Red is a color that holds great significance in Celtic culture and mythology. The ancient Celts had many different words to describe the color red and associated it with themes like passion, vitality, courage, fertility, and war. Understanding the original Celtic terminology for red provides insight into the worldview and values of the ancient Celtic peoples. This article will explore the different Celtic words used for the color red and examine their symbolic meanings.
The Importance of Red in Celtic Culture
Red held a place of prominence in ancient Celtic society. In Celtic visual arts like illuminated manuscripts, red pigments created from iron oxide or vermilion were laboriously applied to imbue the artwork with luminous, vibrant color. Red threads were woven into Celtic textiles in intricate patterns. Ancient Celtic warriors painted their bodies, faces, and shields with red woad dye made from the Isatis tinctoria plant before going into battle. Red deer hide was used to make shields. The Celts associated the vibrant redness of blood with life force itself. Red was the color of strength, vitality, courage, and honor in the Celtic world.
Old Irish Words for Red
The ancient Irish Celts had many descriptive words for the color red and its variations:
Derg – This was the basic word for red in Old Irish. It could refer to a bright, warm scarlet or deeper crimson shade. Derg stems from the proto-Celtic root *derkā and is related to words like the Gaulish dercos and Old Welsh derw.
Corcur – This term referred to a brilliant, shining red with a purple tinge, like vermilion or cinnabar. It implied the luminous, glistening quality of red.
Lasair – Lasair described a fiery, flaming red, evoking red’s association with heat and passion. This word lives on in the modern Irish lasair.
Rúad – Rúad referred to a dark, blood-like red. It was related to words like the Old Welsh rhudd and Middle Welsh rhud that also meant red.
Flann – This adjective meant having a bright red color, like red hair. It signaled red as a defining feature of someone’s appearance.
Red in Old Welsh and Brittonic Celtic
The ancient Welsh Celts also had a rich vocabulary for red and reddish hues:
Rhudd – The basic Welsh word for red, related to the Old Irish rúad. Also seen as rhud.
Melyn – Described a yellowish or orangey red, like the color of ripe apples.
Borredd – Referred to a dark crimson red, from the word bor meaning blood.
Gwyrddu – Had connotations of blood-red or a redness associated with gore and slaughter.
Rhosyn – Meant a bright pinkish-red, like the color of roses. From rhos meaning rose.
| Old Irish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Derg | Bright, warm scarlet or crimson red |
| Corcur | Brilliant, luminous, purple-tinged red |
| Lasair | Fiery, flaming red |
| Rúad | Dark blood-red |
| Flann | Having bright red color, red-haired |
Red Symbols in Celtic Mythology
Red held symbolic meaning in Celtic legends and folklore. Some key associations include:
Passion, Strength – Red was linked with vitality, vigor, and strong emotions like passion, anger, and love. Red hair and bodies were seen as marks of inner fire and temperament.
Courage – Celtic warriors painted themselves red or donned red plumes to invoke the fierce, bold spirit of the color before battle. Red was the color of the warrior’s heart.
Fertility, Life – The redness of blood connected it to the life force. Red’s vitality also gave it links to fertility, with the Celts associating red animals like cattle and deer with the mysteries of birth.
Otherworld – Bright red fairies, the Red Man spirit, and animals like red birds and foxes were liminal creatures inhabiting the magical realm between worlds.
Death, War – While linked to life, red was also the color of bloodshed and war. Red could signal danger and the madness of battle.
| Red Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Red-haired heroes | Vitality, passion, temperament |
| Warrior’s painted bodies | Ferocity, courage, zeal |
| Red animals | Fertility, the life force |
| Red supernatural creatures | Dwellers in the Otherworld |
| Bloodshed in war | Death, violence, madness |
Tracing Red Through the Celtic Languages
We can trace the conceptual significance of red among the ancient Celts by looking at how words for red evolved through the different Celtic language branches:
Goidelic Languages (Irish, Scots Gaelic, Manx) – Derg (Irish), dearg (Scots), derg (Manx) all stem from the Old Irish derg for red.
Brittonic Languages (Welsh, Cornish, Breton) – Rhudd (Welsh), rudh (Cornish), ruz (Breton) come from roots like the Old Welsh rhudd meaning red.
Continental Celtic (Gaulish) – Words like the Gaulish dercos (“red”) and the Lepontic dergeto (“I make red”) keep red’s importance in ancient Gaul.
Spanning from ancient Gaul to modern Celtic languages, red maintains its primal associations with forces like passion, courage, danger, and the life force itself.
The Enduring Importance of Red
Red held a special place in the symbols and vocabulary of the ancient Celts that reflects their cultural outlook. Their many words for red and its nuances demonstrate how color was used to articulate meaning. The vivid reds achieved in Celtic metalwork, illumination, textiles, and dyes expressed the vitality and spirit the culture ascribed to the color. Studying the Celtic perceptions of red gives insight into the worldview of the Iron Age peoples of northwestern Europe and the British Isles who left such a rich artistic and linguistic legacy. Red continues to act as a bridge between the ancient Celts and their descendants today, a bold color encoded with ancestral understandings of life and death, nature and myth.
Conclusion
The ancient Celts had a sophisticated vocabulary for red and its variations, with many descriptive words like derg, corcur, lasair, rúad, and flann in Old Irish. Red held layered symbolic meaning as well, seen in the importance of red in Celtic art and mythology. The color embodied concepts like passion, fertility, courage, liminality, and vitality for the ancient Celts. Tracing red words through the evolution of the Celtic languages demonstrates how this color maintained special cultural resonance. The Celtic perception of red provides insight into their worldview and demonstrates the enduring cultural significance of this vibrant color.