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Online museum and repository for historical and ancestral knowledge.
⚜️🇫🇷😐
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A fallen Celtiberian hero is visited by his family; a pilum in his side shows that he died fighting the Roman invaders. 🇪🇸 Art by Sandra Delgado.
The custom of leaving slain warriors to be eaten by birds of prey seems to have existed in Europe since remote pre-history, as far back as the pre-Indo-European Neolithic. The custom seems to have gained renewed importance in the central European Urnfield Culture, likely involving beliefs about reincarnation or a privileged afterlife (think, for example, of all the accounts by classical authors like Diodorus Siculus, Julius Caesar, Valerius Maximus, Hippolytus of Rome, Cyril of Alexandria and others, who tell of the Celtic belief in reincarnation, or the well-known Germanic belief in the bird-like Valkyries, who took the souls of fallen warriors to Valhalla). Caesar specifically states that the belief in reincarnation was meant to make the Celts fearless in battle. Some Irish and Welsh myths, such as the tales of figures such as Fintán and Tuan mac Cairill, The Colloquy of Arthur and the Eagle, and Math fab Mathonwy, describe reincarnation of certain characters as animals. The latter two tales involve people returning as birds, which seems to have been a relatively common motif.
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Artistic reconstructions of the bronze age Battle of Tollense; unknown artists. 🇩🇪
Tollense is Europe’s oldest known battle, and it was apparently a resounding victory by Germanic peoples over a Celto-Slavic alliance (the majority of the deceased seem to have been from the areas of Poland and Bohemia, with a minority from southern Germany, Austria and other regions, which is suggestive of a composite proxy army, much like the Spanish force that conquered Mexico, of which the majority were native Tlaxcaltecs and Totonacs). The proto-Celtic Tumulus Culture which had dominated central Europe at the time then rapidly phased out and was replaced by the Urnfield Culture. The fact that this cultural revolution unfolded right around the same time that the Tollense battle happened seems to suggest that the battle led to an intense psychological and political crisis, with the defeated peoples becoming receptive to new ideologies while struggling amongst themselves to fill a power vacuum. As one tribe’s power was broken, another stepped in to fill the void. Perhaps the Urnfield Culture invasions in other parts of Europe were set in motion by this struggle, with defeated groups moving elsewhere to try and establish new power bases. The apparent Celto-Slavic alliance seems to have also collapsed, with conflict between the two groups being evident in Bohemia: Between 1,100 and 1,050 B.C; the Urnfield-derived Knovíz Culture expanded from western Bohemia to the Elbe river, at the expense of the Slavic Lusatian Culture. Fortifications in the new border area between the two cultures seem to evidence some kind of tension between them in the aftermath. The battle of Tollense thus seems to have radically altered Europe, with a new Celtic paradigm emerging like a phoenix from the ashes of defeat.
Whatever doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger, and what kills me makes me incredibly strong.
Iron tools (coulter, ladle, knife) found in the Gallic settlement layer of Bratislava, Slovakia; 1st or 2nd century B.C. 🇸🇰 National Historical Musem; Bratislava.
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🇪🇸🇪🇸 I’m an avid proponent of fascism, and particularly the Spanish variant of falangism/francoism. Via his 1937 Decree of Unification, Francisco Franco combined with the Carlists and restored the monarchical order. Was it perfect? Of course not. But in principle, this is what I believe in. People don’t realize it, but in many ways, fascism was an attempt to return to the former world order. Why do you think the national socialists called themselves the Third Reich? 🇩🇪 It’s a reference to the Holy Roman Empire that had been toppled by Napoleon. Fascism was implementing the legitimist ideology of Charles Maurras.
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Perhaps the best preserved example of an ancient textile found in in the British Isles. The “Orkney Hood” was discovered in a peat bog near Tankerness, on the Mainland island of Orkney, Scotland. 🏴 The hood has been radiocarbon dated to between 250 and 615 AD. The garment was made with un-dyed wool woven in a herringbone pattern and was probably worn by a child. On display at the National Museum of Scotland, in Edinburgh.
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The Beauty of Europe: Various views of Italy 🇮🇹 to the accompaniment of Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Symphony.
Enjoy (you’re welcome).
