What evidence is there that Celts ever existed in Britian?

Question

Scots come from Hibernia(Ireland) Welsh are indiginous to Britian and the English are a mix of Saxons,Angles ,Jutes and Norsemen so why do the non English Britons refer to themselves as Celts .As I understand it the word Celt was used to describe the non English speaking Britons when it was discovered a similarity between gaelic languages and a dead language once spoken by a race of Celts living in Gaul .This discovery was made in the 18th century but before this discovery no mention of the word Celt was ever used to describe the ancient peoples of Britian .So did Celtic people ever live on this island or is it romantic hype?

Answer 1

In the historic literature the Celts were a wide spread series of tribes that ranged from the Caladonians in modern-day Scotland, through the celtic federations of Gaul (France) and into the Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal). They had originated further east however and eastern Celts were to be found in Italy (Ligurians), Asia Minor and beyond (an example being the Galatians in Turkey, yep the same guys from the New Testament, and possibly the Thracians from modern day Bulgaria).

The evidence for celts in Britain are both archaeological (the comparison of known sites and artifacts from both Britain and France) and historic, namely the literature of Caesar and accounts of the Emperor Hadrian. The archaeological evidence shows some, but not complete correlation between British and French Celts. Celtic culture in England was pretty much submerged after the Roman settlement.

The Romans knew about Ireland but as you know it was not settled. The invasions of the Scots Irish into modern Scotland could therefore be called celtic. But you are right: the modern day usage of 'Celtic' is a far change from what it used to be. Nowadays a safer definition is cultural, not racial.

Note please that the tribes of Germany were not Celts. These tribes were to be found east of the Rhine and were often at war with the Celtic tribes to the west.

Answer 2

Celt is a very confusing term.

Technically all people from Northern Europe were refered to as Keltoi by the Greeks and it is from this that the term Celt derrives. There was never a single tribe or nation of Celts in the same way there has never been a single tribe or nation of Asians or Mediterranians. The Celtic peoples include (but are not limited to) the Gauls, the Britons, the Hibernians, the Pics, the Norse, the Germanic peoples, the Dacians, the Scythians, and so on. A nomadic race of many tribes.

Aside from the Romans every nation to have conquored Britain has been a Celtic nation or a nation decended from Celts.

Answer 3

Celt is a very confusing term.
Technically all people from Northern Europe were refered to as Keltoi by the Greeks and it is from this that the term Celt derrives. There was never a single tribe or nation of Celts in the same way there has never been a single tribe or nation of Asians or Mediterranians. The Celtic peoples include (but are not limited to) the Gauls, the Britons, the Hibernians, the Pics, the Norse, the Germanic peoples, the Dacians, the Scythians, and so on.

Aside from the Romans every nation to have conquored Britain has been a Celtic nation or a nation decended from Celts.

There were several "Celtic" nations within Britain. For example, the area of Yorkshire and Cumbria was the land of the Brigantes who had cities in places like York. It is unlikly that conquorers would ever have wiped out these tribes of people - they would have made useful workers and soldiers and as such would have been absorbed into the invaider's cultures.

Answer 4

The Saxons, Jutes and Angles were not Celts, they were Germanic Tribes. The Norse also not Celts. Other information regarding Celts in other answers is correct.

Answer 5

This highlights something that really p****s me off, the non-English UK countries are always harping on about their "Celtic" status. Most Scots are Anglo-Saxon and spoke the a common language with the English, the Celtic (in the modern sense , I have only just read about most N.Europeans beings Celts) lot lived in the highlands only, even the western Islands were occupied by Vikings, still I suppose people need an identity and this is one of the few things they can cling to.

Answer 6

As I understand it the Celts first appeared somewhere around either the modern day holy land of the Middle East or from that area between the Caspian and Black Seas. They migrated both eastwards into present day China and up into Siberia and westwards north of the Black sea and into Europe.
Some scholars believe that the first emperors of China, the Sakka Princes were Celts, Buddha too was a Sakia. So as a racial group they have permeated most of the old world.
The Saxons, Jutes etc..were all of Celtic descent.

But..who knows eh !

Answer 7

It is my understanding that the Celts, like the Saxons and Jutes were a wave of marauders who eventually settled the northeastern coast of Britain. Over time they came to be native and considered themselves British.

Answer 8

There is evidence in the architecture, cathedrals, castles, cemeteries. Anthropologists have found remains and artifacts. As well as the fact there are a lot of cities and towns founded by Celtic people. The time line gap can be bridged by comparing the languages, dialects, and folklore, which overlaps the mainland British historical evidence.

Answer 9

The latest DNA research seems to suggest that the numbers of Celts and Anglo-Saxons were small compared with the local stock.

Answer 10

As I understand it, they were nomadic, as were most people thousands of years ago when Britain was joined to the continent of europe. As a tribe they existed along with others when the water levels rose and were here when we were invaded by all the warlike tribes as mentioned by you.
I'm not sure if they were conected to the druids but the proof that we are interconnected with european tribes is evidenced by similar stone structures throughout europe and UK.