Britannia

The following is from Britannia by William Camden:

The Maners and Customes of the Britans

AS concerning the Britans, what Acts at the first they exploited, what forme of common-wealth they used, after what orders and lawes they lived, M. Daniel Rogers, a very good man, excellently well learned, and my especiall friend, promised by his writings to informe us; but for that he, beeing cut off by untimelie death, hath performed nothing, take here these few notes as touching their ancient maners and customes collected word for word out of ancient authors.

2. Caesar. The Britans use for their mony brazen peeces, or rings of iron duly weighed and tried to a certaine just poise. To taste of hare, hen, and goose, they thinke it unlawfull; howbeit, these they keep for their delight and pleasure. of them all, those are most civil and curteous by far, that dwell in Kent, which is a country altogether lying upon the sea coast; neither doe these inhabitants differ much in custome from the Gaules. the Inlanders for the most part sow no corne, but live of milke and flesh, and clad themselves in skins. But the Britans all in generall depaint themselves with woad, that maketh a blew colour; and thereby they are the more terrible to their enemies in fight. The haire of their heads they weare long, and shave all parts of the body, saving the head and upper lip. Ten or twelve of them together use their wives in common, and especially brethren partake with brethren, and parents with their children: but looke what children they beare, theirs they are reputed who first maried them virgins. In battell for the most part they were wont to employ their charioteers. First these ride about into all parts of the battell, and fling darts: and with the very fearfull sight of horse, and with the ratling noise of the wheeles, they do most part breake the ranks and put them in disarray, and when they have once wound themselves within the troupes of the horsemen, they alight from their chariots, and fight on foot. The chariot-guiders in the meane time depart a little out of the medley, and bestow themselves so that, if the other be overcharged with the multitude of enemies, they may readily and without let retire in safety. Thus in their battels, they performe the nimble motion of horsemen, and steadinesse of footmen: by daily practise and experience so readie in their service, that they were wont to stay in the declivity of a steepe hill their horses being in their full carriere, quickly turne short and moderate their pace, run along the spire-pole and beame of the chariot, rest upon the yoke and harnesse of their steeds, and from thence leape againe into the chariots most speedily at their pleasure. These chariotiers would retire also many times of purpose, and when they had trained and drawen our men a little way off from their legions, dismount from their chariots and incounter them on foot, having thereby the vantage of them in fight. Furthermore, they never fought thicke and close together, but thin and with great distances between, having set stations or wards of purpose, so as one might succour another, receiving the wearied, and putting foorth new and fresh supplies.

3. Strabo. The Britans be taller of stature than the Gauls: their haire not so yellow, nor their bodies so well knit and firme. For proofe of their talnesse, I saw my selfe at Rome very youths and springals [lads], higher by halfe a foot than the tallest men. Mary, they had but bad feet to support them. As for all other lineaments of the body, they shewed good making and proportionable feature. For disposition of nature they partly resemble the Gauls: partly they be more plaine, more rude and barbarous; insomuch that some of them for want of skill, can make no cheeses, albeit they have plenty of milke; others againe, are altogether ignorant in gardening and planting of orchyards, yea and in other points of husbandry. Many Lords and Potentates they have among them. In their wars they use a number of chariots, like as some of the Gauls. Woods stand them in stead of Cities and townes: for when they have by felling of trees, mounded and fensed therewith a spacious round plot of ground, there they build for themselves halles and cottages, and for their cattell set up stals and folds: but those verily for the present use, and not to serve long. Caesar likewise. A towne, the British call some thicke wood which they have enclosed and fortified with a ditch and rampier [rampart], made for a place of refuge and retrait, to avoid the incursions of the borderers.

4. Diodorus Siculus. The Britans live after the maner of the old world. They use chariots in fight, as the report goes of the ancient Greeks at the Trojane war. Their houses are for the most part of reed or wood. Their corne they inne and house with eare and all: threshing out thereof from hand to mouth as their need requires. Faire conditioned people they are, plaine and of upright dealing, far from the subtlety and craft of our men. Their food whereupon they live is simple, and nothing dainty nor like the full fare of rich men. Their Iland is replenished with people.

