celtic combat

[cmacq]

First, the Scots, Irish, and Britons are not now, nor ever were Celts, in the Classical sense of the term. The modern usage of Celt, was borrowed the Classical term and initially used it to refer to a common language root based on similarities with Gaulish, which is the Latin equivalent to what the Greeks rendering as Celtic. This usage was largely usurped in the late 19th and 20th centuries by nationalists, in an attempt to empower and express a sense of unity based on ethnicity that never existed, was never achieved, and quite frankly, was and remains entirely abhorrent to the manifold composite, and largely English speaking, cultures of the Scots, Irish, and Britons, outside the socialistic bent.

Second in the Scot and Irish traditions of the early Medieval Period the Salmon, has nothing to do with combat. However, it was considered a totem animal, which in fact was used as such, by the clan from which I descend. Here the Salmon was used as a symbol of a tradition called Darna Shealladh.

Third the Scots, Irish, Britons, and for that matter the Celts, never had military schools taught by masters of a particular marshal art. The reference to the Smithy’s Dog, concerns his tutelage at the hands of Scathach on her island of Sgitheanach. Scathach was a deity whose tradition was toned down a bit in the Medieval Period, when this story was first written down. So herein she was not referred to as a goddess, but rather Lady Skye. Therefore, as a mythic device, being taught the arts of war by Scathach on her island, was akin to a Greek hero being similarly instructed by Athena on Mount Olympus.


CmacQ