Boadicea (eBook)

Aimee Lamb (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2021 | 1. Auflage
211 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
978-1-0983-8695-5 (ISBN)

Queen Boadicea led an uprising against the roman occupying forces in Britain in A.D. 60-61.

Recently widowed, Queen of the Iceni, Boadicea, was flogged and her two daughters violated by avaricious Roman thugs. She retaliated by leading a large force of Celtic tribes and totally destroyed three large settlements before she faced famed Roman General Suetonius, and his disciplined legions and lost... but did she?In order to keep their domination of the Celts in Britain the Romans were forced to bring in more troops from overseas. This led their borders on the continent, and elsewhere, weakened and eventually to the collapse of the Roman Empire. Boadicea's fame lives on and a statue of her and her daughters, in her famed chariot stands on the banks of the Thames outside of the House of Parliament, it is only fitting.

CHAPTER I

A Queen is Born

(British Isles, circa A.D. 20)

A large Celtic settlement of round, pointed, thatch-topped houses, slowly emerged through the gray fog of morning. Outside of its wooden and raised earth defenses the settlement was bordered on one side, by densely clustered trees and on another, by the large river Ouse. The settlement itself, situated on top of a hill, had a commanding view of the whole surrounding countryside.

Birds chirped in the trees and from the roofs of the settlement while pigs snuffled in the muddy dirt of the compound. Cattle and sheep added their lowing and bleating to the porcine and avian chorus as they protested being rounded up by herdsmen and shepherds, to be taken outside the settlement through the large stout doors of the rath. Once outside of the confines of the settlement they were led across several earth defenses, to where they could sate their hunger on the vast and lush verdant grasslands which lay beyond large, orderly, cultivated fields of barley, rye and corn as well as rows of cabbages, onions and beets.

On the nearby flowing Ouse, scare discerned in the morning fog, small one and two men coracles bobbed as their occupants, wrapped up in warm multi-hued wool cloaks, knelt holding fishing lines or small nets, trawling the waters. An occasional floppy silver form was seen being thrown to the back of the coracles by the fishermen lucky enough to make a catch.

The stout doors of the rath stayed open as the night guards returned from their vigil, some running on foot while several others rode on horseback and all entered the compound to warm their gelid limbs and assuage their hunger pangs.

As the night guards entered the day guards waited to exit while their commanders exchanged words. All being well the day guards exited and dispersed to their various look out positions. Though well armed and wearing their thick wool cloaks to guard against the nip of the morning air the day guards would also serve to alert the compound of any friendly visitors or traders approaching as well as to warn of any unwelcome or unknown strangers or warriors. For this, several of the guards were seen to have a long metal carynx, which ended in the mythical shape of a dragon-like head, strapped to their backs, next to their quivers.

A strong wind started up, making leaves dance along the ground and the crops in the cultivated fields sway as though they too danced. Dogs sniffed at the air which was redolent with the salty smell of the sea, not far off to the east and brought in on the wind, as were cooking aromas emanating from cauldrons simmering over open fires.

The houses of the settlement, with their sharply pointed roofs resting on ash rafters which, in turn, were supported on stout posts, their exterior walls of hazel wattle covered with daub, were massed together as though seeking comfort from one another’s close proximity. Smoke filtered out through the bundles of rye stalks, that made up the thatch tops, mingling and becoming one with the early morning fog.

Lean-tos and animal enclosures were filled with snorting, grunting, squealing and seemingly protesting animals of all kinds as shepherds and goatherds, as well as horse handlers and cow herders went about trying to gather their charges and goad them outside of the settlement for their daily outings.

Into the confusion rode the night guards who swiftly dismounted and led their mounts over to the stable yard where they each saw to their own horse as a matter of pride. Laughing and chatting they had soon wiped down their mounts with handfuls of straw and seen that they had plenty to eat and fresh buckets of water, before they sauntered over to the young unmarried warriors’ quarters to eat a hearty breakfast, and were joined by the foot guards who arrived later somewhat out of breath.

Finally, after eating and drinking their fill, the young men and women would all get some well deserved sleep.

