World Turned Up-side Down

      For most of the first 500 years my Celtic ancestors who reached their world's end... [In a geographic sense, see last post.]... occupied their family's land, lived, loved, reproduced, responded to multiple threats, and grew as the years went along. Legends and traditions developed around their small collection of settlements to be centered around a common place of refuge on a hilltop. A sameness of blood, and the descent from a common ancestor gave rise to kin groups. An aggregate of families formed tribal groups sharing language and customs which was the social glue that bonded one generation to the next. Little did anyone guess their world would be turned up-side down.

      Say what? During the next 400 years you Romans plan to ship over from Gaul (France) four huge military units of roughly 6,000 men each. Let's see, invade, kill off those who oppose, claim the land, take the resources, and control every tribe who remains? You want to be fed, housed, entertained, clothed, and maintain all these new folks in their new bricked walled military forts? You've got to be kidding? A militaristic society that speaks the language called Latin, and you expect us to figure out how to survive? A whole bunch of strangers you want to flop down upon us? Our domestic reality in a new political world it is going to be? No wonder our world will be turned up-side down.

      A comprehensive discussion of this "Romanization" can be found in the book by Salway, chapter 18, titled "The Assimilation of Britian", pp. 337-367. The cover of my copy is shown in post dated May 7. Also, an enjoyable read on these complex issues can be read in Roman Britian and Early England, by Peter Blair, first published by The Norton Library, London in 1963. The cover of my copy is shown.

      Chapter 5, pp.90-113, discusses the town life and the Provincial Roman government that played an important role in my Celtic ancestors "Romanization". Chapter 6 is titled "The Countryside in Roman Britian", pp.114-135. Raising corn, cattle, and sheep, which my Celtic ancestors knew something about.

World's End

       It has been difficult to imagine the changes my Celtic ancestors faced during the first 100 years of Roman invasion. [By now you know I have a lot of that imagine thing.] Certainly, many in the family must have thought their world was coming to an end. When finding a map which identifies "World's End", it made me think of the Roman military revolt that came from fear of this very real concern. They were about to be transported to the unknown, and they were concerned about the end of their world. You have seen these maps in previous posts but, my Celtic ancestors lived around this area of the world.

      Looking again around this area, you will see the geographic location "World's End". It is enclosed by the green markings which ends southward toward Old Oswestry hillfort. My Jones family followed this pathway over many generations, much, much, much later. [Long way to go before we get to those stories.] Offa's Dyke is outlined in purple, and Wat's Dyke follows the orange colors. Notice how the two dykes come together near, you guessed it, Old Oswestry Hillfort! Now the following shows an enlargement of this drawing to give you another view of the surrounding named present day names.

      The Vale of Llangollen (the Dee) is central to this location. Many of these locations were involved with my Celtic ancestors, followed by my JONES ancestors. Here is an image that was hand made by the Welsh thread (wool) of Llangollen as I walked these paths myself.

Red Hair/Curly Hair, But Backward

      More than 2000 years ago, this fellow named Tacitus wrote his observations about my Celtic ancestors.  Red hair and large limbs were from Caledonia (Scottish), and curly hair with dark complexion were from the Iberian race (certainly Celtic). The following pictures are from my present-day

Celtic family.  Speaking of red hair! This is my JONES (Welsh/Iberian) family through my Y-chromosome. An autosomal recessive gene carried on chromosome 16. (tagged MC1R) A mutation of this gene is felt to have occurred, which caused it not to be able to breakdown certain chemicals. If one parent carries this mutated gene, it will be expressed when it is joined by another who transmits this mutation. Thus on my father's side both parents (Grandfather/Grandmother to me) must carry this recessive trait.  Can you believe all five children with red hair? Knowing red hair is considered fairly rare among the human race (Scotland around 13%) and Ireland a close second, what is the chance that all in the family would be red headed?

      The next picture is of my mother's (X-chromosome). Curly hair and dark complexion is the norm. Her maidan name was Ewen and, she was one of a dozen! A Scottish surname indeed. 

      Say what? My JONES gene (Welsh) is red headed, and my EWEN side (Caledonia) is curly hair and dark complexion. Did Tacitus get this backward? Well anyway, 2000 years is enough time to mix these genes in a variety of combinations.

 

Tacitus (II)

      The writing of Tacitus continues as regards my Celtic ancestors.

