Pan-Celticism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
 This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims.
Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (September 2007)
The Six Nations considered the heartland of the modern Celts
The Six Nations considered the heartland of the modern Celts

Pan-Celticism is the name given to a variety of movements that espouse greater contact between the various Celtic countries.

Contents

[edit] Types of Pan-Celticism

Pan-Celticism can operate on the following levels:

  • Linguistic — Many organisations promote linguistic ties, notably the Gorsedd in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany, and the Irish government sponsored Columba Initiative between Ireland and Scotland. Often, there is a split here between the Irish, Scots and Manx, who use Q-Celtic Gaelic languages and the Welsh, Cornish and Breton who speak P-Celtic Brythonic languages.
  • Cultural — The main organisation promoting cultural contacts is the Celtic Congress. Meeting in the last week of July (Cornwall 2007 and Aberystwyth, Wales in 2008)
  • Music — Inter-Celtic festivals are extremely fashionable now, some of the most notable including those at Lorient, Killarney/Kilkenny/Letterkenny and Celtic Connections in Glasgow. Smaller festivals give more prominence to the Languages eg Kann al Loar at Landerne, and the Fishguard Festival in Wales.
  • Political — The Celtic League is a well known Pan-Celtic political organisation, its membership does not include the elected political parties, although there are others. Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party have co-operated at some levels in Westminster and Plaid Cymru often asks questions in Parliament about Cornwall and cooperates with Mebyon Kernow The Breton Assembly has developed formal cultural links (Aug 2006) with the Welsh Senedd and there are frequent fact finding missions. Political pan-Celticism can be taken to include everything from a full federation of independent Celtic states, to occasional political visits.
  • Twinning is extremely common between Wales - Britanny and Ireland - Britanny covering hundreds of communities with exchanges of local politicians, choirs, dancers and school groups. Source; Petroc ap Seisyllt, Archivist to Cymdeithas Cymru-Llydaw and member of Celtic Congress (Wales branch)
  • Sporting — This is much less common, although Ireland and Scotland play each other at Hurling and Shinty internationals. There is also the Celtic League (Rugby Union), and teams from Cornwall and Brittany sometimes engage in wrestling matches. Wales have also played soccer against a putative Breton National team.

[edit] History of Pan-Celt relations

Relations among Celtic peoples have had high and low points over the last few hundred years. As recently as the 13th century, the Scottish élite was proud to claim Gaelic-Irish origins. The 14th century Scottish King Robert the Bruce strongly asserted a common identity for Ireland and Scotland. However, in later medieval times, Irish and Scottish interests diverged for a number of reasons, and the two peoples grew estranged. The conversion of the Scots to Protestantism was one factor. The stronger political position of Scotland in relation to England was another. The disparate economic fortunes of the two was third; by the 1840s Scotland was one of the richest areas on earth and Ireland one of the poorest.

Over the centuries there continued to be considerable contact between Ireland and Scotland, first as Scots were transplanted into Ulster in the 17th century and then as Irish began to move to Scottish cities in the 19th century. Recently the field of Irish-Scottish studies has developed considerably, with the Irish-Scottish Academic Initiative (ISAI) founded in 1995. To date, three international conferences have been held in Ireland and Scotland, in 1997, 2000 and 2002.[1]

[edit] The term 'Celtic'

The Celts in Europe, past and present:      present-day Celtic-speaking areas      other parts of the six most commonly recognized 'Celtic nations' and where a Celtic language is spoken but not the dominating language      other parts of Europe once peopled by Celts; modern-day inhabitants of many of these areas often claim a Celtic heritage and/or culture
The Celts in Europe, past and present:
     present-day Celtic-speaking areas      other parts of the six most commonly recognized 'Celtic nations' and where a Celtic language is spoken but not the dominating language      other parts of Europe once peopled by Celts; modern-day inhabitants of many of these areas often claim a Celtic heritage and/or culture

There is great controversy surrounding this term for a variety of reasons. It is considered by some to be an inaccurate term to be applied to modern day peoples. However others believe there is sufficient evidence of a link between the ancient Celts and the new 'Celts'.

