Organization
Celtic society was centered on the family (or clann/fine) and tribal (tuath) unit. Being that, the tuath was the grouping of several families, who inhabited the same space and lived under the guidance of a local prince, or chief. The Celtic organization resembled in many ways the feudal organization, as it had well-defined social strata and the tribes (or, in the Middle Ages, fiefs) were not directly subordinated to a central and strong government. The Celtic tribes were autocephalous, being united only by language, religion and customs.
Of typically aristocratic organization, four classes were distinguished:Druids, Warriors and Nobles, Free Citizens and Slaves. The Druids constituted a privileged and influential class that transcended tribal divisions, for this reason, the explanations about them will be in a separate text. Warriors were another class of great importance to the Celts, the clan chief himself was essentially a warrior.
The Celtic aristocracy was supported by clientele, where a noble's status was defined by the number of clients. In this relationship, clients gave up any status within the clan and started to have responsibilities exclusively with the noble, in compensation, the patron guaranteed them legal protection, and made them various donations. A relationship similar to feudal vassalage and suzerainty.
In the exercise of politics, they had a great democratic sense. Kings or chiefs could be prevented from exercising their functions if they were judged incapable or dishonest, and succession did not necessarily obey heredity.
Men and women were treated equally. In matters of interest to every tribe, women had the same power of opinion as men. Many scholars suggest that this behavior comes from a culture with a strong reverence for women, in the figure of the Mother Goddess. The Celtic people were extremely linked to religion, which was never separated from politics, art or any other field of Celtic life, and it was exactly religion that made the Celts a people aware of the female importance in society.
Habits and Traits
Celtic life was centered in a rural setting, without major urban centers like Rome. The economy itself was based on agriculture and grazing, and trade was also of great importance.
Everyday life, nowadays, has been the object of several studies. Archaeological excavations ended up revealing villages with a high degree of conservation, enabling a more reliable reproduction of Celtic daily life.
It is known that they lived in villages with a rural orientation, and archaeological discoveries reveal that they lived in a simple way in wooden, clay and even stone houses. But with great concern with regard to decoration and ornamentation. They were expert in working with metals, so much so that the pieces and utensils made by the Celts circulated throughout Western Europe. The boiler shop is a notable example of Celtic eminence in metallurgy.
Even ordinary citizens kept in their homes a reasonable number of utensils, such as weapons, sickles, machetes, hoes and even ornamental pieces.
Regarding eating habits, cereals and fruits were common in the Celtic menu, in addition to meat, the fruit of hunting. It is known that they consumed Mead, a very old alcoholic drink of the wine species and, as its name suggests, it was obtained by mixing honey and water.
Funerary habits, by archaeological evidence, indicate a strong influence of the surrounding peoples. Aristocrats were buried with various carefully crafted belongings, including vases, weapons and others. It was common for the dead to adorn a kind of necklace of very significant value, called a torqui. This type of necklace was quite peculiar to Celtic culture, it had a tubular shape with concentric spiral designs. As in other cultures, ornaments said a lot about the dead. The golden torquis, for example, indicated that the buried body was certainly an aristocrat.
The bravery of Celtic warriors is always mentioned in any book about this civilization. The Celts were the object of observations by several Roman authors, who described them as a barbarian people, including Julius Caesar narrated his conquest over Gaul in the famous seven volumes of “De bello gallico” (or “On the Gallic War”). Other aspects of Celtic features are always highlighted by these authors from Rome. One of the most famous accounts is from the Roman historian Deodoro:
“...they look terrifying... They are tall in stature, with strong muscles under pale white skin. They have blonde hair, however, it's not a natural blonde:they bleach it... and comb it back. They look like wood demons, with their hair thick and unkempt like horsehair. Some have a clean-shaven face, but others - especially high dignitaries - shave their cheeks but keep a mustache that covers the whole mouth... They wear colorful embroidered shirts, with trousers called bracae and a cloak fastened to their shoulders by a brooch, dark in winter and light in summer. These robes are striped or checkered and come in different colors...”
Deodoro's astonishment is quite evident. In this short excerpt he cites the “terrifying” aspect of the Celts and, in a way, he was not wrong. In battles, Celtic warriors wore the well-known horned helmets, painted their bodies with blue paint, it was common to go barefoot and the warriors organized themselves in a chaotic way compared to the Roman legions. But the factor that most caught the attention of these authors was the habit of the Celts to keep the heads of opponents of great importance, almost as a trophy. The head after being decapitated was kept in wooden boxes.
Studying the day-to-day life of these people is a great challenge that is gradually being overcome. The lack of written records about their daily lives is the big obstacle, as the Celts did not do it in any way. It is believed that it was the Druids who forbade the written record, but this fact is also not confirmed. The only accounts available are of Greco-Roman authorship and, in several aspects, the information may not be entirely true.