       "Who were the original inhabitants of Britain, whether they were indigenous or foreign, is, as usual among barbarians, little known. Their physical characteristics are various, and from these conclusions may be drawn. The red hair and large limbs of the inhabitants of Caledonia point clearly to a German origin. The dark complexion of the Silures, their usually curly hair, and the fact that Spain is the opposite shore to them, are an evidence that Iberians of a former date crossed over and occupied these parts. Those who are nearest to the Gauls are also like them, either from the permanent influence of original descent, or, because in countries which run out so far to meet each other, climate has produced similar physical qualities. But a general survey inclines me to believe that the Gauls established themselves in an island so near to them."

      A little of this, and a little of that.  Let's see, red hair and large limbs would be the Scots. [Caledonia] Not German but Celtic they are. [The Romans had not seen all the red hair in Ireland.] Dark complexion and curly hair would certainly fit my family group. Iberians is certainly correct.  A theory that the Gauls established themselves in an island so near to them would be a sound suggestion from the first 100 years of a new millennium!

      Taken from Mellor, p.399. Complete reference is given post 30 April.

Tacitus (1)

      A fellow named Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus, ca.55 - 117 A.D., [wow, try saying that three times in a row] wrote his own view of my Celtic ancestors around 98 A.D. He was the son-in-law to Agricola, the Roman general who is credited with the final conquest of Britian.  His first writings, of course was named Life of Agricola, gives his personal view of the island.

      "The geography and inhabitants of Britain, already described by many writers, I will speak of, not that my research and ability may be compared with theirs, but because the country was then for the first time thoroughly subdued. And so matters, which as being still not accurately known my predecessors embellished with their eloquence, shall now be related on the evidence of facts." A picture of  Caesar Augustus is shown on the cover of this edition of his second book titled The Annals of Imperial Rome translated by Michael Grant, 1956. [The most famous history book of the Roman world.]

      His comments continue:

      "Britain, the largest of the islands which Roman geography includes, is so situated that it faces Germany on the east, Spain on the west; on the south it is even within sight of Gaul; its northern extremities, which have no shores opposite to them, are beaten by the waves of the sea. The form of the entire country has been compared by Livy and Fabius Rusticus, the most graphic among ancient and modern historians, to an oblong shield or battle axe."

       These quotes are taken from The Historians of Ancient Rome, by Ronald Mellor, p.398. [Book shown in previous post 30 April.]

Note: The cover shows a photo of the statue of Caesar Augustus, not of Tacitus.

Caesar's Salad

       Julius Caesar came 55 B.C., he looked again 54 B.C., and Claudius came to conquer 43 A.D. It must have been one of those Roman things. All this invasion stuff was a very complicated endeavor transporting four Roman legions with all their contraptions some 20 miles across the water from Gaul (France) to Britain. Can you imagine the task? Claudius had his own problems when the Legions refused to go to this end of the world. This was thought literally "the end of the world", since most of these folks regarded Britian as geographically the last place on earth before the great beyond.  John Peddie in his book Invasion, The Roman Conquest of Britain, published 1987, gives an insightful discussion of this process I would call Caesar's salad. The cover designed by Martin Latham is shown below.

     The first landing in 43 A.D. began in the southeast, and then to the settlement of London. From here things headed north to Lincoln 48 B.C., then southwest to Dorchester area, and then to my Celtic ancestor's part of their end of this world. The assault on Anglesey was 61 A.D. All things were viewed by Julius Agricola as being conquered by 84 A.D. Just think, native farms, to Villas, and to a new existence as an urban society. What a deal, or not. What was to become of being mixed up in this Caesar's salad?

Roman Britain

       My Celtic ancestors certainly did not anticipate the dramatic changes that were to occur to their existence during the years to come. From circular defended family farms to community shared, much larger, and well defended hillforts, their dispersed kin groups developed, matured, and survived for their first 500 years. The next 500 years brough dynamic changes to their lives, and a cultural adjustment to daily activities. The complex world of the Roman empire was about to intervene during their next experience of this thing called life. Their homeland [the Decangli and Cornovii] would be adjusted to a more normal state of affairs according to the new land owners. To adapt or to disappear were the choices presented. There were needs to achieve mental and behavioral balance between their own needs and the demands of the new administrators. 

      The best text that discusses this period of time (my own opinion) is The Oxford Illustrated History of Roman Britain. It is written by Peter Salway, 1993, and presents a detailed chronology of events surrounding my Celtic ancestors. The cover of my copy is shown:

      It contains 10 maps (who would guess I like maps?), 320 illustrations, 24 full colored plates, a list of Roman Emperors, and a detailed chronology of events. A good read on the topic it is.

Salway, P., The Oxford Illustrated History Of Roman Britain, Oxford University Press, Oxford & N.Y., 1993.