Life in Celtic Ireland – Ancient To Modern Celticism

Ireland is well known for its beautiful scenery, thick forests and even breweries. However, Ireland is home to a richer history and culture. Life in Celtic Ireland holds many exciting aspects to explore; both ancient and modern Celtic have left and continue to leave their mark in today’s world. Many of your favourite films and TV series have found no better place to film than Ireland, some you never expected.

Ancient Celts

Celt is a modern English word whose origins in Latin are “Celtae” or, in Greek, “Keltoi.” It refers to groups of people who inhabited much of Europe and Asia Minor (or Anatolia) in the pre-Roman period. Celtic culture began forming and evolving in the late Bronze Age and peaked in the 5th to 1st centuries BC.

Life in Celtic Ireland developed many particular characteristics. Nique features appeared in many aspects, such as clothing, religion, women’s cultural norms, and art; in this next part, we’ll explore the different sides of ancient life in Celtic Ireland.

Celtic Clothing

The Celtics made their clothes mainly of wool and linen, while those with more to spare used some silk. Other materials used by the Celts included hemp, fur, and leather. The Celts took great care of their clothes; one item could take a month or more to weave.

The Celts would weave clothes on a vertical loom and sew the material using a metal or bone needle with wool thread. eltic clothing for both women and men wrapped around skirts, tunics, or long one-piece dresses or robes. The Celts loved bright colours and dyed their wool to reflect this love.

They even had rules about specific days of the month or week suitable for dyeing. The Celts made their dyes from naturally found materials in the environment, such as berries, plants, stale urine, and copper. In addition, they adorned their clothes with accessories such as feathers and headbands made of cloth or gold.

Of course, as is the case in any culture, not all tribes had the exact same taste. Each tribe had its specific influence. Ome preferred a more baggy outfit, while others liked their clothes to fit them.

Celt Women’s Cultural Norms

While ancient life in Celtic Ireland was mostly male-dominated, as in almost every ancient culture, the women in Celtic Ireland were in much better standing than their Roman or Greek counterparts. Egyptian women could have high social standing, and the inheritance or marriage laws were better than those of their contemporaries.

Some accounts even record instances of Celtic women taking part in warfare and kingship, although, as to be expected, they were a minority. There are accounts that show Celtic women taking part as ambassadors to avoid wars among different chiefdoms in the Po Valley area.

Today, women use jewellery and embroidery to show off social class and status. They decorated themselves with bracelets, necklaces, and rings of relatively high craftsmanship and quality.

Religion in Ancient Celticism

The Celts didn’t follow one deity or religion. Religion was highly regional, and like the Greeks, they had hundreds of deities, gods, or goddesses, each associated with a particular feature (e.g., rivers, earth, air) or a particular skill.

Many aspects of ancient Celticism survived, and some are currently witnessing revival. hether it’s Celtic languages, Celtic fashion, or Celtic art, it has left a significant influence that undoubtedly shows in today’s world. In this next part, you’ll see how life in Celtic Ireland still affects today’s world.

Modern Life in Celtic Ireland

Celticism is still alive and kicking. odern Celtic culture contributes a lot to our current lives, probably more than you think, in art, music, movies, and TV shows. Also, some of the Celtic languages are still spoken today, and some are undergoing a revival.

The Six Celtic Nations

There are six nations in today’s world that are most associated with Celtic culture or are considered Celtic nations:

1. Brittany
2. Ireland
3. Scotland
4. Wales
5. Isle of Man
6. Cornwall

Celtic Music

You’re missing out if you haven’t included a couple of Celtic tracks on your playlist. Celtic music is widely spread nowadays. t is marked by the use of bagpipes or harps (the harp is considered the national instrument of Wales). Ife in Celtic Ireland continues to nourish and develop its memorable folk music.

Another form of significant popularity is Celtic choirs. Unaccompanied or a capella singing is witnessing a remarkable rise in popularity and is a personal favourite.

Movies And TV Series Filmed in Ireland

I bet you never considered some of these, but Celtic Ireland has always offered an uncontested filming spot.

Movies

Below are some of the most famous movies shot in Ireland. Some even show part of the rich culture of life in Celtic Ireland.

1. rave Heart

Gibson and his team decided to switch to Ireland as a last-minute decision after it was initially to be shot in Scotland, and what a good call!

2. arry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

The Cliffs of Moher appear as Dumbledore and Harry fight the evil of the world. AHarry Potter is one of the world’s biggest film franchises, so it would be incredible for them to film here and show off Ireland. The Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland’s most beautiful natural landscapes.

3. the Italian Job

The team shot scenes in Dublin and others in Kilmainham, but sadly, none of the driving stunt scenes showed the beauty of Ireland.

4. Chronicles of Narnia

Admittedly, this one wasn’t filmed in Ireland, but Ireland is the birthplace of CS Lewis and the inspiration for his fictional world. In addition, it has many tributes to the Chronicles of Narnia movies. If you go there, you might just find Narnia in your wardrobe or, in this case, outside your window. You can find out more about CS Lewis’s places of inspiration or tributes to Narnia if you’re a true fan here and here.

TV Series

Modern life in Celtic Ireland witnessed many of your favourite TV series, two of which are listed here as two of the most popular ones.

1. Vikings

If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll be excited to know that it takes place in Celtic Ireland, remaining true to the story.

2. Game of Thrones

You read that right. The most anticipated and successful show, Game of Thrones, occurs in Ireland. The beautiful Irish landscape is used as a backdrop throughout the series.

So whether you’re a fan of music, art, movies, popular TV series, or just a sucker for beautiful scenery, life in Celtic Ireland is what you need to experience.

There are many sites where you can learn more about your favourite shows or visit tourist spots. You can check them out online or try this one: Connolly Cove—Travel in Ireland. Whatever part of life you want to experience, you will find a place in Ireland.

More worthy reads:

A Brief History of Ireland| A Guide to Belfast for Movie Fans| Amazing Game of Thrones Tapestry| The Amazing Giant’s Causeway| Famous Irish Authors Who Helped Promote Tourism| The Children of Lir: A Fascinating Irish Legend| Curious Cases of Irish Curses|