The term Celts refers to a group of peoples across the entire range of geographical spread, dating back to the Iron Age. We know very little about them because they left no written texts and what we do know is from other peoples who came into contact with them.
Dispersion of the Celts on the European continent
They worshiped nature, animals and their society was based on religion, which was practiced with secret ceremonies by their Druid priests, who had the ability to practice magic. They believed in the existence of the “other world” which housed fairies, wonderful treasures, eternal youth, etc. with a lot of magic. The “other world” of the Celts inspired modern fairy tales and legends.
The veil of mystery that covered the secret ceremonies does not allow us to know exactly what was done in them. But they included sacrifices and offerings with votives of distinct art, so that each offering was unique.
Through the ceremonies Celtic art was born where optical illusion and transformation are commonplace: the eye is deceived by the sight of various animals or persons. If the object is rotated, the patterns transform, revealing other subjects.
Geometry and numbers are the firm foundation of Celtic art, with the circle and the number 3 being particularly important.
Celtic art is distinguished by abstract decoration that includes intricate labyrinth patterns. Some examples of Celtic art:
