Celtic Culture in Britain

Before the Coming of the Romans

Celtic Tribes in Britain and Ireland

Before the Romans, there were no

cities in Britain. The Celts lived in

small agricultural villages.

An extended family lived in a dark

and smoke-filled “Round House,”

made of mud and branches, called

wattle and daub.

For defensive purposes, the Celtic

village was sometimes made part

of a hill fort.

Remains of these Hill Forts can still

be seen in Britain today.

Most of the time, the Celts were involved in

quiet agricultural life, raising their crops and

tending their cattle.

However, there was always the constant

danger of war with another tribe. That is

why, Celtic men were trained as warriors.

Their basic weapons were the

shield and the long sword

They also had cavalry, who could

carry multiple spears.

But, they were best known for their

skill with the chariot.

The Celtic tribes were led by chieftains, but

the most powerful class of people were

priests known as the Druids.

The Druids preserved the ancient traditions of the tribe.

They administered the law, and they conducted various

rituals, often held in sacred groves of oak trees.

The Celts sometimes resorted to human sacrifice,

in order to insure a good harvest or to ward off

danger from the tribe. We have discovered

remains of sacrificed “bog men”.

Another form of human sacrifice involved

burning a victim in a “wicker man.”

The Celts had a variety of gods and goddesses,

usually associated with aspects of nature. For

instance, the god of the forest was the horned god

Cernunnos.

The Celts were known for their complicated

forms of design, used especially for

decoration of jewelry.

Celts wore brooches to pin their clothing and

often wore a torc around their necks.

The Celts were happy in their island home.

But, everything was about to change with

the coming of the Romans.