With The Celtic World, discover the incredible story of the Celtic-speaking peoples, whose art, language, and culture once spread from Ireland to Austria. This series of 24 enlightening lectures explains the traditional historical view of who the Celts were, then contrasts it with brand-new evidence from DNA analysis and archaeology that totally changes our perspective on where the Celts came from. By bringing a new understanding to long-held beliefs about the Celts, this course will broaden your idea of what Celtic" really means."
The Celtic World
Travel through time from 500 B.C. to today and rediscover the Celts with a Harvard-educated professor.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
leehi from
Anecdote
Professor Paxton is a treasure. Her learned scholarship, mastery of facts and story telling ability are astounding. I have reached the lecture on the Fringe of the Fringe, and will certainly hear the remaining lectures. But I wish to share an anecdote. In the mid 1980s I went on a whim from Paris to Quimper in Brittany. A Celtic music festival was underway. The music including bagpipes and the dancing was similar to that which I had seen in Scotland and Ireland. But what blew me away was the following. Some Cornish men had sailed from Cornwall to Brittany for the festival. I was in a bar with a mixed group of Cornishmen and Bretons. Firstly, upon learning I was American, they refused that I buy any drinks. After several rounds, I was pretty wasted. But: the Cornishmen and the Bretons had lively conversations. They continually translated for me so i could join in. The Cornishmen translated for me what the Bretons said, in English. The Bretons translated for me what the Cornishmen had said, in French. But the Cornishmen could understand no French, and the Bretons could understand no English. So their Celtic tongues were indeed obviously mutually understandable! I was there, it was real, at least as late as the 1980s!
Date published: 2024-12-15
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Jean L from
The Celtic World
I have purchased several Great Courses with Dr. Paxton as the lecturer. I have to admit that I really enjoy her droll sense of humor. I laughed out loud as she tried to explain the Book of Invasions! I think it is important not only to present a topic as a professional academician but to do so with a sense of humor. Bravo, Dr. Paxton. I look forward to your next Great Courses endeavor!
Date published: 2024-12-11
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Momzrunner from
The Celtic World
Dr. Paxton’s lectures are mesmerizing. She has an amazing ability to tell the story of the Celts through history, archaeology, cultural analysis and anecdotes in an accessible and compelling way. The lectures are illustrated and enhanced by the visual elements, including photos and maps. Truly wonderful!
Date published: 2024-02-05
Rated 4 out of
5
by
learner259 from
Very knowledgeable lecturer
I admire Dr. Paxton's considerable knowledge but felt that when she had a choice of which country to focus on, she chose Ireland. She also made what seemed to me some odd topic choices and the occasional off-key pronouncement. James II? He wasn't exiled for being incompetent. He was turfed out for marrying a Catholic and becoming Catholic himself; English was 150 years into the Reformation and couldn't abide a Catholic monarch. The lecturer then began debunking Scottish tartans (in a long segment) while completely omitting the real human misery in the Scottish Highlands following the Battle of Culloden -- the region lost half of its population. She doesn't tell us that the English aim was to stifle the culture of the region, which it very nearly did -- the British Army (and she finally mentions this) became a cultural outlet for some. I'd also add that the Highland Dress Act did not prohibit tartans, as she states -- there are lots of cites for this online including the text of the original act. Finally -- why no mention of the Enclosures in the Scottish Highlands? These produced immense suffering and resulted in stepped-up migration to America. The loss of life didn't approach that of the potato famine, but an entire (Celtic) way of life was extirpated. I realize that 24 lectures isn't enough to provide a full picture of so many countries; but I do think that some historical context should be provided before debunking begins.
Date published: 2023-07-25
Rated 2 out of
5
by
Want to Know Better from
Too much emphasis on the UK
This was my second purchase of lectures by Jennifer Paxton. She is well read and I appreciate her commitment to often mysterious group of peoples. However, the course was dissappointing and not at all what I was expecting. I found the heavy emphasis on the UK more in line with her own academic interests in Scotland, Ireland and England rather the comprehensive presentation of the widepread Celtic cultural sites in Eurasia. I was hoping for more examples of the diverse expression of Celtic arts and crafts at different geographical sites, some philological analysis of the Celtic language as it was expressed in different sites, at least some discussion of musicology and the music and instruments used in different Celtic cultural sites. I found her rather quick dismissal of the Celtic centres around the LaTene and Halstatt sites very disappointing. I have deep Celtic roots as do many of my friends. Through DNA analysis we have all found major connections to these regions and the Piedmont between Italy and Austria and Switzerland. Just look at the fact of Switzerland's informal name (Confederation Helvetia or CH as it is abbreviated on those old black and white bumper stickers we used to see on automobiles in Europe and North America). I think there is much more than can and should be added to a course on understanding the Celts, including deeper analysis of why Celtic culture - even as a shared linguistic group of peoples if not a monocultural, became so dispersed and who or what was responsible for the dispersal.