Other horses were being led outside to the rich pastures bordering the settlement, their manes and tails tossed this way and that by the wind as they were let loose to gambol and eat the lush dew bedecked grasses. The herdsmen, shepherds and goatherds, holding their woollen cloaks to their bodies guarding them against the cold nip of the wind, stood, leaning on their staffs and crooks, watching their charges of cattle, goats and sheep also enjoying the lush verdant grasses and who seemed unfazed by the now gusting wind and prancing horses.

Groups of men, women and children, made their way out of the settlement to the cultivated fields, holding hoes and rakes over their shoulders, as well as baskets in which to place any root vegetables mature enough to be harvested, while others made their way to the apple grove to pick the ripened fruit which would not only be used for eating and cooking but also to make the strong cider brew that all Celts loved.

Back in the compound, outside many of the houses, ornately decorated chariots stood, their empty shafts pointing skyward.

The largest, and most imposing edifice, on whose outside walls were nailed more grisly relics of past confrontations than on any other edifice - the heads of former warrior enemies killed in battle - stood, somewhat apart, near the center of the compound, with more than a dozen chariots parked outside.

Inside the dark and deserted main hall, whose walls were covered with an assortment of weapons, a few dogs lay sleeping, gleaning what warmth they could from the fire pit’s smoldering remnants of the previous night’s fire. While most of the shields, swords, lances and daggers on display were hung on the walls, many daggers were also stuck in the thatch of the roof, where they had been thrown, not only for decoration but also for easy access, though some, thrown during drunken revelry, were well beyond man’s reach should the need arise to quickly retrieve them! Among the various arms were seen hunks of ham and other meats being preserved by the constant smoke from the large fire pit below.

The wooden posts and many of the wooden boards of the walls of the large hall, were intricately carved in swirling patterns while the center of the hall, close to the fire pit, was taken up by a very large table at the head of which stood an ornately carved chair. Along the sides of the hall benches, planks of wood and various sized saw horses stood ready to make more tables and benches for when large groups attended gatherings and feasts held in the large hall.

Two young boys entered, toting armfuls of wood and kindling which they dropped near the fire pit and set to blowing on the glowing embers to re-ignite them into a fire with some of the kindling. As the fire took the boys added a couple of logs while their shadows danced on the walls of the cavernous hall, causing one of the dogs to sit up and begin barking.

“Shut up you stupid hound, you’ll wake the household”.

As the young boy, Tado, stood glaring at the dog in question a woman’s scream was heard. Tado looked at his companion, Pata, and smiled. Pata straightened up and laughed exclaiming, “Well we’ll soon know what it’s to be!”

Leaving the hall they glanced in the direction of a doorway, down from where they paused, whence emanated another scream! The curtained doorway to the chamber was surrounded by several warriors and a few women, who looked at the boys as though annoyed at their presence.

“We’ll soon know indeed!” said the younger boy, Tado, in a cryptic tone of voice as a young woman rushed past them carrying a bowl of steaming water and was let into the chamber by one of the women outside who held the curtain back for her to enter.

“Oona will let us know, as like as not,” said Tado as his friend Pata laughed and nodded in agreement.

“Your right, my sister can’t keep anything secret for very long!”

Inside, the chamber revealed itself to be a bedchamber, lit by smoking oil lamps, hanging from the rafters on braided ropes, for while it was daylight outside of the house, not much light seeped inside the chamber. The wooden walls of the chamber, like those of the hall, were decorated with shields, spears, and swords, but also boasted several carved pegs from which hung brightly hued articles of clothing.

To one side of the chamber a pile of hide covered boxes was stacked against the wall and a large loom, with work in progress on it, stood against another. Skeins of colored wool, piled too high in a basket next to the loom tumbled out of it, adding pools of color to the rush covered dirt floor.

Several women, shrouded in wisps of smoke emanating from the hanging lamps, were discerned standing around a large bed platform. One of them, Marva, looked up as the young woman entered and smiled in greeting as she took the bowl of steaming water from her hands.

“Thank you Oona, maybe another one?”

Oona nodded her head, and looked over to the bed platform before quickly exiting the chamber.

On the bed platform, a naked woman, her face sweat-drenched and teeth clenched down on a leather strap, was being supported under her arms by two...

Erscheint lt. Verlag	29.7.2021
Sprache	englisch
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
ISBN-10	1-0983-8695-7 / 1098386957
ISBN-13	978-1-0983-8695-5 / 9781098386955

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