Old Hampshire Mapped


Blome's Geography

Descriptive text page 3


sacrifice
religion
Solinus
Druids
Britons
Jupiter
Anubis
Mercury
Andate
Adraste
Senae
marriage
extended family
arms
spear
bow and arrows
chariot
costume
Siculus, Diodorus
textile
skins
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Page 3 continues:-
dance of pittiful and ridiculous adorations, and religious ceremonies; and Solinus reports, that they sacrificed mans flesh on their Altars.

British Priests and their Offices.

These Britains, as also the Gauls, (which, as Tacitus saith, great affinity together) had their Druidae or Priests alwaies present to officiate in those divine Services; and were Supervisors as well in publick, as private Sacrifices, and attended all other priestly Functions: they were the Interpreters of Religious Rites, the deciders of Offences and Controversies between men, and there was such an effectual power in them, that such as would not be absolutely concluded by Their decree, were stripped of all priviledges, and excommunicated out of their Church, which alone they held very deplorable. These Priests were the Instructors of Youth, they taught the immortality of the Soul; and believed, that after the breath had left one body, it immediately passed into another; they also discoursed of the Planets, of the vast circumference of the Earth and Heavens, and much of the incomprehensible power of their Immortal Gods.

Their belief and adoration of Gods.

These People worshipped several Gods, viz. Jupiter tonans, or Thundering Jupiter, whom they sorely dreaded: Then Anubis latrans, or barking Anubis: Also Mercury an Inventor of Arts, and a prosperer of Journeys; likewise Andate and Adraste, Gods of Victory.

They had also recourse to unclean Spirits called Incubi, for the advancing of some private revenge or other.

The Religious Females, who vowed perpetual Virginity, attended on the God Senae, or Lenae, from whence Lean Minster, an ancient Nunnery, which afterwards was called Lemster, drew its first original.

No solemn Mariages.

They observed no solemn (or forms of) Mariages, but a certain number of men, who combined or lived together, took to them an equal quantity of women, and so lay with one another, and most frequent to be observed Parents with their Children, and near Relations intermixed with one another; and this Rule they observed; that what Children the Women bore, those were reputed the Fathers that first took them when Virgins.

Their Instruments of war, and manner of fighting.

The manner of their fighting was with Darts, short Spears, Bows and Arrows, Faulchions, Shields, and questionless other Instruments of War they used in battle. At the first engagement, they drove violently through the Army, casting forth their Darts with great activity; afterwards they alighted and fought on foot, during which time the Charioteers withdrew a little out of the way. The battle was alwaies fought at convenient distances from each other, that exchanges of fresh supplies for their dead and maimed, might be the more readily had.

Their Garments.

The Garments which some of them wore, Diodorus Siculus tearms rough and undressed; in British called Brati; another sort tearmed Lania. They also used Cassaks of thickned wool called Glawn, which Strabo makes mention of. Not unlike, but that some wore Garments made of the Skins of Beasts, sewed together without shape or form; we may believe that they had not Taylors, as now adayes, to shape out apparel in that curiosity and form.

The nature, disposition, and living of the Britains.

These people lived after the manner of the old World, fair conditioned, if not injured, and desirous to pick quarrels with none, so they might enjoy themselves with ease and plenty. They were not over delicious, a belly full they desired, but of what they mattered not much. And as to their stature, they were generally tall and well proportionate.

Who were the first Inhabitants, and whence this word Britain came (as before noted) Authors have largely disputed. It is the Judgment of the learned, that, let who will ransack all the ancient Records in being, / there

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Blome's Hampshire 1673, contents
General index (to Old Hampshire Mapped)
Old Hampshire Mapped

Text HMCMS:FA2002.7