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1 Lecture no. 1 Britain: From Earliest Times to 1066 For how long the windswept islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe were uninhabited remains a mystery. When and why the first human beings set foot on Bri tish and Irish soil must also remain a matter for speculation. What is known is that those first adventurers were followed by various identifiable groups of migrants who settled into their new home. Britain’s First Inhabitants In ancient times Britain was inhabited by Iberians. Little is known of these people who left behind them the barrows (large mound graves made of earth or stone that can still be seen in the south of Britain and at !tonehenge" a mysterious circle of stones. The Second Wave Between #$$$ and %#$$ B&" the &elts began to migrate to Britain from north'west ermany. )hey spoke their own &eltic language" and were known as Britons. )he &elts lived in round" wooden huts in small villages and were mainly farmers. )hey organised themselves into tribes with a king or *ueen as leader and intertribal wars were very common. When the +oman legions invaded !outhern Britain" they found the land inhabited by these Britons who are generally connected with, !tonehenge the lack of a written language. -s we have already mentioned" the ancestors of nowadays English had a tribal life. )hey were tall and stout men" fair or red'haired. )he &elts were also skilful in ironwork and" although growing wheat in the south and oats further north" they mainly lived on hunting" fishing" herding" beekeeping" and above all" fighting. )hey remained tribesmen or clansmen bound together by sentimental ties of. A Celtic chario t n the land inhabited by the &elts one could find packs of wolves and herds of wild swine" bears" reindeer" millions of land and water birds. /ence the Celtic feeling for nature: )he love of the savage weather )he passion of the furious sea )he love of nature for its own sake Celtic metal wor England before the English - From the Beginnings to 1100 -
