The word CELTIC

lollycross · Post by **lollycross** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 4:32 pm

I notice on the post about how many hours a day we listen to music that all of us are
"turned-off" by the word "Celtic".
I notice tho that the c.d. bins in the stores
have most everything under that title.
I am wondering what we would all perfer to
see and why other can't stand that word, Celtic. For me it doesn't describe exactly
what is on that particular c.d....is it
old stone-age drums beats, or new-age stuff where they used an old tune..you have no
way of knowing.
Lolly

[ This Message was edited by: lollycross on 2002-10-20 18:35 ]

[ This Message was edited by: lollycross on 2002-10-20 18:36 ]

mike.r · Post by **mike.r** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 4:53 pm

I have no problem with the word Celtic.Most of my compilation CD,s have `Celtic´somewhere in the title.Lets see....Celtic graces,Celtic tides,Gentle breeze(Celtic journey vol 10)..lots more and they,re all great CD,s.

Mike

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 5:16 pm

The word "Celtic" on a CD may not be very specific as regards its contents, but I see nothing wrong with the word itself.

Cees · Post by **Cees** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 6:04 pm

I don't have a problem with it, either.

Soineanta · Post by **Soineanta** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 7:24 pm

I am proud to use the word "Celtic" often to describe myself, and certainly my eye zooms to that word upon seeing it anywhere.

Technically it is the name of the culture of the people who inhabited Ireland and what is now Great Britain before, during, and after the Iron Age. Nowadays it is used to name the religion which seems to be coming back; getting back to technicity again, the religion is actually Paganism. I personally solve the problem by saying Celtic-Pagan. Same goes for music... the term is bantered around alot, and could be on the label of any CD from true ethnic folk music to new-agey almost techno artists. I guess you just have to be careful to certify that anything labeled "Celtic" is the real deal.. or what you're looking for, in any case.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 8:01 pm

I don't have a problem with the word, but I do make a distinction between traditional Celtic music and the "nouveau-Celtic" stuff that is currently so very in among the "New Age" crowd. I will often, in conversation, specify "traditional" music to avoid confusion with "New Age" music...so often today, when people say they like "Celtic music," they mean Enya, not the Chieftains or the Boys of the Lough.

Redwolf

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 8:28 pm

I think Celtic can include traditional music, but there is some confusion with the word, because some people use it to mean New Age music, while other people use it as a blanket term for all the traditional musics of the British Isles.

As pointed out, Celtic can also refer to some of the tribes which inhabited this area in anqiquity.

When using the word, you should remember that these tribes far predate Celtic music or Irish traditional music, which is another reason the word can be confusing. Modern Celtic music is not the music of the pre-Christian tribes of the British Isles!--that music is now lost to us forever.

I prefer to be as precise as possible, and say Irish trad when that is what I mean, or New Age when that's closer to the mark. It just causes less confusion.

In my opinion, although both types of music are very accessible to Pagans, there is nothing intrinsically Pagan about either kind of music, although there have certainly been Pagan musicians who played good music on both sides of that line.

I think at the end of the day, all music belongs to all people, and no one group or culture (or religion) can lay an exclusive claim to any music.

Best wishes to all,

--James
wwww.flutesite.com

whistlingfiddler · Post by **whistlingfiddler** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 9:04 pm

I go to a performing arts high school, and every Wednesday through Friday we have "Celtic Ensemble." Our teacher calls it that. He sometimes goes as far as to call it "Gaelic" music. I don't really use the word Celtic because it encompasses too many regions of music that I don't really play. If I said I played Celtic fiddle, I'd be saying that I played fiddle music from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Northumbria, Galicia, Cape Breton, Brittany, etc. I prefer to just call it Irish, Scottish, or Cape Breton music, since that is what I play.

Caoimhin · Post by **Caoimhin** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 9:08 pm

The commercial has found a way to associate the word "Celtic" with either kilts, or highland men with swords. Or something similar. But in fact most cultures in Europe originated from cultures of 'Celtic'.

