-The Celts and The Iron Age

- The Four Invasions on Britain

Britain = England+Scotland+Wales+Northen Ireland

Who are the Celts? Over 2000 years ago, Britain

was “The Savage Land” and was populated by people called the Celts. (Celtic Britain)

They were tied by similar language, religion, and cultural expression.

They were divided up into different tribes ruled by kings or chiefs who lived in hill forts.

What were the Celts like?

1. Warriors; living for the glories of battle and plunder. However, there was never an organized Celtic invasion.

2. Barbarians; they were not organized, but fragmented, primative and barbaric.

3. No written records.

5. They were the first to use IRON

The advent of iron had amazing repercussions:

Because iron was cheap and available, it changed trade and fostered local independence. Before the iron, they used bronze which was not as available as iron.

- “The Iron Age” (1)

6. Farmers: The Celts were either fighting in wars

or farming. They were known to be as very good at cultivating the land. They were the first to bring a very interesting innovation to the farm: the iron plough which made it possible for the first time to cultivate the rich valley and soil.

“The Iron Age” (2)

7. The Clan and the Celtic family life:

A Clan is an extended family; it was the basic unit of Celtic life. Children were raised by foster parents (uncles: brother of the birth mother)

Each Clan had its own social structure, customs, and even Gods!

8.Their Religious practices: They were Pagans (holding beliefs that

were not part of the world’s main religions). They believed in Statues and worshipped

them. They were superstitious; they believed in

the power of demons, curses, and the unknown.

They had a very powerful priestly class called the Druids which used to give sacrifices on behalf of the people.

The Celts were the original inhabitants of Britain.

There are four main invasions in which the Celts had to stand up for Britain. All of the invaders are European, but they came from different sections of Europe and for different reasons.

The Four Invasions are: The Roman Invasion (A.D. 43 - A.D.410) The Saxon Invasion (5th C -9th C) The Viking Invasion (9th C – 11th C) The Norman Invasion 1066

Note 1: B.C. : Before Christ was born. (Placed after

the date, e.g 120 B.C.)A.D. : After Christ, anno Domini means “in the

year of the Lord,” – (usually placed BEFORE the date, e.g A.D. 43)

Note 2: How to calculate the century?

B.C. A.D.

From 1 A.D. to 99 A.D. = 0 century

100 = 2nd century200=3rd century300= 4th century +1 to the first digit1000=11th century1600=17th century2000=21st century

The Roman Invasion In the summer of 55 B.C. Julius Caesar, a Roman

general, planned an expedition to Britain. He wanted to find out the treasures of Britain, so he planned this idea of exploring Britain, but he never came to invade it.

In the same year (55 B.C.), Caesar conquered France which was called Gaul by the time. The Gauls fought hard against the Romans and had been helped by their friends in Britain. Caesar was upset by their assistance and decided to teach the Britons a lesson.

He attempted to invade Britain, thus, a year later (54 B.C.) BUT British warriors and the rotten British weather made his army give up and return to Gallia.

A hundred years later: 43 A.D.

the Emperor Claudius sent another army to Britain. This time the army came to INVADE.

Claudius sent one of his generals at the head of 48,000 troops that landed in East Kent. It was easy for the to conquer the south and the east because there were no boundaries. However, the left Scotland because of the Hadarian’s Walls, that divided Scotland and England.

Details about the Invasion: The Roman army was very well organized;

every soldier was very well disciplined and trained. They knew what they were doing; they were harsh, cruel and encouraged fighting.

It was a military invasion NOT a cultural one. The main purpose was to have political superiority, but they did not attempt to influence the culture in any way, therefore, they did not intermarry with them.

Some Celts decided to make peace with the Romans in return for keeping their kingdoms. These people were called client kings, and they had to agree that once they died the Romans could take over their lands. One client king was Cogidumnus, the ruler of the Atrebates. The famous palace at Fishbourne in West Sussex was probably built for him with help from the Romans. Other British leaders, such as Caratacus, carried on fighting against the Romans until they retreated.

Bad news for the Romans:

They had to retreat and return for their country for some political and military reasons; soldiers were needed for Rome.

Britain stopped being a Roman Colony when the Romans left.

Aftermaths … Though the Romans had left, they brought

with them a civilization that is totally alien that remained.

1. They bulit a network of roads.2. They built an existing settlement to

become a trade and administrative center which they called Londinium which we know as London today. It became the CAPITAL.

London The choice of the

Romans proved to be the best. They chose a location that helped in troop movements and administrative communication. Trade expanded quickly because people depended on water sources as means of transportation, and London is situated next to a number of rivers.

Continued … (Roman Influence) The Romans lived in luxury, they build villas

and palaces which were also left behind. (Roman Architecture)

However, they neither influenced the culture or the racial makeup of the country, all they left behind was military civilized building which Britain did not give much importance to them.

The Roman Invasion was one that influenced Britain the LEAST!

The Anglo-Saxon Invasion.

After the Romans left, the city was left into a decline. The population diminished drastically and large areas of the city were left in ruins. The British Islands were left defenseless.

The Saxons came to find the villas and palaces that the Romans had built, but because they were very primitive, unfamiliar with the city life, they were not interested.

They were very good at farming and cultivating the land.

• What does a good location for a village need? - Source of fresh water to be used in cultivation - good soil - good weather.

Why did the Saxons invade Britain?

They came because they were hungry! They did not come with the kind of army of the Romans, the just came like very simple warriors. They came in the form of raids, instead.

