Life in Celtic Ireland
Key Points
Historians have a huge amount of information about life in Celtic Ireland and archaeologists continue to discover new evidence. We know that the Celts originally came from an area in central Europe around Southern Germany and Austria. We know that they used weapons made of iron and that they were living in Ireland around 300BC. The Celts developed their own language and culture and because they were in control for a few hundred years, there is quite a lot of evidence for us to build a picture of what type of life they had.
In your study of this ancient Celtic civilisation it is important that you would know the following:
Where the Celts lived (Raths, Crannogs, Hill-forts, promontory forts)
How society was organised in Celtic Ireland and who were the important people?
What types of food and drink they used?
What types of weapons and tools they used?
What type of clothing they used?
What were their religious beliefs?
A Person Living in Celtic Ireland
Celtic society organised as follows:
1. King
2. Nobles (warriors, had land and cattle)
3. Aos Dana ( learned people, special skills, highly respected)
4. Farmers ( worked land of nobles)
5. Slaves ( captured in war, did most of work, no pay)
Whole country divided into Tuatha
Each Tuath had own king
King had to be physically fit
Had to be able to lead people into battle
Your Home - Hill-forts, Raths or Crannogs
Raths very common - surrounded by earthen ditch and fence
Wanted to feel safe and protected
Also wanted to keep their cattle herds safe
Your Food: all produced locally
Grew wheat, barley, oats
Ground into meal using stone called quern
Drank ale and mead (made using honey)
Ate porridge and dairy products
Your Clothing: all made locally
Woolen cloaks and tunics worn by all
Flax grown to make linen for clothing
Sheep reared for meat and wool
Different dyes made using wild berries
Your special feast-days very important
Large meat pieces cooked for many people
Fulachta Fia used for this
Large wood lined hole filled with water
Hot stones used to heat water
Your Religious beliefs very important
Believed in many different Gods
Religious leaders called Druids
All believed in a life after death.
Four important religious feasts
Imbolg (February - goddess Brigid)
Bealtaine (May - god Bel)
Lughnasa (August - god Lug)
Samhain (start of winter)
A monk in early Christian Ireland
You lived in a monastery - usually a quiet place
Good example - Glendalough, Co. Wicklow
Founded by monk called Kevin
Joined the monastery at age 16 - called a novice
Head of monastery called the Abbot
Made solemn promises called vows
Vows of poverty, obedience, chastity
Clothing worn called a habit - usually brown or black
No money or possessions of your own
Hair cut into a tonsure
Typical day began before daybreak
Life consisted of praying and working
Every monk had own special job to do
Some were stone-carvers, goldsmiths, farmers
Some monks worked as scribes
Created beautiful manuscripts
Coloured inks used on special vellum (calf skin)
Many famous manuscripts produced …e.g. Book of Kells
In typical monastery - largest building was Church
Monks lived in small stone bee-hive cells
Monastery surrounded by tall stone wall
Tallest building called the Round Tower
Monks hid there during Viking attacks
Brought their precious gold chalices and crosses also
Not all monks stayed in Ireland
Colmcille and others went abroad to spread Christianity
These monks called missionaries
Special schools and monasteries created all over Europe
Review Questions
1. Where did the Celts originally come from?
2. How do we know so much about the Celts?
3. What was a tuath?
4. What was the derbfine?
5. Why was the King so important?
6. Who were the nobles?
7. Who were the Aos Dana?
8. What did a file do?
9. How were slaves obtained?
10. What was a rath?
11. What was a crannog?
12. What type of clothing did the Celts wear?
13. What was the main food eaten by the Celts?
14. Explain what a fulachta fia was.
15. What was the role of the Druid?
16. Name a famous Celtic religious feastday?
17. What was the Celtic afterlife called?
18. What was ogham and where was it used?
Important Website to further knowledge on topoic....
http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/past/pre_norman_history/iron_age.html
http://www.dochara.com/the-irish/ireland-history/celtic-ireland/
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlkik/ihm/ire000.htm
Historians have a huge amount of information about life in Celtic Ireland and archaeologists continue to discover new evidence. We know that the Celts originally came from an area in central Europe around Southern Germany and Austria. We know that they used weapons made of iron and that they were living in Ireland around 300BC. The Celts developed their own language and culture and because they were in control for a few hundred years, there is quite a lot of evidence for us to build a picture of what type of life they had.
