Description
Book Synopsis“They cut off the heads of enemies slain in battle and attach them to the necks of their horses... They embalm the heads... [and]... display them with pride to strangers.” – Diodorus Siculus
Before the Vikings, before the Anglo-Saxons, before the Roman Empire, the Celts dominated central and western Europe. Today we might think of the Celts only inhabiting parts of the far west of Europe – Ireland, Great Britain, France and Spain – but these were the extremities in which their culture lasted longest. In fact, they had originated in Central Europe and settled as far afield as present day Turkey, Poland and Italy.
From their emergence as an Iron Age people around 800 BC to the early centuries AD, Celts reveals the truth behind the stories of naked warriors, ritual beheadings, druids, magic and accusations of human sacrifice. The book examines the different tribes, the Hallstatt and La Tène periods, as well as Celtic survival in western Europe, the Gallic Wars, military life, spiritual life, slavery, sexuality and Celtic art.
Celts is an expertly written account of a people who have long captured the popular imagination.
Trade Review(5 / 5 stars) This is a great book about one of the most influential, fascinating, and yet still mysterious cultures in history. Written for a general audience, it is easy to read, but detailed and extensive… bursting with color photographs of artifacts, archaeological sites, paintings, and sculpture… This beautiful book is a wonderful and pleasurable introduction to this amazing culture. Gretchen Wagner, San Francisco Book Review
* San Francisco Book Review *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Chapter One
Who Were the Celts?
Chapter Two
Celtic Society
Chapter Three
Celtic Art and Religion
Chapter Four
Celtic Myths and Legends
Chapter Five
Technology and Warfare
Chapter Six
Expansion and Decline in Europe
Chapter Seven
The Celts in Gaul
Chapter Eight
The Celts in the British Isles
Index
