Discover through this interesting post everything related to the Celtic Runes and its meaning, an alphabet that began to be used in the ancient peoples of northern Europe and let's see the origin of this civilization so important at that time.
All about Celtic Runes
Celtic runes were the sacred symbols and formed a complete system of philosophy and magic. The word rune comes from the Indo-European root ru which means secret or, according to others, to whisper.
The word itself indicates that the Celtic rune tradition was oral and was passed down from the shaman or druid to the student orally and used the runic symbols as a means of memorizing their meanings.
These symbols are an alphabetic script used by the cities of northern Europe from the XNUMXst century BC. C. well in the Middle Ages. In addition to their use as a written alphabet, the Celtic runes also served as a symbol system used for magic and foresight.
Celtic runes fell out of use when the Roman alphabets became the preferred script for most of Europe, but their forms and meanings have been preserved in inscriptions and manuscripts.
Older than the New Testament, Celtic runes have been lying fallow for over 400 years. Runes were the last in use in Iceland during the Middle Ages. The wisdom of the Runemasters died with them.
Little remains but the standing runestones, the sagas, the deleted fragments of runic lore, and the 24 runes themselves.
Celtic runes are an ancient system of alphabetic science from the cities of northern Europe, whose mythological system is given to the gods and is of risky origin. It was used by the German peoples (and therefore also by the Scandinavians) before they acquired the Western alphabet.
The use of rune symbols was seen as a reminder of concepts and teachings and remained a closed priesthood. It is also speculated that the Celtic runes were written on wood and that at the end of each ceremony the papyrus was burned in addition to its deterioration in relation to the stone.
The data we have about them is much more recent than before (around 200 AD), while the diffuse extracts from the Norwegian stones from 1300 BC. C. BEFORE CHRIST.
Celtic Runes are an ancient system of divination
Coming from Northern Europe, they all consist of 24 symbols plus one more, the empty Rune, which symbolizes the unknown, the part of destiny that has not yet been formed, or the karmic element.
Celtic runes are elaborate, carved, in stone, clay and bone, but they are mostly carved in wood and this is the explanation for their angular shape. The shaman acquires a branch of a fruit tree, leaving a gift in exchange for what the tree offers. Now let's move on to the symbolism of the Celtic runes. It should be noted that there may be variations on the theme of pronunciation, but this is due to the fact that the teaching of the Celtic runes was passed down orally.
fehu
It means wealth and refers to our assets, financial assets or even real estate, what we have earned or are earning, our income and all resources derived from professional or non-professional activities and in general, our happiness.
Wealth, honesty and financial health in the present or near future. A sign of hope to achieve goals and achieve abundance, success and happiness. It can also mean success in the social field. It embodies energy, perspective, opportunities, fertility, and creation metaphorically or even literally.
Reverse: It is a sign that can predict the loss of personal property or financial health and self-esteem. It fails if the call staff intends to accomplish a specific goal. It refers to and warns about greed, exhaustion, atrophy and divisions. At the same time, it is a sign of cowardice, lack of courage, or even courage. Finally, it means stupidity, laziness and heaviness, poverty or some form of poverty, nakedness and slavery.
Uruz
It means buffalo and is associated with physical strength, courage, weight and speed because the buffalo is rebellious and dynamic. It symbolizes a time that is characterized by great energy and health. At the same time, it means freedom, action, perseverance, but also patience, understanding, study and deepening, using the subconscious, self-observation and the wisdom acquired through all this state of internal processes.
It shows sudden or unexpected changes even at unexpected times and often at the most convenient (usually the best) time. Sometimes it expresses the impulse (and possibly the impulse of life), the sexual desire, the man, but also the force that comes from him. After all, it can also mean power training. 
On the contrary: not achieving a goal or mission, persistence in a situation, but with the completely negative spirit of the word as a signal, since it is an ineffective situation, since there are no signs of positive change.
