<< Feature Articles >> By Tree, Stone and Spring. Part One
Submitted by Thorgrim on Friday, 09 December 2005 Page Views: 4323
Other Archaeology
First of all it is necessary to consider just whom we mean when we talk about “our more recent pagan ancestors”. This article confines itself to the British Isles, but a very similar picture is appropriate for much of Europe. Probably, the beliefs of the various European tribes had elements in common and their form of “paganism” (formerly mis-named Celtic) would have been overlaid, first by Roman paganism and Mithraism and then by Christianity. In parts of Britain, there would have been a further post Christian pagan influence arriving with the incoming heathen Anglo-Saxons. Similarly in Europe, but on a slightly different timescale, Germanic Belgae and Franks were moving into areas previously known as Gaul. So our first glimpse of “our more recent pagan ancestors” comes from the observations of the Romans. Then there is a gap until after the Roman withdrawal and the activities of Christian missionaries. The Romans observed our pagan beliefs, but the Christians tried to change them and we can learn much by reading the written laws prohibiting and punishing pagan practises at trees, stones and springs.
Who were the Ancient Britons?
Recent DNA studies are revealing much about how humans moved out of Africa and colonised the world. Archaeology has revealed the early presence of modern humans and at Clacton in Essex, flint tools and a yew spear point are dated to the Hoxnian Interglacial (c.3-200,000 BP). That spear point is the only surviving wooden artefact from the Lower Palaeolithic in Britain. It proves that modern humans had an early toe hold here in between the ice ages while Britain was still joined to the European landmass. Before the ice finally retreated, hunter-gatherers moved freely across the dry land of the North Sea, which was sometimes like the Siberian steppes with vast herds of mammoths and at other times it was marshy and wooded. Clearly, southern Britain was inhabitable earlier than the northern parts. As the ice retreated northwards, so the people would have been able to follow the animals that they hunted as new grazing became available. As the ice melted, sea levels rose and an area at least the size of modern England was lost forever. Britain became an island, as did Ireland, Man and all of the other hilltops of the previously dry low lands. DNA studies show that most of us living in Britain today are descended from those first ice age hunters. The hunters gradually became herders and new ideas of farming, agriculture and domestic animals were introduced, partly by immigration from the continent and partly by trade and the exchange of ideas and artefacts. There was no mass invasion of farmers from elsewhere although all of our farm animals were imported, because none but pigs are indigenous. The native hunter-gatherers adapted their life styles and learned new techniques. This transition period, we call the Mesolithic and it developed into the Neolithic.
Just as the ideas and techniques of farming were introduced, so were the knowledge and skills of working with metals; first with copper, then with bronze and finally with iron. This does not mean that Britain was invaded and settled by Bronze Age warriors or Iron Age Celts. There was immigration and movement around the British Isles and that pattern has still to be unravelled and understood. (More information here) DNA and folk legends suggest that there was early movement of Iberians from Spain and Portugal by sea into the lands that would later be known as Cornwall, Wales and Ireland. Undoubtedly, there was also movement across the narrow Straits of Dover and the English Channel. Further north, the North Sea was a seaway from the Low Countries rather than a barrier and even further north, it is now suggested that the Picts may have come from Scandinavia into the land of the Caledonians. Much later still, people from all over the Roman Empire settled here as discharged soldiers, many of whom were Germanic. Later still, the Irish Scotti tribe invaded Pictland and people from the lands we now call Germany, Denmark, Frisia, Holland and Norway moved into parts of Britain (more information here) None of these incomers eradicated the indigenous population who remained the majority and who bred with the newcomers. However, the newcomers did bring new ideas, technologies and beliefs. It is those beliefs that we shall investigate in further parts of this article looking at trees, stones and springs.
The second part will look at how the Romans described the British tribes, their characteristics, customs and beliefs. The third part will describe how Christianity sought to control, banish and Christianise pagan beliefs. Finally we shall see how records of specific laws and punishments for the continuation of pagan customs at trees, stones and sacred springs have revealed the greatest details of our more recent ancestors’ pagan beliefs.
Note: Read Part Two here
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