Date published: 2023-04-06
Rated 5 out of
5
by
OmRK from
Very good course
I have an interest in the Celts and this lecture series is probably the best I have seen on the subject. I especially enjoyed Dr. Paxton's engaging presentation style.
Date published: 2023-01-18
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Hiker1973 from
Great Presentation
It is easy to love a course where the lecturer is so passionate about the subject. I learned so much and appreciated the pace of the course, all of the pictures, videos and music.
Date published: 2022-12-02
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Michael 52 from
Near Perfect
I'm so very happy with this course. The professor is erudite, articulate and engaging. She provides everything needed for learning to take place. Even the course booklet is excellent. The lectures fly by, even as they are packed with information and facts. To the highest degree possible, she opens the door on the Celtic world, including their beliefs, lifeways, and movements across Europe. I recommend this course very highly.
Date published: 2022-06-28
Overview
About
Jennifer Paxton is a Clinical Associate Professor of History at The Catholic University of America. She is also the director of the University Honors Program. She received her PhD in History from Harvard University, where she also taught and earned a Certificate of Distinction in Teaching. She is a widely published, award-winning writer and a highly regarded scholar, earning both a Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities and a Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship.
Trailer
01: Who Are the Celts?
Professor Paxton begins this lively history course by examining the common preconceptions about Celtic identity—before smashing them to bits. The first lecture paints the initial brushstrokes on the gargantuan canvas of this European culture most widely perceived as Scottish and Irish while promising much more.
33 min
02: The Celts and the Classical World
Our earliest written records of the Celts come from Italy, Greece, and Spain, dating as far back as the 6th century B.C. Although scholarly theories about the Celts’ migration throughout Europe conflict, the foundation of our understanding of their origins is laid bare here, peppered with several curious historic anecdotes.
32 min
03: Celtic Art and Artifacts
Archaeological studies of Celtic artifacts have woven a rich tapestry of their millennia-old society and its La Tène art style. Learn about war trumpets, gold necklaces, ornate helmets, and other recovered objects from around Europe to build an image of this ever-adapting culture and its connections to the classical world.
31 min
04: Celtic Languages in the Ancient World
The discovery of Celtic inscriptions on the western coast of Spain suggests the possible development of a common language along maritime Celtic trade routes, revolutionizing studies of Celtic origins and migration. The long-standing theory of Central European Celtic origins may die out thanks to new linguistic evidence.
32 min
05: Caesar and the Gauls
Several centuries of violent combat against Celtic-controlled Gaul made northern Italy and southern France a dangerous neighborhood for the Romans. Hannibal, Gaius Marius, and Spartacus are just some of the famous figures of world history who encounter the Gauls in this lecture centered on Julius Caesar’s wars against the Gauls.
33 min
06: Celtic Religion and the Druids
Celtic religious beliefs included divination, reincarnation, and human sacrifice. Along with these practices, discover the ancient religious figures known as druids who served as holy men, soothsayers, and even lawyers. Enjoy this insight into the Celtic version of one constant that appears in all civilizations—the sacred.
31 min
07: Celtic Britain and Roman Britain
Professor Paxton uses the theory of trade-based migration to first explain the arrival of the Celts influence in Britain before the arrival of the Romans. Then she details the exciting struggle between the Celts and the Romans over Britain, untangling the web of history on the island during the first and second centuries A.D.
31 min
08: Celts and Picts in Scotland
With a Romanized southern Britain, what was life like in Scotland? Meet the warring tribes of Picts that ruled North Britain, with the Irish to the west and Angles moving in from the southeast. Highlights include the ancient Pictish tongue and the truth about William “Braveheart” Wallace and all that blue paint.
30 min
09: Prehistoric Ireland and the Celts
An early Irish text called The Book of Invasions is the basis for this truly unique look back at the origins of Ireland and its people. In equal parts weird, fascinating, and humorous, this text tells of one-armed pirate giants, descendants of Noah, a tribe of sorcerers, and six full-scale takeovers of Ireland.
31 min
10: Celtic Britain after Rome
North and west of what today is England, where the Romans held far less influence, a paradoxical era of both peaceful immigration and rebellion added to the melting pot of Britain in the first millennium A.D. Discover Cornwall, Wales, and parts of Scotland with a quick appearance of one of Britain’s noblest legends: King Arthur.
