Celtic Mythology and Religion

CELTIC BURIAL. 3+1
for the champion, the warrior life and occupations,
the chivalrous and non-chivalrous ideas, are all
mostly the same as in Homer's time. The only
thing we miss is the " well-greaved " forms of the
Achaeans of Homer ; for the ancient Irish did not,
as far as their literature shows, wear either mail
armour or helmets. In this they were like several
Celtic tribes who invaded Italy, and fought against
the Romans in a semi-nude condition. Hence we
cannot but conclude that the Celtic races, wherever
they appear, be they Gauls, Britons, or ancient
Gaels,
present the same general manners and customs.
We may safely conclude that their burial
customs were also similar to one another and to those
of early Greece and Rome. We may infer that,
as in Greece and Rome, inhumation existed in early
historic times, that is in heroic times ; indeed,
inhumation was probably the most common, and
undoubtedly was the usual form among the common
people.
Kings and chiefs were buried magnificently
in tumuli and cairns ; but the common people
buried in cemeteries, if they lived in villages, and
did not burn the body. Proof for this view may
be got in the fact that in the old Irish literature
there is not a word about cremation. Cremation
could not have extensively existed among the
ancient Irish, or else their literature would present
the fact. We know that the early Church had,
in some places on the continent, a desperate struggle
against the burning of the bodies. If Christianity