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I. Of the Situation of Britain and Ireland, and of their ancient inhabitants
BOOK I
CHAP. I.
Of the Situation of Britain and Ireland, and of their ancient inhabitants
Britain, an island in the Atlantic, formerly called Albion, lies to the
north-west, facing, though at a considerable distance, the coasts of Germany,
France, and Spain, which form the greatest part of Europe. It extends 800 miles
in length towards the north, and is 200 miles in breadth, except where several
promontories extend further in breadth, by which its compass is made to be 4,875
miles. To the south lies Belgic Gaul. To its nearest shore there is an easy
passage from the city of Rutubi Portus, by the English now corrupted into
Reptacaestir. The distance from here across the sea to Gessoriacum, the nearest
shore in the territory of the Morini, is fifty miles, or as some writers say,
450 furlongs. On the other side of the island, where it opens upon the boundless
ocean, it has the islands called Orcades. Britain is rich in grain and trees,
and is well adapted for feeding cattle and beasts of burden. It also produces
vines in some places, and has plenty of land and water fowl of divers sorts; it
is remarkable also for rivers abounding in fish, and plentiful springs. It has
the greatest plenty of salmon and eels; seals are also frequently taken, and
dolphins, as also whales; besides many sorts of shell-fish, such as mussels, in
which are often found excellent pearls of all colours, red, purple, violet and
green, but chiefly white. There is also a great abundance of snails, of which
the scarlet dye is made, a most beautiful red, which never fades with the heat
of the sun or exposure to rain, but the older it is, the more beautiful it
becomes. It has both salt and hot springs, and from them flow rivers which
furnish hot baths proper for all ages and both sexes, in separate places,
according to their requirements. For water, as St. Basil says, receives the
quality of heat, when it runs along certain metals, and becomes not only hot but
scalding. Britain is rich also in veins of metals, as copper, iron, lead, and
silver; it produces a great deal of excellent jet, which is black and sparkling,
and burns when put to the fire, and when set on fire, drives away serpents;
being warmed with rubbing, it attracts whatever is applied to it, like amber.
The island was formerly distinguished by twenty-eight famous cities, besides
innumerable forts, which were all strongly secured with walls, towers, gates,
and bars. And, because it lies almost under the North Pole, the nights are light
in summer, so that at midnight the beholders are often in doubt whether the
evening twilight still continues, or that of the morning has come; since the sun
at night returns to the east in the northern regions without passing far beneath
the earth. For this reason the days are of a great length in summer, and on the
other hand, the nights in winter are eighteen hours long, for the sun then
withdraws into southern parts. In like manner the nights are very short in
summer, and the days in winter, that is, only six equinoctial hours. Whereas, in
Armenia, Macedonia, Italy, and other countries of the same latitude, the longest
day or night extends but to fifteen hours, and the shortest to nine.
There are in the island at present, following the number of the books in which
the Divine Law was written, five languages of different nations employed in the
study and confession of the one self-same knowledge, which is of highest truth
and true sublimity, to wit, English, British, Scottish, Pictish, and Latin, the
last having become common to all by the study of the Scriptures. But at first
this island had no other inhabitants but the Britons, from whom it derived its
name, and who, coming over into Britain, as is reported, from Armorica,
[Editor’s note: In Caesar’s time, the whole district lying along the
northwestern coast of Gaul, afterwards narrowed down to the modern Brittany.
That the Britons (or Brythons)came from Gaul is doubtless a fact. Another branch
of the Celtic race, the Goidels or Gaels, appears to have been in possession in
Britain before them. They possessed themselves of the southern parts thereof.
Starting from the south, they had occupied the greater part of the island, when
it happened, that the nation of the Picts, putting to sea from Scythia, as is
reported, in a few ships of war, and being driven by the winds beyond the bounds
of Britain, came to Ireland and landed on its northern shores. [Editors note: By
Scythia Bede means Scandinavia. He only mentions this account as a tradition.
The problem of the Picts has not been solved yet. According to one view, they
belonged to the pre-Aryan inhabitants of Britain, pushed westward and northward
by the Celtic invaders. In Scotland they held their own for a considerable time
in a wide tract of country, and they may have to some extent amalgamated with
the Celts who dispossessed them (Rhys). Others regard them as Celts of the same
branch as Welsh, Cornish, and Britons, being probably nearest to Cornish. The
absence of all but the scantiest remains of their language makes the question of
their origin one of great difficulty.] There, finding the nation of the Scots,
they begged to be allowed to settle among them, but could not succeed in
obtaining their request. Ireland is the largest island next to Britain, and lies
to the west of it; but as it is shorter than Britain to the north, so, on the
other hand, it runs out far beyond it to the south, over against the northern
part of Spain, though a wide sea lies between them. The Picts then, as has been
said, arriving in this island by sea, desired to have a place granted them in
which they might settle. The Scots answered that the island could not contain
them both; but "We can give you good counsel," said they, "whereby you may know
what to do; we know there is another island, not far from ours, to the eastward,
which we often see at a distance, when the days are clear. If you will go
thither, you can obtain settlements; or, if any should oppose you, we will help
you." The Picts, accordingly, sailing over into Britain, began to inhabit the
northern parts thereof, for the Britons had possessed themselves of the
southern. Now the Picts had no wives, and asked them of the Scots; who would not
consent to grant them upon any other terms, than that when any question should
arise, they should choose a king from the female royal race rather than from the
male: which custom, as is well known, has been observed among the Picts to this
day. In process of time, Britain, besides the Britons and the Picts, received a
third nation, the Scots, who, migrating from Ireland under their leader, Reuda,
either by fair means, or by force of arms, secured to themselves those
settlements among the Picts which they still possess. From the name of their
commander, they are to this day called Dalreudini; for, in their language, Dal
signifies a part.
Ireland is broader than Britain and has a much healthier and milder climate; for
the snow scarcely ever lies there above three days: no man makes hay in the
summer for winter’s provision, or builds stables for his beasts of burden. No
reptiles are found there, and no snake can live there; for, though snakes are
often carried thither out of Britain, as soon as the ship comes near the shore,
and the scent of the air reaches them, they die. On the contrary, almost all
things in the island are efficacious against poison. In truth, we have known
that when men have been bitten by serpents, the scrapings of leaves of books
that were brought out of Ireland, being put into water, and given them to drink,
have immediately absorbed the spreading poison, and assuaged the swelling. The
island abounds in milk and honey, nor is there any lack of vines, fish, or fowl;
and it is noted for the hunting of stags and roe-deer. It is properly the
country of the Scots, who, migrating from thence, as has been said, formed the
third nation in Britain in addition to the Britons and the Picts.
There is a very large gulf of the sea, which formerly divided the nation of the
Britons from the Picts; it runs from the west far into the land, where, to this
day, stands a strong city of the Britons, called Alcluith. The Scots, arriving
on the north side of this bay, settled themselves there.