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Fresco from a Lucanian nobleman’s tomb depicting the Battle of the Caudine Forks (321 B.C.) located near the ancient Greek colony of Paestum in Salerno province, Italy. 🇮🇹⚔️🏳️
This fresco is another archaeological gem that casts doubt on the narrative of Roman history. It depicts one of the Roman Republic’s most famous defeats, suffered against the Samnite tribal federation of southern Italy during the Second Samnite War (326-304 B.C): A Roman army was trapped between two Samnite ones in a narrow defile and forced to surrender without a fight. The Samnites then ritually humiliated the Roman army by forcing them to pass —stooping— under a “yoke”, i.e. a tunnel of spears and Samnite soldiers. Some interesting details: One of the Roman soldiers is shown with a swastika emblazoned on his hoplon-type shield and the surrounding mountains have a pack of wolves, perhaps a reference to the Samnite Hirpini tribe (Samnite for ‘wolves’).
What’s problematic about the fresco is the way the Roman soldiers are depicted: With typical Etruscan hoplite panoplies. The official Roman narrative is that the Roman army had been reformed by the hero Marcus Furius Camillus in the aftermath of the Gallic Sack of Rome (387 B.C). Camillus was supposedly responsible for creating the “manipular legion” model for the Roman army: The soldiers fighting by turns armed with gladii swords, scuti shields, and pilae throwing spears. This is evidently a fabrication, as the Romans trapped at the Furculae Caudinae were apparently still equipped in the old way. Notably, the standard “manipular legion” soldier was equipped in a fashion that seems suspiciously Celtic: The Roman scutum is quite obviously a Gallic oblong shield and the Montefortino-type helmets they used were also based on Gallic models. The gladius sword is known to have derived from the Celtiberian Gladius Hispaniensis, and pila-type missile weapons are also known from Gallic and Iberian contexts, such as the materis and the saunio. What the contradictory evidence suggests is that the story of Camillus was a complete fabrication, and that the military reforms attributed to him came much later. Not only that, they were quite obviously a copy of Celtic military equipment and tactics. In other words: The unique and superior fighting style of the Romans was simply copied from that of their Celtic enemies, meaning it was the Celts who taught the Romans how to fight.
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Celtiberian bronze horse fibula (4th-2nd century B.C.), unknown provenance; from a private collection. 🇪🇸
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Bronze coin found in the ruins of the ancient Thracian city of Kabile, in Yambol province, Bulgaria; late 3rd century B.C. 🇧🇬
The coin bears a Greek inscription identifying the Gallic king Cavarus, who ruled the ancient Kingdom of Tylis. Image credit: CGB Numismatique Paris (website on image).
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Autumn in the Rough Bounds; view toward the Isle of Eigg in Garmoran, Scotland. 🏴
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Many versions (mostly French) of the story of Tristan and Iseult are known, likely derived from a Welsh original. It’s possible that parts of that original tale can be reconstructed from various Welsh texts, particularly the Triads. “Drystan, son of Tallwch” is mentioned in several collections of Triads: The Twenty-Four Knights of Arthur’s Court (15th century) claims that he was one of Arthur’s retainers and a shapeshifting sorcerer like Arthur’s father Uthyr Pendragon. But the bit about shapeshifting is not found in other manuscripts and seems to be a late accretion. The Triads in the Red Book of Hergest call Drystan one of the three “diademed men” and one of the three “enemy subduers” of the island of Britain. The Peniarth 54 manuscript claims he was a seer or prophet, as well as one of the three “front-line leaders of battle” of the island of Britain. It also contains a tale repeated in other manuscripts: That Drystan tended the herds of pigs belonging to king Mark of Cornwall, while the original swineherd (rather than Drystan himself) travelled —apparently to Ireland— to fetch Esyllt (i.e. Isolde/Iseult). Arthur made several attempts to steal the pigs, using either stealth or trickery, but Drystan hindered him each time, sending him away empty-handed.
The rest of the original tale might be told in a 16th century Welsh manuscript called Ystorya Trystan. It tells of how the two lovers —outlawed— fled to Scotland, to hide in the Caledonian Forest. King Mark (“March, son of Meirchion” in Welsh) requests help from Arthur, and the latter leads a band of soldiers to Scotland to track the pair down. Arthur finds them, but Drystan walks fearlessly among the soldiers and no violence takes place. Drystan’s good friend Gwalchmai (later “Sir Gawain”) persuades him to negotiate, whereupon Arthur mediates between Drystan and Mark, decreeing that Esyllt will live with one man while the trees have leaves, then with the other while the trees are bare, allowing Mark his choice between summer and winter. Mark chooses the latter, since winter nights are longer. But Esyllt cleverly notes that three trees, holly, ivy and yew, never lose their leaves, and based on that, she’ll be with Drystan for as long as he lives.
Image: Tristan et Iseult en forêt; 1911 painting by Gaston Bussière.
