Celtic nations


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The six Celtic nations: Scotland (blue), Ireland (green), Isle of Man (gold), Wales (red), Cornwall (yellow), Brittany (black)

Celtic nations is a term used to describe territories in northwest Europe in which that area's own Celtic languages and cultural traits have largely survived. The term "nation" is used in this context to mean a group of people associated with a particular territory who share a common identity, language or culture, and is not synonymous with "country" or "state".

The six territories recognised by the Celtic League and Celtic Congress as Celtic Nations are Brittany (Breizh), Cornwall (Kernow), Ireland (Éire), Isle of Man (Mannin), Scotland (Alba), and Wales (Cymru).[1] Limitation to these six is sometimes disputed by people from Asturias, England, and Galicia – territories that have also retained some Celtic cultural traits.[2][3][4][5] Until the expansions of the Roman Republic and Germanic tribes, much of Europe was predominantly Celtic.[6]

Contents

Terminology

These areas of Europe are sometimes referred to as the "Celt belt"[7] or "Celtic fringe"[8] because of their location generally on the western edges of the continent, and of the nations they inhabit (e.g. Brittany is in the northwest of France, Wales and Cornwall lie to the west of England, and the Gaelic-speaking parts of Ireland and Scotland are in the west of those countries). Additionally, this region is known as the "Celtic Crescent"[9] because of the near crescent shaped position of the nations in Europe.

Some claim[citation needed] that "Celtic nations" is a concept of outsider political-pressure groups, specifically groups such as the Celtic League and Celtic Congress, which assert what has been described as Pan-Celticism.[10] Members of such pressure groups assert that there are a distinct, cultural set of "Celtic nations" in modern northwest Europe.[10] Some of these people speak Celtic languages, usually as a second language for example 1.2% in Scotland[11] and 16.3% in Wales,[12] or express a cultural identity to Celticity. The terminology has no official recognition or standing within major political parties or legal institutions.

Linguistics

The Celtic League, Celtic Congress, and other Celtic groups base the criterion of celticity on language — each of the six nations within the concept has its own Celtic language. It should be noted that within these areas, the majority speak English (in Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and The Isle of Man), Scots (In Scotland), or French (In Brittany). Brittany, Ireland, Scotland and Wales contain areas where a Celtic language is still used in a community (see Gaeltacht on Ireland, Gàidhealtachd, and compare also Breizh-Izel and areas by Welsh language known as Y Fro Gymraeg).[13] Generally these communities are in the west of their respective countries, in upland or island areas.

Nation Celtic name Language People Population Native-competent speakers Percentage of population
Ireland Éire Irish Gaelic
(Gaeilge)		 Irish
(Éireannaigh)		 6,000,000 Republic: 355,000 (native)
1,660,000 (competent)[14]
Northern: 10.4% (see note [15])		 Republic: 42%[14]
Northern: 10.4% (see note [15])
Wales Cymru Welsh
(Cymraeg)		 Welsh
(Cymry)		 3,000,000 457,946[16] 16.3%[12]
Brittany Breizh Breton
(Brezhoneg)		 Bretons
(Breizhiz)		 4,000,000 200,000[17] 3%[18]
Isle of Man Ellan Vannin Manx Gaelic
(Gaelg)		 Manx
(Manninagh)		 70,000 59[citation needed] 2.2%[19]
Scotland Alba Scottish Gaelic
(Gàidhlig)		 Scots
(Albannaich)		 5,000,000 92,400[20] 1.2%[11]
Cornwall Kernow Cornish
(Kernewek)		 Cornish
(Kernowyon)		 500,000 300 – 1,000[21] 0.1%[22][23]

For certain purposes, such as the Festival Interceltique de Lorient, Galicia, Asturias and are considered three of the eight Celtic nations. It should also be remembered that Welsh and Scots Gaelic speaking minorities are still extant, respectively, in the Chubut Province of Patagonia in Argentina, and Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Other claims

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Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2008)
The Celts in Europe, past and present:      areas where Celtic languages are widely spoken      the six most commonly recognised 'Celtic nations'      maximum Celtic expansion, by the 3rd century BC      core Hallstatt territory, by the 6th century BC

In general most countries of Western and Central Europe can be considered to have been influenced by the Celts. In a number of them, there are also 'Celtic' movements, wanting recognition as a Celtic Nation. None of them has a living Celtic language, unlike "the Six", and for those who base claims of Celticity around linguistics, this is a matter of controversy.

Iberian Peninsula

See also: Celtiberians, Gallaecia, Castro culture, Celtici, and Lusitanians
Main language areas in Iberia circa 200BC. In blue, Celtic languages

The north-western part of the Iberian Peninsula is an area influenced by Celtic culture. In particular this includes the regions of Galicia, Asturias, central and northern Portugal, Cantabria and León.

