A map of the tribes of the Iron Age British Isles

A few days ago I came across this great map of the Iron Age British Isles (well most of them) at the time of Julius Caesar.

You can see the Orcades in the top right and the Cantiaci in the bottom right both still give their names to the Orkneys and the county of Kent… which was well known as being a tough old place that the Romans had trouble with and William The Conqueror seemed to thought best avoided all together.

Interestingly the borders of the home nations aren’t that dissimilar. England is a bit bigger but the borders of the old tribes aren’t a long way off. Even Northern Ireland pretty much matches the 3 northeast tribes of Ireland.

I live down in the bottom triangle of the Catuvellaumi and only a half a mile or so from where King Cassivellaunus defeated Caesars second invasion. Norfolk has the Iceni, later home to our most famous warrior queen.

Everyone heback then re spoke Proto-Brythonic, the ancestor of modern Welsh, Cornish, Breton etc.

Look to the bottom and you will see Belgae. These were from Belgium and had been given refuge by their ‘British’ brethren across the sea who were fleeing Roman invasion and persecution. A reminder we’ve always welcomed those in need whatever certain politicians today might think. In fact giving sanctuary to the Belgae was one of the reasons Caesar attempted his invasions.

Interestingly too that the places today with the strongest regional identities largely correspond to the most powerful tribes. Caledonians above the Scottish central belt.

Dumnonians for Cornwall (and once Devon) and the Brigantes centred over much of Yorkshire and Northumberland, later growing to the west and Ireland too.

Modern day historians increasingly believe these tribes survived to a degree during Roman occupation and later became the basis for the ancient kingdoms of England or the Heptarchy.

Brigantes is where the girls name Brigid or Bridget comes from. They were around at least 500 years before the Romans came. The word means high or elevated. It could be relating to high in importance or geographically from the pennines and the moors (a bit like Highlanders in Scotland).

It is also where the Welsh words Braint (prestige or privilege), Brenin for King too. Also Welsh/Cornish/Breton bri means ‘prestige, reputation, honour, dignity’ Scottish Gaelic brìgh ‘pith, power’, Irish brí ‘energy, significance’, Manx bree ‘power, energy’ (all < *brīg-/brigi-); and Welsh/Cornish/Breton bre ‘hill’ (< *brigā).

For those of us who only speak English the London locations Brent and Brentford come from it too

Interestingly for me anyway one of their nine main towns was modern day Alston, the highest and remotest town in England if not Britain, where my fathers side come from (me and my 66% pre-roman DNA).

They weren’t the most cultured people though neighbouring tribes were a bit more sophisticated culturally speaking.

Apparently the word Brigantes is related to the ancient Avestan word/place Hara Berezaiti which is also from about 530BC which is weirdly comparative time-wise. That was in the Alborz Mountains above Tehran and was legendary mountain around which the stars and planets revolve and where the beautiful Zoroastrian religion started from.

After the Romans, the Brigantes would rise from the ashes to create Bernicia that went from just above Edinburgh to the English Midlands, possibly down towards Nottingham. Then came the Vikings (my other 33% DNA) and eventually the Normans which kind of ruined it for everyone who was all ready calling these islands home.