Brigantes

As brigands, Latin and Breton Brigantes, a loose association of Celtic tribes or rather ethnic groups in the north-eastern Britain is called. They settled near Eboracum (now York), roughly paraphrased in the area between the rivers Humber and Tyne. "Capital" or better administrative center was named after the Roman conquest Isurium Brigantum, now Aldborough. They should have spoken a language related to Welsh.

From its south living Celtic relatives they differed, what archaeological finds prove, by a rustic, peasant culture. They are loosely related to the tribe of the Briganties. The Briganties, latin Brigantii, settled in Central Raetia am Bodensee ( " Brigantinus Lakus ") on the territory of today's Austrian Vorarlberg. Whether the Briganties of Raetia from moved to Britain or vice versa, the English brigands to the mainland, it can be shown not uniquely identified by sources. However, both groups should have as the central deity of a certain Brigid, Latin Brigantia worshiped.

All information about the brigands, beyond the archaeological findings are to be treated with extreme caution as they go back almost exclusively to descriptions of Roman historians, especially Tacitus. This written primarily political propaganda and is good as a source rather for intra Roman ideological clashes around the year 100, it is not even provable whether the Brigantes themselves or something like called because the Romans had the inclination, all unknown to them and latinize to strangers and both linguistically and ideologically adapt their worldview. This especially applies also to the eponymous so-called " mother goddess " Brigid or Brigantia, whose cult is historically to clarify beyond doubt. Brica or Briga is said to have " settlement on the Water " was told in the language of Celtic, siedelnder in the territory of Gaul and Germania later ethnic groups, such as language researchers were able to determine through return line. A written culture of the Brigantes is not known.

The term occurs without reference Celts in the Romance languages ​​as a synonym for " strays ", " homeless " or " beggar " (French brigand ) and also as a robber, bandit or a rebel ( Brigand of Italian brigare, fight, fight ), on.

History

Before the Roman invasion, the Brigantes were the dominant ethnic group in what is now north-east England, but no indigenous population in this area: This had been suspected because of their body paintings by the Romans Picts called ( in the opinion of individual pre- Indo-European ) cultures of the brigands had been pushed to the north.

The brigands were defeated in AD 43 by the troops of the Emperor Claudius, but her first territory not occupied and incorporated into the Roman province of Britannia: Unlike other Celtic tribes on the island and especially the Picts the brigands examined early the political reconciliation with Rome as an ally, so as not to jeopardize its own supremacy; it reported at least Tacitus. Especially out did themselves this Princess Cartimandua, the rivalries within the different groups of brigands and others associated with them ethnic groups sent knew exploit: A trick they lured the year 51 according to Tacitus the Welsh Celts in battle against the Romans cited by ligand General Caratacus in a case and handed him over to the Romans. The secured her the esteem of the Roman provincial governor Publius Ostorius scapula, who repeatedly came the controversial within the brigands ' Federation Cartimandua with troops to help.

Only when the riots individual Brigantenführer accumulated after Cartimanduas disempowerment by 70 to finished emperor Vespasian incorporate the special status of the existing nine centers of power Brigand's Federation and let by the governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola, the area 79 final in the Roman province of Britannia. During this time, Isurium Brigantum made ​​out as an administrative center. The ancient forts of the Brigantes Federation were razed.

In the course of the 2nd century there were repeated to Brigand's riots, but they were always defeated by the Romans, to which Roman coins from this time point. The Greek geographer Pausanias reported by the suppression and expulsion of the brigands, especially under Emperor Antoninus Pius. The Confederacy was finally crushed and individual tribes or groups forcibly relocated or displaced. During this time, some brigands groups to have fled to Ireland as a listing on a map of the Hellenic geographers and Kartologen Ptolemy suggests. Excavations on the island of Ireland Lambay Southeast Iceland, which promoted the culture brigantischen attributable to artifacts from the late 2nd century days seem to confirm this hypothesis.

When the Romans to 410 from Britain withdrew gradually fell to 409, the never fully repressed Picts repeated in the root area of ​​a brigand, but were thrown back with the help of the Saxons. Later, when Saxons and other Germanic Kingdom subjugated, many brigands moved back to the north. The Kingdom of Strathclyde is to go back on it.

Culture of brigands

Little is known about the culture of the brigands. The main goddess of the Brigantes Brigantia the sources (even Brigid or Brigindo ) call. She was said to be the goddess of healing and fertility, but also of war. These assumptions, however, are pure speculation and neither finds nor by any other source is safe.

It could also be that a personalized deity Brigantia is a typical for her invention of the Romans, as they themselves have revered and worshiped also lucky as Fortuna or even Britannia as a deity. Roman inscriptions from the old brigand - area know a equated with Victoria or Minerva deity Brigantia (possibly the by the Romans respected as allies Cartimandua ), another called a Brigantia as a nymph, which is also a transfer of own religious ideas on Celtic beliefs. Whether circulating in Roman circles Cartimandua and spent to Rome and brigantische rebel Caratacus have passed on knowledge of their religion there later as a free man living, is not known. Presumably, the Roman occupiers, the indifferent, but tolerant survived the religions of the cultures they conquered, as a rule, " straightened out " the foreign religion to them simply according to their understanding.

Judging from the word meaning briga or brica, German, settlement on the water ', one at Celtic settlement foundations throughout Europe widespread prefix, then the brigands would simply be the " settlers by the water" and Brigid that whatsoever divinity of these settlers, probably a water sanctuary. This interpretation is the longest that can be done on the source location. All other knowledge about alleged Brigid cults of the brigands are seen through the eyes of the Romans, Christian missionaries or mystifying Neokelten or even deliberate falsification.