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Iberian Peninsula at about 200 BC 1
The Gallaeci, Callaeci, or Callaici were a Pre- Roman Celtic2 single or various tribes living in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (The Roman Hispania), North of the River Douro in Northern Portugal and Galicia (Spain). One of their main goddesses was 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.3 Others believe that the name came from the main goddess this tribe adored, which could be the same Cailleach in Ireland as Celts migrated to that island from Galicia. Thus, a Roman province, known as Callaecia (Greek: Καλλαικία) 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 (Καλλαϊκοί) and in Calle.
Notes
References
- 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.
See also
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