The Races of Ireland - My Theory
Ok, I started off discussing Brunns elsewhere and some suggestions made along with the new info I'm learning (I've just started out on this) is making me come up with a theory to reconcile what we know of the sub-races of Europe and the Irish creation legends (which I always felt contained the basis of truth).
Now, first of all I have looked at the Celts during their migration away from the Celtic homelands near the Alps. We know that there were two movements. One to the East and one to the West.
To the East, we know for a fact that the Celts moved through eastern Europe, down through the Balkans to Greece and even Asia minor (Turkey).
To the West, they moved into Gaul, the Italian peninsula, and (so the current model says) over the Pyrenees into Iberia,breeding with Iberians to form Celtiberians.
But what if the westward moving Celts weren't the forbears of the Celtiberians. What if it was those earlier eastern moving Celts.
The Irish legends tell us that the Milesians were originally in Greece and the Balkans with the Sycthians and others and that they settled around the Hellenic region, before being enlisted in Egypt as mercenaries, and then being expelled from there too. The Milesians then sailed west until they reached the Iberian peninsula. The tales then say they marched north, battling indigenous tribes before settling in the north (Modern day Gallicia and Asturias). From there, the Sons of Mil Espane sailed to Ireland and conquered that land.
So the Irish legends seem to be painting a different story.
That the Celt Iberians weren't Western Celts like the Belgae or the Gauls, but rather Celts who had came from the Eastern Mediterranian. I think this has a lot going for it.
Now we know that the Goidelic Celts of Ireland spoke a tongue very distinct from the Brythonic Celts of Britain or the Continetal Celts (who's two tongues were much closer than they were to the Goidelic tongue).
Current models have to explain this as Goidelic Celts being a first wave to inhabit the British Isles, and then later another Celtic invasion brining the Brythonic tongue.
The problem however is that if the Milesians were Western Celts who had crossed the Pyrenees from Gaul, then they would likely be speaking a Brythonic tongue. If they subsequently invaded Ireland and supplanted the earlier culture then they would also bring the Brythonic tongue with them. But they didn't.
We are told that it was the Milesians that brought the Gaelic / Goidelic tongue and culture.
Current research suggests that the Goidelic branch is much older, probably related to the Halstatt era of Celtic civilisation.
The Brythonic and Continental branches being later, probably associated with the La Tene era.
If the Eastern moving Celts left during the Halstatt phase, then they would have retained that langauge and culture during their seperation from their homelands as they moved east and south through the Balkans, out of touch with developments back home where the La Tene phase had brithed a new culture and langauge.
Bearing in mind that the La Tene Celts were more sophisticated than the Halstatt Celts and also that by the time taken for these Milesians to travel through Eastern Europe to the Eastern Med to Ireland, we may expect an already advanced Celtic society already in Ireland by the time the Milesians arrive.
And according to the legends, there was.
When the Tuatha De Danaan arrived in Ireland they were hailed as Gods and magicians by the more primitive Fir Bolg. We could view this as the La Tene culture arriving.
Even more interesting is that when the Milesians conquered Ireland, they were just as astounded at how wise and skillful the Tuatha De Daanan were and also revered them as magicians and later as Gods. this would make sense if the Milesian conquerers were Halstatt Celts who had traveled from the Eastern Med without coming into contact with La Tene culture until they met the Tuatha De Daanan in Ireland. Therefore I would theorise that the Tuatha De Daanan were Brythonic Celts.
In other words, they La Tene culture may have arrived in Ireland before the Hallstatt culture.
Another area of interest is the Picts.
They are something of a mystery.
They were a short, dark race who seemed to speak a non-IndoEuropean langauge and perhaps related to the Basques.
People have theorised that they may be the indigenous inhabitatants and the Fir Bolg of old.
I disagree.
Yes, the Fir Bolg were small and dark, just as the Picts are described. But the problem is that the Fir Bolg are already living in Ireland before either the Milesians (Celt-Iberians) or the Tuatha De Danaan (Brythonic Celts) arrive. They seem to be a Med-Atlantid people.
The Picts however, according to the legends, arrive much later.
The Milesians have already conquered the land when the Cruthin (Picts) arrive from Iberia sometime later. They ask the Milesians for some land to settle on, but the Milesians refuse. They do however give the Cruthin (Picts) an armed contingent and the wives of the Tuatha De Daanan (Brythonic Celts) and send them to settle in Alba (Scotland)
The legends here seem to be telling us that these Cruthin (who might very well be related to Basques) were relative late in coming to Ireland and Britain. This would rule them out as being the Fir Bolg.
It is possible that the Fir Bolg were Med Atlantids who were related to them and settled in Ireland very early on, seperating from the Basque-type people from whom the Cruthin (Picts ) came at a much later time. Therfore the Picts and Fir Bolg could be related but they are not the same people.
My guess just now is the following:
Fomorians = Brunn type UP people who were original natives.
Fir Bolg = Med Atlantic type, split from Basque ancestors
Tuatha De Danaan = Brythonic Celts from the continent via Britain
Milesians - Eastern Hallstatt Celts from Eastern Med. Celtiberians
Picts = Split from Basque ancestors at a later date from the Fir Bolg and were the last pre-historic people's to settle. Also Med Atlantid types.
Can anyone tell me if that sounds plausible?
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