5. Pomponius Mela. Britain bringeth forth nations and Kings of Nations; but they be all uncivill, and the farther they are from the continent, the lesse acquainted they be with other kind of riches: onely in cattell and lands they be wealthy. Their bodies are died with woad, wither it be for to make a gallant shew, or for what els, it is uncertain. They pick quarels of war at their pleasure to satisfie their owne willes, and so oftentimes molest one another: but principally upon an ambitious desire of rule and soveraignty, and an encroching minde they have to enlarge their owne possessions. Their fight is not only with horse or footmen, but also with wagons and chariots harnessed, armed after the Gaulike maner, such as they call covinos; and in those they use axeltrees armed at both ends with hookes and sithes.

6. Cornelius Tacitus. The Britans neerest unto Gallia resemble likewise the Gaules: either because they retaine still somewhat of the race from which they descended, or that in countries butting one against another the same aspects of the heavens doe yeeld the same complexions of bodies. But generally, if a man consider all, it is most likely, the Gaules which lay neerest peopled the land unto them. In their ceremonies and superstitious perswasions, there is to be seen an apparent conformity. The language differeth not much. Like boldnesse to challenge and set into dangers: when dangers are come, like feare in refusing, saving that the Britans make shew of more courage, as being not mollified yet by long peace. For the Gaules also were once, as we read, redoubted in war, till such time as giving themselves over to ease and idlenesse, cowardise crept in, and shipwracke was made both of manhood and liberty together. And so is it also befallen to those of the Britans which were subdued of old. The rest remaine such as the Gaules were before. Their strength in the field consisteth of footmen. Yet some countries there make war in wagons also. The greatest personage guideth the wagon, his waiters and followers fight out of the same. Heretofore they were governed by Kings, now they are drawen by petty Princes into Partialities and Factions: and this is the greatest helpe we Romans have against those puissant Nations, that they have no comon counsell. Seldome it chanceth that two or three States meet together and concur to repulse the common danger. So, whilst one by one fighteth, all are subdued. In another place. An usuall maner it was with the Britans to seeke for the direction of the Gods, by looking into the inwards of beasts: and to make warre under the conduct of women; neither mattereth it whether [which] sex beare rule over them. Whereupon learned men thinke Aristotle spake of the Britans, where he writeth, That certaine warlike nations beyond the Celtes, were subject to the government of women.

7. Dio Nicaeus, out of the Epitome of Xiphilinus, as touching the Britans in the North part of the Island. They till no ground. They live upon prey, venison and fruits. For of fish, although there is exceeding great plenty thereof, they will not taste. Their abode is in tents, naked and unshod. Wives they use in common, and the children borne of them they all doe foster among them. The Commonalitie for the most part doth governe: most willing they be to practise robbing. In warre, their service is out of Chariots: the horses they have be little and swift of pace: their footmen runne most speedily: whiles they stand, they bee strongest: the armour and weapons that they use are a shield and short speare, in the neather part whereof there hangeth a round bell of brasse like an apple, that when it is shaken, they might with the sound terrifie and masakre the enemies: they have daggers also. But principally, they can endure hunger, cold, and any labour whatsoever. For, sticking fast in the bogs up to the head many dayes together, they will live without food; and within the woods they feed upon the barks and roots of trees. A certaine kinde of meat they provide ready for all occasions, whereof if they take but the quantity of a Beane, they are not wont either to be hungry or thirstie.

8. Herodian. They knowe no use at all of garments, but about their belly onely and necke they weare yron; supposing that to be a goodly ornament, and a proofe of their wealth, like as all other Barbarians esteeme of gold. Or why? Their very bare bodies they marke with sundry pictures, representing all maner of living creatures; and therefore it is verily that they will not be clad, for hiding (forsooth) that painting of their bodies. Now they are a most warlike nation, and very greedy of slaughter, content to bee armed onely with a narrow shield and a speare, with a sword besides hanging downe by their naked bodies. Unskilfull altogether how to use either corslet or helmet, supposing the same to be an hindrance unto them, as they passe over the bogs and marish grounds: through the hot vapours arising, from whence the skie and aire is there most part foggie.