At the same time, it indicates the wrong direction in which power or energy can be wasted and strongly warns about the need to change cruisers.
thurisaz
Known as Giant and denotes silent power, defense against collision and destruction. Sometimes it expresses vital instincts and eroticism. Additional importance given is the regenerative trend or the transition to something new with positive overtones. Finally, it designates cleansing, purification and redemption, masculine sexuality and fertilization.
Reverse - there is a danger, a situation with possible negative consequences and even catastrophic consequences. Pressure, manipulation and betrayal are declared. On a more metaphysical level, the presence of evil, as well as hate, lies,
Consequently, martyrdom is indicated, moreover, it may indicate the presence of an evil man or an equally evil woman.
ansuz
It means wisdom and has a more metaphysical interpretation of divination, sophistication, the power of the intellect and reveals an enlightening message or condition and spiritual power. Characters that indicate or express communication are also displayed.
It shows inspiration, emotions in language, real vision, but also the power of words and names. After all, it means blessing, advice, good health, harmony, truth, learning, learning, and wisdom.
On the contrary: it expresses a lack of knowledge, misunderstandings, illusions, manipulation by others, boredom, vanity, nonsense and stupor. In another analysis, she photographs the strong but double man who always has his own show, cheats, lies and negative influences.
Frayed
It is recognized as a wheel and is related to travel, both literally and metaphorically, vacation, travel, relocation, evolution, change of residence or pending settlement, and a broader perspective of positive development. .
At the same time, the need to make the right decisions, make the right decisions or negotiate is highlighted. It sets the personal pace that one moves when trying to achieve their goal.
Although on a more universal and collective level, the general rhythm of events and developments manifests itself, and allegorically it is the dance of life. Finally, there is movement, return, reconnection, surprise and balance.
Reverse: means judgment, rigidity, posture, non-existence and cancellation of movement, stagnation, injustice, irrationality and, in general, anything that can remain in suspense and not be completed or perfected. .
It is interpreted as a psychological or emotional disorder and when it comes to intrigues and behind the scenes situations it means revelation and dislocation. Finally, humiliation, deception, jealousy, loneliness, in an even more dangerous situation, the possibility of death.
Kano
Distinguished as a torso and is associated with vision, purpose, insight, knowledge, truth, creativity, inspiration, technical ability. It is the vital fire of life, usable energy, the fire of transformation and regeneration.
It manifests the power to create its own reality, the power of light, and it expresses the power of the mind. You are now open to a new power, energy and power. It can also signify the direction of a higher spiritual state, vision, and mental clarity. Finally, sexuality, passion and love are expressed.
Reverse: means illness, dissolution, instability, lack of creativity, nudity, exposure and loss. It reveals the need for the consultant to stop blindfolding and refuse to face reality face to face. At the same time, it establishes stillness, lack of faith, missable opportunities, silence, darkness, deception, and false hope.
Gebo
It is recognized as a gift in the sense of sacrifice and generosity. Express love in its deepest sense through offering, companionship, and personal sacrifice. It deals with balance and all matters related to commerce, including contracts, personal relationships, and partnerships. Another very important interpretation refers to the conclusion of a good marriage.
Reverse: The Rune cannot be reversed, but can fall on obstacles. Then it is interpreted as an offering or a gift that can be given to us and hides a trap, greed, loneliness, dependency, excessive sacrifice, obligation, impotence, corruption. In general, this warns us to be cautious about what we are given, as the incentives for this offer will be misleading for exploitation, display and even destruction.
wunjo
It represents happiness and expresses great victory, triumph, absolute success and happiness. At the same time, she shows comfort, pleasure, camaraderie, harmony, prosperity, ecstasy, glory, spiritual reward, and the ability to reach the top.
This can be a sign of communication but also very good news. The meaning is general success and recognition of value. Anything related to emotional problems means strong feelings, love and a romance. When it comes to health, it means improvement, recovery and well-being, while expressing the care and joy of the holidays.
