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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p.2 British Isles
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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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p.4 British Isles
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