The Celtic nations are a cultural area and collection of geographical
regions in Northwestern Europe where the Celtic languages and culture
have survived. The six countries widely
considered Celtic nations in modern times are Ireland, Scotland,
Cornwall, Isle of Man, Wales, Brittany.
It is now becoming more accepted that the latest or seventh Celtic
Nation is Galicia, part of Spain, Musicians from Galicia have
participated in Celtic music festival the Ortigueira's
Festival of Celtic World in the village of Ortigueira for many years.
I often ask meself, who are we? Are we British? European? or
Celtic? On thing is for sure if you were born in the UK then you are
from somewhere, but where?
The thing is the Roman did mess things up a bit and moved people around
for one reason or another.
The Celtic origins or lets say genesis is shown below in dark
green the light green is the first migration, or again, lets say the
resettlement of Celts.
I came from the Celtic Tribes "The Corieltauvi Celts" on me father's side and on me mother's side "The Silures Celts"(Silures,
a
powerful people of ancient Britain, occupying much of southeastern
Wales. Incited by the King of the Trinovantes tribe, Caratacus, they
fiercely resisted the Roman conquest from about ad
48.) Although
I have had a DNA test and my origins are unmistakably Celtic, it would
be difficult to prove fully exactly which Celtic Tribes I originated
from, so I have based it on my family tree, history and my spiritual
feelings for such things.
However me father's family originate from the East Midlands
and Nottinghamshire area of England and me mother's from Monmouthshire
here in Wales. But like most of us born today
in the United Kingdom our origins will have been somewhere in Europe and
probably from the Ancient Celts even more so if you have a welsh
connection in your family.
So am I Welsh, English or just another European??? This is the question,
well, I am opting for Celtic, why? do I hear you ask., well because I
love the Celtic languages,
the Celtic traditions, the Celtic Music and the Celtic Nations that have
survived. Oh, and because it’s in my DNA.
The Celtic Nations, there are 6 recognised nations but I support the
notion there are 7 mainly because it's not all about language but about
all the other Celtic things too. So
introducing Galicia with it's yearly "Ortigueira Festival of Celtic
World" Galicia may have lost it's Celtic language but it still has a
Celtic tradition of Celtic culture and music dating
far back and is strong.
Welcome to the Seven Celtic Nations:-
Whilst it is widely accepted there are six Celtic Nations we include Galicia being the seventh.
There
are many Celtic communities around the world but the strongest by far
is in Patagonian. The Welsh
Patagonians could so easily be a Celtic Nation all on their own, it's
were Patagonian Welsh is spoken principally in Y Wladfa in the Chubut
Province of Patagonia, with sporadic speakers
elsewhere in Argentina. More than 50,000 Patagonians claim Welsh
ancestry, estimates of the number of Patagonian Welsh speakers range
from 1,500 to 5,000. There are Welsh place names,
Welsh tea houses, Welsh Chapels and homes in Welsh towns like Dolavon,
Gaiman and Trelew. They celebrate Welsh roots at Gaiman's Welsh
Eisteddfod and with three Welsh-Spanish bilingual
schools established in Trelew, Gaiman and Trevelin no wonder there is an
Eisteddfod every September and October at Y Wladfa, there are also many
smaller eisteddfodau are held in the Chubut
Valley, Porth Madryn and the Andes.
