| "Celticity" has been adopted as a node | | | | to a somewhat different use. The peoples |
| of self-identification by a variety of | | | | of the "Celtic fringe" found in |
| peoples at different times. During the | | | | Celticity an explanation for their |
| 19th century, French nationalists gave a | | | | peripheral "otherness", as well as a |
| privileged significance to their descent | | | | source of pride which could galvanize |
| from the Gauls. The struggles of | | | | them into demands for development and |
| Vercingetorix were portrayed as a | | | | regeneration. Nationalists in Northern |
| forerunner of the 19th-century struggles | | | | Ireland sought an end to endemic |
| in defence of French nationalism, | | | | discrimination with the Civil Rights |
| including the wars of both Napoleons | | | | Movement. Breton regionalists |
| (Napoleon I of France and Napoleon III | | | | participated in the May 1968 revolt |
| of France). Basic French history | | | | under Breton flags and with the slogan |
| textbooks could begin with the famous | | | | Bretagne=Colonie. The Republic of |
| words "Nos ancetres les Gaulois..." | | | | Ireland, on surpassing Britain's GDP per |
| ("Our ancestors the Gauls..."). A | | | | capita in the 1990s for the first time |
| similar use of "celticity" for 19th | | | | in centuries, was given the moniker |
| century nationalism was made in | | | | "Celtic tiger". Thanks in part to |
| Switzerland, when the Swiss were seen to | | | | agitation on the part of Cornish |
| originate in the Celtic tribe of the | | | | regionalists, Cornwall was able to |
| Helvetii, a link still found in the | | | | obtain Objective One funding from the |
| official Latin name of Switzerland, | | | | European Union. Scotland and Wales |
| Confoderatio Helvetica, the source of | | | | obtained agencies like the Welsh |
| the nation code CH. | | | | Development Agency, and Scottish and |
| At the same time, there was also a | | | | Welsh Nationalists have recently |
| tendency to play up alternative | | | | supported the institution of the |
| heritages in the British Isles at | | | | Scottish Parliament and National |
| certain times, partially as a rationale | | | | Assembly for Wales, which are seen by |
| for non-English parts of the islands to | | | | many as a first step towards eventual |
| fully participate in the British Empire. | | | | independence from the UK. More broadly, |
| For example, in the Isle of Man, in the | | | | a distinct identity in opposition to |
| Victorian era, the "Viking" heritage was | | | | that of the metropolitan capitals has |
| emphasised, and in Scotland, both Norse | | | | been forged and taken strong root. |
| and Anglo-Saxon heritage was played up. | | | | These latter evolutions have proceeded |
| With the advance of Indo-European | | | | hand in hand with the growth of an |
| studies, philologists also established | | | | pan-Celtic or inter-Celtic dimension, |
| that there was a relationship between | | | | seen in many organizations and festivals |
| the Goidelic and Brythonic languages, as | | | | operating across various Celtic |
| well as a relationship between these | | | | countries. Celtic studies departments at |
| languages and the extinct Celtic | | | | many universities in Europe and beyond, |
| languages such as Gaulish, spoken in | | | | have studied the various ancient and |
| classical times. The term "Celtic" | | | | modern Celtic languages and associated |
| therefore came to be widely applied (for | | | | history and folklore under one roof. |
| the first time) to the Goidelic and | | | | The Celtic link is also claimed to come |
| Brythonic languages, and by extension to | | | | mainly from: |
| the peoples that spoke them. | | | | language |
| A romantic image of the Celt as noble | | | | music |
| savage was cultivated by the early | | | | cultural events |
| William Butler Yeats, Lady Gregory, Lady | | | | sport |
| Charlotte Guest, Lady Llanover, James | | | | The roots revival, applied to Celtic |
| Macpherson, Chateaubriand, Theodore | | | | music, has brought much inter-Celtic |
| Hersart de la Villemarque and the many | | | | cross-fertilization, as, for instance, |
| others influenced by them. This image | | | | Welsh musicians have revived the use of |
| coloured not only the English perception | | | | the mediaeval Welsh bagpipe under the |
| of their neighbours on the so-called | | | | influence of the Breton biniou, Irish |
| "Celtic fringe" (compare the stage | | | | uillean pipes and famous Scottish pipes, |
| Irishman), but also Irish nationalism | | | | or the Scots have revived the bodhran |
| and its analogues in the other | | | | from Irish influence. Sports such as |
| Celtic-speaking countries. Among the | | | | Hurling and Shinty are seen as being |
| enduring products of this resurgence of | | | | 'Celtic', whilst the Irish fleadh is |
| interest in a romantic, pre-industrial, | | | | seen as an equivalent to the Breton fest |
| brooding, mystical Celticity are | | | | noz. |
| Gorseddau, the revival of the Cornish | | | | The USA has also taken part in |
| language, and the revival of the Gaelic | | | | discussions of modern Celticity. For |
| Games. | | | | example, James H. Webb, in his 2004 book |
| In the decades leading up to World War | | | | Born Fighting How the Scots-Irish Shaped |
| II, the various meanings attributed to | | | | America, controversially asserts that |
| Celtic "race" were widely discussed in | | | | the early "pioneering" immigrants to |
| Europe. The so-called Alpine race was | | | | North America were of Scots-Irish |
| identified with the ancient Celts and | | | | origins. He goes on to argue that their |
| their descendants, and classical sources | | | | distinct "Celtic traits" (loyalty to |
| were scoured for appropriate stereotypes | | | | kin, mistrust of governmental authority, |
| to apply to this race. | | | | and military readiness), in contrast to |
| Modern 'Celticity' | | | | the "Anglo-Saxon" settlers, helped |
| After World War II, "race" went out of | | | | construct the modern "American |
| fashion and "culture" took its place. | | | | identity". Irish Americans also played |
| Many of the same stereotypes and | | | | an important role in the shaping of |
| caricatures of Celticity once attributed | | | | 19th-century Irish republicanism through |
| to the Celtic or Alpine race, were thus | | | | the Fenian movement, the development of |
| recycled under the label of culture. But | | | | a discourse of the Great Hunger as a |
| since the 1960s, Celticity has been put | | | | British atrocity, and so on. |