Not Barbarians
Rome and Greece were the basis for Western society to an extent, and it can be easy to assume that the Celts lived in the Britannia were barbarians- they were different from Romans whom we see to be so smart and technologically advanced (however, these Romans also had their water ducts made of lead, so let's not give them too much credit.) The Celts had, in fact, a fairly rich culture, which included religion, art, and farming among other characteristics as well.
Religion
Probably the most famous thing that Britannia is known for is their religion. The Druids were the top dog, and made up something known as the "intellectual class": they could be doctors, astronomers, philosophers, and so on. They kept the peace when there were debates, acting as judges. They also praised their gods and where in charge of the ceremonies.
Some records say that the Celtic religion had as many as 300 gods, with demigods being counted, but not much is known. The gods range in function all the way from being the "Sky Father" to gods like the "Goddess of War." This was because every brook or forest had its own special name and temple to where people could go worship them- it also led to a lot of gods.
Some records say that the Celtic religion had as many as 300 gods, with demigods being counted, but not much is known. The gods range in function all the way from being the "Sky Father" to gods like the "Goddess of War." This was because every brook or forest had its own special name and temple to where people could go worship them- it also led to a lot of gods.
A Celtic god is depicted above in what appears to be bronze.
Art
using all the space available, the Celts would do heavily-ornamented pattern onto surfaces of pottery. Limiting the use of curves, the Celts would focus more on lines and squares that they would be carving. They were firm believers that you couldn't spell geometry without art (they were horrible spellers.) When it came to religious articles, humans and animals were also carved.
Life Before
Big on farming, the Celts would sow corn and other crops and had been performing agriculture for a while, hundreds of years in fact; they also hunted animals.
The Celts, instead of uniting, lived in many, separate tribes. Some tribe leaders would steal from others, or vice versa- in other words: no real nationality expect to the tribe.
Thanks to the Bronze Age, the Celts were able to have clothes. It sounds ridiculous, but they didn't go around in just animal furs or skins and in fact were pretty good tailors. Adding to the list of accomplishments, they were also good at weaving, working with metals (duh), not too bad with architecture, and carpenters. Coins, which have been found in many places along the island, show that the Celts had gone past just bartering and had started using actual money to pay for things.
Most were illiterate, with theories saying that their religion had put a big 'no-no' on reading and writing, while other theories say that there hadn't been a need to write anything down. This was probably because the Druids were in charge of passing down stories orally. Since most things were left for the Druids to remember, the other people didn't really need to learn and thus didn't. Still, the coins discovered show that maybe the Celts were on the verge of greatness.
The Celts, instead of uniting, lived in many, separate tribes. Some tribe leaders would steal from others, or vice versa- in other words: no real nationality expect to the tribe.
Thanks to the Bronze Age, the Celts were able to have clothes. It sounds ridiculous, but they didn't go around in just animal furs or skins and in fact were pretty good tailors. Adding to the list of accomplishments, they were also good at weaving, working with metals (duh), not too bad with architecture, and carpenters. Coins, which have been found in many places along the island, show that the Celts had gone past just bartering and had started using actual money to pay for things.
Most were illiterate, with theories saying that their religion had put a big 'no-no' on reading and writing, while other theories say that there hadn't been a need to write anything down. This was probably because the Druids were in charge of passing down stories orally. Since most things were left for the Druids to remember, the other people didn't really need to learn and thus didn't. Still, the coins discovered show that maybe the Celts were on the verge of greatness.