The Celt And The World

The Celtic World is a detailed and comprehensive study of the Celts from the first evidence of them in the archaeological and historical record to the early post-Roman period. The strength of this volume lies in its breadth - it looks at archaeology, language, literature, towns, warfare, rural life, art, religion and myth, trade and industry, political organisations, society and technology. The Celtic World draws together material from all over pagan Celtic Europe and includes contributions from British, European and American scholars. Much of the material is new research which is previously unpublished. The book addresses some important issues - Who were the ancient Celts? Can we speak of them as the first Europeans? In what form does the Celtic identity exist today and how does this relate to the ancient Celts? For anyone interested in the Celts, and for students and academics alike, The Celtic World will be a valuable resource and a fascinating read.

A lavishly illustrated survey, featuring summaries of myths and legends, diagrams of tombs and forts, and a tourist guide, explores the rise of the Celts, their way of life, their wars and weapons, their religion, and their craftsmanship.

The author of Ireland's Holy Wars journeys through the Celtic world to discover the Celtic past and what remains of the authentic culture today, discovering that Celtic revival is largely misplaced and that the threats to the world's Celtic communities and culture are relentless.

Fourteen centuries of Celtic life and culture are depicted in over 40 well-researched, excellently rendered illustrations. Intriguing scenes of an Iron-Age village, Glastonbury fishermen, farmers harvesting grain, Celtic warriors on horseback, St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland, and much more are featured. Descriptive captions.

An exploration of the history of the Celts, a civilization that once ranged from central Europe to northern Scotland, that studies the multifaceted character of the people

"Intriguing and stimulating." —Jane Smiley, Harper's In this real-life historical treasure hunt, bestselling author Graham Robb—"one of the more unusual and appealing historians currently striding the planet (New York Times)"—reveals the mapping of ancient Gaul as a reflection of the heavens, demonstrates the lasting influence of Druid science and recharts the exploration of the world and the spread of Christianity. This "fascinating" (Los Angeles Times) history offers nothing less than an entirely new understanding of the birth of modern Europe.

"In 279 BC a great host of 150,000 Celtic warriors, in three separate armies, erupted on to the Greek peninsula. The Macedonian king, Ptolemy Ceraunnos, was slain and the army that, less than two generations before, had conquered the known world for Alexander the Great was swept aside. The Athenians were likewise defeated and the great sanctuary of Delphi was looted and destroyed. The Celtic invasion left an indelible impression on Greek literature and art." "This is the first popular account of the Celts of Eastern Europe and their relationship with the Hellenic states, a relationship which started in the 6th Century BC. It explains the eastward push of the Celtic peoples from their homelands and the foundation of tribal states in Eastern Europe as far as the Ukraine. It shows how some Celtic tribes turned south into Greece itself before moving on into Asia Minor. The book also traces the involvement of bands of Celtic mercenaries in the employ of the Hellenic kingdoms and empires."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

More than two millennia after the Roman conquest that marked the beginning of the fading away of the Gaulish tongue and culture, traces of the world of the Gauls still pervade their land. The Gauls obstinately refused to put their worldview into writing, but they nonetheless left a foundation, buried into the soil in the form of artifacts or written in the manuscripts of their neighbors. The artworks of the Gauls, in particular, represent an invaluable source concerning the way the early Celts viewed the creation: more than mere folklore, it is also a philosophy that can be seen behind the images that they carved on rocks, stamped on coins, or cast in bronze. The world of the Gauls is gone, but its foundations remain, and they can become the basis for the edification of something new, a philosophy that will not be a reconstruction of the philosophy of the ancient Celts, but rather only one that shares roots with it. The present work examines these foundations and uses them as the starting point of a modern Celtic philosophy. The backbone of the old foundation is the tripartition of the creation into three realms: the first is the Dubnos, which is the Dark and the Deep, the earth, the waters, and the shadows of the night. The "middle realm" is Bitu, Life and Being, which is characterized by the color of blood: the one of the dawn and the dusk. Finally, the last one is the Albios, which is the Bright, the light of the skies that illuminates the day, and all that cannot be touched with the hands, that is, the metaphysical world. The three realms of nature, to which the Gauls associated different gods, are themselves constantly at war with one another, as reflected in their central myth, and it is through this harmonious strife that the creation can flourish and that man can accomplish his destiny. This book represents an encounter between the traces of the essence of the Gaulish world and the works of ancient and modern philosophers such as Heraclitus and Heidegger, an encounter that offers a new vision of the world in which man lives. About the author: Antón Bousquet is an independent researcher specialized in the philosophy of language, the philosophy of religion, and comparative cultural studies. He holds a Master's degree in Linguistics from the University of Grenoble III in France and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Intercultural Studies from Fujen Catholic University in Taiwan. A former teacher of French as a foreign language, he has worked in different parts of Europe, the Middle-East, and Asia.