Reverse: This is the opposite of happiness. It means the total misery of a person or a tendency to identify happiness with money and material gain with fame and glory. It also expresses a lack of harmony and balance on all levels, ridicule, sadness, conflicts with our own faces or partners, alienation, delirium, drunkenness and ecstasy and frenzy. , enthusiasm to the level of frenzy and finally illness.
flattering
It is distinguished as a storm and expresses the wrath of nature. It is associated with destructive and uncontrollable forces, particularly of time or the unconscious.
It also expresses agitated emotions that are climaxes, twists and turns, intrigues and assaults, surprises and unpleasant anger. It refers to examination, criticism and judgment. Finally, he indicates a controlled crisis, an integration, an internal disharmony.
Invert: This rune cannot be inverted, but can be in a hinder position. In this case, it loses part of its semantic and interpretive content. Therefore, it means natural disasters or more general disasters, stagnation, loss of energy. Pain, loss, suffering, illness, crisis.
Naudice
It is recognized need and refers to the internal processes and reflections that lead to self-knowledge. It is often identified with meditation, inner focus, and the expectation of reaching a goal.
It also expresses delay, restraint, resistance, innovation and self-reliance, discomfort, confusion, conflict, and the willingness to deal with them. Ultimately, it tests us for endurance, survival, determination, time to exercise, patience, and recognition of fate and fear.
On the contrary: On the contrary, it means restriction of freedom, capture or imprisonment, commitment and retirement. It can also indicate anxiety, problems, housework, laxity, need, deprivation, hunger, desire, poverty, emotional hunger, difficulties in emotional life, and financial problems.
Isa
At the same time, it indicates a challenge or frustration, a psychological block of thought or activity, stagnation and the expectation of change. This rune enhances the surrounding Celtic runes of the opening.
Reverse: This rune cannot be reversed, but it can encounter obstacles, so it shows selfishness, sloth, blindness, confusion, betrayal, trickery, trickery, trickery, theft, and the ambush. It can also mean stagnation and not planning for development, but also emotional states.
It also means the separation of a marriage, but also misunderstandings between friends or the termination of a business relationship.
Deterrent
It means Cut and express the results of the effort and the achievement of the objectives. It expresses fertility, abundance and time to taste the fruits of labor. It is a time of peace and happiness, the most fertile time for him, and can even be associated with a possible pregnancy.
Beliefs and expectations, income from material goods and earnings. Finally, it is the cycle of life and the cyclicality of the universe, a clear indication that everything is changing.
Reverse: The rune cannot be reversed, but it can be on the side of obstacles, thus showing sudden failure, reversals, big changes, repetition, hard times, poverty, and conflict.
eihawaz
It expresses the results of the effort and the achievement of the objectives. It expresses fertility, abundance and time to taste the fruits of labor. It is a time of peace and happiness, the most fertile time for him, and can even be associated with a possible pregnancy.
Illusions and expectations, income from material goods and profits. As a result, it is the cycle of life and the cyclicality of the universe, a clear indication that everything is changing.
Reverse: The rune cannot be reversed, but it can be on the side of obstacles, thus showing sudden failure, reversals, big changes, repetition, hard times, poverty, and conflict.
Perth
It means birth and is associated with a more metaphysical semantic nuance of the concept. It is destiny, because it is erased by a process of mystery, revelation and dream, which results in the arrival of a new life, through all this ritual process in a certain way.
It is a secret question, a mystery, hidden things and secret skills. It also establishes movement, knowledge of a person's destiny, knowledge of the issues that determine their future or course, and everything related to female and feminine mysteries, including fertility.
Investing: Investing means revealing secrets or events that can lead to unpleasant results. It expresses distressing situations that cause great and powerful pain, while losing all hope. It is the unpleasant event, the addiction, the stagnation, the loneliness and restlessness.
Algiz
It means protection and is linked to it. It is defense, protection, shield, refuge, repulsion of evil, guardianship, connection with the gods, awakening, the higher life. It is the support that you can get from somewhere, the support, the guidance and the attention. It can be used to channel your energy properly. Follow your instincts to achieve what you want.
