The ancient Celts were fierce warriors who lived in mainland Europe. But during the Renaissance, an idea took hold that they lived in the British Isles. The term “Celts” is used today to describe the cultures, languages and peoples that are based in Scotland; Ireland; other parts of the British Isles; and Brittany, in France.
“Today six Celtic languages survive — the Gaelic group comprising Irish, Scots Gaelic and Manx and the Britonic group comprising Welsh, Breton and Cornish,” Dáithí Ó hÓgáin, a former professor of Irish folklore at University College Dublin, wrote in his book “The Celts: A History” (The Collins Press, 2002). Manx and Cornish originally died out but have been revived.
How much modern-day Celtic peoples, languages and cultures are related to the ancient Celts is an open question that is often debated.
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