The British Isles before Rome
Druids were also healers and teachers. They had a sort of Druidic university, where the old passed on their knowledge to the young. In times of war, a Druid would act as an ambassador. In times of peace, a Druid would remind people of the laws of their community and their culture. Some druids even composed verse. Some tribes had sacred animals or plants. Religious ceremonies were held outdoors, in clearings or woodland groves, and sometimes near sacred water sites, like springs or lakes or streams. Tributes to local deities were made in the form of burials (of, say, jewelry) and in the form of votive offerings (jewels and, in some cases, weapons deposited in bodies of water). Celts were particularly good at fighting. They adorned themselves in war gear, which, depending on the warrior, could include weapons such as swords or axes or picks or spears and the occasional shield, helmet, or breastplate. Celtic war paint was a regular sight. Julius Caesar had this to say: All the Britons indeed, dye themselves with woad, which occasions a bluish colour, and thereby have a more terrible appearance in fight. They wear their hair long, and have every part of their body shaved except their head and upper lip. Armor was expensive but was sometimes used. Also known is the tradition of Celts rushing into battle wearing no clothing at all. They were a varied lot, the Celts, and this extended to their appearance and adornment in battle. Celts were fond of hand-to-hand fighting. They also employed battle chariots, from which they would launch spears at their enemies until it was time to get down to the business of close-quarters combat.
One thing the Iron Age peoples of Britain didn't do a whole lot of was write things down. It just wasn't part of their culture. They learned by seeing and hearing and doing, not by reading and writing. The maxim of history being written by the victors is especially relevant in this case because the victorious Romans and later the victorious Saxons both brought with them a tradition of writing. WALES |
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Social Studies for Kids
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David White