“Celtic” is a term that is commonly attributed to the people of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, and the Isle of Man, but this wasn’t always the case. It may come as a surprise to know that the term originated in Ancient Greece. The British Museum just opened its latest exhibit, Celts: Art and Identity this past Thursday, covering 2,500 years of Celtic history. The exhibit explores Celtic identity and how it eveolved from the time of the Ancient Greeks to the present through art, culture, daily life, religion and politics.

Who Were The Celts?

Curator Julia Farley provided a colourful and detailed retrospective about the origins of the Celts in her opening welcome talk. The name “Celt” was first recorded in 500 BC by the Ancient Greeks to describe people living in continental Europe, and on the fringes of the Ancient Rome. Called ‘Celtoi’, these distinctive groups were not part of the “civilized” Classical Mediterranean world. The term “Celt” encompassed many different types of people who didn’t belong to a specific race or genetic group but shared a similar artistic style. This abstract art countered classical forms; swirling, magical, ambiguous art that had hidden animals and faces within its pieces. When the Romans arrived in 43 AD, they encountered a strange and war-like people whose art and differences persisted after long after Roman arrival. They introduced many changes but Roman Britain was very different from being Roman in Rome. There was a unique local stamp on dress and art. The Romans spent generations trying to assimilate these people but they were ultimately unsuccessful. After the Fall of the Roman Empire, many Celts still incorporated some styles of Roman dress, co-mingling with their own distinct fashions.