The Celts (1987 TV series)

Episodes

The first episode, The Man with the Golden Shoes, looks at archaeological and historical evidence for the Celts and how far their civilisation spread across Europe, focusing on the Hallstatt and La Tène periods. The Birth of Nations follows the rise of the modern Celtic nations after the Roman conquest and its aftermath. A Pagan Trinity explores Celtic mythology, legends, and beliefs, then covers how Christianity was introduced to the Irish and Scots.

The Open-Ended Curve showcases the unique physical art of the Celts, from ancient times to the present. The Final Conflict returns to history, detailing the conquest of the modern Celtic nations by England and France, including the attempted suppression of the Welsh language, Irish resistance and revolution, and the migration of Irish and others to North America. The Legacy considers how people today might identify as Celts, giving examples like military discipline, the Welsh Eisteddfod, modern Irish music and art, and the efforts of Bretons and Cape Bretoners to keep their native languages alive against assimilation. Part of this episode was filmed in Portmeirion, Wales, and it references the 1960s series The Prisoner.

Soundtrack

The series introduced the music of Irish singer Enya to a wider audience. Enya, formerly a member of Clannad, was commissioned by David Richardson to compose the score. Each episode begins with the theme song The Celts, and two episodes include music videos of Enya performing I Want Tomorrow and Aldebaran. The DVD includes an interview and several contemporary musical performances by Enya. The soundtrack album was first released in 1987 by BBC Records under the title Enya, reaching No.69 in the UK albums chart. It was later reissued in North America by Atlantic Records. In 1992, Reprise Records obtained the rights and remastered and reissued it as The Celts, reaching No.10 in the UK. A CD-single of the theme song was also released.