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The Celts have often been misunderstood, surrounded by an aura of mystery, fascination, and, unfortunately, myths. Many misconceptions and false narratives exist about them, but let's set the record straight.
10. Origins
The true origins of the Celts remain elusive. (Apologies!) Some historians suggest they were in Britain around 1180 B.C., while others claim it was even earlier. However, it’s widely accepted that the Celts began their migration from Central Europe around 400 B.C. They spread out in all directions, eventually encountering the Romans.
The issue was that while the Romans were a single, unified empire, the Celts were composed of numerous tribes, often in conflict with each other as much as they would unite against the Romans. Over time, some tribes were entirely wiped out, others submitted to Roman rule, while some retreated to the far reaches of the known world, like Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. (These modern Celtic communities still exist and work to preserve their culture through organizations like The Celtic League.) Some of these wandering Celts even ventured as far as Egypt and Greece.
9. They Didn’t Fight Naked
Mention the Celts, and most people will probably say something like, “Oh, weren’t those the ones who fought naked with gold torcs around their necks?” Ugh.
After a few necessary facepalms, it’s time to enlighten them with the truth. This is one of the biggest myths about the Celts, and it’s completely ridiculous once you think about it. (Even Mel Gibson wasn’t taken in by this one—seriously, people.) So who’s to blame for this? You can thank the Romans for spreading this falsehood. Most of the evidence we have about the Celts comes from Roman historians, so it’s safe to assume the Romans may have exaggerated a little. When your enemy writes all the records about you, you can be sure they’ll make themselves look great while depicting you as a savage. That’s exactly what happened to the Celts, because, let’s face it, history is written by the victor (Would you trust your worst enemy to write the only records about you?).
One could view this from a different perspective: the Celts lived during the Iron Age, a period when iron replaced bronze for crafting weapons, armor, and tools. The Celts had access to various weapons like swords, axes, javelins, and two-handed hammers, along with armor made from leather padding, metal plates, and chain mail. Given this, the idea of fighting naked seems quite silly and unlikely.
8. Druids
Celtic Druids were the badasses of their time. Besides donning long white robes and performing human sacrifices, they did some pretty impressive things. They advised chiefs and kings on enacting new laws (similar to how the British government advises the Queen today—those are her laws, but we all know who truly runs the country), and even acted as judges to enforce these laws. The Druids were regarded as the wisest people around, spending 20 years in training to earn their position. Their knowledge spanned from astronomy and Celtic lore to natural philosophy. Because of their wisdom, they often advised villagers on the best times to plant crops and even predicted their futures (or so they believed).
Additionally, the Celtic Druids gave us a tradition that continues to this day. They revered the oak tree as sacred, believing their gods inhabited everything—in streams, rocks, and trees. The Druids considered the mistletoe growing on the oak to be even holier and more magical. This belief has survived into modern times, which is why we still have the Christmas custom of kissing under the mistletoe. So the next time you find yourself awkwardly standing under the mistletoe during Christmas, you can thank the Druids.
7. Celtic Women
Contrary to the Roman portrayal of the Celts as uncivilized savages, life for Celtic women wasn’t as grim as one might assume. Celtic women could hold power, own land, and even divorce, which was unheard of in many other ancient societies. Unlike their Roman counterparts, Celtic women could rise through the social ranks, either by inheritance or accomplishment. Landowners, including women, were expected to fight alongside their chiefs in battle. In fact, women warriors even had the role of teaching both girls and boys how to fight.
Celtic women could even become Druids, responsible for writing laws that protected everyone in society, including the elderly, disabled, and children. Interestingly, Celtic law protected children due to their innocence, which starkly contrasts with Roman practices where unwanted children were abandoned to die in dumps. It turns out the Celts weren’t as savage as the Romans wanted us to think.
6. They Built Excellent Roads
Roman engineers are often credited with building the first reliable network of roads connecting Europe. Sounds like a historical fact, right? Not quite! Contrary to popular belief, the Celts had an extensive pre-Roman network of wooden roads that linked the settlements of various Celtic tribes for trade purposes. Unfortunately, due to their wooden construction, most of these roads have rotted away, leaving very little evidence. However, some planks have been preserved in bogs in Ireland, England, and France. Since the Romans never conquered Ireland, these planks can be confidently attributed to the Celtic road system. For more details, you can explore the Corlea Trackway in Ireland, where parts of an ancient road have been unearthed and even reconstructed to show what it might have looked like during its prime.
5. Weird Helmets
Now that you know the Celts had metal armor and chain mail, you might imagine they also had some impressive helmets. And you’d be right! The Celts had some truly unique helmet designs, one of which was found in Ciumesti, Romania (a region where Celts spread across Europe). In this area, an ancient Iron Age cemetery was unearthed with 34 graves, belonging to a wealthy Celtic chieftain. Along with bronze weapons and armor, an unusual helmet was discovered. The helmet featured a large bird of prey perched on top, its bronze wings spread out in full display.
