Brigantia (ancient region) facts for kids
Brigantia was the name for the land where the Brigantes lived. They were a powerful Celtic tribe in ancient Britain. Their territory was the largest of any tribe in Britain. Today, this area is mostly Northern England and parts of The Midlands.
Brigantia stretched from the River Tyne down to the Humber estuary. It was the biggest Brythonic kingdom in ancient Britain. A writer named Ptolemy noted in the 2nd century AD that Brigantia went from the Irish Sea in the west to the North Sea in the east.
What Does "Brigantia" Mean?
The name Brigantia might come from two things. It could be from the high, hilly land of the area. Or, it might be named after Brigantia, a goddess the tribe worshipped.
In modern Welsh, the word braint means 'privilege' or 'prestige'. This word comes from the same ancient root. Other related words in Celtic languages mean 'king', 'prestige', 'power', or 'hill'. Even the name Bridget comes from this root.
Many old settlements across Europe were called Brigantium. This name often meant 'settlement of the high ones'. This could refer to important people or to towns built on high ground. Examples include places in Spain, Portugal, and Germany.
History of Brigantia
Brigantia was not a single, unified kingdom. It was more like a group of smaller tribes working together. The Pennines mountains were at the heart of their lands.
Some researchers call the wider area 'Greater Brigantia'. This is because it's debated which smaller tribes were part of the Brigantes. Some tribes often included were the Setantii in Lancashire and the Carvetii in what is now Cumbria.
The main town of the Brigantes was Isurium. The Romans later made it a fort and town called Isurium Brigantum. Today, you can see its remains at Aldborough, North Yorkshire. Other Roman forts in Brigantia included Bremetennacum Veteranorum (Ribchester) and Mamucium (Manchester).
Around 43 AD, when the Romans first wrote about the Brigantes, their land was wild. It had lots of mossland, marshes, and thick forests. These forests included the Forest of Lyme and the Forest of Bowland. Wild animals like brown bears, wild boars, wolves, deer, and eagles lived there. The Brigantes would have hunted these animals.
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