Celtic Britain

Celt is a modern word, a cultural label and not an actual name for a particular group or tribe; it is more a
general title for a set of peoples with a common language. The Romans later called them simply Britons.
Originating from across Europe, these peoples first appeared in Britain around the year 700 BCE. Their
weapon-making skills were highly advanced and they produced elaborately shaped metal jewellery.Celtic
Society Celtic society was tribal and communally organised and its culture was pagan and animistic: the
Celts worshipped the elements – earth, air, fire and water – as well as the sun and moon, rivers, trees and
stones, all of which were believed to have souls. Their places of worship included numerous stone circles
erected during the Bronze Age.
The word Celt comes from the Greek word, Keltoi, which means
barbarians.
Celtic priests were known as Druids and were considered living archives of tribal law, history, science,
medicine and religion. Druids filled the roles of judge, doctor, diviner or foreteller of the future, mystic and
scholar. Druids gathered in the forests where they held their ceremonies. It took up to 20 years to train as a
Druid, and students would come together in large groups for this purpose. In legends, Druids are described as
possessing magical powers such as prophesying, controlling the weather and curing illness through their
knowledge of pharmacopoeia.In recent decades, elements of the Celtic belief system have been revived in
various manifestations of New Age culture, from ‘tribal’ gatherings to alternative medicines.