the origin of the name Britain

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fitzcoraldo F
fitzcoraldo Nov 9, 2005 13:18:30
Replying to PeterH

The Iron age ain't really my bag but I believe that a number of shrines/altars dedicated to Brigantia have been found around the north of England.
Elgee discusses the possible meaning of Brigante as a hill dweller or highlander.
There were other Brigantes in Europe
Ptolemy records the Brixante and the city of Briantium just north of the modern cities of Grisons.
Strabo placed his Brigantii on the shore of Lake Constance. Ptolemy also put a group of Brigantes in south east Ireland, close to the River Barrow (Fluvius Bergus).

P PeterH
PeterH Nov 9, 2005 13:34:29
Replying to fitzcoraldo

Yes - I think you are correct. It makes more sense to see the Brigantes as the People of Brigit. Later, because of their warlike raids, the name came to mean brigands or bandits just as we have used the name of the Vandals to describe modern yobs.

D danielspaniel
danielspaniel Nov 9, 2005 13:37:43
Replying to fitzcoraldo

I have noticed there are quite a few rivers and towns/ villages using Bree, Bride, Bredy etc in both Dorset and Kent. The most obvious being near Abbotsbury in Dorset around the villages of Little Bredy and Long Bredy, which, as many here will now, is an area rich in prehistoric sites. It would be interesting to know when and why these namings occured and whether they do pertain to the 'goddess' Bridget.

Apparently even the terms 'Celt' and 'Celtic' were originally just R*man words to diss scary barbarian types ('you callin' me a celt?!'), yet it has come to sum up the culture and ethnicity of a range of quite disparate peoples.