9. The rest of the particulars, which are very few, I will lightly gather, and crop here and there. Plinie writing of magicke: But what should I (quoth he) rehearse these things, in an art that hath passed over the Ocean also, so far, as beyond which, nothing is to be discovered but aire and water? And even at this day verily, it is in Britaine highly honoured, where the people are so wholly devoted unto it, and that with all complements of ceremonies, as a man would thinke the Persians learned all their Magicke from them. The same Plinie. There groweth an herbe in Gaule like unto Plantaine, named glastum, that is, woad, with the juice whereof the women of Britaine, as well maried wives as their young daughters, anoint and die their bodies all over; resembling by that tincture the colour of Aethiopians, in which maner they use at some solemne feasts and sacrifices to goe all naked. Again, there is not a daintier dish of meat known in Britain, than are the Chenerotes, fowles less than wilde geese. Also, The Britans wore rings on their middle finger. Likewise, The Britans manured their grounds with Marle in stead of dung. That they inamelled or branded themselves (as it were) with certaine marks which Tertullian termeth Britannorum stigmata, that is, the Britans mark, Solinus sheweth: The Countrey (saith he) is partly peopled with Barbarians, who by the meanes of artificiall incisions of sundry formes, have from their childhood divers shapes of beasts incorporate upon them: and thus having these their markes deeply imprinted within their bodies, looke how a man groweth more and more, so doe these pictured characters likewise waxe. Neither doe these savage Nations repute anything to signifie their patience, more than by such durable skars to cause their lims to drinke in much painting and colour. Dio. The Britans worshipped as their Goddesses, Andate, that is, Victorie, and Adraste. Caesar and Lucan. Ships they had, of which the Keeles, the footstocks also, or upright-standards were made of slight timber: the rest of the body framed of windings and oysier was covered over with leather. Solinus: How long so ever they held on their course under sayle, so long the Saylers forbare to eat. They used a drinke made of barley, and so doo we at this day, as Dioscorides writeth, who named curmi wrong for kwrw, for so the Britans call that, which we terme Ale. Many of them together had but one wife among them, as Eusebius recordeth in Evangelica Praeparatione 6. Plutarch reported that they lived one hundred and twentie yeeres, for that the cold and frozen countrey wherein they dwelt, kept in their naturall heat.

10. But what those ancient times of cruell Tyrants were, whereof Gildas writeth, I know not, unlesse he meaneth them that in this country tooke upon them the sway of government against the Romans, and were at that time called Tyrants: for soone after, he addeth thus much out of S. Hierome: Porphyrie raging in the East-parts as a mad dog against the Church, annexed thus much to his furious and vaine stile: Britaine (saith he), a province plentifull of tyrants. Neither will I speake of their ancient religion, which is not verily to be counted religion, but a most lamentable and confused Chaos of Superstitions. For when Satan had drowned the true doctrine in thicke mists of darkenesse, The ugly spectres of Britaine (saith that Gildas) were meere Diabolical, exceeding well neere in nomber those of Aegypt: whereof some wee doe see within or without desert wals, wtih deformed lineaments till, carrying sterne and grim lookes after their wonted maner.

11. But, whereas it is gathered that the Britans were together with Hercules at the rape of Hesione, and that, out of those verses which they take to be made by Cornelius Nepos, whiles he describeth the mariage of Telamon and Hesione:

Mid cups of gold, a medly sort thus lying all along,
Boll after Boll quaft lustily, and Britans them among.

That is altogether poeticall, and I can cleerely by good evidences, as it were, under hand and seale proove, that the author thereof was not, as the Germans would have it, Cornelius Nepos, but one Joseph of Excester, as who hath made mention of our King Henrie the Second, and Thomas, Archbishop of Canterburie.

12. Whether Ulysses entred thus farre, whose arrivall in Caledonia a certaine altar engraven with Greek letters, as Solinus saith, has testified, Brodaeus maketh doubt; and I would judge that erected it was rather in the honour of Ulysses, than by Ulysses himselfe, although they avouch Ulysses to bee the very same Elizza, that was Japhets sonne. For apparent it is out of our Histories, and alreadie I have said as much, that the most ancient Greeks undertoke long voiages by sea and land: no marvell then it ought to seeme, if there be also some names and monuments of theirs found in divers places. And often times they derived those names, not so much from their owne denominations, as from Worthies who were held in as much reverence, if not more, among them, as were either Confessors or Martyrs among Christians. Like as therefore the names of Saint John, Saint Dominicke, Saint Francis, and infinit other Saints departed, are imposd upon new-found places, so also that it hapned time out of minde with the Greeks, who will denie? But who among all the Worthies made either more wandring voiages, or of longer continuance at Sea, than did Ulysses? No marvell then, if Saylers made vowes very often unto him above all others; and unto those places where they arrived and landed, did consecrate according to their viewes, named from him. Thus Ulyssipo [Lisbon] upon the mouth of the river Tagus toke the name: and thus elsewhere other monuments of Ulysses, Laertes and their companions; which are not properly to be referred unto Ulysses as the founder, but we must think that by the Greeks who discovered strange and forraine coasts, they were dedicated in the honour of that Worthy, who of all others had travelled and seene most.