Reverse: Investing is an important warning that you need immediate help elsewhere and that you can't do it all on your own. You should not take any initiative at this time, as it can lead to unexpected and painful results.
Finally, the danger is hidden, the loss of the divine connection, the taboos, the warning to stay away, the repulsion and the sacrifice.
Sowilo
It means the sun and symbolizes energy, the sacred wheel of the sun, the power that conquers darkness and death, and sheds the light of truth on each of them hidden. It symbolizes the Higher Ego, which few souls realize they possess and whoever conquers it can escape perpetual incarnations and unite with the divine. Reverse: bears the name of the god Tyr and symbolizes the oath. According to tradition, the gods decided to chain the giant wolf Fenrir.
tiwaz
It means Victory and is linked to the course and the direction that one must follow to point it out well. It also means a triumphant victory with honor, justice, leadership and authority, analysis and rationality.
It's the courage you can show and the risk that sometimes comes with sacrificing yourself. It also means success in any competition or in legal and court cases. When it comes to emotional matters, this is a clear indication to make a move and claim the person in question.
Reverse: It is an absolute defeat and a shock. It means that the energy is blocked and the creative flow is blocked. This is a clear warning that the path someone has taken is wrong and could be disastrous.
You can trigger; mental paralysis, over analysis, unnecessary sacrifice, injustice, inequality, conflict, war, lack of competition, decreased passion, communication difficulties, and eventual separation.
Berkan
It means development and is mixed with progress and positive change, birth, general euphoria, mental and physical personal growth, liberation, regenerative power and light, renewal, promise of new beginnings, growth. In the emotion, it shows an arousal of desire and a story of love or birth. In business, it is the prosperity and progress of a company. The basis of education is knowledge and teaching.
Reverse: means poor relationships with people in your family environment, inheritance conflicts or concerns about a loved one, neglect, abandonment, loss of control over situations and people, confusion of conscience, deception, infertility and stagnation.
This usually indicates issues that have not yet been resolved in the past or may emerge as new, and the risk is long overdue.
ehwaz
It means Horse and is associated with a person who can be by our side as an assistant, a friend. It can represent a horse, a car, a plane, a boat, another vehicle and, in general, a transport.
These are movements and changes for better gradual growth and constant progress, harmony, teamwork, trust and faith. Emotions are the speed at which positive developments lead to cohabitation or marriage.
Reverse: not really a negative Rune, even the opposite! A person is declared dangerous both professionally and emotionally, because he can be a difficult erotic opponent.
A change to which you can aspire, but not as fast as you would like. Ultimately, it is the feeling of concern or restraint in a situation, reckless rush, disagreement, mistrust, and betrayal.
mannaz
It means human and relates to the individual or the human race as a whole. Unity is expressed through the institutions of the family, the Church, and other sociopolitical structures such as the city and the state. It is their attitude towards others and the attitude of others towards us.
In another analysis, it refers to those who can be friend or foe, intelligence, foresight, creativity, skill, ability, intelligence gathering, and awareness. Now there is some kind of help or cooperation.
Reverse: It is bad behavior and dangerous passions that can lead to loneliness, isolation and exile. The result is depression, mortality, blindness to truth, delusions. It is the cunning, the manipulation, the calculation and the frustration of a help that you expect and will not receive.
lake
It means lake and is associated with flow, water, sea, source of fertility, healing power of renewal. It is organic life and development, imagination, dreams, fantasies, mysteries, the unknown, the hidden, the deep, all related to intuition and the subconscious.
It also means traveling successfully or acquiring property, but with the possibility of losing something of value. For emotional problems, please show.
Reverse: they are actions and movements that are not carefully planned, fears and insecurities. It is an indication of a deadline that confuses your life. It can lead you to make bad decisions.
There is still a lack of creativity and a feeling of being in a dilemma, fear, circular motion in the sense of repetition, avoidance, tension, closure. Ultimately, these are journeys that can turn into dangerous and clever advice, madness, perseverance, despair, perversion, illness, and suicide.
dagaz
It means ancestor and expresses the habits and customs, traditions. These are questions of inheritance and property, but at the same time everything that could be our personal spiritual heritage.
