Cwlwm Celtaidd (Celtic Knot): The Everlasting Relationship Between Celtic Nations
By Carys Wade
As a young Welsh woman, born and raised on the outskirts of Cardiff to a Manx father and a Scouse mother, the Irish Sea and Celtic heritage have had a powerful impact on my life. My childhood consisted of an assortment of languages, tales, and traditions, with the heartbeat of Celtic connection always there as I shared and traded such stories with my cousins on the Isle of Man. This feeling of connection has stuck with me as I have grown up, especially after moving to Belfast where I have met people like me, who share an undeniable sense of belonging to something ancient and everlasting- being Celtic.
The Celtic nations— Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and the island of Ireland— make up a unique cultural and linguistic mix in Western Europe, and despite being geographically spread and politically distinct, they all share a rich heritage rooted in their ancient Celtic origins. Since coming to Belfast, I have enjoyed learning about the historical links between Wales and Northern Ireland that stem from Celtic heritage.
Although at first glance, Wales and Northern Ireland may appear to be the least similar of the Celtic nations, the two countries share ties that many people may not know about. To name one, St Patrick, the saint of Ireland, came from a small village called Banwen in West Wales. After moving to Ireland, he played a role in establishing monastic traditions here— many of which would have been inspired by the works of early Welsh saints like St. David and St. Illtud. This brings focus to the early links between these two nations and how important these historical influences are, even today.
To me, the thing that creates a sense of belonging is the linguistic bond between each Celtic nation. I have always been proud of being a Welsh speaker. I love teaching other people Welsh and learning other languages in exchange. Since moving here, I have started learning Irish thanks to my flatmate, who I have enjoyed bonding with over the similarities of our two languages. Welsh and Irish are both derived from Proto-Celtic, the ancient language spoken by the Celtic people of Europe and their basic vocabulary, phonetic traits, and grammatical structures have similarities. Despite this, we would probably find it very difficult to have a conversation longer than ten seconds with each other.
The Celtic nations are renowned for their vibrant traditions in the arts, especially in music. I was pleasantly surprised when I went on a night out and ended up in the bar ‘The Points’, where traditional Irish music was being played live. I immediately felt at home, the fast-paced, infectious energy of the music reminding me of Welsh folk dancing in secondary school. I was also reminded of my time at the ‘Cwlwm Celtaidd’ festival, where people from all Celtic nations come together to celebrate their cultures. Each time I have been, I have joined my Manx cousins in dancing the ‘Cur Shaghey yn Geurey’ (End of Winter), a traditional Manx dance to traditional Manx music— a genre that draws influence from traditional Irish, Scottish and Welsh music. It’s little things like these that make me grateful to be Welsh and Celtic.
For me, to be Celtic is to be part of a heritage built from centuries of history, culture, and language. Although I felt this way before coming to Belfast, my feelings have only been deepened by the people I’ve met and the stories I’ve heard, giving me a heightened sense of belonging. We, as Celts, share an ancient bond with similar nations that span the Irish Sea and beyond. This dual identity—distinctly Welsh yet undeniably Celtic—is a source of immense pride and joy that I have every day, and I look forward to continuing to share my heritage.
