Oh to be a Celt

[Womble]

Regardless of the opinions of some archeologists, as someone who has Irish, Scottish and Welsh in their ancestry, I could take offence at the statement:

"No celts in the British isles. They were a mainland european culture."

But we are far to friendly a forum for this to have been intentionally offensive, aren't we.....

Swampy Matt: no offence was intended, and I apologise unreservedly if one could have been taken. I perhaps should have clarified that it was the romantic ideal of celticness - as perpetuated from the 19th centuary onwards - might not have existed. The cultures of the Scots, the Irish and the Welsh exist, and have every right to exist; regardless of whether someone labels them "not celtic" or not.

true, the archeologists really only have opinions on the matter, but in the perceived absence of solid historical fact what else is there?

 

[Swampy Matt]

Also, the opening post reminded me of a quote from Fight Club: "In the world I see - you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway."

Great quote (but it won't fit into my signature )

Swampy Matt: no offence was intended, and I apologise unreservedly if one could have been taken.

None taken - I guess we were just both playing Devil's Advocate from opposite directions

 

[R-J]

Me, I am British.

me to! i havent looked in to my families past, but coming from the cumbria i think theres sure to be some scot and irish there some where. the more the merrier !

the british isles have always, to my limited understanding, welcomed pretty much anyone and every one who as something to give and become a richer place for it. shades of ankha-morpork in the discworld series . a good read &laugh, with suprisingly astute observations ...

anyway, i'm british, proud and glad to be so (stands up waving the flag, lol)! still support the england rugby team though...

good thread with some good posts

 

[Womble]

as an aside on the subject of linages, both my maternal and paternal surnames originate in Suffolk (Mildenhall to be exact). But my parents actually met in Aldershot whilst my dad was doing his National Service there (he's from Yorkshire), and no one in my direct family has lived in East Anglia for generations! Reaserching into my surname, I discovered that in middle english it either means "caught cholora" or "grows cabbages"....

 

[bambodoggy]

Reaserching into my surname, I discovered that in middle english it either means "caught cholora" or "grows cabbages"....

Lol....that's funny Womble, nice that you can laugh at yourself

I'd guess it means they grow cabbages as if it was the other I think your line may have died out! lol

Bam.

(ps. you coming camping at the end of the month mate?)

 

[ilovemybed]

I'm a Scot and wear the kilt (and all the other gear) on special occasions.

I am also fully aware that tartan was "invented" by Sir Walter Scott in the 1800s and that the current kilt was modified from the original great kilt by an Englishman.

So what?

There can be no full blooded celts left anywhere.There cannot be a "pure blooded" Briton left anywhere on these islands.We are a wonderful mix of races and cultures and have been for centuries.

So what does it matter,if in someones opinion,there are no Celts in Britain?

If you consider yourself to be a Celt,Pict or anything come to that,good on you.

Let them prove that you're not.

There is that mad fella Robbie the Pict, or whatever he calls himself, who claims full Pictish roots.

 

[Womble]

It was my intention to do so Bam, but I've been asked to help out with a backwoods/bushcraft camp for a local Explorer Scout group that weekend (natural shelters, cordage, observation and tracking..). I did an evening with them on Wednesday, and had a good time passing the knowledge on; they're keen to try new stuff.

So I AM going camping, just not in Sussex... and officially I can't even take my new batch of raspberry vodka with me!

 

[gregorach]

Yeah, but I'd like to see him prove it! According to legend, the last two Picts died to protect the secret of their heather ale from the invading Scots.

Me, I'm a man of Clan Gregor, and that's good enough for me. (There is also a legend that gives Pictish roots to Clan Gregor, and another which traces them to the third son of Alpin. Take your pick - although modern genetic research indicates that the modern clan is of Dalriadic Scots origin.)

 

[ilovemybed]

Yeah, but I'd like to see him prove it! According to legend, the last two Picts died to protect the secret of their heather ale from the invading Scots.

Me, I'm a man of Clan Gregor, and that's good enough for me. (There is also a legend that gives Pictish roots to Clan Gregor, and another which traces them to the third son of Alpin. Take your pick - although modern genetic research indicates that the modern clan is of Dalriadic Scots origin.)

Yeah, it's nice to have some heritage. I grew up in Crieff having to deal with the fact that despite feeling properly Scottish, I had an English dad. What he never told me was that all his male precedents are Scots so in fact he's the imposter... Must have been revenge for me cheering on Argentina in '86

Anyway, people are the same all over the world really - just a bunch of pink goo and snot.

 

[gregorach]

Anyway, people are the same all over the world really - just a bunch of pink goo and snot.

Very, very true. If only more people realised that, we might have a better world.

 

[Phil562]

Must have been revenge for me cheering on Argentina in '86

HOW COULD YOU

 

[BorderReiver]

There is that mad fella Robbie the Pict, or whatever he calls himself, who claims full Pictish roots.

And good luck to him too

There aren't enough high class eccentrics around these days (this forum exepted )

 

[bambodoggy]

officially I can't even take my new batch of raspberry vodka with me!

Fair enough Matey...but how on earth are you ever going to turn me into an alcoholic if you don't bring your flavoured vodka? ? ?! lol

Back on thread: I've got Scots, Irish, English, Slav and even a little Welsh in me but it simply makes me a nice strong alloy instead of a soft or brittle pure metal

Bam.

 

[R-J]

hybrid vigour they call it!

 

[ilovemybed]

Must have been revenge for me cheering on Argentina in '86

HOW COULD YOU

That's what he said.

 

[gregorach]

Well, you've definitely passed the Honourary Scot exam with flying colours. Congratulations, you can consider yourself a Scotsman.

 

[Spacemonkey]

There was an island off Scotland somewhere that until the 1930's hadn't even heard of christianity!! They had been practicing their old religion for centuries and hadn't had contact with many outsiders during that time either, so they could probably claim to be from original Briton (or Pict, Celt, whatever) stock, though I bet they played a few banjo's. Unfortunately, they all ended up trotting off to the mainland and abandoning their old ways. I believe the island is un inhabited now, but wonder if this was the inspriation for 'The Wicker Man' (which incidently is suffering the nasty Hollywood remake disease)???

 

[BorderReiver]

There was an island off Scotland somewhere that until the 1930's hadn't even heard of christianity!!

Seems a bit odd seeing that Christianity arrived in Britain on an island off Scotland somewhere.

 

[lardbloke]

I think the island you are refering to is St.Kilda. This was evacuated in the 1930's and if you go by the name of the island you can see it was practising Chritianity well before this time, it even had its own Minister. It is possible you are talking about one of the smaller islands off the outer hebrides...

http://www.kilda.org.uk/

I may be wrong, can someone else confirm this...

 

[Spacemonkey]

Yep, I'm pretty sure of what I wrote, though my memory is swiss cheesed and has huge holes in it. Thus I can't remember the name of the island, but am sure of the lack of christianity on it, and the date.