In your study of this ancient Celtic civilisation it is important that you would know the following:
Where the Celts lived (Raths, Crannogs, Hill-forts, promontory forts)
How society was organised in Celtic Ireland and who were the important people?
What types of food and drink they used?
What types of weapons and tools they used?
What type of clothing they used?
What were their religious beliefs?
A Person Living in Celtic Ireland
Celtic society organised as follows:
1. King
2. Nobles (warriors, had land and cattle)
3. Aos Dana ( learned people, special skills, highly respected)
4. Farmers ( worked land of nobles)
5. Slaves ( captured in war, did most of work, no pay)
Whole country divided into Tuatha
Each Tuath had own king
King had to be physically fit
Had to be able to lead people into battle
Your Home - Hill-forts, Raths or Crannogs
Raths very common - surrounded by earthen ditch and fence
Wanted to feel safe and protected
Also wanted to keep their cattle herds safe
Your Food: all produced locally
Grew wheat, barley, oats
Ground into meal using stone called quern
Drank ale and mead (made using honey)
Ate porridge and dairy products
Your Clothing: all made locally
Woolen cloaks and tunics worn by all
Flax grown to make linen for clothing
Sheep reared for meat and wool
Different dyes made using wild berries
Your special feast-days very important
Large meat pieces cooked for many people
Fulachta Fia used for this
Large wood lined hole filled with water
Hot stones used to heat water
Your Religious beliefs very important
Believed in many different Gods
Religious leaders called Druids
All believed in a life after death.
Four important religious feasts
Imbolg (February - goddess Brigid)
Bealtaine (May - god Bel)
Lughnasa (August - god Lug)
Samhain (start of winter)
A monk in early Christian Ireland
You lived in a monastery - usually a quiet place
Good example - Glendalough, Co. Wicklow
Founded by monk called Kevin
Joined the monastery at age 16 - called a novice
Head of monastery called the Abbot
Made solemn promises called vows
Vows of poverty, obedience, chastity
Clothing worn called a habit - usually brown or black
No money or possessions of your own
Hair cut into a tonsure
Typical day began before daybreak
Life consisted of praying and working
Every monk had own special job to do
Some were stone-carvers, goldsmiths, farmers
Some monks worked as scribes
Created beautiful manuscripts
Coloured inks used on special vellum (calf skin)
Many famous manuscripts produced …e.g. Book of Kells
In typical monastery - largest building was Church
Monks lived in small stone bee-hive cells
Monastery surrounded by tall stone wall
Tallest building called the Round Tower
Monks hid there during Viking attacks
Brought their precious gold chalices and crosses also
Not all monks stayed in Ireland
Colmcille and others went abroad to spread Christianity
These monks called missionaries
Special schools and monasteries created all over Europe
Review Questions
1. Where did the Celts originally come from?
2. How do we know so much about the Celts?
3. What was a tuath?
4. What was the derbfine?
5. Why was the King so important?
6. Who were the nobles?
7. Who were the Aos Dana?
8. What did a file do?
9. How were slaves obtained?
10. What was a rath?
11. What was a crannog?
12. What type of clothing did the Celts wear?
13. What was the main food eaten by the Celts?
14. Explain what a fulachta fia was.
15. What was the role of the Druid?
16. Name a famous Celtic religious feastday?
17. What was the Celtic afterlife called?
18. What was ogham and where was it used?
Important Website to further knowledge on topoic....
http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/past/pre_norman_history/iron_age.html
http://www.dochara.com/the-irish/ireland-history/celtic-ireland/
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlkik/ihm/ire000.htm
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