14 May 2015

Celts


The BBC has an article by Kiran Herbert about Celtic history:
While Scotland and Ireland are most commonly associated with the Celtic peoples, the roots of the culture are spread throughout Europe. More than a millennium ago, a Celtic tribe known as the Gallaeci settled in an area north of the Douro River. The region became modern day Galicia, in northwest Spain and is today considered the seventh of the original Celtic nations, along with Eire (Ireland), Kernow (Cornwall), Mannin (the Isle of Mann), Breizh (Brittany), Alba (Scotland) and Cymru (Wales). The evidence is everywhere, from the Galician language, which contains a significant amount of words of Celtic origin and is spoken by more than three million people, to the pagan festivals and rituals that continue to flourish in the region. The pallozas, or round stone huts, date back over 2,500 years and are believed to be of Celtic origin.
Galicians are notoriously superstitious, to the extent that, during the eighteenth century, priests had to campaign to stop eager-to-be parents from copulating on what were considered fertility rocks. To this day, in the western town of Muxía, tradition says that pilgrims who pass nine times beneath the massive Pedra dos Cadris boulder will be healed of their back pain, kidney pain, or rheumatism. Galicia is also well known for natural baths such as the Ourense Thermal Springs along the Minho River, which are rumored to heal just about anything, from stress to kidney stones.
Standing strongIn the northern port city of A Coruña, a series of seven stone totems (photo) called the Family of Menhirs stand along the shore. The site recalls the dolmens, or ancient stacked stones, found throughout Galicia that are often related to important funeral rites, including the six-thousand-year-old Dolmen of Axeitos. However, the Family of Menhirs were erected in 1994 by contemporary artist Manolo Paz as a tribute to the region’s Celtic past and a way to meditate on its future.
Throughout the province are thousands of hórreo, old stone or wood granaries, that were used to store cereals and animal feed. Though the word is derived from Latin, the structures are not an invention of the Roman Empire, and many anthropologists consider them to be Celtic in origin. Although very few are still in service, they have become an unofficial symbol of Galicia, and wheat remains a staple of many local dishes, such as empanada gallega, a savory pastry stuffed with tuna, pork, or vegetables. With more than sixteen hundred kilomeers of coastline in Galicia, seafood is also integral to the regional cuisine. The signature Galician dish of pulpo a la gallega (boiled octopus garnished with paprika, rock salt, and olive oil) is popular throughout Spain and Portugal.
Galician nights can rival those in larger Spanish cities, though the roots of many festivities remain undoubtedly Celtic. The Galician queimada, or burn, refers to both an alcoholic drink comprised of Galician augardente, sugar, lemon, cinnamon, and coffee beans, as well as the accompanying ritual of musicians chanting spells and beating tambourines. The queimada is widely believed to be a Celtic tradition passed down among generations, but it’s possible it was a nineteenth-century invention to play up the region’s Celtic roots. The ceremony is said to cast away bad spirits by flaming the brew, creating a bright blue fire, and transmitting magical powers to those who partake.
Galicia has nearly a hundred festivals each year, the most famous of which has pagan roots. The Noche de San Juan in June celebrates the arrival of the summer solstice with ceremonial bonfires, fire jumping, and a parade of witches.
Rico says evetybdy's got their fire fetish...

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