32 min
11: Brittany and Galicia: Fringe of the Fringe
See how both France and Spain welcomed immigrants from a rapidly de-Romanizing Britain. Brittany became a thriving Celtic province that maintained its autonomy through the Middle Ages, while Galicia mostly lost its Celtic identity until a revival of interest in modern times.
32 min
12: Celtic Churches
The melding of pagan religions and Christianity is a compelling tale. St. Patrick’s legendary priesthood and missionary work are discussed, as is the Christian saint Brigid, who was remolded as a nature deity to impress the recently converted Irish. Learn how Irish monks brought Latin learning back to the European continent and “saved civilization.”
32 min
13: Celtic Art and Insular Art
Native Britons copied much of the art style prominent on the continent, complicating the process of defining Celtic art, but Professor Paxton unties this intricate knot. Observe some of Ireland’s most breathtaking religious and secular art pieces, from the Book of Kells to the Tara Brooch.
31 min
14: Medieval Irish Literature
The early Irish prized literary skill just as much as prowess in warfare, and lords were judged by the quality of poet they could hire. This lecture gives a glimpse into the diverse genres of Irish literature, from epics about mythological heroes to exciting tales designed to warn kings about the dangers of ruling unjustly.
32 min
15: Celtic Women, Families, and Social Structure
Irish society treated all disputes as civil suits between families—so if your cousin killed someone, you had to pay some of the damages, which varied with the social status of the victim. Gain a fascinating insight into the hierarchical structure of this period and women’s roles in society as well.
34 min
16: The Irish Sea World: Celts and Vikings
By the turn of the first millennium A.D., we find ample evidence of Viking presence in both Ireland and Scotland. From raids to intermarriages, the Celtic-Scandinavian relationship is a stranger-than-fiction love-hate saga any history buff can appreciate.
31 min
17: English Invasions of Wales and Ireland
Get a glimpse of the life of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, one of the most influential Welsh rulers, who briefly unified the country 1,000 years ago. Uncover the shocking truth of Henry II’s invasion of Ireland and its causes as well as anti-Irish propaganda and the development of cruel stereotypes that influenced English views of the Irish down to the modern period.
32 min
18: Scotland from Macbeth to Braveheart
How do Shakespeare and Hollywood stack up against the truth in some of the fictional accounts of Scotland’s history? Learn about the historical Macbeth and William Wallace (of Braveheart fame), as well as the famous ruler Robert Bruce, who secured Scottish independence from the invading English.
33 min
19: Politics and Literature in Wales
Unveil the turbulent story of English conquest in Wales with this insightful glimpse into Welsh history that includes the unfortunate influence of misplaced loyalty to family that cost the Welsh their sovereignty forever. Then, look at Welsh literature, particularly the wonderful but enigmatic myths of the Mabinogi and the witty poems of Dafydd ap Gwilym.
32 min
20: The Tudor Conquest of Ireland
After Henry VIII denounced Catholicism, England tried repeatedly to bring Ireland into its fold. With Catholicism and Protestantism at odds, Irish chieftains were caught in the middle: the English offered land deals in exchange for shedding their Irish culture and heritage. Witness the aftermath when a historic powder keg exploded, with devastating losses on both sides.
34 min
21: (Re)Discovering the Celts
Just as the Tudors were conquering Ireland, linguistic studies of the Celtic languages began and a new fascination with the Celts slowly emerged. Witness the resurgence of mythological Celtic tales and the revival of the tartan after it was briefly banned by the British; see how fascination with the druids and Welsh bards created a newly confident Welsh identity.
33 min
22: The Gaelic Revival in Ireland
Compared to the fun-loving and historically focused revival of Celtic culture in Scotland and Wales, Ireland’s Celtic revival had more of a political edge. Ancient Irish mythology played a surprising role in the growth of Irish nationalism that led to conflict and ultimately to independence from Britain.
33 min
23: Celtic Music and Dance
Celtic instruments come to life in this lecture. Take a music lesson and learn about the carnyx, a war trumpet; the bodhrán, a hand drum; and the crwth, a lyre played with a bow. Treat your ears to samples of these and beautiful Irish singing, then watch clips of delightful Celtic dances based on classic traditions.
33 min
24: The Celts Today
In the final lecture, end your 2,500-year journey with the Celts by considering the Celtic nations in the 21st century. Bilingualism, modern Celtic pop culture, and renewed nationalist groups pushing for political autonomy are merely the tip of the iceberg in this satisfying conclusion to a truly epic history of culture, politics, and warfare.
39 min
