A Pagan Landscape
When we walk along the Welsh coastline and across its hills and mountains we are not only treading in the footsteps of history, but also across a mythic landscape populated by Pagan Gods, otherworldly heroes, Sorcerers and Druids that inhabit a seam of folklore so rich it is still the inspiration for stories and films today. The cultural survivals of the original pre-Roman Celtic speaking population of the whole of Britain live on in the westernmost parts of the island.
The Celtic Otherworld is never far away when walking in the Welsh landscape. The pre-Christian inhabitants of Britain had complex belief systems that imbued the natural world with spirits and deities, they had their own class of philosopher-priests (who had a religious and political function) in the form of the Druids. The problem is, we only really know anything of them from the writings of the Roman invaders, who no doubt wanted to paint a picture of a barbaric world to justify their conquest. However there are countless pieces of the puzzle to be found.
Who Were the Celts?
This question is a matter of huge debate in academic circles, We have lumped together a swathe of cultures and population under a single title of being Celts, in actual fact there was probably no sense of being part of some unifying racial and cultural club back in the late Bronze Age and Iron Age. The term was coined by academics in the 18th century to identify people who spoke the same language and shared certain styles of art and decoration. It wasn’t used by the ancient peoples to describe or define themselves, in fact they were a lot more multicultural and worldly wise than we give them credit for.
The times that we refer to as being Celtic were a vibrant mix of cultures that shared languages and certain cultural belief systems, existing in the late Bronze Age and into the Iron Age. It can be traced across Europe and was a highly connected age, by sea travel and trading links. At that time Britain was an island of tribal territories, the idea of a united land under one king simply wasn’t a thing, there was no Wales, England or Scotland. These were the tribes that faced the Roman invasion of Britain starting in the early first century.
The Roman Empire sprawled across most of Europe, conquering everyone they came up against. However the Romans hard a tough time in the uttermost west and north of Britain. All of the Roman records and archeolgy points to them failing to assimilate the local populations eevn after they had overcome them in battle. The Celtic speaking peoples in these areas have an identity that has endured through the ages. Allied by language, art and a pagan mythology that continues to fascinate and inspire us today.
Temples of the Dead and Ancient Hill Forts
The land is studded with the remains of our ancestors, from stone circles, barrows for the dead, the ghost outlines of roundhouses right up to the spectacular ruins of forts and castles. Wales has a rich history and an abundance of historical sites that can be combined into some challenging walks. Here are just two impressive locations…
Tre’r Ceiri Hillfort
The remains of Tre’r Ceiri Iron Age Hillfort are to be found on Yr Eifl, a hill on the north coast of the Llŷn Peninsula. As you can see from the photograph above the imposing walls and remains of some of the buildings are still there to be explored on the summit. It is thought that the structure was strarted around 200BCE and continued in use right through the Roman period. There are fine views of the coast and Eryri.
Castell Dinas Bran
By Llywelyn2000 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
Castell Dinas Bran sits on a perfect conical hill in the valley of the River Dee just outside Llangollen. The castle, whose name translates roughly to wonderfully evocative ‘crow’s fortress’, occupies a site that has had fortifications going back to the Iron Age, the ruins we see today date back to the 13th Century, built Gruffydd Maelor II, a prince of the realm of Powys Fadog. The first stronghold was built by the Celtic tribe called the Ordovices in around 600BCE. One can only imagine what the world would have looked like then, but on a stormy winters day you get a feeling for the strength of the castles position.
The Offa’s Dyke Long Distance trail skirts by the castle, and a great days walk can be made taking in the castle and the Eglwyseg outcrops to the north, which has prehistoric standing stones, barrows and cairns scattered across the moors above it.
