Anglo Celtic vs Anglo Saxon: Difference and Comparison

Anglo Celtic and Anglo Saxon are phrases that are used to refer to two different groups of people that originated long ago. Both of these groups have different originations, and even the time they emerged is different.

However, many people still manage to confuse the two with one another. These groups have collapsed by now but are still a popular topic amongst historians.

Key Takeaways

1. Anglo-Celtic refers to the people of British and Irish descent, while Anglo-Saxon refers to the Germanic tribes that settled in England in the early Middle Ages.
2. Anglo-Celtic culture includes elements of Celtic traditions, whereas Anglo-Saxon culture is rooted in Germanic customs.
3. The English language evolved from the Anglo-Saxon Old English, while the Celtic languages have distinct origins.

Anglo Celtic vs Anglo Saxon 

Anglo-Celtic refers to people who are descended from both the Anglo-Saxon and Celtic peoples of the British Isles. Anglo-Saxon refers to the Germanic peoples who migrated to England from the 5th to the 11th centuries AD, and who established the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that later became England.

Anglo-Celtic people are predominantly derived from British and Irish people. Anglo Celtic culture emerged around 1200 B.C., and The Anglo Celtic culture collapsed around 300 to 600 AC.

Celtic legends portrayed strong women, and their stories were full of fairies, magic, and love. The Celts lived in tribes and preferred to adorn themselves with blue paint and tattoos to portray themselves as ferocious. 

Anglo-Saxon, a historical name for any descendant of the Germanic peoples who occupied and dominated lands that are now part of England and Wales beginning in the fifth century CE.

Saxon legends are male-dominated, and their stories are full of dark concepts. The Anglo-Celtic culture collapsed around 1066 AD. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Anglo Celtic	Anglo Saxon
Ethnicity	Anglo Celtic is a word used to encompass the numerous civilizations indigenous to Britain and Ireland.	The word Anglo Saxon refers to the conquering German tribes in the fifth century.
Dominant Language	Celtics mostly spoke Welsh	Saxons spoke Old English
Legends and Stories	Celtic legends portrayed strong women and their stories were full of fairies, magic, and love	Saxon legends are male-dominated and their stories were full of darker concepts
Year of Emergence	Anglo Celtic culture emerged around 1200 B.C.	Anglo Saxon culture emerged around 410 AD
Year of Collapse	The Anglo Celtic culture collapsed around 300 to 600 AC	The Anglo Celtic culture collapsed around 1066 AD

What is Anglo Celtic? 

Anglo-Celtic people are predominantly derived from British and Irish people.

Outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland, the notion is most applicable in Australia but can also be utilized in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Africa, where a large diaspora exists. 

The name is extracted from the combination of the prefix Anglo- with the adjective Celtic.

The word Anglo-, signifies “English,” which originates from the Angles, a Germanic population that settled in Britain (primarily in what is now England) during the first millennium.

These individuals gave rise to what is known as England (Old English: Engla land or ngla land). 

Celtic Britain spanned the Iron Period, around 600 BC – 50 AD, and became the era of the Celt in Britain (England), as the Celtic culture spread over the British Isles.

They showed up in Britain as independent tribes that moved there and had a shared language, religious doctrine, and creative expression. 

 The Celts introduced ironworking to the British Isles and resided in tribes without the need for a central authority. The Celts were ferocious fighters.

They preferred to cover themselves in blue paint and tattoos to give themselves a frighteningly ferocious appearance. 

What is Anglo Saxon? 

Anglo-Saxon, a word used traditionally to identify any descendant of the Germanic peoples who occupied and governed lands that are now part of England and Wales from the 5th century CE to the Norman Conquest (1066).

Their following colonies from what is now England formed the basis for the realms of Essex, Sussex, and Wessex. 

The inhabitants of the several Anglo-Saxon nations spoke unique languages that changed through time and were known collectively as Old English.

A remarkably rich vernacular literature arose from the diversity of dialects. The name Anglo-Saxon appears to have been coined by Continental authors in the late 8th century to differentiate British Saxons from others on the European continent. 

The Anglo-Saxons were descended from three distinct Germanic peoples: the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes.

In the 5th century, these settlers moved from northern Germany to the land of Britain at the request of Vortigern, a British prince, to effectively protect his realm against raiding raids by the Picts and Scotti, who controlled what has now become Scotland.  

Archaeological evidence indicates that the first migration from Germanic areas of mainland Europe comprised Frisians and before the Roman retreat from Britain in 410 CE. 

Main Differences Between Anglo Celtic and Anglo Saxon 

1. Anglo Celtic people were native to Britain and England, whereas Anglo Saxon people were German tribes. 
2. Anglo Celtic people mostly spoke the Welsh language, and Anglo Saxon people used to speak Old English. 
3. Anglo Celtic legends portrayed strong women, and their stories were full of fairies, magic and love, while Anglo Saxon legends are male-dominated, and their stories were full of darker concepts. 
4. Anglo Celtic culture emerged around 1200 B.C, and Anglo Saxon culture emerged around 410 AD. 
5. Anglo Celtic empire collapsed around 600 AC, and the Anglo Saxon empire collapsed around 1066 AD. 

References 

1. https://hekyll.services.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2440/39817/1/Johnson_Treaty.pdf 
2. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/anglo-saxon-england/article/aetheling-a-study-in-anglosaxon-constitutional-history/F44665FB70572C35E9CBFC9A490B74F9 

Last Updated : 13 July, 2023