Most of the nations in modern-day Central, Western, and Northern Europe can be described as either Nordic, Germanic, or Celtic. But it’s definitely not easy keeping all of the different European ethnicities apart, especially not since many countries can feature elements of multiple ones!
So if you’re curious about the exact difference between Nordic, Germanic, and Celtic, and which countries, languages, and people are involved when speaking about these terms โ you’ve come to the right place.
What’s the Difference Between Nordic, Germanic, and Celtic?
- Nordic = Relating to the Nordic people, languages, or cultures of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, ร land, and Greenland (descendants of the Norse people and languages, i.e. the Vikings).
- Germanic = Relating to the Germanic people, languages, or cultures that originated from Southern Scandinavia and Northern Germany after the bronze age and today span across Northern and Central Europe in countries such as England, Germany, and the Netherlands.
- Celtic = Relating to the Celtic people, languages, or cultures that were present in most of Central and Western Europe after the bronze age, and in countries such as Ireland, Scotland, and Wales today.
Nordic
Germanic
Celtic
*Greenland speaks an EskimoโAleut language but is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which is a Nordic country.
To sum it up in plain words, Nordic refers to anything relating to the Nordic languages & cultures (also called North Germanic), Germanic refers to anything relating to the Germanic languages & cultures, and Celtic refers to anything relating to the Celtic languages & cultures.
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Location: Northern Europe
Combined Population: 27.38 million
Combined Total Area:
1 322 710 sqย mi, across 5 timezones (US 50 states + D.C. = 3 796 742 sq mi across 6 timezones)
Nordic: The Northern European Region and Its People
The more modern term Nordic refers to citizens of or anything related to the Nordic (or North Germanic) countries in northern Europe (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, ร land, and Greenland). This term has mainly been used since the establishment of Fรถrening Norden (The Nordic Associations) in 1919.
The Nordic cross flag refers to the type of flags the Nordic countries have, containing a Nordic or Scandinavian Cross. The oldest of these is the Danish, dating back to 1219 according to legend.
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Old Nordic Symbols: Norse Runes & Viking Ornaments (Meanings & Examples)
Old Norse mythology is filled with fascinating symbolism, and the runic alphabets of Germanic Europe have told numerous tales of heroic deeds and tragic deaths over the years. Having worked with graphic design for most of my life, Iโm a huge fan of typography and symbolism, and also a huge history nerd. So Iโve spent a lot of time reading about and trying to understand the Viking symbols left behind on runestones, jewelry, weapons, armor, and other items from the Viking Age.
Germanic: the Germanic Cultures & Languages
The Germanic tribes were groups of people originating from northern and central Europe during the Iron Age, sharing a common language group that is the root of all Germanic languages (which today includes over 515 million native speakers of languages like English, German, Dutch, and the Nordic languages to name a few).
To make things a bit more complicated, the Germanic people are all thought to have originated from a fairly small area in southern Scandinavia and northern Germany around the 4th century BCE, centered around the province of Scania, Sweden.
In other words, all Germanic languages and cultures mainly originated from the Nordic region, from where they would set out on the Great Migrations around all of Europe and parts of Asia that they would complete.
For more information about the Nordic and Germanic connection, go check out my article where I explain all the Scandinavian, Viking, and Germanic links.
Location: Central, Western & Northern Europe
Population Germanic Speaking Countries: 202 million
Native Germanic Speakers: 515 million
Combined Total Area: 720ย 379ย sqย mi, across 5 timezones (US 50 states + D.C. = 3 796 742 sq mi across 6 timezones)
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How Did Vikings Actually Look? (Complete Guide to Viking Traits)
Recent advancements in DNA analysis tech have led to extraordinary insight into how Vikings looked, from hair and eye color to size and ancestry. Scientists are now able to create eerily realistic facial reconstructions, getting us closer than ever to find out who they were and what the Vikings looked like. Read Article Now
Location: Central & Western Europe
Combined Population Native Celtic Speakers: 19.6 million
Celtic: The Celtic Cultures & Languages
The Celts were a collection of people who originated from central Europe, and ended up migrating through and inhabiting large parts of Europe during the Iron Age.
Around 275 BC the Celtic culture reached its largest influence, covering large parts of Central, Western, and Eastern Europe. After this point, the Celts would gradually be pushed back by Roman Legions from the south and Germanic tribes from the north.
Some of the more famous Celtic tribes include the Gauls (modern-day France), Britons (Britain), Galatians (Northern Spain), Belgi (Belgium), and Elveti (Switzerland).
The Celtic people ultimately intermingled with the Germanic and Roman people who came to dominate most of the places in Europe were Celtic influence gradually disappeared.
The only remaining Celtic nations today are Brittany, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, and Cornwall.
