Na Ceiltich (2)
I’m doing a series of Litrichean at the moment on the Celts. I was
telling you how Celtic tribes went to Anatolia. That was in the third
century BC. They gave the name Galatia to the area they settled.
Many of the Galatians also learned Greek. Shortly after Christ’s time,
Saint Paul wrote them a letter about Christianity. The letter was in
Greek. It is retained in the Bible. The ninth book in the New Testament
is The Letter of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians.
But the Galatians also retained their old language. There was a report
about them in the fourth century after Christ. Their language was
similar to the one spoken by a tribe called the Treveri. The Treveri
were living where Luxembourg is today. Most scholars reckon the Treveri
spoke a Celtic language.
The Celts were also where Italy is today. Gradually, from the third
century onwards, they came under the control of Rome. Their language
disappeared.
They were also where Spain is today. In the third century BC, Carthage
started to create an empire there. Many Celts went to fight for
Carthage against Rome. But the Romans won. The Celts in Spain gained
their freedom. But, gradually, Rome influenced them. Around the time of
the life of Christ, the Celts there were entirely under the control of
Rome. While the Romans were governing, the language of the Celts
disappeared in those countries.
North of Iberia was Gaul. That was a big country called ‘Gaul’ in English
and ‘Gallia’ in Latin. That’s the reason that people say ‘Gallic’, meaning
‘French’, even today. The Celts were there a long time ago. In the south,
they came under the influence of the Greeks that were based in Massalia –
where Marseille is today.
The Celts (2)
Tha mi a’ dèanamh sreath Litrichean an-dràsta air na Ceiltich. Bha mi ag
innse dhuibh mu mar a chaidh treubhan Ceilteach gu Anatoilia. Bha sin anns
an treas linn ro Chrìosd. Thug iad an t-ainm Galatia don sgìre far an do
rinn iad tuineachadh.
Dh’ionnsaich mòran de na Galatianaich Greugais cuideachd. Goirid an dèidh
linn Chrìosda, sgrìobh Naomh Pòl litir thuca mu dheidhinn Crìosdachd. Bha
an litir ann an Greugais. Tha i air a gleidheadh anns a’ Bhìoball. ʼS e an
naoidheamh leabhar anns an Tiomnadh Nuadh Litir an Abstoil Phòil chum nan Galatianach.
Ach ghlèidh na Galatianaich an seann chànan cuideachd. Bha aithris orra
anns a’ cheathramh linn an dèidh Chrìosda. Bha an cànan aca coltach ris an
tè aig treubh ris an cante na Treveri. Bha na Treveri a’ fuireach timcheall
far a bheil Lugsamburg an-diugh. Tha a’ chuid as motha de sgoilearan dhen
bheachd gur e cànan Ceilteach a bha aig na Treveri.
Bha na Ceiltich cuideachd far a bheil an Eadailt an-diugh. Mean air mhean,
bhon treas ceud a-mach, thàinig iad fo smachd na Ròimhe. Chaidh an cànan à
fianais.
Bha iad cuideachd far a bheil an Spàinnt an-diugh. Anns an treas linn ro
Chrìosd, thòisich Carthage air ìmpireachd a chruthachadh an sin. Chaidh
Ceiltich gu leòr a shabaid às leth Charthage an aghaidh na Ròimhe. Ach
bhuannaich na Ròmanaich. Fhuair na Ceiltich anns an Spàinnt an saorsa. Ach,
mean air mhean, thug an Ròimh buaidh orra. Timcheall àm beatha Chrìosda,
bha na Ceiltich an sin air fad fo smachd na Ròimhe. Fhad ʼs a bha na
Ròmanaich a’ riaghladh, dh’fhalbh cànan nan Ceilteach anns na dùthchannan
sin.
Gu tuath air Iberia, bha A’ Ghall. B’ e sin dùthaich mhòr ris an canar ann
am Beurla ‘Gaul’ agus ann an Laideann ‘Gallia’. ʼS e sin as coireach gum bi
daoine ag ràdh ‘Gallic’, a’ ciallachadh ‘Frangach’, eadhon an-diugh. Bha na
Ceiltich an sin o chionn fhada. Anns a’ cheann a deas, thàinig iad fo
bhuaidh nan Greugach a bha stèidhichte ann am Massalia – far a bheil
Marseille an-diugh.
