Benjamin Ryder

Ms. Register
World Lit
20 November 2015
Celts and Their Religion: An Impact Lost to Time
If one were to look at the history of man, they would quickly see that there is a significant
ideal that remains constant no matter where they look. This constant is that of religious
influence. Everywhere on Earth where civilization has existed, alongside it has existed some
form of religion or belief in supernatural forces. The Celts of Ireland certainly do not come to
mind as a group which has made a significant impact on the modern world today. However,
upon closer examination to their religion, the Celts were found to have held beliefs still held by
many today. Thousands of years of religious practice dont disappear easily, and the influence
from this ancient Celtic religion can be found in modern Christianity and across the Earth in the
form of cultural practices.
At around 800 BC, the Celtic tribes found themselves facing an enemy unlike any theyd
ever faced before. This was that of the Roman war machine. During the height of their empire,
the Romans would go on to sweep the European continent and eliminate or integrate Celtic tribes
into Roman society. It was later on when the Romans converted to Christianity that the Celtic
culture began to diminish. However, while the vast expansion of Celtic practices was wiped off
the Earth, it can still be seen integrated into the very force that tried to exterminate it. Roman
Catholicism bore and still bears traits once unique to the Celts. The reason for these similar traits
are as a result of the sudden conversion of so many (the Celts) to an otherwise foreign religion

(Christianity). Many resisted this conversion and so in order to make it easier, Celtic values
were interspersed within Roman Catholicism.
For example, if one looks closely, they will find that nature was and now is a much
greater influence in Christianity than before the conversion of the Celts. In the churches of
Western Europe, good and evil forces were increasingly personified in nature. Even Catholic
monks and priests began to leave their lives of materialism and isolate themselves in the woods
so as to grow closer to God, something most earlier priests would not have done. The monastery
itself was adopted in order to be more Celtic. The monastery combines the influence of nature
with a residence more centered on hierarchy, family, and rurality. Andy Phillips, a writer for the
Church of England newspaper, says, Early Celtic Christians believed in fasting and penance,
devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, the belief of
judgment, the importance of tradition, and celibacy (http://www.moronacity.com/catholicjournal/celtic-spirituality-and-its-influence-on-christian-tradition/) This is evident in the Catholic
Church today and while it may not have been strictly because of the Celts, it certainly played a
role in influencing the Christian religion.
While Catholic Christianity bears the most influence of the ancient religion, practices
around the world can still be seen to have come from the Celts. One cannot walk a great deal
through Europe without seeing remnants of their civilization, most notably the Stonehenge.
Several Celtic holidays such as Imbolc, which was celebrated at the end of February and as the
changing of seasons, could have influenced the four seasons we know today. When Christianity
came up from the Middle East, they did not have distinct seasons like the Western Europeans,
who had already classified the weather changes into a calendar similar to our modern calendar.

Things have changed since the end of the Celts, but their influence still remains apparent.
Even today there is a society of people who seek to rebuild the Celtic legacy. Though the
religion may not have been as significant as the three major religions, its influence can easily be
seen throughout history, both ancient and modern.