Irish Myth demythified

[google...@euro-celts.com]

Iron Age
Arrival of Iron Age Celts - up to AD 100
"In spite of fanciful tales written by monks in later centuries, there
is no reliable evidence of a major invasion by Iron Age Celts ...
It is likely that Roman expansion north of the Alps, and the victories
of Julius Caesar in particular, encouraged Gaulish kings and chieftains
to lead their peoples into Britain and on to Ireland."...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/ni/arrival_celts.shtml

Early Christian Ireland
Early Christian Ireland c.400 - 799
"While Christianity was in retreat over much of the European
mainland, kings and nobles in Ireland fostered it."...
"http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/ni/early_christian.shtml

Early Christian Ireland
Pre-Christian beliefs c.400
..."The greatest of the gods was Dagda, who had beaten off the
monster Fomorians when they invaded Ireland in a magical mist."...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/ni/pre_christian_beliefs.shtml

Early Christian Ireland
The coming of Christianity - up to 500
"By the early fifth century, Christianity seems to have penetrated
parts of the south"...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/ni/coming_christianity.shtml

Early Christian Ireland
Expansion to Scotland - up to 550
"Descendants of Niall of the Nine Hostages forged their way
into Ulster across the fords of Erne"...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/ni/expansion_scotland.shtml

Early Christian Ireland
Colum Cille and the monasteries - up to 600
..."These religious communities were particularly successful in
attracting members of the upper classes."...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/ni/colum_cille.shtml

Early Christian Ireland
The mission of Columbanus - up to 650
..."In this way the great mission of the Irish to the European
mainland began."...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/ni/mission_columbanus.shtml

Early Christian Ireland
Irish explorers - up to 700
..."When the Vikings came to Iceland some of the Irish monks
escaped to islands off the coast, still called the Westmann Islands
after the monks."...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/ni/irish_explorers.shtml

Early Christian Ireland
"At the beginning of the Christian era the Ulaidh ruled the whole area
of Ireland north of a line between the River Drowes and the River
Boyne."...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/ni/ulster_kingdoms.shtml

Early Christian Ireland
Kings and High Kings c.800
..."By this time the provincial kings, or over-kings, had increased
their authority at the expense of rulers of petty kingdoms, known
as 'tuatha' (a word of ancient origin, related to the English
'Teutonic'
and the German 'Deutsche')."...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/ni/kings_high_kings.shtml

Early Christian Ireland
Gaelic Society - up to 800
..."Kings and nobility lived in forts built with a military
purpose."...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/ni/gaelic_society.shtml

Early Christian Ireland
Irish art - up to 800
..."In contrast with the realism and natural beauty preferred by
Greek and Roman artists, the imaginative art of the Celts
delighted in symbols and intricate patterns."...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/ni/irish_art.shtml

[Wade Baugher]

Oh come on Dan... a BBC timeline as proof?

While there are germs of truth here and there in the timeline,
the overall depth of the scholarship involved is sorely lacking.
Some of the statements are so ridiculous as to make one
wonder who in the BBC actually wrote the timeline; some
junior staffer with a 30 year old grammar school text?

The archaeology clearly indicates there were "Celts" in
Ireland long before Caesar's conquests... geeze... who
writes this stuff. LOL
--
Wade
http://www.eDruid.com

<google...@euro-celts.com> wrote in message
news:1128797062.8...@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

[google...@euro-celts.com]

"Wade Baugher" <xremove...@comcast.net> wrote
> [....] geeze... who writes this stuff. LOL

I don't know. You tell me.
The powers in charge of history writing, maybe? - as always?
That would sound reasonable to me.

Dan

[Wade Baugher]

I just read the entire timeline on "The Arrival of the Iron
Age Celts" Your snippage tended to create something of
a mischaracterization. There is a disturbing tendency of the
timeline in general to treat the pre-Iron Age inhabitants of
Ireland as non-Celtic. While certainly open to debate, the
archaeology and linguistic evidence suggests otherwise.

The archaeolological record shows there were Hallstatt C
bronze swords of the Gundlingen type all over both Great
Britain and Ireland in the seventh century BCE. And at least
one find of an iron long sword in modern day Wales in the
same era. There were extensive trading networks along
the Atlantic fringe dating back thousands of years. The
flow of ideas from the innovative western central European
Hallstatt culture out to the fringe is indisputable.

From the sixth century to the second century BCE Ireland
seems to have had less contact with the mainland and there
is some evidence to suggest a population loss... perhaps
plague or some other devastation. Yet there is no reason to
believe that later Celtic invaders wielding iron swords and
riding horses were met by a completely foreign population.
There is reason to believe the opposite. They were almost
certainly met by an insular version of Celts, speaking a Celtic
tongue and using an insular Celtic belief system learned
centuries earlier.
--
Wade
http://www.eDruid.com

<google...@euro-celts.com> wrote in message
news:1128806871....@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

[google...@euro-celts.com]

"Wade Baugher" <xremove...@comcast.net> wrote

>I just read the entire timeline on "The Arrival of the Iron
> Age Celts" Your snippage tended to create something of
> a mischaracterization. There is a disturbing tendency of the
> timeline in general to treat the pre-Iron Age inhabitants of
> Ireland as non-Celtic. While certainly open to debate, the
> archaeology and linguistic evidence suggests otherwise.

You know what?
I thought the same.

> The archaeolological record shows there were Hallstatt C
> bronze swords of the Gundlingen type all over both Great
> Britain and Ireland in the seventh century BCE. And at least
> one find of an iron long sword in modern day Wales in the
> same era. There were extensive trading networks along
> the Atlantic fringe dating back thousands of years. The
> flow of ideas from the innovative western central European
> Hallstatt culture out to the fringe is indisputable.

Every era has its own pop-history writers; now doesn't it.
That was my point. About 900 to 1500 years ago, they were
all literate christian monks. Nowadays, it seems to have
gravitated towards judeo-christian authors who have a knack
for tearing down new testament bible quotes while groveling
before all the olde testament tries to push as 'truth'.

Me, I just don't care.
I don't rely on whatever anybody had to say unless it 'strikes
home' what my own personal experience is concerned.

> From the sixth century to the second century BCE Ireland
> seems to have had less contact with the mainland and there
> is some evidence to suggest a population loss... perhaps
> plague or some other devastation. Yet there is no reason to
> believe that later Celtic invaders wielding iron swords and
> riding horses were met by a completely foreign population.
> There is reason to believe the opposite. They were almost
> certainly met by an insular version of Celts, speaking a Celtic
> tongue and using an insular Celtic belief system learned
> centuries earlier.

Again... I would agree for all I know and have learned from
reputable sources.

Dan

[google...@euro-celts.com]

Emendatio:

<google...@euro-celts.com> wrote
> [....] while groveling

> before all the olde testament tries to push as 'truth'.

That should have read:

"while groveling before all the olde testament tries to push

local tribal far eastern monotheist religion as 'truth'.

Dan