The history of the Celts is long. It begins with the Hallstatt Culture of the Early Iron Age (c. 800-450 BC), who contributed their language, jewelry making, weaponry, stonework, and mythology to the future Celtic people. The La Tène culture grew out of the Hallstatt Culture, lasting from 450 BC until the Roman conquest of the 1st century BC. It added its distinctive art style, which featured curving, swirling decorations we still see today.
My affinity for Celtic culture and literature probably came in my DNA. My father’s relatives came from Stod in the Austrian Alps (hence my last name, Stoderl). The Stod area was part of the early Celtic Hallstatt Culture in the eastern zone, which covered Austria, Bohemia, and the Balkans.
Hallstatt Tales were forerunners of the Celtic tales of the British Isles in the early Middle Ages and contain similar themes. Both cultures weave prominent landmarks into their mythology. They are also protective spirits or guardians, the Salt Giant of the Salzwelten Hallstatt protects the salt mines from invaders and the miners from harm. The Welsh giant Idris Gawr was so large that he used an entire mountain as his chair to watch over the land and the people.
Another common theme involves love and loss, mainly through societal constraints or misfortune. The “White Lady of Hallstatt” and "Deirdre of the Sorrows,” an Irish legend, fall into this category. Societal constraints ban both young women from their true love and misfortune, consequently causing both to die.
Physical or spiritual transformation often occurs. “The White Lady” became a ghost who forever haunts the salt mines and surrounding area, searching for her lost love and offering guidance to those she encounters. In Welsh mythology, Blodeuwedd is transformed into an owl, a creature associated with darkness and solitude. In both, the change functions primarily as a lesson with punitive, not rewarding, implications.
Hallstatt and Celtic legends feature several characters known for their healing abilities, ancient wisdom, and inspirational qualities. Hallstatt Witches and Druids possessed those qualities, as did Brigid and Cailleach in the Celtic realm.
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