Just close your eyes and play.

But all in all, I'm really really turned off by Enya. Prefer her songs that are performed by others (IMHO, there's some by an _orchestra_, and it sounds nicer than Enya herself, all IMHO.)

(Edited)

[ This Message was edited by: Caoimhin on 2002-10-20 23:10 ]

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 9:17 pm

On 2002-10-20 23:04, whistlingfiddler wrote:
I go to a performing arts high school, and every Wednesday through Friday we have "Celtic Ensemble." Our teacher calls it that. He sometimes goes as far as to call it "Gaelic" music. I don't really use the word Celtic because it encompasses too many regions of music that I don't really play. If I said I played Celtic fiddle, I'd be saying that I played fiddle music from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Northumbria, Galicia, Cape Breton, Brittany, etc. I prefer to just call it Irish, Scottish, or Cape Breton music, since that is what I play.

This approach is probably the most accurate but it's a bit of a mouthfull. Calling the music Gaelic probably narrows it down more accuately than 'celtic' but doesn't quite accommodate the fact that Scottish music we'd probably want to include includes Lowland as well as Highland elements athat are not Gaelic. In Australia, New Age stuff is mostly filed as such. What you find under 'Celtic' seems mostly, but not exclusively, to be traditional or at least heavily traditionally based.

nickt · Post by **nickt** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 3:26 am

Never had a problem with the word "celtic". For me it includes music from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Wales and Cornwall; I guess there are attachments like Cape Breton, Galicia, etc. Fine, no worries. After all the word was originally "Keltoi", coined by the ancient Greeks referring to their northerly neighbours who were the celts of Britain/Eire also at a time when the celts stretched from the Balkans to Eire.

Now, in music shops there's trad celtic and new age celtic - pretty easy to define the difference really. I guess we're all (mostly) trad celtic followers.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 8:33 am

As far as the mixup goes, it seems to be more when you're talking to people. E.g., "What kind of music do you play?" "Celtic." "Oooo...I just love Enya!" (this usually from someone with a crystal around her neck and a bumper sticker that says "My other car is a broom"). That's why I usually specify "traditional" or even the old-fashioned but still useful "folk music."

Redwolf

madguy · Post by **madguy** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 8:36 am

On 2002-10-21 10:33, Redwolf wrote:
As far as the mixup goes, it seems to be more when you're talking to people. E.g., "What kind of music do you play?" "Celtic." "Oooo...I just love Enya!" (this usually from someone with a crystal around her neck and a bumper sticker that says "My other car is a broom"). That's why I usually specify "traditional" or even the old-fashioned but still useful "folk music."

Redwolf

Interesting point you make using the term "folk music". Many searches for Irish music come back under "folk music".

~Larry

aderyn_du · Post by **aderyn_du** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 8:42 am

On 2002-10-21 10:33, Redwolf wrote:
E.g., "What kind of music do you play?" "Celtic." "Oooo...I just love Enya!" (this usually from someone with a crystal around her neck and a bumper sticker that says "My other car is a broom").

Not all of us pagans with crystals around our necks think Celtic=Enya. Nor do all of us love Enya, for that matter.

Andrea ~*~

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 8:44 am

On 2002-10-21 10:33, Redwolf wrote:
As far as the mixup goes, it seems to be more when you're talking to people. E.g., "What kind of music do you play?" "Celtic." "Oooo...I just love Enya!" (this usually from someone with a crystal around her neck and a bumper sticker that says "My other car is a broom"). That's why I usually specify "traditional" or even the old-fashioned but still useful "folk music."

Right on, Redwolf. I went to play a "Celtic Day" at a high school. It was a harper, percussionist and myself-whistle and dulcimer. A teacher introduced us by talking about Celtic music. You could practically smell the incense. She had about 50 bracelets on each arm and talked about how Celtic music was the stuff "we listen to when we relax in our hot tubs." Cracked me right up.

Steve