Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

CHAPTER I: THE CELTS IN ANCIENT HISTORY 11described by Giraldus Cambrensis as a fair race.Golden Age of the CeltsBut we are anticipating, and must return to the period of theorigins of Celtic history. As astronomers have discerned theexistence of an unknown planet by the perturbations which it hascaused in the courses of those already under direct observation,so we can discern in the fifth and fourth centuries before Christthe presence of a great power and of mighty movements going onbehind a veil which will never be lifted now. This was the GoldenAge of Celtdom in Continental Europe. During this period theCelts waged three great and successful wars, which had no littleinfluence on the course of South European history. About 500B.C. they conquered Spain from the Carthaginians. A centurylater we find them engaged in the conquest of Northern Italyfrom the Etruscans. They settled in large numbers in the territoryafterwards known as Cisalpine Gaul, where many names, suchas Mediolanum (Milan), Addua (Adda), Viro-dunum (Verduno),and perhaps Cremona (creamh, garlic), 7 testify still to theiroccupation. They left a greater memorial in the chief of Latinpoets, whose name, Vergil, appears to bear evidence of his Celticancestry. 8 Towards the end of the fourth century they overran [22]Pannonia, conquering the Illyrians.Alliances with the GreeksAll these wars were undertaken in alliance with the Greeks,with whom the Celts were at this period on the friendliest terms.By the war with the Carthaginians the monopoly held by that7 See for these names Holder's “Altceltischer Sprachschatz.”8Vergil might possibly mean “the very-bright” or illustrious one, anatural form for a proper name. Ver in Gallic names (Vercingetorix,Vercassivellasimus, &c.) is often an intensive prefix, like the modern Irish fior.The name of the village where Vergil was born, Andes (now Pietola), is Celtic.His love of nature, his mysticism, and his strong feeling for a certain decorativequality in language and rhythm are markedly Celtic qualities. Tennyson'sphrases for him, “landscape-lover, lord of language,” are suggestive in thisconnexion.