Gallaeci

The Gallaeci, Callaeci, or Callaici were a Pre-Roman Celtic single or various tribes living in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (The Roman Hispania), North of Douro River in Northern Portugal and Galicia (Spain). Recent investigation is showing that one of their real ethnic name was Bracari and their main goddess "Nabia".

Origin of the name

The Romans named the entire region north of that river, where the Castro culture existed, in honour of the Castro people that settled in the area of Calle - the "Callaeci", later the Roman Portus Calle, today's Porto. [ [http://www.eixoatlantico.com/documentos/rutas.pdf Roteiro Arqueológico do Eixo Atlântico] ] Others believe that the name came from the main goddess this tribe adored, which could be the same Cailleach in Ireland as Celts arrived to that island from Galicia. Thus, a Roman province, known as Callaecia or Gallaecia, was later created.

An early mention to Callaeci can be found in the 1st-century epic "Punica" of Silius Italicus :

:"Fibrarum et pennae divinarumque sagacem":"flammarum misit dives Callaecia pubem,":"barbara nunc patriis ululantem carmina linguis,":"nunc pedis alterno percussa verbere terra,":"ad numerum resonas gaudentem plauder caetras." (book III.344-7)

:"Rich Gallaecia sent its youths, wise in the knowledge of divination by the entrails of beasts, by feathers and flames— who, now crying out the barbarian song of their native tongue, now alternately stamping the ground in their rhythmic dances until the ground rang, and accompanying the playing with sonorous "caetras"

The names "Callaici" and "Calle" are the origin of today's: Gaia, Galicia, and the "Gal" root in "Portugal". The meaning of "Calle" is however not fully understood; see Portugal naming. Therefore the root cal- could have a different meaning in Kallaikoi and in Cale.

Notes

References

*cite journal
first=Manuel & Arnold, Bettina (eds.)
last=Alberro
url=http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/celtic/ekeltoi/volumes/vol6/index.html
title=Volume 6: The Celts in the Iberian Peninsula
journal=e-Keltoi: Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies
volume=6
year=2005
*Coutinhas, José Manuel (2006), "Aproximação à identidade etno-cultural dos Callaici Bracari", Porto.
*Queiroga, Francisco (1992), "War and Castros", Oxford.
*Silva, Armando Coelho Ferreira da (1986), "A Cultura Castreja no Noroeste de Portugal", Porto.

ee also

*History of Portugal
*Prehistoric Iberia
*Timeline of Portuguese history
**Pre-Roman Western Iberia (Before the 3rd century BC)
**Roman Lusitania and Gallaecia (3rd century BC to 4th century AD)
*History of Galicia
*Celtic Gallaecia
*Timeline of Galician History
*Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula

External links

* [http://www.arqueotavira.com/Mapas/Iberia/Populi.htm Detailed map of the Pre-Roman Peoples of Iberia (around 200 BC)]