Monday, February 13, 2012

Boudicca


For those who don’t know who was, she was one of the bravest women in the history of the world, she is known as the mother of the Britons.

She lived and the events occurred in about 60 of the common era. These events caused a wife and mother to absolutely lose it. 


Boudicca was the queen of the icini tribe of Celts, which inhabited an area of Southern Britain. These event were heinous, her husband in an effort to make it easier tribe to survive the roman occupation of THEIR land, they became supporters of the roman occupation. There was one thing he did not know at the time, the Celts absolutely believed in the rights of women, to not only have political power but an opinion as well. This is one of the things that differed so drastically in the ancient world, which was so foreign to any male dominated society, and they call us barbarians, ha!

When Boudicca’s husband Prasutagus suddenly and mysteriously died he left his kingdom to his two daughters and the roman emperor Nero, however he did not know that roman law did not allow royal inheritance to be pass to daughters and co-rulership of a kingdom with a woman was unacceptable based on the  Roman standard of succession.

The family of the king was enslaved, Boudicca was publicly flogged and her daughters were tortured and raped in the village square, they were about 12 and 13 years old at the time.

What they, the Romans did not count on is her people, the Icini, the Celts did however believed in the absolute right of a woman to succeed her king and lead, oops their mistake!


The reality of Roman rule propelled neighboring tribes, among them were the Trinovantes, to join Boudicca in her rebellion against Rome, her force of guerilla warriors was said to have been 100,000 strong, against Roman forces.

They began by storming, sacking and razing the Roman cities of Camulodunum and Colchester, then proceeding to the growing trade center of Londinium (modern day London), and ending in a final catastrophic battle. 


The overconfidence of the Romans may have caused their negligence, again, never, ever underestimate a really pissed off red headed broad!


The Roman preconceived notions of the “barbarians” were completely ill advised, and the Romans were ill equipped to deal with small bands of warriors slipping quietly through the thick forests. 


The Celts excelled in small-scale guerilla warfare while the slow-moving Roman units were at an obvious disadvantage in the forest. These raiding parties included men, women, and children, "tattooed" in the style of the Picts, the early inhabitants of Scotland, they were mostly naked and their bodies were painted with terrifying blue tats.



After changing their tactics they stopped underestimating a lowly woman and the Romans succeeded in crushing the rebellion, but not before losing a third of their men and the sacking of three of the major trade cities in Briton.


Never, ever, underestimate the anger of a an angry red headed woman.

Now we fight with the preverbal pen rather than with a sword, but the word cuts, slash's and hacks just as deeply and leaves just deep a wound as any sword.

"She was huge of frame, terrifying of aspect, and with a harsh voice. A great mass of bright red hair fell to her knees. She wore a great twisted golden necklace and a tunic of many colors, over which was a thick mantle, fastened by a brooch. Now she grasped a spear, to strike fear into all who watched her...…"
Lucius Cassius Dio
150 - 235 CE