ABSTRACT
The Celtic and Scandinavian peoples had in early days no written literature: it is therefore difficult to reconstruct a chronological account of their early history from written sources, generally the chance references of alien peoples, often their enemies. The Celts, like the Scandinavians, spoke an Indo-European language. Their earliest home was in central Europe, between the North Sea, the Alps and the Carpathians; they had as their neighbours the Latin and Sabellic tribes who soon passed south into Italy. The Celts, despite the diminishing importance of their small kingdoms or tribal groups to the political history of western Europe, nevertheless made their own contribution to her early literature and art. Among the Celtic peoples of western Europe, living in tribal settlements and ruled by tribal chieftains, the Druidic priesthood was a common link. Apart from Ireland, no independent Celtic state survived the Germanic migrations and conquests: though Wales and Brittany long continued Celtic in language and culture.
