The Celtic World

Course Overview

Course No. 3733

Travel through time from 500 B.C. to today and rediscover the Celts with Harvard-educated Professor Jennifer Paxton.

This 24-lecture course explores:

• New DNA evidence overturning traditional Celtic origins
• Celtic art, language, and religion from Gaul to Ireland
• Encounters with Romans, Vikings, and English conquerors
• The medieval Celtic revival and modern nationalism
• How Celtic identity evolved across 2,500 years

Video Lectures

01: Who Are the Celts? (33 min)

Challenge common misconceptions about Celtic identity spanning Scotland to Austria.

02: The Celts and the Classical World (32 min)

Examine 6th-century B.C. Greek and Roman records of Celtic migrations.

03: Celtic Art and Artifacts (31 min)

Decode La Tène culture through war trumpets, gold necklaces, and ornate helmets.

04: Celtic Languages in the Ancient World (32 min)

Discover how Spanish inscriptions revolutionized theories of Celtic origins.

05: Caesar and the Gauls (33 min)

Relive Julius Caesar’s wars against Celtic warriors like Vercingetorix.

06: Celtic Religion and the Druids (31 min)

Explore divination, reincarnation, and the truth about druids beyond Stonehenge.

07: Celtic Britain and Roman Britain (31 min)

Trace Celtic-Roman struggles from Boudicca’s revolt to Hadrian’s Wall.

08: Celts and Picts in Scotland (30 min)

Separate fact from Braveheart fiction about blue-painted warriors.

09: Prehistoric Ireland and the Celts (31 min)

Dive into The Book of Invasions’ tales of pirate giants and sorcerers.

10: Celtic Britain after Rome (32 min)

Track post-Roman Celtic survival in Cornwall, Wales, and Arthurian legends.

11: Brittany and Galicia: Fringe of the Fringe (32 min)

Compare Celtic enclaves in France and Spain from migration to revival.

12: Celtic Churches (32 min)

See how pagan traditions blended with St. Patrick’s Christianity.

13: Celtic Art and Insular Art (31 min)

Marvel at the Book of Kells and Tara Brooch’s intricate designs.

14: Medieval Irish Literature (32 min)

Discover epic tales warning kings against unjust rule.

15: Celtic Women, Families, and Social Structure (34 min)

Analyze unique legal systems where cousins paid murder fines.

16: The Irish Sea World: Celts and Vikings (31 min)

Untangle love-hate relationships between Norse raiders and Celtic clans.

17: English Invasions of Wales and Ireland (32 min)

Examine Gruffydd ap Llywelyn’s resistance and anti-Irish propaganda.

18: Scotland from Macbeth to Braveheart (33 min)

Separate Shakespearean fiction from historical Macbeth and William Wallace.

19: Politics and Literature in Wales (32 min)

Explore the Mabinogi myths and poetry that preserved Welsh identity.

20: The Tudor Conquest of Ireland (34 min)

Witness how religious conflicts exploded into cultural suppression.

21: (Re)Discovering the Celts (33 min)

Track 18th-century Celtic revivals from banned tartans to druid fascination.

22: The Gaelic Revival in Ireland (33 min)

See how ancient myths fueled Irish nationalism toward independence.

23: Celtic Music and Dance (33 min)

Hear the carnyx war trumpet and bodhrán drum in cultural resurgence.

24: The Celts Today (39 min)

Assess 21st-century bilingualism, pop culture, and autonomy movements.