13. Wheras John Tzetzes in this Treatise entituled Varietie of Stories hath written, that our British Kings bestowed upon that renowned Cato the elder, who had perpetuall conflict with the maners of the Roman people, certaine presents for his vertues sake; let him make good and save his owne credite himselfe. Yet thus much all the world knoweth, how that Writer is full fraught with fables. Neither would I have you beleeve, that Alexander the Great come out of the East Indies to Gades, and so forward to Britaine, howsoever Cedrenus, malgree [maugre, in despite of] all other Historiographers, writeth thus, ἐκεῖθεν δὲ πρὸς ῎Αφασιν καὶ Γάδειρα καὶ τὰ Βρεττανήσια ἔθνη γενόμενος, χιλίας τε ὁλκάδας κατασκευασάμενος, that is, And from thence being come unto Phasis, Gades, and the British nations, and having furnished himselfe with a thousand hulkes &. Of the same stampe is that also with Trithemius reporteth out of Hunnibald, that King Bassanus put away his wife, the King of the Orkneys daughter, in the 284 yeere before the birth of Christ, and thereupon he with the aid of the Britans King, made warre upon Bassanus. Nor let any man thinke that Hannibal ever warred in Britaine, because wee read thus in Polybius in the Eclogues of his eleventh Book, τοῦτο δ' ἐστὶν ἐν ὀλίγῳ, συγκεκλειμένου τῆς Βρεττανίας εἰς πάνυ βραχεῖς τόπους ᾿Αννίβου, Thus much in briefe; now that Hannibal was enclosed within the streits of Britain. For the place is corrupt, and for Βρεττανίας, it should bee red Βρεττιανής, as it is in Dio, book 42. For in both places there is speech of the Brutii in Italie. And yet I may not deny, but that about this time the Greeks came to our Iland. For Athenaeus in describing out of Moschion, a most ancient author, that ship of Hiero, at the hugenesse and workmanship whereof all men wondred, reporteth, that the maine mast thereof was with much adoe found by a certaine swineheard in the mountaines of Britain, and by Phileas Taurominites the Mechanick conveied into Sicilie. But I feare, lest the Criticks judge that the true reading here also should be Βρεττιανής for Βρεττανίας, and likewise understand it of the Brutian mountaine in Italy.

14. But it seemeth, that the Britans were entermingled with the Cimbri and the Gaules in those expeditions which were made into Italy and Greece. For, besides the name common to them both, it is recorded in a most ancient British Booke entituled Triadum, wherein mention is made of three mighty hosts leavied from among the Britans, That a certain forrain captain leavied a marvellous puissant army from hence, which having wasted a great part of Europe, at the last sat him downe and abode hard by the Greekish sea (meaning perhaps Gallatia). That Brennus a King so famous in Greek and Latin writers both, was a Britan, there be that thinke they can easily proove. For mine owne part, thus much only I know, that his name is not yet grown out of use with the Britans, who in their language call a King brennin, whether in honorable memory of him I dare not determine. Certes, that Britomarus the militarie captaine among them, of whom Florus and Appian speake, was a Britan, the very name doth evince, which signifieth as much as a great Britan. Neither will I wrest to my purpose for to make the said Brennus a Britan borne, that place of Strabo wherein he writeth, that Brennus was by birth a Prausian. Ne yet dare I (whereas Ottho Frisingensis writeth that the Briones, a generation of the Cimbri, seated themselves at the head of the river Dravus), change Briones into Britones. And yet, what dare not our Criticks do now adaies?