In none of these regions has a Celtic language survived (although some place names are of Celtic origin), which means that the most common criterion for Celticity, that of having a Celtic language, does not apply.

England

Principal sites in Roman Britain, with indication of the Celtic tribes.

In Celtic languages, England is usually referred to as "Saxon-land" (Sasana, Pow Saws, Bro-Saoz etc), and in Welsh as Lloegr (though the Welsh translation of English (language) also refers to the Saxon route: Saesneg, with the English people being referred to as "Saeson", or "Saes" in the singular). This is because the Celtic peoples of what is now England succumbed to the invading Saxons and were either driven out of their lands or took on the culture and language of the Anglo-Saxons, although spoken Cumbric survived until the 12th Century, Cornish until the 18th century, and Welsh in parts of Herefordshire until at least the same time.

Remnants of Brythonic and Cumbric are often seen in place names throughout England but are more common in the West than the East. Elements such as caer 'fort' as in Carlisle, pen 'hill' as in Penrith and craig 'crag, rock' as in High Crag. The name 'Cumbria' is derived from the same root as Cymru, the Welsh name for Wales, meaning 'the land of comrades'. There is a current attempt to revive Cumbric and about 50 words of a reconstructed, hypothetical "Cumbric" exist.

English Celtic revivalism has tended to relate to the identity of Britain and its role in the world. Henry Purcell's opera King Arthur for example refers back to Celtic legends. Victorian revivalism concentrated again on King Arthur, fairy and folklore and also Boudica, whose statue stands outside the Palace of Westminster. The inscription on the base is a direct reference to Empire: "Regions Caesar never knew, Thy posterity shall sway" and was commissioned by Prince Albert. Modern revivalism has focused more on music, mythology, rituals such as the Druids and a better understanding of Celtic festivals that have been observed in England since the Celtic period, and dialect or language. It sometimes includes new age elements associated with ancient sites such as Avebury and Stonehenge.

Formerly Gaulish regions

Repartition of Gaul ca. 54 BC

Many of the French people themselves identify actively with the Gauls.

The French- and Arpitan-speaking Aosta Valley region in Italy also presents a casual claim of Celtic heritage. The Northern League autonomist party often exalts what it claims are the Celtic roots of the entire Northern Italy, or Padania. Reportedly, Friuli also has an ephemeral claim to celticity.

Walloons are sometimes characterised as "Celts", mainly opposed to "Teutonic" Flemish and "Latin" French identities; the ethnonym "Walloon" derives from a Germanic word meaning "foreign", cognate with the words "Welsh" and "Vlach". The name of Belgium, home country of the Walloon people, is cognate with the Celtic tribal names Belgae and (possibly) the Irish legendary Fir Bolg.

Central European regions

Celtic tribes inhabited land in what is now southern Germany and Austria.[24] Many scholars have associated the earliest Celtic peoples with the Hallstatt culture.[25] Boii, Scordisci[26] and the Vindelici[27] are some of the tribes that inhabited Central Europe, including what is now Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia, Poland and the Czech Republic as well as Germany and Austria. The Boii gave their name to Bohemia.[28] Celts also founded Singidunum present-day Belgrade, leaving many words in Serbian language (over 5000). The La Tène culture also covered much of central Europe. The name of the culture is from the location in Switzerland.[29]

Outside Europe

In other regions, people with a heritage from one of the 'Celtic Nations' also associate with the Celtic identity. In these areas, Celtic traditions and languages are significant components of local culture. These include the Permanent North American Gaeltacht in Tamworth, Ontario, Canada which is the only Irish Gaelic Gaeltacht outside of Ireland, the Chubut valley of Patagonia with Welsh-speaking Argentinians (known as "Y Wladfa"), Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, with Gaelic-speaking Canadians and southeast Newfoundland with Irish-speaking Canadians. Also at one point in 1900's there were well over 12,000 Gaelic Scots from the Isle of Lewis living in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada, with place names that still exist today recalling those inhabitants.

Large swaths of the United States of America was subject to migration from Celtic peoples, or people from Celtic nations. Gaelic-speaking Irish Catholics congregated particularly in the East Coast cities of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. While Scots and Ulster-Scots were particularly prominent in the Southern United States, including Appalachia.

An area of Pennsylvania known as the Welsh Tract was settled by Welsh Quakers, where the names of several towns still bear Welsh names, such as Bryn Mawr and Bala Cynwyd.

In his autobiography, the South African poet Roy Campbell recalled his youth in the Dargle Valley, near the city of Pietermaritzburg, where people spoke only Gaelic and Zulu.

In New Zealand the southern regions of Otago and Southland were settled by the Free Church of Scotland. Many of the place names in these two regions (such as the main cities of Dunedin and Invercargill and the major river, the Clutha) have Scottish Gaelic names[30], and Celtic culture is still prominent in this area[31][32][33].

