The indigenous group

Brief history of England

England was first inhabited by the Celtic people.

In 43 CE (Christian Era) after Julias Caesar, England was taken over by Roman rule over an evolving Romano-Celtic society.

By the the 5^th century, the Roman Empire started to decline. German tribes such as the Jutes, the Angles and the Saxons started invading and the indigenous Celtic people were at their mercy. England became a predominantly Anglo-Saxon society with the indigenous tribe threatened and pushed to the extremities in Cornwall, Wales and Scotland.

However, the 8^th century was when the Viking pirates from Scandinavia started appearing in England.

Finally in 1066, the last successful invasion of Britain took place by William, Duke of Normandy who defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings on the south coast of England. He became known as King William I.

England's indigenous group

The Celtic people were the first recorded indigenous group in England. Their original homeland was the east of Rhine. In about 300 BC during the Iron Age, they crossed the English Channel to England. As a result, the Iron Age was known as the Age of Celt in Britain. This was also because they were the people who brought iron working to the British Isles.

The Celts were a group of people loosely tied by the Celtic language, similar religion, and cultural expression. Records tell of how they were a tribe of great story-tellers, great drinkers and great fighters. They were not centrally governed, and liked to fight each other in combats. They were warriors, living for the glories of battle and plunder.



Indigeneous Celtic people in their chariots, holding spears



The Celtic people lived in huts of arched timber with walls of wicker and roofs of thatch. The huts were generally gathered in loose hamlets.  When they were not fighting, they were farmers. Other important interests they had were art in the form of tales and poems, and jewelry.




Celtic people during the time of Julius Caesar

 

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In today’s modern times, some of the Celts are now the Welsh people. The indigenous Celts have preserved their native language and culture for far longer in Cornwall that to this day, the Welsh of Wales still assert a distinct linguistic and cultural identity from the English Celtic people.

Most Celtic people today wear the Celtic symbols as a proud remembrance of their Celtic descent. These symbols have been passed down through the years and generation though tattooing.

More popular Celtic tattoo designs are the cross, tree, knots and animals.

The knot design features loops with no end. It symbolizes the never ending cycle of dying and rebirth which is in accordance to the Celtic traditions.




Celtic knot tattoo

 


Another Celtic knot tattoo



The animal designs are similar to the knot tattoos, although the cords in the design normally terminate in heads, tails, and feet.



Celtic animal tattoo



Elements of Celtic music, dance, and folklore can be found within England today(e.g. Yan Tan Tethera, Well dressing, Halloween).

An interesting point to know is that the Celtic culture is so strong and influential that some singers have sung songs about it. One example is The Celts, by Enya.