on the Insular Celts are both good and bad, that's this books biggest weakness but on the other hand it gives a lot of information on a subject otherwise mostly hastily covered. This book takes the change give a more detailed and extensive look at the evidence we have about the Insular Celts.
I think this book ain't a good standalone book on the subject because it focus to much on the Insular Celts and therefore focus on a little shorter period of time, not from 1000BC-600AD as the time frame are, and a too narrow part of the Celtic world but its a good "I-want-to-know-more-details-book" and she covers her subject good!
I'm aware of that I haven't read the chapters when she covers the continental Celts but by looking at the chapters I've read I can see a clear focus on Britain and Ireland.
In this great book and I've read chapter 3(The origins of the Celtic kingdoms in Britain and Ireland), 4(The development of the Celtic kingdoms of the west), 5(Institutions and way of life), half of chapter 6(Religion and mythology) and 8(Celtic art).
This book is well written with a lot of facts mostly regarding the Insular Celts (the Celts in Britain and Ireland) not mention on the other books I've read and it's written in an easy languish and have a clear and comprehensive structure throughout the book.
That this books focus is on the Insular Celts are both good and bad, that's this books biggest weakness but on the other hand it gives a lot of information on a subject otherwise mostly hastily covered. This book takes the change give a more detailed and extensive look at the evidence we have about the Insular Celts.
I think this book ain't a good standalone book on the subject because it focus to much on the Insular Celts and therefore focus on a little shorter period of time, not from 1000BC-600AD as the time frame are, and a too narrow part of the Celtic world but its a good "I-want-to-know-more-details-book" and she covers her subject good!
I'm aware of that I haven't read the chapters when she covers the continental Celts but by looking at the chapters I've read I can see a clear focus on Britain and Ireland.
December 30, 2024
This book was a slog to get through, but it was satisfying in the end. The author is certainly one of the most knowledgeable on the subject, but the book is a little outdated in places now. More pictures and less exposition of some of the Celtic myths would have made the book more enjoyable, but overall it is a good book, not too long, and gets across the important points of the Celtic culture, from is Neolithic European origins through to the first centuries of Christianity.
Read
September 24, 2015An introduction to Celtic studies that focuses on a wide range of Celtic topics including religion (both pre and post Christian), culture, art, and society. It also does a fantastic job of explaining how "Celtic" isn't a homogenous entity, but rather many different cultures over a large area over a large period of time.
April 22, 2008
A warrior culture with artistic talents - again and again. A good survey book.
May 2, 2008
Excellent reference book on the Celtic history. I own this in German.
Read
July 30, 2011Good stuff. Lots of information, but much of it I already knew.
January 5, 2012
A little out of date now, but still one of the best overviews of the subject.
October 14, 2011
This book is the mainstay of many students of Celtic Mythology.
December 25, 2014
This is still one of the best overviews of the Celts although getting a little dated although I must admit this is a review of the earlier edition. Worth having regardless.
November 19, 2021
This is an awesome book! I have never read about the Celts before and I find them fascinating! I have read books on prehistory, pagan Britain and the Romans, however, I believe the Celts are the missing piece of the puzzle, as the Celts fill in the gaps from prehistory to history especially in temperate Europe (i.e.: non-Mediterranean). Beginning with the Hallstatt culture from the Late Bronze Age from the 12th to 8th centuries BC, then onto the La Tène culture which flourished during the late Iron Age (from about 450 BCE to the Roman conquest in the 1st century BCE), we then hit the historic period of Celtic culture, when they Christianise and become literate themselves. Although Celtic culture was spread throughout much of temperate Europe, through the Roman conquest (particularly of Gaul) the Celts were limited to the British Isles and Brittany, also known as insular Celts and most of the book focuses of the prehistory, history, art, architecture and literature (aka culture) of the Celts in Gaul, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall and Brittany. The Celts have so much beautiful art and later in the historic period beautiful literature, stories and myths particularly in Ireland. To be honest I didn’t really know that the Celts were an extant living people, living today with their own languages in Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Cornwall and Brittany. I kind of thought the Celts were extinct. An excellent and enthralling book! I highly recommend it!
May 22, 2022
Don’t be fooled by the book’s small size that is a quick and easy read…….It is packed with info that historians, archaeologists, art history buffs and anthropologists would like.
Celts is not a traditional historical narrative, but instead more anthropological, piecing together elements of history, art, literature and archaeology to determine who the Celts really were.
The Celts did not have writing until they intermixed with the Romans, so much of what we knew about them was from observations of the Romans, Greeks and others who came into contact with them. Much of that contact was through war, so the Celts were known as fierce, mysterious warriors.
This book takes everything and paints the Celts as a complex group of people with many interesting facets beyond the contacts with the Romans. Chadwick put these together.
My only issue is the book’s scope. It tries to be all things to all people but never satisfy any of them. I was hoping for a more straightforward historical narrative, so the extensive attention to art and archaeology, while useful for a wannabe historian like me, lost me a bit, while I’m sure the art history buffs and literary anthropologists may feel the same as me.
Celts is not a traditional historical narrative, but instead more anthropological, piecing together elements of history, art, literature and archaeology to determine who the Celts really were.
The Celts did not have writing until they intermixed with the Romans, so much of what we knew about them was from observations of the Romans, Greeks and others who came into contact with them. Much of that contact was through war, so the Celts were known as fierce, mysterious warriors.
This book takes everything and paints the Celts as a complex group of people with many interesting facets beyond the contacts with the Romans. Chadwick put these together.
