HIS 141 Quiz 7 Celts & Ancient Ireland Vocab

CuChulainn

According to The Tain, he was the greatest Irish warrior to ever live. After he scorned the Morrigan's advances, she helped to bring on his death.

Indo-Europeans

Numerous cultural similarities can be found between Aryans and Celts. It is likely that the reason for this is that both groups were...

Veleda

She was a seer so reverred by her tribe that they considered her a goddess. Demonstrating this, representatives spoke for her.

Rhine and Danube

Historians believe the Celts originally inhabited the region in which these rivers are located.

Gaul

The Romans named this territory after its Celtic inhabitants, today we call it France.

druids

Celtic priests, they had religious, judicial and educational functions. They were among the few individuals in Celtic societies who could cross tribal lines, negotiate peace, mediate or judge between different groups.

sovereignty goddess

sovereignty goddess

fili

The words of these professional seer-poets were so powerful they could unseat a king. There were seven grades of these, the highest had the same honor-price as a lesser king.

Boudica

Boudica

birds

These creatures were frequently suspected of being Otherworldly beings in disguise. It is likely that they were identified with the Otherworld because they were creatures of two to three realms, air, land, and sometimes sea.

Le Tene

This is the later, more refined type of Celtic art; it is notable for its symmetry, curvilinear designs and frequent inclusion of interlace.

intoxicating beverages

Sovereignty goddesses propositioned their intended mates by offering sexual intimacy and/or these.

water

This was frequently the point of contact between the world of the living and the Otherworld. Goddesses appeared, mated and cried there; heroes fought in or near this; and, the ancient Irish believed the Otherworld could be reached by crossing bodies of this.

Medb (Maeve)

The name of this highly sexual queen/goddess is synonymous with the word for wine made from honey. She offered her "friendly thighs" to many men and boldly claimed that she "never had one man without another waiting in his shadow."

Otherworld

For the Irish, this supernatural realm was the place of the dead, of divinities, and a paradise where the land was eternally in bloom. It was sometimes referred to as the Land of Women or of the Young, but more frequently, it was called the sidh.

Greeks and Romans

The earliest written accounts of the Celts come from these; they fought and traded with the Celts.

urine and lime

What the Celts used to dye and stiffen their hair.

tuath

This Irish term translates as "tribe"; for most Celts it was the only place in which they had any standing or importance.

Hallstadt

The Gundestrup Cauldron is a good example of this earlier, less refined style of Celtic art notable for its inclusion of numerous animals.

suicide

To preserve their honor, Celts died by this when they lost in battle.

Cartimandua

High-priestess and queen of the Briganti, she had two successive husbands who fought to be with her.

satire

The Irish term for this translates "to strike" or "to cut." The legitimate use of this was one of the ways those of low rank could force those of higher rank to obey the law. A king who tolerated this lost his honor-price.

Morrigan

Her name means "Great Queen." She was a war goddess who often shape-shifted into a raven/crow. According to legend she aided the Dagda and his people after a tryst in a river.

hill-fort

What the Celts generally built their settlements in. Usually they were surrounded by a maze of earthenwork defenses.

Ogam

This was the written language of the Irish Celts, it was used primarily for burial markers.