Which European Countries are Nordic, Germanic, and/or Celtic?
| Name | Nordic? | Germanic? | Celtic? |
| Albania | |||
| Andorra | |||
| Armenia | |||
| Austria | โ๏ธ | ||
| Azerbaijan | |||
| Belarus | |||
| Belgium | โ๏ธ | Partly | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | |||
| Bulgaria | |||
| Croatia | |||
| Cyprus | |||
| Czech Republic | |||
| Denmark | โ๏ธ | โ๏ธ | |
| Estonia | |||
| Finland | โ๏ธ | ||
| France | Partly | Partly | |
| Georgia (country) | |||
| Germany | โ๏ธ | ||
| Greece | |||
| Hungary | |||
| Iceland | โ๏ธ | ||
| Ireland | โ๏ธ | ||
| Italy | |||
| Kazakhstan | |||
| Latvia | |||
| Liechtenstein | |||
| Lithuania | |||
| Luxembourg | โ๏ธ | ||
| Malta | Partly | ||
| Moldova | |||
| Monaco | |||
| Montenegro | |||
| Netherlands | โ๏ธ | ||
| North Macedonia | |||
| Norway | โ๏ธ | โ๏ธ | |
| Poland | Partly | ||
| Portugal | |||
| Romania | |||
| Russia | |||
| San Marino | |||
| Serbia | |||
| Slovakia | |||
| Slovenia | |||
| Spain | |||
| Sweden | โ๏ธ | โ๏ธ | |
| Switzerland | โ๏ธ | Partly | |
| Turkey | |||
| Ukraine | |||
| United Kingdom | โ๏ธ | Partly | |
| Vatican City |
Quick Answers
Is Scandinavia Celtic and Are Scandinavians Celts?
Scandinavia did not encounter Celtic influence as the Celts spread across large parts of central and western Europe during the Iron Age, meaning the region and its people is not Celtic in any meaningful way. Scandinavia was rather dominated by Germanic cultures stemming from the Nordic Bronze Age Culture at the time.
That said, there is plenty of Celtic heritage along the coasts of Scandinavia, as Vikings were prone to come home with both band members and slaves from the British Isles during the Viking age.
What Is a Celtic Viking?
Celtic Vikings, or NorseโGaels as they can also be called, usually refer to the Vikings who settled in Ireland and Scotland during the Viking age. The NorseโGaels dominated the majority of the Irish Sea and Scottish Sea region from the 800s up until the 1100s when Norse influence on the British Isles started waning.
Several Scottish clans have NorseโGaelic roots, such as Clan MacDonald, Clan MacDougall, Clan MacLeod, Clan Oliphant. Several Irish families do as well, such as O’Donovan, Uรญ รmair (later Crovan), Mac Oitir (later Cotter), MacAuliffe, MacManus, Doyle, and Reynolds.
Related Reading
Scandinavian, Viking & Germanic Links Explained (With Maps)
Is there a link between Scandinavians, Vikings, and the Germanic people who migrated across Europe during the fall of the Roman Empire? I plowed through numerous books and historical texts to map out exactly how the Germanic people are connected to the Norse people and modern-day Scandinavians.
By the way, if you'd like to connect to your inner Viking and spruce up your walls at the same time, I've created a collection of high-quality and authentic (in other words, historically accurate) Norse posters and apparel.
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Sources:
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2013.0384
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40849016
https://fof.se/tidning/2013/4/artikel/den-brutala-bronsaldern
Norse vs. Norwegian vs. Nordic: Differences Explained
Scandinavian, Viking & Germanic Links Explained (With Maps)
Viking Origins, Ancestry & Why They Set Out on Adventure
How the Dutch & Scandinavians Are Connected (Complete Guide)
My last name is Swihart. A shortened and anglocised version of the original name Schweinhardt. I am 10th generation American. The first Schweinhardts came to America in Pennsylvania in 1730 on a ship named the Pennsylvania. Im curious about the name Schweinhardt, and have done a lot of research and we all come from a common ancestor named Conrad Schweinhardt born in 1630 in Jungholzhausen, Germany where he was married and lived. Schweinhardt means Strong as a Boar.
In reality people of east Austria are a mixture of Germanic, and Slavic.
In the tenth century Bavarian tribes invaded the area that now corresponds to eastern Austria. They intermixed with existing Slavic people (Czechs, and Slovenes). This is why Y-haplogroup R1a-Z280 is higher than R1b-U106 in this part of Austria.
On an autosomal DNA level east Austrians are the most east shifted of all Germanic speaking people. They cluster close to Hungarians, and Czechs.
West Austrians cluster with Bavarians, and Swiss Germans. While east Austrians speak a Bavarian dialect they cluster closer to East Germans than they do to Bavarians.
Thank you for time consuming research, together with a personalized touch.Like you Im somrthing of a “Nerd’. Ive been an ancient history buff since my re-teen years. I play music professionally, mostly Blues and jazz[ http://www.jukejointjokers.com, sorry no YouTube yet but its coming|
I also write articles for chess.com and historical fiction, and supernatural as well.
Thanks for reading Kevin!
I think it’s important to understand our history in order to understand ourselves sometimes, without getting lost in the rabbit hole of course. ๐
Cool musical projects, keep it up!