My only issue is the book’s scope. It tries to be all things to all people but never satisfy any of them. I was hoping for a more straightforward historical narrative, so the extensive attention to art and archaeology, while useful for a wannabe historian like me, lost me a bit, while I’m sure the art history buffs and literary anthropologists may feel the same as me.
August 22, 2017
There are sections of this book that are outdated now, but sections of it give very clear and relevant explanations for the key themes and dominant theories that still govern Celtic history.
The early chapters do a wonderful job of reciting Celtic history, and tying that history to the broader history of northern and western Europe and the British Isles. Personally, I was fascinated by the first chapter, which gave me a clearer picture with more continuity of how the early proto-Indo-European speakers spread their daughter languages over most of Europe, and how the Celts not only spoke Indo-European languages, but also retained some Indo-European cultural traits that I had never recognized as such before (for instance, chariot warriors riding around Ireland).
The later chapters are fascinating in their theses, but getting through them is a slog. At the worst points, they essentially devolve into lists of evidence, and it's hard to keep track of the point of the list.
I would recommend having Irish, Welsh and Breton pronunciation guides handy, as well as beefing up on the geography of the British Isles if you're going to get the most out of this book.
The early chapters do a wonderful job of reciting Celtic history, and tying that history to the broader history of northern and western Europe and the British Isles. Personally, I was fascinated by the first chapter, which gave me a clearer picture with more continuity of how the early proto-Indo-European speakers spread their daughter languages over most of Europe, and how the Celts not only spoke Indo-European languages, but also retained some Indo-European cultural traits that I had never recognized as such before (for instance, chariot warriors riding around Ireland).
The later chapters are fascinating in their theses, but getting through them is a slog. At the worst points, they essentially devolve into lists of evidence, and it's hard to keep track of the point of the list.
I would recommend having Irish, Welsh and Breton pronunciation guides handy, as well as beefing up on the geography of the British Isles if you're going to get the most out of this book.
June 21, 2025
Very few people realize the Celts tried to escape Roman rule in Europe and emigrated to the British Isles. They were not indigenous to Wales, Scotland, Ireland or England. What happened when and before they arrived is mostly unknown because of no known historical records. Cheddar Mans remains in central England were believed to be 12,000 years old (well before the Celts arrived) and DNA samples showed he was dark skinned. This book deals with their arrival and lives until the Romans invaded. Ireland was mostly ignored by the Romans as well as Northern Scotland deemed too hostile to conquer thus Hadrians wall. I enjoyed the first part of this book but it kind of bogs down with too much discussion on their religion and conversion to Christianity as well as their art. Archaeological discoveries were interesting but overall I prefer a previous work by Michael Wood called In Search of the Dark Ages.
July 6, 2023
One might consider this book a bibliography. Nora Chadwick essentially accomplished the increadible feat of trawling through ~every historic reference~ of Celtic culture which exists. Then she wrote it down. In this book. So it’s DUSTY. But after a pretty close reading I was actually able to piece together a confident picture about what is known about the celts, and where and when their literature came from. Which is what I came here to do! So this book is a very impressive success.
Very very outdated language, she wrote this in the 70s. And her analysis is light, and not too good. But that’s not what’s important. She will tell you the location of every single stone cross in wales and the probable origin of their imagery. So I’ll keep this book for future reference. I already used it to make a list of the ancient Irish stories I want to read next.
Very very outdated language, she wrote this in the 70s. And her analysis is light, and not too good. But that’s not what’s important. She will tell you the location of every single stone cross in wales and the probable origin of their imagery. So I’ll keep this book for future reference. I already used it to make a list of the ancient Irish stories I want to read next.
October 28, 2023
While reading this, I was honestly dealing with some of the worst anxiety I’ve felt in my life and, oddly enough, this very pedantic and thorough account of the Celtic peoples distracted me quite significantly from all of that anxiety. I was trying so hard to sort out all of the facts and details of this book in my mind which is likely what helped the most with taking my mind off of things. Although I enjoyed this book a lot for that reason, I think most people would find the book too scholarly and overly detailed and, therefore, a bit difficult to drudge through. If you’re into the topic and are looking for a very thorough account of the Celts, this is certainly the book for you.
January 26, 2019
Chadwick distinguishes between the "heroic cultures" and "civilized cultures" among Celtic peoples, while identifying common elements of appreciation for metallurgy and art. As a tidbit, the author mentions that Cu Chulain's "Gae Bolga", a magical spear weapon, still gets twirled between his toes! It's hard to imagine how the listeners would have interpreted that, but it seems to me that it must be a joke- if I were seriously setting out to describe someone's skill with a weapon I wouldn't rely on "toe-twirling."
July 5, 2024
A good, if out-of-date, book; there are certainly some things I learned in here, and while some of the theory and attitude is out of date, it's still a responsible, approachable, good introduction to the history of the Celtic peoples -- a thing that tends to be sorely lacking in a world where history of the Celts is either intensely academic or completely wacky woo-woo stuff.
March 10, 2019
Well done! A thorough & comprehensive review of history, religion, art, literature, archeology, & architecture of the Celts and prior cultures of influence; from the Bronze Age to present remnants. (I had to stop reading a lot of times; to research sub topics. I enjoyed that too)
April 8, 2024
My most boring-old-man book for the year, no doubt. I’ll be honest, I skipped the final two chapters on Celtic art and literature respectively, because even I must draw the line somewhere. But an interesting overview of the history of the British and Irish Celts was happily received.
June 25, 2018
A great insight to the history of The Celts, the exploration of the origins, writings and literature, gives a wider appreciation of history
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