Table Of ContentAND THEIR lAMES
AND PASTIMES
" ..A NJ .....
CELTS
AND THEIR GAMES AND PASTIMES
SeanJ. Egan
The Edwin Mellen Press
LewistonoQueenstono Lampeter
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Egan, Sean, 1942-
Celts and their games and pastimes / Sean Egan.
p. cm.--
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-0-7734-7171-5
1. Celts--Games. 2. Celts--Recreation. I. Title.
GV38 .E43 2002
790.089'91 '6--dc21
2002071848
hors serie.
A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the British Library.
All rights reserved under International and Pan American Copyright Convention. No
part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical
means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in
writing from the author, except by a reviewer, who may quote briefpassagcs in a review.
Copyright © 2002 Sean J. Eagan
All rights reserved. For information contact
The Edwin Mellen Press The Edwin Mellen Press
Box 450 Box 67
Lewiston, New York Queenston, Ontario
USA 14092-0450 CANADA LOS ILO
The Edwin Mellen Press, Ltd.
Lampeter, Ceredigion, Wales
UNITED KINGDOM SA48 8L T
Printed in the United States of America
-
Contents
Preface ....... , ..................... , ............................ i
Acknowledgements ............................................... ii
Introduction ...................................................... 1
CHAPTERS
Who Were the Celts ............................................ 3
II Psyche of the Celts ............................................ 19
III Celtic Games ................................................ 35
Games of Scotland ............................................ 37
Games of Ireland ............................................. 57
Games of Wales .............................................. 94
Games of Cornwall ........................................... 106
Games of the Isle of Man ...................................... 112
Games of Brittany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Games of the Basque Regions .................................. 139
Icelandic Connection ......................................... 145
IV Children's Celtic Games ....................................... 147
V Celtic Dance and Music ....................................... 159
Conclusion .................. , ....... " ...... " ........ " ....... 171
Bibliography .................................................... 176
Index ......................................................... 189
Preface
This book is the first comprehensive study of Celtic games and pastimes. It
closely examines the Celtic psyche and culture and it lays the foundation for the work
of future scholars. This is an avowedly historic book with extensive references. It
gathers into one compilation the games and pastimes that are indigenous to all the
Celtic nations.
This is an action filled book. The author has succeeded in inviting the reader to
ride with him through time and space while he observes the Celtic way oflife. The
reader, in a vicarious way, experiences the simple farming life, the fierce battles, the
artistic life, the lively music, the dancing, the games, the bonfires and the joie de
vivre of the Celts. The reader is also exposed to the spiritual life of the Celts and to
their philosophy of life. The idea offair-play is omnipresent throughout the book.
The reader is constantly experiencing and comparing new games with older ones as
one travels through the different Celtic nations. The origins of many of our modem
games are carefully examined. The intellectual and the peasant ride side by side
observing, studying, analysing and experiencing the action filled life of the Celts.
The author draws information from many sources, from archaeological findings, from
the Greek and Roman classical writers, from folklore, from historians, from many
modem writers, from field studies as well as from his own Celtic background.
The origin of many of the Celtic games and pastimes is steeped in history. The
gan1es are indelibly stamped with the culture, experience and psyche of its people.
The author of this book has achieved the objective set out in the introduction where
he states ... "the goal of this book is to give the reader a gl.impse of the Celts, their
way of life, their philosophy of life, their character, their psyche, their skills, their
pastimes and their games".
Pat Scott, M.A., Chairperson of Celtic Development Committee, University of
Ottawa, 2001.