Organisations such as the Celtic Congress and the Celtic League use the definition that a 'celtic nation' is a nation with recent history of a traditional celtic language. By inference 'celts' is used to mean inhabitants of these nations. This linguistic based definition of celticity is used by a number pan-celtic organisations and writers.

Atlantic Celts, while bearing little genetic similarity to modern peoples occupying the so called 'Celtic Homelands' of central Europe, do share remarkable genetic markers with each other. However the term 'Celtic' does not constitute a racial grouping.

The terms 'celt' and 'celtic' are used (or misused) in a number of other ways. For example the description 'celtic music' is be used for traditional music from a celtic country or modern music romantically inspired by the culture of such nations.

For further discussion on this matter see the Wikipedia articles on the ancient Celts and modern Celts.

[edit] The Celtic regions/countries

See also: Modern Celts

The Celtic Congress and Celtic League consider the following to be the Celtic nations[2][3] -

However, in music festivals it is common to find bands from Galicia and Asturias (both in Spain), Minho (Northern Portugal), Nova Scotia (Canada) and England.

The Aosta Valley and Friuli in Italy are sometimes claimed as Celtic regions, as are parts of England (other than Cornwall). See also article on the Modern Celts. In the last few years there has also been a process of "Celtic revival" in Northern Portugal and Galicia. Some would argue that the Iberian connection is not as tenuous as it may seem. While the languages of the area are largely Latinate and have been for many centuries, the people themselves are almost certainly partly descended of Celtiberian stock, and their musical traditions share a lot in common with those of Brittany, Wales and Cornwall. However it is generally claimed that the 'litmus test' of Celticness is a surviving Celtic language, and most Europeans have some Celtic ancestry.

In the Western Hemisphere there are notable Celtic enclaves in Atlantic Canada (which has produced a number of world-class bagpipers, and has a notable population of Irish and Scottish Gaelic speakers), and the Patagonia region of Argentina, which has enough Welsh speakers to support a Welsh-language radio station. The Celtic diaspora in the Americas, as well as New Zealand and Australia, is significant and organized enough that there are numerous organizations, cultural festivals and university-level language classes available in major cities throughout these regions.

Irish and Scottish games and musical events, in particular, often draw thousands of participants, even in rural areas of the U.S., and are becoming increasingly pan-Celtic in tone. The annual San Francisco Celtic Music and Arts Festival runs for several days in a row, and fills a former military building larger than most aircraft hangars, to near capacity.

Even the far East evidence a vicarious pan-Celtic interest; the journal (mostly in Japanese) Studia Celtica Japonica is well regarded among scholars. (See Modern Celts)

[edit] Timeline of Pan-Celticism

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Devine, T.M. "Making the Caledonian Connection: The Development of Irish and Scottish Studies." Radharc Jouranl of Irish Studies. New York. Vol 3, 2002.
  2. ^ The International Celtic Congress
  3. ^ Celtic League Homepage
v • d • e
Celts
Ancient Celts
and Celtic studies		 Peoples: Names  · Gaels (Early Ireland / Medieval Ireland / Gaelic Ireland / Scoti)  · Brythons (British Iron Age / Roman Britain / Picts)  · Gauls (Gallo-Roman)  · Celtiberians (Celtic Gallaecia)  · Galatians

Religion: Celtic polytheism  · Celtic Christianity

Mythology: Celtic mythology  · Irish mythology  · Scottish mythology  · Welsh mythology  · Breton mythology  · British legends
Society: Celtic calendar  · Celtic law  · Gaelic clothing and fashion  · Celtic warfare/Gaelic warfare
Art: Celtic art  · Triple spiral  · Celtic knot  · Celtic cross  · Celtic maze
Modern Celts
and Celtic Revival		 Celtic nations  · Pan-Celticism (Celtic Congress / Celtic League)  · Celtic music  · Celtic neopaganism  · Pronunciation of Celtic
Languages Proto-Celtic

Insular Celtic (Brythonic / Goidelic)

Continental Celtic (Celtiberian / Gaulish / Galatian / Lepontic / Noric)
Celtic Festivals Beltane  · Lughnasadh  · Samhain  · Imbolc
Lists List of Celtic tribes · List of Celtic deities · List of Celts · List of English words of Celtic origin

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Celticism"
Personal tools