CELTIC HERITAGE SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP

Celtic Heritage Society

MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION FORM IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.

Annual Membership in the Celtic Heritage Society runs from January to December and is $25 per person.

Memberships submitted by June 1st will get one Free Weekend Admission Ticket to the festival.

Members who also volunteer for the festival are welcome to gift their membership card for someone else to use with our thanks for your help.

Memberships submitted after June 1st will receive $10 Off admission for either Saturday or Sunday. Present your membership card at the Gate for the discount.

The Celtic Heritage Society was founded in Jackson, Mississippi in May 1992. We are a 501(c)3 Federally Tax Exempt civic and educational nonprofit organization focused on the study, promotion, and preservation of Celtic traditions and culture. This includes music, dance, history, language, literature, art and other activities native to Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall, and the Isle of Man.ย  By becoming a member of CHS you’re showing your support for the society and helping to produce our annual festival in October.

All CHS Board members & Directors of CelticFest Mississippi are dues paying Members and Volunteers who receive no monetary compensation. 

The Celts were a diverse group of Indo-European tribes originating in Central Europe around 1200 B.C., expanding across Europe from Spain to the Black Sea by the Iron Age. Known as fierce warriors and skilled artisans, they shared similar languages, art, and polytheistic religious beliefs, often led by Druids. Key tribes included Gauls, Britons, and Gaels. 

  • Origins & Tribes: Originating around the Alps, they spread through Europe, including modern-day Germany, France, Spain, and the British Isles. Major tribal groups included the Gauls, Celtiberians, Britons, Gaels, and Galatians.
  • Religion: Celtic religion was polytheistic, featuring over 300 gods and centered on nature worship. Many symbols and customs from the early Celts were absorbed into christianity as it spread across the region.
  • Languages: Celts spoke a family of related Indo-European languages, divided into Continental Celtic (like Gaulish, Celtiberian, Lepontic, now extinct) and Insular Celtic, which branched into Goidelic (Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Manx) and Brythonic (Welsh, Breton, Cornish). While there wasn’t one single Celtic tongue, these languages shared a common ancestor, and modern examples (Irish, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Breton, Cornish, Manx) are still spoken today, though some are endangered.  
  • Continental Celtic Languages (Mostly Extinct) were spoken across ancient Europe before being largely replaced by Latin after Roman conquest. 
    • Gaulish: Spoken across a vast area, from France (Gaul) to parts of Turkey.
    • Celtiberian: Spoken in ancient Spain (Iberian Peninsula).
    • Lepontic: Attested in Northern Italy and Switzerland.
    • Galatian: Spoken in ancient Galatia (modern Turkey).
  • Insular Celtic Languages which are still spoken today developed in the British Isles and Brittany. 
  • Cultural Traditions: The Celts were renowned for their art, utilizing intricate knotwork and metalwork. They wore colorful clothing (later tartan) that indicated social status, lived in tribal societies, and were known for being fearsome warriors.
  • History & Decline: First documented by Greeks around 540 B.C., they expanded during the Iron Age but saw their power decline following Roman conquests, such as Julius Caesar’s campaigns in Gaul. 

Although they never formed a single empire, their influence remains strong in regions like Ireland, Scotland, and Wales