The materials of Exploring Celtic Civilizations are arranged into Units and primary sources below. Click a linked title to go to the Unit or source; special “Volumes” (texts connected to data visualizations) are marked with the √ character; primary sources that are encoded as “Records” (so that they can be represented on data visualizations) are marked with the ® character.
Units
Methodologies
- Introduction
- Historical Texts
- Linguistics
- Early History of Celtic Literacy √
- Identity, Ethnicity and Ethnonyms
- Archaeology
Iron Age Evidence and Interpretation
- Early Celtic Social Structures
- Celtic Art √
- Domestic Technologies
- Cosmology
- Divine Beings
- Warriors and Warfare
- Celtic Origins and Celticization
- The Celticity of Ireland √
More coming…
Celtic Communities in the Historical Era
The Age of Warrior Kings: 410-600
- Peoples √
- Power
- Expressions √
Expanding Kingdoms: 600-840
- Peoples √
- Power
- Expressions √
Viking Invasions: 840-1066
- Peoples √
- Power
- Expressions √
Anglo-Norman Invasions: 1066-1300
Native Insurgencies: 1300-1500
Imperial Domination: 1500-1707
- Peoples √
- Power
- Expressions √
Primary Sources
Greek and Roman Texts from Antiquity
Listed roughly in chronological order.
- Herodotus, The Histories
- Xenophon, Hellenica
- Anyte of Tegea, Epigram
- Callimachus, Hymns and Epigrams: Lycophron
- Polybius, Histories
- Julius Caesar, Commentaries on the Gallic War
- Parthenius, Love Romances
- Diodorus Siculus, Library of History
- Strabo, Geography
- Virgil, Aeneid
- Titus Livius, The History of Rome
- Sextus Propertius, The Elegies
- Pliny the Elder, The Natural History
- Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (“Lucan”), Pharsalia
- Silius Italicus, Punica
- Martial, Epigrams
- Dio Chrysostom, Discourses
- Tacitus, Agricola
- Tacitus, The Annals
- Aretaeus, De curatione diuturnorum morborum libri duo
- Dio Cassiuss, Roman History
- Arrian, Discourses of Epictetus
- Lucian, Heracles
- Pausanias, Description of Greece
- Appianus, Hannibalic War
- Appianus, Wars in Spain
- Appianus, Gallic History
- Appianus, Illyrian Wars
- Athenaeus, The Deipnosophists
- Marcus Junianius Justinus, Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus
- Ammianus Marcellinus, Rerum Gestarum
- Palladius, Of Husbandry
Celtic Authors (5th C onward)
In Latin or a Celtic language, in roughly chronological order
- St Patrick, Confession ®
- St Patrick, Epistle ®
- Synodus prima Sancti Patricii (Statutes of the Synod of Bishops) ®
- Annals of Ulster ®
- De Excidio Britanniae (On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain) ®
- Surexit Memorandum ®
- Fragmentary Annals of Ireland ®
- Vita Sancti Samsonis ®
- Vita Columbani ®
- Auraicept na n-Éces (The Scholars’ Primer) ®
- Vita sanctae Brigitae by Cogitosus (Life of St Brigit) ®
- Vita sancti Patricii (Muirchú) ®
- Collectanea (Tíreachan) ®
- Cáin Adomnáin (Law of Innocents) ®
- Críth Gablach (Branched Purchase) ®
- Senchus Már (The Great Collection of Law) ®
- Vita sancti Columbae (The Life of St Columba) ®
- Brut y Tywysogion (Chronicle of the Princes) ®
- Annales Cambriae (Welsh Chronicles) ®
- Áed oll fri andud nane (Áed is the inspiration for rousing praise) ®
- The Taking of the Síd (Fairy) Mound ®
- The Story of Cormac and Ciarnat ®
- The Violent Death of Niall of the Nine Hostages ®
- Historia Brittonum (History of the Britons) ®
- The Story of Tuan the son of Cairell ®
- Sén Dollotar Ulaid (Magically Came the Men of Ulster) ®
- Armes Prydein (The Prophecy of Britain) ®
- Cyfraith Hywel (Laws of Hywel Dda) ®
- Dindsenchas of Carmun ®
- Dindsenchas of Tara 1 ®
- Lebor Bretnach (Gaelic Historia Brittonum) ®
- Trioedd Ynys Prydain (Triads of the Isle of Britain) ®
- A eolcha Alban uile (Duan Albanach) ®
- Land Grant in Book of Durrow ®
- Life of St David ®
- Gaelic Notes in Book of Deer ®
- Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib (The War of the Gaels with the Foreigners) ®
- Leges Inter Brettos et Scottos (Laws of the Britons and the Scots) ®
- Life of St. Illtud ®
- Historia Gruffud vab Kenan (Life of Gruffudd ap Cynan in Latin) ®
- Baile suthach síth Emhna (A fertile settlement is Emain’s…) ®
- Vita Griffini Filii Conani (Life of Gruffudd ap Cynan in Welsh) ®
- Saor do leannan, a Leamhain (your lover is noble, o Leven) ®
- Caithreim Thoirdhealbhaigh (Triumphs of Torlough) ®
- Eternal greetings to Newborough ®
- Do tógbhadh meirge Murchaidh (Raised high is the banner of Murchadh) ®
- Filidh Éireann go haointeach (The poets of Ireland go to one house) ®
- To the Court of Owain Glyndwr in Sycharth ®
- A chláirsioch Chnuic Í Chosgair (O harp of Cnoc Í Chosgair) ®
- Genealogies … of Hy Fiachrach ®
- Tribes and Customs of Hy-Many ®
- Owain’s Letter to Robert III of Scotland ®
- Islay Charter of 1408 ®
- Ceannas Gaoidheal do Chlainn Cholla (Headship of the Gaels for Colla’s Descendants) ®
- Manx Traditionary Ballad ®
- Ní h-Éibhneas gan Chlainn Domhnaill (There is no joy without Clan Donald) ®
- Foirm na n-Urrnuidheadh (Gaelic adaptation Book of Common Order) ®
- Trí coróna i gcairt Shéamais (James’s charter has three crowns) ®
- Cáit ar ghabhadar Gaoidhil? (Where have the Gaels gone?) ®
- Tairnig éigse fhuinn Gaoidheal (The poets of Gaeldom have been wiped out) ®
- Tormod MacLeòid Fosterage Contract ®
- Foras Feasa ar Éirinn (The History of Ireland) ®
- Air Teachd On Spain (After coming from Spain) ®
non-Celtic Authors (5th C onward)
- Bede, The History of the English Church
- Magnus Barefoot’s Saga
- Gerald De Barri (of Wales), Description of Wales
- pseudo-Fordun, “On Highlands and Lowlands”
- Statutes of Kilkenny
- 1402 Welsh Penal Laws
- Laws in Wales Acts (1535-42)
- 1537 Act for the English Order, Habit and Language (in Ireland)
- Edmund Spenser, A Veue of The Present State of Ireland
- Statutes of Iona (Scotland)
- 1616 Education Act, Scottish Privy Council
- Irish Penal Laws