It also means problems and responsibilities at home and in the family, but also a message or communication that we look forward to.
Reverse: This rune has no reverse position. could allude to lack of customary order, totalitarianism, slavery, poverty, homelessness, bad karma, prejudice, racism, and provincialism. Finally, it reveals legal, financial and patrimonial problems.
othala
It means ancestor and expresses habits and customs, traditions. It is about questions of inheritance and property, but at the same time with everything else that could be our personal intellectual heritage.
It also means problems and responsibilities at home and in the family, but also a message or communication that we look forward to.
Backwards: This rune does not have a backwards position. it could indicate lack of order, totalitarianism, slavery, poverty, homelessness, bad karma, prejudice, racism, and provincialism. Finally, legal, financial and inheritance problems are highlighted.
wyrd
The empty rune is a message to look at the inner being. The emptiness of this rune is actually an invitation to go deeper. Because the invisible moving forces on the ground are forces that he has put into practice.
The forces represent the culmination of your life's actions up to this point. One of Wyrd's messages is that the emptiness that is the empty table at the beginning of our lives is filled with our own actions.
These actions build up over time and create a flow of energy that leads us down our life path. In the small decisions we make from moment to moment, we shape our future. Wyrd reminds you that life is a clean table ready to write your future.
None of us are perfect, we all have our weaknesses and disadvantages. It is how we allow them to influence our path towards our goals that defines our intentions. When we are ready to face the empty darkness, we have denied this part of ourselves and kept it hidden without allowing the light within.
Modern use of Celtic Runes
The most used use of them today is divination, in fact, like tarot cards or oracle cards, with them you get strong messages and energies. They allow to obtain clear, precise and direct answers.
They can be drawn as cards or "thrown" on a support (mat, tray) and interpreted based on their position relative to each other.
As an amulet, the Celtic runes can be engraved on stones, metal pieces or pieces of wood, the support is limited, but, of course, it is evident to use ecological materials, which allow the energies to pass through, they are also used for various rituals in the form of symbols made on the ground or objects.
We can draw them to ourselves in order to know and understand us, or to draw energy from us. This is a very powerful technology that provides benefits but also knowledge, not necessarily in a conscious way.
Celtic runes were used as a form of divination and magic. In combination with the bands, they were signs of protection, health and general wear during the daily life of the Celts. Even today, they are largely an uncharted path to philosophy and perspective on life.
Get to know the magical character of these symbolic stones
As a Viking heritage, the Celtic runes originate from the Oracle of Odin, the mythological god of war, wisdom and death, who clairvoyantly discovered them giving them a meaning to be given to humanity.
What were Celtic runes and what were they used for?
They were small stones with rounded edges on which runic symbols were carved and written in gold, which, keeping the secrets of Celtiberian philosophy, were used by the Druids to transmit their knowledge in code.
As a result, these spellings, carrying simple conceptions, symbolized in a few lines facts, situations, characters and entities, that is, the value of the Celtic world, in turn led to situations and spiritual values linked to beliefs. In addition, the runes were carriers of the memory of humanity and showed the hidden truths of the world, indicating the way forward.
Until now, there is no evidence that the runes were used to write texts, but that they were used as an oracle, but also, they had a magical utility that gave protection, power and courage to warriors during battles. . It should be noted that it was read from right to left or vice versa.
Celtic rune characters
At first, in the Celtic culture, there were only 15 runes, with vertical or diagonal lines, then the Scandinavians added eight more signs, appearing curved and horizontal lines, but finally they were changed to build a set of 24 runes, which constitute what is now we know as the old futhark alphabet, which is made up of three groups of eight signs each, as follows:
- Freyr, which integrates: fehu, uruz, thurisaz, ansuz, raido, kaunan, gebo, wunjo.
- Hagal, which contains: haglaz, naudiz, isaz, jeran, ihaz, pertho, algiz, sowilo.
