Unearthing Bohemia's Celtic heritage ahead of Samhain, the 'New Year' The first recorded name for Bohemia has its roots in the Celtic word 'Boiohaemum', meaning home of the Boii people, a Celtic tribe which settled in Central Europe centuries before the Slavic peoples arrived.
Ahead of the Celtic New Year, Brian Kenety takes a look at efforts to celebrate and promote the Czech lands' ancient heritage. Celtic limestone head from Msecke Zebrovice The ancient Celts marked two seasons, one light and one dark. November the 1st marks the beginning of the "dark" season of Samhain [pronounced 'Sow-En'], the start of the Celtic New Year. For the ancient Celts, the new day actually began at night, when they believed, the mysteries of the dark gave birth to new life.
I asked Dr Vladimir Ctverak, the director of the Central Bohemian Institute for the Preservation of Archaeological Landmarks and an authority on Celtic settlements in the region, to shed some light on the history of these ancient tribes. Welcome to Shunya. Official source for UK train times and timetables. The National Trust.