Vacomagi facts for kids
The Vacomagi were an ancient group of people who lived in Britain a very long time ago. We only know about them because a famous geographer named Ptolemy mentioned them around the year 150 AD. He wrote down some details about where they lived and what their main towns might have been.
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Who Were the Vacomagi?
Ptolemy's writings suggest that the Vacomagi lived in a part of what is now northern Scotland. Their land was likely in the areas we now call Banffshire, Elginshire, Nairnshire, and the eastern part of Inverness-shire. These areas are in the northeast of Scotland.
What Were Their Main Towns?
Ptolemy listed four places that he believed were important towns or settlements for the Vacomagi. These places were called 'Bannatia', 'Tamia', Pinnata Castra, and 'Tuesis'. We don't have many other details about these towns, but their names give us clues about the Vacomagi's world.
What Does "Vacomagi" Mean?
The exact meaning of the name Vacomagi is not fully known. One idea is that it comes from old British words. The word vaco might mean a bay or a firth (a narrow inlet of the sea). The word magh could mean a plain or a flat area of land.
A Possible Meaning
If these ideas are correct, then "Vacomagi" might mean "the people of the plain of the firth." This would make sense, as they lived near coastal areas and flat lands in Scotland. Another idea for the name's origin has been suggested, but it is thought to be less likely.
