KELTIC HISTORY

When my son played rugby in town after college, the two big independent teams in Cincinnati were the Wolfhounds and the Kelts - still are, I suppose.  I never really had a clear idea of what a Kelt was.  I always related the Kelts and Celts to the Irish.

First of all, Kelts and Celts are the same people.  The original Greek and Latin words for these people had the sound of a /k/.  The translation to English became the word Celt and most people pronounce it with the sound of /s/. 

Now the scoop on just who they are.  At the time of the early Roman Empire, Romans referred to most of the rest of Europe as Celts.  That includes the areas we now call France, Spain, Austria, some of Germany, Romania, Switzerland, Belgium, England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.  When the Romans came marching through Europe conquering land and people they renamed the area surrounding France Gallia (Gaul).  The land above that was Germania and Spain they called Hispania.  The Celts were those they squeezed over into the British Isles. 

Now, about the religious beliefs of these Celts.  Though the British Isles are a predominantly Christian land these days, that is not due to the Celtic influence.  The Romans brought Christianity.  The Celts, you see, had religious leaders they called Druids.  Yes, Druids; mystics, magicians, wizards, and friends of Harry Potter. 

Today, Celts are those people who live where they speak a language derived from the original Celtics.  That is, those who speak Brittonic (Welsh) or Gaelic (Irish or Scottish)  and, of course, basketball players from Boston. 
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