Discover the secrets of the Celts


Modern Celts

"Celticity" has been adopted as a nodeto a somewhat different use. The peoples
of self-identification by a variety ofof the "Celtic fringe" found in
peoples at different times. During theCelticity an explanation for their
19th century, French nationalists gave aperipheral "otherness", as well as a
privileged significance to their descentsource of pride which could galvanize
from the Gauls. The struggles ofthem into demands for development and
Vercingetorix were portrayed as aregeneration. Nationalists in Northern
forerunner of the 19th-century strugglesIreland sought an end to endemic
in defence of French nationalism,discrimination with the Civil Rights
including the wars of both NapoleonsMovement. Breton regionalists
(Napoleon I of France and Napoleon IIIparticipated in the May 1968 revolt
of France). Basic French historyunder Breton flags and with the slogan
textbooks could begin with the famousBretagne=Colonie. The Republic of
words "Nos ancetres les Gaulois..."Ireland, on surpassing Britain's GDP per
("Our ancestors the Gauls..."). Acapita in the 1990s for the first time
similar use of "celticity" for 19thin centuries, was given the moniker
century nationalism was made in"Celtic tiger". Thanks in part to
Switzerland, when the Swiss were seen toagitation on the part of Cornish
originate in the Celtic tribe of theregionalists, Cornwall was able to
Helvetii, a link still found in theobtain Objective One funding from the
official Latin name of Switzerland,European Union. Scotland and Wales
Confoderatio Helvetica, the source ofobtained agencies like the Welsh
the nation code CH.Development Agency, and Scottish and
At the same time, there was also aWelsh Nationalists have recently
tendency to play up alternativesupported the institution of the
heritages in the British Isles atScottish Parliament and National
certain times, partially as a rationaleAssembly for Wales, which are seen by
for non-English parts of the islands tomany 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 thea distinct identity in opposition to
Victorian era, the "Viking" heritage wasthat of the metropolitan capitals has
emphasised, and in Scotland, both Norsebeen forged and taken strong root.
and Anglo-Saxon heritage was played up.These latter evolutions have proceeded
With the advance of Indo-Europeanhand in hand with the growth of an
studies, philologists also establishedpan-Celtic or inter-Celtic dimension,
that there was a relationship betweenseen in many organizations and festivals
the Goidelic and Brythonic languages, asoperating across various Celtic
well as a relationship between thesecountries. Celtic studies departments at
languages and the extinct Celticmany universities in Europe and beyond,
languages such as Gaulish, spoken inhave studied the various ancient and
classical times. The term "Celtic"modern Celtic languages and associated
therefore came to be widely applied (forhistory and folklore under one roof.
the first time) to the Goidelic andThe Celtic link is also claimed to come
Brythonic languages, and by extension tomainly from:
the peoples that spoke them.language
A romantic image of the Celt as noblemusic
savage was cultivated by the earlycultural events
William Butler Yeats, Lady Gregory, Ladysport
Charlotte Guest, Lady Llanover, JamesThe roots revival, applied to Celtic
Macpherson, Chateaubriand, Theodoremusic, has brought much inter-Celtic
Hersart de la Villemarque and the manycross-fertilization, as, for instance,
others influenced by them. This imageWelsh musicians have revived the use of
coloured not only the English perceptionthe mediaeval Welsh bagpipe under the
of their neighbours on the so-calledinfluence of the Breton biniou, Irish
"Celtic fringe" (compare the stageuillean pipes and famous Scottish pipes,
Irishman), but also Irish nationalismor the Scots have revived the bodhran
and its analogues in the otherfrom Irish influence. Sports such as
Celtic-speaking countries. Among theHurling 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 arenoz.
Gorseddau, the revival of the CornishThe USA has also taken part in
language, and the revival of the Gaelicdiscussions of modern Celticity. For
Games.example, James H. Webb, in his 2004 book
In the decades leading up to World WarBorn Fighting How the Scots-Irish Shaped
II, the various meanings attributed toAmerica, controversially asserts that
Celtic "race" were widely discussed inthe early "pioneering" immigrants to
Europe. The so-called Alpine race wasNorth America were of Scots-Irish
identified with the ancient Celts andorigins. He goes on to argue that their
their descendants, and classical sourcesdistinct "Celtic traits" (loyalty to
were scoured for appropriate stereotypeskin, 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 ofconstruct the modern "American
fashion and "culture" took its place.identity". Irish Americans also played
Many of the same stereotypes andan important role in the shaping of
caricatures of Celticity once attributed19th-century Irish republicanism through
to the Celtic or Alpine race, were thusthe Fenian movement, the development of
recycled under the label of culture. Buta discourse of the Great Hunger as a
since the 1960s, Celticity has been putBritish atrocity, and so on.



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