II
Acknowledgement
I wish to extend sincere thanks to all those individuals and organizations who
helped make this book a reality. Thanks to "Bradley-Kelly" of Ottawa who
generously gave financial help; to Jennifer MacCloud, who gave many hours reading,
correcting and rewriting parts of the document; to Pat Daly (G .A.A. Dublin); to Pat
O'Connor (Irish Handball Council); to Peadar 6 Tlmtain (Rounders Council -
G.A.A., Ireland); to the Camogie Association ofIreland; to the National Museum of
Ireland; to the Centre de Recherche Bretonne et Celtique; to the Association Au
Carrefour de la Gallesie (Brittany); to the Manx Museum (Isle of Man); to the Welsh
Folk Museum; to the International Federation of Celtic Wrestling (Brittany); to the
Gaelic Athletic Association (G.A.A.), Ireland; to the Centre d'activite Communales
(Bretagne); to the Federation de Gouren (Brittany); to Eddie Lenihan (Ireland); to
Denis Leonard (Ireland); to Liam 6 Maolmhichil (G.A.A. Dublin); to Walter
Fitzgerald (Ireland); to Michael Chambers (Ireland); to Anne 0 Dowd (Ireland); to
Fred Burke (Ireland); to Paul Ie Joncour (Brittany); to Franyois Ie Peru (Brittany); to
Patrick Mousset (Pays Basque); to Jean Ie Dil (Brittany); to Jean-Franyois Hubert
(Brittany/Quebec); to Jacques Le Garlantezec (France); to Pierre Ie Rhun (Brittany);
to Guy Jaouen (Brittany), President of European Traditional Sports and Games
Association; to Franch Ie Peru (Brittany); to L. Heuriot (Brittany); to D. Ferre
(Brittany); to Patrick Giraud (Brittany); to John O'Shea (Montreal); to Gordon
MacLennan (Canada); to Hugh Dan MacLennan (Scotland); to Liz Cameron
(Glasgow); to David Webster (Scotland); to Tecwyn Vaughan Jones (Wales); to
Frank Delaney (London); to Lois Kuter (U.S.A.); to Henning Eichberg (Denmark);
to Ken George (Cornwall); to Roger Holmes (Cornwall); to George Walker
(European Council on Sport); to Jorn Moller (Denmark), to Roland Renson (Flemish
Sport Museum, Belgiunl); to J.P. Cullinane (Celtic Dance Historian, Ireland) and to
Gavin Dickson, Australia.
1
Introduction
To the reader, I say, open up your imagination, mount your horse and let's ride
back in time, thousands of years, to a place on the Indo-European border. Here we
will meet a fascinating people roaming the plains. They are nomads. These people
will eventually be called Celts. Let's follow these people westwards. As we follow
them westwards, we will discover how they live, where they live, what they eat and
what they do for excitement. We will eat like the Celts, we will fight like the Celts,
and we will play and pray like the Celts. As we move westwards we will visit areas
such as the Balkans, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Yugoslavia. We will settle
down in these areas for hundreds of years. While there we will live offfarming and
trading. On the move again we will continue westwards to areas such as Greece,
Switzerland, Italy, Germany and France. As we move into these areas we will have
to fight in order to conquer these areas. Have no fear, not even of death. Death is
just the beginning ofa new life. We will conquer Rome in 390 BC. We will tell the
Romans that "everything belongs to the brave." Even after conquering the Romans
we will leave Rome after six months. We will attack Delphi in 279 BC but through
a lot of bad luck we will be forced, by the Greeks, to retreat. In Asia-Minor, we
come across the Apostle Paul who tries to convert us to Christianity. We tum
westwards again and we follow a few groups of Celts who have already settled down
in Spain and Portugal. Other Celtic groups have previously settled in Britain. We
cross the English Channel and land in Britain around 55 Be. Shortly after we arrive
in Britain, the Romans invade. We manage to keep them at bay for a while by our
fierce resistance. Due to too much infighting amongst ourselves (the Celts), the
Romans get the upper-hand. As time goes on things get worse. Continual attacks on
us from the Romans, the Irish, the Picts and the Angles make life miserable for us.
Finally we will move nOlih to Scotland and west to Wales. Next we cross the Irish
sea to Ireland. We meet other Celtic tribes who had arrived in Ireland at various
dates. Eventually, we, the Celts, are forced to settle down in six distinctive areas in
Western Europe: Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Wales, Brittany and Cornwall. In
