Celtic Reenacting
(and a little other ancient Europe until there's enough for its own page)

During the Iron Age, Celts lived across a wide range of lands, from the Iberian Peninsula to Anatolia (Turkey), but the ultimate origin of the Celts is a subject of controversy.

Polybius published a history of Rome about 150 BC in which he describes the Gauls of Italy and their conflict with Rome. Pausanias in the second century BC says that the Gauls "originally called Celts live on the remotest region of Europe on the coast of an enormous tidal sea". Posidonius described the southern Gauls about 100 BC. Though his original work is lost it was used by later writers such as Strabo. The latter, writing in the early first century AD, deals with Britain and Gaul as well as Hispania, Italy and Galatia. Caesar wrote extensively about his Gallic Wars in 58-51 BC. Diodorus Siculus wrote about the Celts of Gaul and Britain in his first century History.

Their aspect is terrifying...They are very tall in stature, with ripling muscles under clear white skin. Their hair is blond, but not naturally so: they bleach it, to this day, artificially, washing it in lime and combing it back from their foreheaads. They look like wood-demons, their hair thick and shaggy like a horse's mane. Some of them are cleanshaven, but others - especially those of high rank, shave their cheeks but leave a moustache that covers the whole mouth and, when they eat and drink, acts like a sieve, trapping particles of food...The way they dress is astonishing: they wear brightly coloured and embroidered shirts, with trousers called bracae and cloaks fastened at the shoulder with a brooch, heavy in winter, light in summer. These cloaks are striped or checkered in design, with the seperate checks close together and in various colours.

[The Celts] wear bronze helmets with figures picked out on them, even horns, which made them look even taller than they already are...while others cover themselves with breast-armour made out of chains. But most content themselves with the weapons nature gave them: they go naked into battle...Weird, discordant horns were sounded, [they shouted in chorus with their] deep and harsh voices, they beat their swords rythmically against their shields. -- Diodorus

If you're interested in this impression or have aunit we need to list, please let us know.

Please send suggestions, comments and corrections regarding this Time-Area to: lilkender@gmail.com. For more information regarding individual groups, please contact them directly.

Groups

Ambiani (France) -- La Tene period (~4thc. BC?) Celts in Gaul. Living history, crafts, sword-fighting.

Ancient Celtic Clans (USA, NY) -- Located in Upstate NY, near Albany, Ancient Celtic Clans is a Celtic re-enactment group. We are interested in recreating the life and times of all Celtic peoples from 400BCE - 1600CE through the study and participation in their: song, poetry, religion, crafts, combat, and events.

Brigantia (UK, Wales) -- 1st c. BC. Iron Age Celts (La Tene Period). Living history, combat demos, crafts.

Clann Mogh Roith (Ireland) -- Ancient Irish. Battle reenactment, crafts.

Tuatha de Bhriain (People of Brian) (USA, NY) -- 5th c. Ireland. Crafts, rattan fighting.

The Celtic Group CARNYX (Tübingen, Germany) -- Founded in the Spring of 1999 by archaeologists and historically interested people from Tübingen and its environs. The main aim of CARNYX is to present the Celtic era of European prehistory as detailed and realistically as possible. Archaeological findings supplemented by information from antique history writers are the main source for the reconstruction of Celtic dress, jewellery, tools and weapons.