The Celtic people have recorded many instances of "second sight", or premonitions of future events. In my family certain omens are still discussed and noted. For example: A bird flying into a window is believed to be a portent of a death in the family. Other signs of impending ill will include:
- headless white dog (or other animal)
- small female figure dressed in white (sometimes called a banshee)
- the sound of shuffling feet
- distant voice calling ones name
- seeing a dark rider on a winged horse
The Celtic peoples have always had a great love of music. The kings of old considered it a mark of prestige to employ a musician, or bard, to perform exclusively for their court. The bard would sing praises to the king's generosity, bravery, hunting ability or other desirable characteristics. Sometimes this had rather the opposite effect as a bard might also reveal undesirable traits! A bard was considered sacred to the gods and therefore inviolable by mankind. Thus we find stories of a bard's very music resulting in fantastic miracles or magic. The oral traditions of the Celts depended on the bard's ability to memorize their stories and so pass on the heritage of their culture in song and verse.
In my continuing genealogy project I have discovered links to the old kings of Scotland. The line is as follows: Malcolm III Canmore, son of Duncan I MacCrinan, son of Bethoc (Beatrix), daughter of Malcolm II (Mael-coluim), son of Kenneth II (Cinaed), son of Malcolm I, son of Donald (Domnall), son of Constantine (Causantin), son of Kenneth I MacAlpin, son of Alpin, son of Eochaid. According to my sources these Scottish Kings trace eleven generations back to Ercc, King of Dalriada, whose son Fergus established kingdom of Dalriada in Argyle, West Scotland. I am still searching for a source that will list the generations between Eochaid, who died c.837 AD and Ercc, who died c.474 AD
TO SCOTLAND
My soul longs for you Scotland
though I've never seen your face
fills my heart with yearning
pulls my spirit out of place
Your ghosts they whisper to me
from ancient song and story
recounting their past days
filled with agony and glory
Oh, to step upon your shore
your hills to go a roaming
my cheek to feel your kiss
my eyes to behold the gloaming
I'll come to you dear Scotland
by whatever road I may
my soul will be rejoicing
my heart will never stray
by Regina Lynn Marsh, 1997
GENEALOGY is by definition the study of a family's descent from it's ancestors. It is a recording of a family's history. This is an accurate description of what we, myself and other interested members of my family, enjoy doing. From years of pouring over family documents, public records and recorded history we have pieced together, one generation at a time, an impressive amount of data. With this our goal is to record a truthful and provable lineage for generations to come. Anyone who has done this sort of research knows how frustrating, and rewarding, it can be. There are roads that lead nowhere and twists and turns that leave one dizzy. There are family legends that turn out to be myths, and truths buried under centuries of silence. We are determined to prove, or disprove, the stories and claims of those who have gone before us by always verifying the facts using more than one source. Although discrepancies can be maddening, solving those mysteries is also the most fun. Our research is on-going. While we have found prodigious histories on some lines, others have remained obscure. We intend to continue searching each line as far back as possible. We would like to thank all of the people, family members near and far, other researchers and archives staff, that have assisted us and we'll continue to reciprocate. Le Gach deagh dhurachd (With every good wish)!
The earliest origins of the Celtic culture began in the prehistoric past of the Bronze and Iron Ages. It is generally believed that the Celts evolved from peoples living in Europe during those times. Since no written records of the Celts exist from the Bronze Age one must rely on archaeological findings for clues. These clues are evidence of the material aspects of their lives. At times some of these artifacts allow certain guesses to be made concerning religious beliefs or social aspects of prehisoric life. These remain, however, simply guesses.
In 1824 the existence of an Iron Age burial site was discovered at Hallstatt, a village in central Austria. Then in 1857 another site was found at LaTene, an area at the east of the Lake of Neuchatel in western Switzerland. The names Hallstatt and LaTene have since been used to indicate the Early and Late Iron Ages. The Early Iron Age (Hallstatt) from 800-500 BC and the Late Iron Age (LaTene) from 500 BC-AD 200. During the past century excavations of Celtic burial sites in Germany, France and England have yielded a variety of items from weaponry to drinking vessels.
It was not until the 5th and 6th century BC that the Celts are mentioned by classical writers. First we have Hecateus of Miletus, a geographer and writer, who identifies the Celts as those occupying the land of, or being neighbors to, the Ligurians. The Ligurians were in the area of what is now southeast France and northwest Italy. Then in the following century we have Herodotus, a Greek historian, who states the Celts cover an area from the River Danube and beyond the Pillars of Hercules at the east end of the Strait of Gibralter. This area encompasses southern Germany, France and Spain.
The Celtic languages belong to the Indo-European family of languages. This includes Teutonic, Balto-Slavic, Greek and Latin. The main Celtic dialects can be further divided into Gaulish, Goidelic (Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx) and Brythonic (Welsh, Breton and Cornish) The Pictish language may have been a form of Gaulish or Welsh but of an earlier form that is not recognizable as such today.
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Coghlan, Ronan. THE BOOK OF IRISH NAMES, Sterling Publishing Co, New York USA 1989 ISBN:080696944X
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