15. But yet truly, to speake my mind once for all: As the Romanes for all they grow to that greatnesse above others, were not for a long time knowen, either to Herodotus or to the Greekes, the Gaules also and the Spaniards for many yeeres utterly unknown to the old Historiographers, so of this minde I have alwaies been, that late was ere the Greeks and Romanes heard of the Britans name. For that little booke Of the world, which commonly goeth abroad under the name of Aristotle, and maketh mention of the Britans, of Albion and Hierne, is not so ancient as the time wherein Aristotle lived, but of later daies by far, as the best learned men have judged. Polybius verily, the famous Historian, who accompanying that noble Scipio travelled over a great part of Europe CCCLXX yeeres or thereabout before Christs nativitie, is the ancientest author, as far as I remember, that mentioneth the Britan Iles, where he writeth, Of the utmost Ocean, the Britan Iles, the plenty of tynne, gold and silver in Spaine, old writers with different opinions, have reported much. But they seeme to have been little more than by name may bee gathered by this he writeth before in the same book. Whatsoever, saith he, between Tanais and Narbo bendeth Northward, to this day there is no man knoweth: and whoever they be, that either speake or write any thing thereof, they doe but dreame. And no lesse may they seem to do in these daies, who in a prodigall humour of credulity are perswaded, that Himilco beeing commanded by the State of Carthage to discover the Westerne sea coasts of Europe, entred into this Isle many yeeres before that time, seeing we have no records of the said navigation, but only a verse or two in Festus Avienus. But why it was so late ere Britain was known, the reason may seem to be, partly the site of the Iland so remote and disjoyned from the continent, and in part, for that those old Britans, then barbarous as all other people in these parts, and living close to themselves, had no great commerce and traffique with the other nations. And surely in this point Dio is of the same opinion. The ancientest, saith he, as well of Greeks as Romans knew not for certeine so much as that there was any Britain at all: and those of later times after them, made question whether it were the maine or an Iland: and much writing there was pro et contra of both opinions, by those who verily had no assured knowledge thereof (as who had neither seen the country nor learned of the native inhabitants of what nature it was), but relied only upon bare conjectures every one according to his time and diligence emploied that way. But the first Latin writer to my knowledge that made mention of Britain was Lucretius in these verses concerning the difference of aire:

For aire, what difference is there in Britain Isle think we,
And Aegypt land, where Artick pole to stoupe men plainly see?

Now that Lucretius lived but a little before Caesar, no man denieth it: at what time we are taught out of Caesar himselfe, that Divitiacus King of the Soissons, and the most mightie Prince of all Gaule governed Britaine. But this is to be understood of the maritime coasts. For Caesar himselfe witnesseth, that no part of Britain, save only the sea side and those countreys which lie against Gaule, was knowen unto the Gauls. Howbeit, Diodorus Siculus writeth that Britaine had experience of no forreiners rule: for neither Dionysius nor Hercules, nor any other Worthy or Demigod have we heard to have attempted war upon that people. Now Caesar, who for his noble Acts is called Divus, was the first that subdued the Britans, and forced them to pay a certaine tribute.

16. From his time and no further off, must the Writer of our Historie fetch his beginning of his worke, if he thorowly weigh with judgement what the learned Varro hath in times past written, and my selfe already heretofore signified: Namely, that there bee of times three differences: the first from the creation of Man unto the Flood or Deluge, which for the ignorance of those daies is called ἄδηλον, that is, Obscure and uncertaine; the second from the floud to the first Olympias (being 3189 yeres after the Creation, and 774 before Christ), which in regard of many fabulous narrations reported in that time, is named μυθικόν, that is, Fabulous; the third from the first Olympias unto our daies, and that is termed ἱστορικον, that is, Historical, because the Acts therin done, are contained in true Histories. And yet I am not ignorant, that albeit the learned nations (setting aside the Hebrews) have attained to the knowledge of nothing before this age, yet the British History of Geffrey, tooke beginning three hundred and thirty yeeres before the first Olympias, being a very rude and ignorant age in these parts, which he called Fabulous. And even from hence, for feare lest the ground-worke being ill laid, the rest of the building would go on no better, because both the present place seemeth to require it, and also from it the chiefe light may arise to the traine of the narration ensuing, let me summarily gathering matter here and there briefly deliver the acts of the Romans in Britaine, not out of feined fables, which were vanitie to recite, and meere folly to beleeve, but out of the incorrupt and ancient moniments: wherein I will not intercept matter of glorie and commendation from them, who shall take in hand to pursue this argument in more ample manner.

Romans in Britaine