- Tire, covering: tiwaz, berkanan, ehwaz, mannaz, laguz, ingwaz, othalan, dagaz.
However, each of the Celtic runes, linked to a god, a mineral or a plant, has a real meaning, since, for example, the fehu rune symbolizes wealth obtained through effort and work.
While the isaz rune indicates the obstacles on the open paths or in the activities that are carried out, on the other hand, the laguz rune means that it is time to reflect in order to purify oneself both externally and internally.
In short, Celtic runes with a magical character, to some extent or another, influenced the way of life and beliefs of the Celtiberian peoples.
Origin of the Celts
At present, the Celts are considered to be part of Indo-European groups. Originating from Anatolia or the steppes between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, part of the speakers of this linguistic family are believed to have migrated to Europe, while other branches moved to Iran and India.
Creating an ambiguous term
The term "Celts" is used in different ways, which makes it multilingual and ambiguous. Only with caution can it be used to denote ethnic entities before the XNUMXth century BC. C., the date in which Herodotus explicitly refers to these groups.
Before this date, it is not known to what extent an identifiable Celtic ethnic group might have existed. While it is clear that the Proto-Celtic would be older than Herodotus, it is not clear whether the Iron Age peoples (who could be equated with Hallstatt) spoke Celtic languages.
There is also evidence to suppose that the ancestors of the Celts would be in this culture, the identification with the Celtic peoples proper is very uncertain.
Today "Celtic" is primarily a linguistic concept, but its use requires caution. Gonzalo Ruiz Zapatero drew attention to the precise intention of the term, which is actually a bit more misleading, complex and broad.
There were many Celtic peoples with different characteristics; Apart from the phylogenetic relationship of their languages, it is difficult to point out with certainty the specifically Celtic common components.
Although some scholars speak of the Celts as homogeneous and well-defined people, the material reality of the speakers of languages that descended from Proto-Celtic was probably more complex, perhaps without the homogeneity that some authors attribute to them.
Evolution of the Celtic term
This concept has been created little by little over time and history for different purposes, which is why it is so multifaceted. This process has three very important phases:
The above: The Latin researcher Avieno collects in his Ora Marítima a text around the year 520 a. CC Heródoto and Hecataeus of Mileto, also speak of it by 500 a. C. Around this date, Celtic is in the alpine area and to the north.
The term Keltoi is a name that the Greeks knew orally from the natives, a phonetic transcription. This term with keltiké gives us an ambiguous geographical reference. It should be taken simply as a name given to the inhabitants of the northern Alps. We see the geographical information provided by Herodotus here:
In the lustrum begins in the city of Pyrenus of the Celts, those who are beyond the pillars of Hercules, on the border of the Kinesians, the last city of Europe, located around sunset, and after crossing all this. part of the world, drains Ponto Euxino, with the Istrians, settlers of the Milesians. Herodotus, History, II. XXXIII
Later, with Caesar, Posidonius, and others, this geographic information became ethnographic in scope. However, this is limited information that cannot be extended geographically or chronologically.
One of the historiographical sources may be linguistics, for which the Celtic languages are a branch of the Indo-European family. Thanks to this linguistic concept, we can draw certain limits.
As for Kleptomania, Druids have always been a subject of interest and fascination, but little is known about the historical Druids. Many megalithic monuments from prehistory have tried to relate to these figures and Celtic culture, which is very doubtful and risky.
An important point, and one of change, will be the discovery of La Tène. The Celtic culture will be linked to a specific material culture of this site.
Consolidation of Celtic identity. Culture of the Tene
At this point, the term has a clearer application. The authors accept La Tène time stages in their study areas. The way to consolidate it is the philological way. In the end, it has not yet been possible to delimit a territory.
As for the Iberian Peninsula, Rubio de la Serna made the first attempts at Celtic identification. Some peninsular regions, such as Galicia, have tried to identify themselves with the Celts to strengthen their national identity.
