The Hallaton helmet will go on permanent display at Harborough Museum later this month Photo: Christopher Pledger
The Hallaton helmet will go on permanent display at Harborough Museum later this month Photo: Christopher Pledger
Why couldn’t it be the helmet of a Roman Top Dog that the Briton had brought down in battle and they buried the trophy with him?
And they’re 100% sure that this was a presentation to this tribal chief, and not one of his particularly prized trophies from the field of battle?
It`s a War trophy.
The Indians in Massachusetts during the New England Indian Wars wore captured/killed British 3-pointed hats and braided gold jackets.
During the 1690`s & 1709 up until 1753, the French, in skirmishes with Dutch-English combined forces out of Fort Edward and Schuylerville, wore Spanish chest armor captured from the Dutch, still to be seen in Fort Ticonderoga Museum glass case.
save for later
Thought it was common knowledge that some of the Celtic tribes aligned with the Romans.
So what has changed exactly? My 1991 edition of “The Oxford History of Britain” discusses the Claudian invasion of 43AD and reads....
“The invasion met with fierce resistance from some of the British tribes. Others, no doubt not sorry to see the Catuvellaunian hegemony in southern Britain destroyed, surrendered easily or joined the Romans.”
Booty taken from a dead Roman or dead Romans, then lost somehow seems as likely an explanation.
British soldier to another British soldier, after capturing a Roman: Now let ME wear the helmet:)!
Western civilization is the last vestige of the Roman empire. Two millenia later, and here we are, still using the latin alphabet. Amazing, isn’t it. The Roman empire never went away, it just kind of spread out a bit.
The article was written by Anita Singh. That could explain a lot...
“Anita Singh is the Daily Telegraph’s Showbusiness Editor, covering film, television, music and celebrity misbehaviour.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/anita-singh/
But this is nothing new. You can find it in (IIRC) "The History of the English Speaking People" which was written in the 1930's.
As with every other invasion some of the weaker groups joined with the invaders to overthrow the established order. For some reason the idea of living under Pax Romana where you sent Rome a bit of money every year was more appealing then seeing your villages and farms raided and your people carried off as slaves by your more powerful neighbors. I can't imagine why, but there you go.
The way the Romans expanded in Gaul, Germania and down the Danube was by fighting only when potential enemies couldn’t be brought onto their side.
Not surprising to me that this would occur in Britain, as well.
Quick poll: Which spelling do you prefer?
1) Boudicca
2) Boadicea
ping
“An alternative theory that the helmet was seized as booty can be discounted because it was a symbolic item not designed to be worn in battle.”
Interesting article and we do know that natives often were recruited into the Roman military during invasions. Frequently the Romans used intertribal disputes as levers to work their way into a territory.
But I simply can’t buy that argument. An article of great worth, acquired in battle as a trophy could most certainly be buried with the acquirer.
Cavalry was the main arm for which Romans used foreign troops.
They knew it was a gift because the price tag was still on the helment.
Okay, let’s see now - - - . We have the burial site of a “ - - - British tribal leader. - - - “ (or maybe a Roman who fought for that British Tribe?); we have 5,500 coins; - - -hmmmmmmmm, may we assume that some of the tribe were “merry men?”
If so then this could have been the very first Robin Hood! As Robin Hood #1 he would done what Robin Hood # 2 did: he have stolen from the Government, which were the Romans.
Who was the Sheriff of Nottingham back then?
Today in un-merry America then is no Robin Hood who steals from the government, but we do have our Sheriff of Nottingham! Yep! You guessed it, none other than Timmy Gee. Whatever money that you earn he thinks he owns it.
