Celtic onomastics

Imagine you were living a long, long time ago in a place called Celtic land. The Celts were a group of people who lived in parts of Europe around 2,000 years ago. They had their own language, customs, and traditions. One of the things they were very particular about was names - they believed that a person's name was very important and that it had a lot of power.

So, Celtic onomastics is the study of Celtic names. This means looking at how Celtic people chose names for themselves and their families, what those names meant, and what kind of traditions they followed. For example, some Celtic names were based on nature - like "River" or "Oak Tree" - which shows how connected the Celts were to the natural world around them. Other names might have been based on the jobs people did - like "Smith" for a blacksmith or "Baker" for a baker.

But it wasn't just about the meaning of the names - the Celts also believed that certain names had magic powers! So if someone was named after a brave warrior, it was thought that they might inherit some of that warrior's bravery. Similarly, if a name meant "healing" or "protection," it was believed that the person who had that name might be able to heal or protect others.

Celtic onomastics is a fascinating way to learn about the history and culture of the Celts - and it's also a great way to explore the meanings and stories behind our own names today!