Something certainly logical given the material heritage inherited through the centuries, which is not limited only to an enormous archaeological presence, the most important in all of Europe, but to a true cultural inertia that currently survives with vigor and that is not only sought in the Celtic
A sign of differentiation. Despite this, it was not until Martín Almagro Basch and Pedro Bosch Gimpera clarified the Celtic presence in Spain.
It is probable that Celtic groups were present in the Spanish territories, from the Second Iron Age. Colin Renfrew, in Archeology and Language, summarized eight points that could shape Celtic. These points ushered in a new moment in Celtic design.
Celtic languages
Without a doubt, the main characteristic of the Celtic ethnic groups is the language. Since the rest of the historical and cultural aspects were more changeable, while the language is more stable compared to historical development, the Celtic languages diversified due to language change in a process analogous to that which led from Latin to Romance.
The Celtic languages come from various Proto-Indo-European dialects, a language that historically occupies an intermediate position within the Indo-European family.
Proto-Celtic has been reconstructed from the common features of the Celtic languages to the methods of historical linguistics. This is an approximation to the mother tongue from which the historically known Celtic languages have emerged through diversification.
celtic culture
Celtic culture is made up of legends transmitted orally, highlighting stories included in the Ulster cycle, such as "The Tale of the Mac Datho Pig", The Battle of the Oxen of Qualinge or Bricriu.
Greek and Roman authors describe this group as spendthrift and turbulent characters, very close friends of the camorra's weaponry. It was even truer at his parties. Festivals were an important part of life for the Celtic nobility. Parties were often organized to celebrate victory in battle.
The warriors had the opportunity to boast of their exploits. Before dividing the meat, there was a contest of verbal bravado, to decide who was the bravest warrior among those present. Supporters of the title have been encouraged by their fans to speak out against the more outlandish claims.
The winner was rewarded by carving the roasted animal and reserving the upper part of the muscle, called the "champion's part."
Celtic clothing, as reconstructed, shows a colorful and well-decorated style, with a strong tendency to mix bright colours. The main dyes, which caused so much fervor, were surely: for red, the so-called "red" (Rubia tinctorum L.), for yellow Reseda luteola and for pastel blue grass (Isatis tinctoria).
Linen is the oldest textile material found, used by the proto-Celts. Wool became the most widely used raw material once sheep were domesticated. In the Iron Age most Celtic clothing was made of wool.
The cloth was woven on looms, checkered and striped, but simpler than today's "tartan". Basic clothing was braccae for men and long tunics and peplums for women, as well as a belt bag (called a bag) for both.
The houses were made of an armor of wooden poles, branches and intertwined and muddy rattan, covered with woven straw. The holes distributed around the house were used to store cereals. The houses were located on fortified hills, as is the case with Maiden in Dorset.
Religion
The religion of the ancient Celts, in particular that of the Gauls before the Roman conquest, is poorly understood and the data available to reconstruct it are scant and imprecise.
The cult was in charge of the druids, priests who were at the same time educators of the youth. The monuments traditionally called "druidic stones", before the arrival of the Celts in Western Europe, seem to have played no role in the religion of the ancient Gauls.
For a long time there were only local cults especially related to mountains, forests and waters, which were invoked under different names. We find the god Vosges, the goddess Ardennes, the god Dumias; the divinities of the sources or the rivers: Sequana (the source of the Seine), Nemausus (the source of Nîmes).
Later, the cult of the great divinities, more or less common to all of Gaul, was established. In Gallo-Roman times, these were identified with the divinities of Rome, through a cultural process called "syncretism":
Teutates, a kind of Mercury with some Jupiter and Mars; Taranis, related to lightning, but devoid of the supreme power of Jupiter; Esus, god of war and cattle, assimilated to Mars or Silvano; Belenus, god of the arts, related to the sun and compared to Apollo; Cernunnos, god of sleep and death assimilated to Pluto.
The Gauls also had abstract deities or geniuses of the city, among the practices of popular beliefs, the collection, according to fixed prescriptions, of mistletoe, considered endowed with extraordinary virtues, is famous. In addition, the oak was considered a sacred tree.