What’s really interesting about this helmet is that its wings were hinged, meaning they could flap up and down. Historians believe the chieftain likely wore this helmet only on special occasions, as having flapping wings would certainly be a nuisance in battle. This helmet became one of the most iconic and widely reproduced pieces of Celtic art. A quick glance at a picture of Asterix and Obelix will reveal a striking resemblance.
4. They Loved A Fight
Besides their extensive travels, the Celts had a strong passion for fighting and would do so for the right price. Celtic mercenaries gained a reputation for their combat skills and were even recruited by Ptolemy II, the king of Ptolemaic Egypt. The mercenaries were so skilled that the king feared they might seize Egypt for themselves, so he had them stranded on a deserted island in the Nile.
The Greeks also encountered the Celts during their territorial expansion. This event, known as the Gallic Invasion of the Balkans, reached its climax at the Battle of Delphi, where the Celts suffered a defeat. The Greeks, being well-organized and fighting together as a unified force, easily overcame the disorganized Celts, who fought as individuals. As a result, the Celts were pushed out of Delphi in 279 B.C.
3. They Were Not Simpletons
At this point, many of you have probably come to realize how the Romans had a knack for making their enemies look bad, especially when it came to portraying the Celts. We've already discovered that the Celts weren’t as barbaric as the Romans claimed, though there may have been some truth to the headhunting tales. Yet, the Celts might have had something that outshone Roman achievements: their calendar.
While the Romans used the Julian calendar, the Celts possessed the Coligny calendar. This ancient calendar, discovered in Coligny, France, in 1897, is an intricate collection of metal pieces, each etched with symbols like lines, holes, numbers, and Greek, Roman, and Celtic characters. Although its purpose remained unclear for over a century, the calendar was finally decoded in 1989. It turned out to be a sophisticated lunar-solar system that tracked the year's progress based on both the sun and the moon's cycles. This calendar was remarkably advanced, capable of predicting the sun's position months or even years ahead. In the video above, the professor who solved the puzzle gives an in-depth explanation of the system, though, as the presenter warns, 'Calendars are terribly complicated things.'
More impressively, the Coligny calendar serves as undeniable proof of the Celts' capacity for mathematical and scientific reasoning. To demonstrate the accuracy of the calendar, let's compare it to the Roman version. The Roman calendar, which was also quite precise for its time, only diverged from the actual solar calendar by 11.5 minutes each year. However, over centuries, even such a tiny error compounded. The Coligny calendar was so far ahead of its Roman counterpart that the Romans would have celebrated the beginning of spring in mid-August, while the Celts’ calendar remained perfectly in sync with the true solar year. Take that, Romans.
2. They Were Incredibly Wealthy
Here's some context: It's 58 B.C., and the Romans and Celts are living in peace within their respective domains. Now, imagine you're Julius Caesar. Your political career is underwhelming, you're drowning in debt, and you need a grand gesture to establish yourself. What's your move? Naturally, invade the 'primitive and barbaric' Celts—surely, they wouldn't mind.
The Gallic Wars are often celebrated as Julius Caesar's most significant military achievement. It marked the beginning of Rome’s rapid territorial expansion, with Caesar methodically defeating various Celtic tribes to secure control over the region. This victory would ultimately determine the fate of Gaul (modern-day France), a territory governed by numerous Gallic tribes. As a result, Caesar garnered immense glory and recognition for his military successes. But what drove him to invade Gaul? According to Caesar, it was a defensive action against marauding barbarian tribes, but modern historians have uncovered a different story.
One of the tribes that Caesar faced were the Helvetii, who originally lived near the Alps. They sought to migrate to France with Caesar’s protection, but when he refused, they decided to pass through Gallic territory. Caesar then claimed that Rome needed to protect the Celts already residing in France, a 'protection' that involved the massacre of over a quarter of a million people from the invading tribes. Caesar continued his 'protection' efforts until every last one of these tribes had been destroyed. Ultimately, Gaul fell under Roman control.
So, what does all this have to do with the Celts' wealth? Quite simple: Caesar, above all else, was a politician. He needed money to settle his debts, and a military victory would give him the political leverage he desperately sought. The rich lands of Celtic Gaul provided both, as Caesar knew the region was teeming with gold. Although it was previously thought that the Celts acquired their gold coins and jewelry mainly through trade, it turns out that Gaul alone had over 400 Celtic gold mines. The Celts were incredibly wealthy—no wonder Caesar had his eyes on their resources. Ironically, the Romans began minting their own gold coins after conquering Gaul.
1. Headhunting
If there’s one thing that the Celts are most notorious for, it’s probably their practice of headhunting. To them, the ultimate prize in battle was the head of their defeated enemy. This might stem from their animistic beliefs, where spirits and gods were thought to inhabit natural elements like streams, rocks, trees, and mistletoe. The human head was no exception, as they believed the soul resided within it.
For the Celts, amassing a collection of heads was a symbol of great honor and status, not to mention a way to boast. They would even decorate their saddles and the doors of their homes with the severed heads of their foes. To put it in modern terms, it's similar to owning a fleet of expensive cars. While we might flaunt a rare Ferrari, the Celts would take pride in displaying the severed head of a powerful enemy leader.