(raid: a sudden attack by a small army) They first came for plunder (to take what

they want and then leave), but afterwards they thought about settlement in Britain.

What does settlement need?

INTERACTION Because they decided to settle,

they had to interact. When settlers mixed with the others, there is an expected change in the racial makeup of Britons.

The Saxon Invasion changed Britain beyond recognition; it changed the English life forever.

Changes: Race Language: The Saxons came with a

Germanic tongue, so they brought the German language with them.

Idea of Kinship and Kingdom: they divided England into seven kingdoms each is ruled by a different king.

(Wesex, Essex, Sussex, Nothumbria, Kent, Mercia, East Anglia).

To sum up:The Roman Invasion The Anglo-Saxon Invasion

3rd C. – 5th C. 5th C. – 9th C.

They mainly came to conquer

They came because of attraction of food and land

Army: organized, trained Primitive, raids

No settlement Settled down and married

Military Invasion Cultural invasion

City dwellers; understood good locations for cities.

Farmers; very good at cultivating the land

The Viking Invasion By the 9th C. and with the settlement

of the Anglo-Saxons, London became a very prosperous trading center. This wealth attracted the Vikings who came from different areas (mainly Denmark and Scandinavia). The Vikings used to make a lot of trading trips to the east coast of England and Scotland, but these friendly visit became more aggressive in the period between the late 8th C. and the early 9th C.

Similarities with the Anglo-Saxons:

They came from the same region (North-West Scandinavia)

They came for the main purpose: attraction of land and food

They are from the same race They also came in the form of raids.

Differences from the Anglo-Saxons:

Very ferocious, violent, savage and bloody. (They were the most savage and barbarian

people who attacked Britain. When they entered a place they completely destroyed it.)

During the Anglo-Saxon Invasion, Britain was Christianized, but when the Vikings invaded it, they wiped-out the old Celtic Christianity and all forms of religion (Churches and Monasteries).

The Canoe It took about 48

men to make the ship go fast.

Very strong ship that sails very gracefully.

There are theories telling that the Vikings were the first to cross the Atlantic by those Canoes.

Alfred, the Great King of Wessex (one of the English

Kingdoms) He fought the Vikings more than any

Saxon has done. He formed the “Dane law,” a law that

gave a large part of Britannia to the Danes and left another large part of Britannia to be ruled by the Saxons.

He was the savior, however his victories did not last long after his death.

Aetherlred, the Unready. Because his brother Edward was killed, he took

the throne instead at a very young age. Because he was so young, he depended on his

advisers to give him advice and make decisions for him. This created a bit of trouble for the king's subjects, especially when the Danes came back in force.

The Danelaw had worked for a time, mainly because English troops kept it efficient and because the Danes had been beaten so badly. But they came storming back in 980 after King Alfred’s death, and Aethelred was definitely unready for their return.

Conclusion: The Dane law’s strategy was lost

because Aetherlred bribed the vikings to prevent raids.

He was the wrong person in the wrong place. He was called the “Unready” because of his recklessness and way of dealing with the Danes.

End: he was forced into exile to Normandy with his wife Emma.

King Canute takes over and then the throne goes to Edward the Confessor after he dies.

The Norman Invasion (1066) Edward promised his succession to the Duke of

Normandy (William I), but later changed his mind and supported Harold of Wessex to the English crown. This caused troubles between both parties.

Both Harold Gonwinson (Britain) and William of Normandy (France) were waiting for Edward the Confessor’s death to take his place on the British throne.

Before Edward’s death, Harlod was ship-wrecked off the coast of Normandy. This was to the benefit of William who took advantage of what happened and forced Harold to sign a paper relinquishing his right to the British throne.

However, when Edward died, Harold crowned himself as King of Britain.

Battle of the Hastings.

At the same time, Harold had to ward off a final Viking attack in the north on which he achieved victory. However, he had to hurry back to the south because he had to fight William of Normandy who was waiting for him with his army to claim his right to the throne. This battle is called the Battle of the Hastings.

William the Conqueror.

Harold was defeated in the Battle of the Hastings because his army was exhausted from the last Viking attack. He died in the battlefield leaving William to rule the British throne.

His reign: Unification of Europe: united

England and Europe. He introduced the French

language. He introduced the feudal system. He formed the Domesday Book

which recorded in two volumes the wealth and properties of estate and land owners.

Domesday Book:

The Norman Invasion brought with it life changing systems for the natives of Britain:

1. The French language, and it also became the main language of the ruling aristocracy. Also, it became the base of our modern English language.

2. They brought with them a sense of elegance and sophistication. They brought with them the idea of the “Knight” or the soldier who fought on horseback.

Cont’d …

4.They brought grandeur to the idea of Kingship.

-Palace -Velvet -Entourage

5. They brought a very organized army with them.

Most important thing they brought with them was: The Feudal

System (hierarchal)

A system in which a FEW RULED AND OWNED the rest of the country. The majority was powerless. The main power lies in the hands of the king.

King

Baron

Lord

Knight

Serf

Conclusion: The irony of history proves itself when

we regard the Norman Invasion. It is a bit like the Roman Invasion and the Saxon Invasion. It is like the R.I in the sense that soldiers came in a well-organized army and were well-trained. On the other hand, it was similar to the A-S.I as the Normans never left, they settled and intermixed with the people.

Presentations: - King Alfred, the Great - British Educational System during the

9th C.