In addition to these, a number of people from the USA, Australia, South Africa and other parts of the former British Empire have formed various Celtic societies over the years.

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.celticleague.net/index.html
  2. ^ "Exploring England's Celtic roots: Genes". Anglo-Celtic.or.uk. http://www.anglo-celtic.org.uk/Genes/index.htm. Retrieved on 2008-10-01. 
  3. ^ "Welsh Assembly Government - Celtic countries connect with contemporary Cymru". Welsh Assembly Government website. Welsh Assembly Government. 2008-05-13. http://wales.gov.uk/news/topic/officefirstminister/2008/2372569/;jsessionid=2HxQKNPNwtyLzpl2VLlsysLyGVVhyMybcd94RlxXDyZHG6VpJbjP!1298896870?lang=en. Retrieved on 2009-05-15. 
  4. ^ "Isle of Man Post Office Website". Isle of Man Post Office website. Isle of Man Government. 2009. http://www.gov.im/post/stamps/FutureIssue.aspx?categoryid=164. Retrieved on 2009-05-15. 
  5. ^ "Site Officiel du Festival Interceltique de Lorient". Festival Interceltique de Lorient website. Festival Interceltique de Lorient. 2009. http://www.festival-interceltique.com/le-monde-des-celtes-et-de-la-celtie.php. Retrieved on 2009-05-15. 
  6. ^ Ian Johnston (2006-09-21). "We're nearly all Celts under the skin". The Scotsman. http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1393742006. Retrieved on 2007-11-24. 
  7. ^ Nathalie Koble, Jeunesse et genèse du royaume arthurien, Paradigme, 2007, ISBN 2868782701, p.145
  8. ^ The term "Celtic Fringe" gained currency in late-Victorian years (Thomas Heyck, A History of the Peoples of the British Isles: From 1870 to Present, Routledge, 2002, ISBN 0415302331, p.43) and is now widely attested, e.g. Michael Hechter, Internal Colonialism: The Celtic Fringe in British National Development, Transaction Publishers, 1999, ISBN 0765804751; Nicholas Hooper and Matthew Bennett, England and the Celtic Fringe: Colonial Warfare in The Cambridge Illustrated Atlas of Warfare, Cambridge University Press, 1996, ISBN 0521440491
  9. ^ Ian Hazlett, The Reformation in Britain and Ireland, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2003, ISBN 0567082806, p.21
  10. ^ a b "Aims of The Celtic League". CelticLeague.net. http://www.celticleague.net/aimsandob.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-01. 
  11. ^ a b Kenneth MacKinnon (2003). "Census 2001 Scotland: Gaelic Language – first results". http://lrrc3.sas.upenn.edu/popcult/CLPP/Census%202001%20-%20Gaelic1.htm. Retrieved on 2007-03-24. 
  12. ^ a b Main Statistics about Welsh from the Welsh Language Board
  13. ^ CELTS AND CELTIC LANGUAGES by U.S. Branch of the International Comittee for the Defence of the Breton Language. Retrieved 2008-10-26
  14. ^ a b 2006 Census
  15. ^ a b The figure for Northern Ireland from the 2001 Census is somewhat ambiguous, as it covers people who have "some knowledge of Irish". Out of the 167,487 people who claimed to have "some knowledge", 36,479 of them could only understand it spoken, but couldn't speak it themselves.
  16. ^ Welsh Language Board - How many people are fully-literate in Welsh?
  17. ^ The most recent census (2001) shows about 270,000 speakers. The site oui au breton estimates a yearly decline of about 10,000 speakers, suggesting a number of about 200,000 current speakers. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
  18. ^ (French) Données clés sur breton, Ofis ar Brezhoneg
  19. ^ Gov.im - Culture
  20. ^ BBC News: Mixed report on Gaelic language
  21. ^ http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/lang/languages/langmin/euromosaic/uk1_en.html
  22. ^ projects.ex.ac.uk - On being a Cornish ‘Celt’: changing Celtic heritage and traditions
  23. ^ Effectively extinct as a spoken language in 1777. Language revived from 1904, though remains a tiny 0.1% percent being able to hold a limited conversion in Cornish.
  24. ^ Celts - Hallstatt and La Tene cultures
  25. ^ Celtic Impressions - The Celts
  26. ^ - 27k
  27. ^ Vindelici
  28. ^ Boii - Britannica Online Encyclopedia
  29. ^ The Early Celts
  30. ^ Te Ara: Encyclopedia of New Zealand
  31. ^ [1]
  32. ^ [2]
  33. ^ [3]

Further reading

  • National Geographic, "The Celtic Realm". March, 2006.

External links

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