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Castle Dore Hill-Fort, in Cornwall; occupation 5th-4th century B.C. Possibly reoccupied 5th-6th century AD. 🏴🏴🇫🇷
At Castle Dore was found the so-called “Tristan Stone”, bearing the Latin inscription DRUSTANUS HIC IACIT CUNOMORI FILIUS CUM DOMINA OUSILLA (“Here lies Drustan, son of Conomor, with the lady Ousilla”). The stone has been thought by some as proof that the legend of Tristan and Iseult was based on real historical events, as the Pictish name “Drustan” is the original form of the later Tristan and Ousilla has been thought of as a possible Latinization on the name Eselt, i.e. later Iseult. Wrmonoc of Landévennec identified Conomor with the legendary king Mark of Cornwall in his Life of St. Pol de Léon. Most versions of the story tell of king Mark sending his nephew Tristan —the inscription identifies him rather as a son— to Ireland to fetch his bride-to-be Iseult, with the unforeseen development that Tristan and Iseult fall in love and have an affair. Mark is said to have found out about the scandal and to have organized manhunts to catch and punish them. Conomor “the Cursed” is known from other sources, where we find him ruling in Brittany as a vassal of the Frankish king Childebert I (AD 496-558). He apparently controlled realms in both Brittany and Cornwall.
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Looking at these Pictish serpent symbols, I can’t help but notice they’re entwined on a kind of stylized rod of sorts and wonder if they weren’t intended as representations of the ‘brazen serpent’ episode from the Old Testament Bible (Numbers 21:4-9). They are, after all, dated to the early Christian period.
Pictured: The Brazen Serpent; painting by José Leonardo (17th century).
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Copper kantharos decorated in La Tène style and with a horse figurine on top, from the chariot-burial of a Gallic ruler/noble at Waldalgesheim in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany; 4th century B.C. 🇩🇪
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Additional note: Most of the classical authors who spoke of the Celtic belief in metempsychosis, attribute this belief to the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, suggesting that the Celts learned this notion from him. They were almost certainly mistaken about this. Notably, some of the contradictory sources on Pythagoras’ early life claim that he spent time traveling through the Achaemenid Empire and learned these things from the Zoroastrian Persians. If true, that would suggest the belief was common in Indo-European cultures prior to the time of Pythagoras.
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The Roman Republic still rules the world to this day. 🏳️
The only thing that’s different is that Anglo-Saxons 🇺🇸 have taken the sceptre, while the original Romans🇻🇦languish in defeat. The new Republic has also achieved this power in large part by teaming up with a certain other tribal group 🇮🇱 and with their Anglo-Saxon kindred 🏴 across the pond. In certain respects, the world hasn’t changed all that much. The powers that be are the same ones that destroyed Celtic Europe. But what about the Celts? Do they no longer exist? Actually, they do. It’s just that most don’t remember who they actually are. They also don’t have their own governments (excepting maybe the Irish?), being ruled rather by puppet states of the Roman Republic (the Republic of Ireland 🇮🇪 is just another submissive globalist puppet; let’s be real).
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La Tène style bronze phalera from the chariot-burial of a Gallic nobleman in Somme-Bionne, France; 5th or 4th century B.C. ⚜️🇫🇷
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https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/our-pick-scotlands-native-forests/
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If any of you are ever in Denver, you might love this joint…
https://carwgwyn.com
Romano-British militia confronting Saxon invaders. Art by Angus McBride (RIP 1931-2007). 🏴⚔️🏴
Note the red dragon wind-sock standard in the background. These evolved from Dacian military standards known as “draco” on account of their serpent-like shape and movement. Originally, the Dacian standards represented mostly wolves, with a dragon motif being a later, Roman innovation. Some people speculate that the modern flag of Wales might have evolved from a red “draco” type standard such as this one.
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The Gallic feasting hall known as “Vix Palace”, located within the hill-fort of Mont Lassois, in Burgundy, France. ⚜️🇫🇷
The hall dates to the end of the 6th century B.C. Nearby graves, including that of the famous Lady of Vix, have produced impressive treasures, indicating that Mont Lassois was probably the royal site for one of the more powerful and wealthy peoples of Gaul during that time. In later times, classical historians documented the Gallic Lingones people occupying the area.
Feasting was one of the most important, if not the most important activity of ancient Europe. It was the principal social activity, bringing together people from different regions and walks of life. Hospitality also enabled chieftains to gain prestige and form alliances with other powerful individuals.
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The François Tomb of Vulci, in Lazio, Italy; mid-4th century B.C. 🏳️🏳️
The François Tomb contains the burial of an Etruscan nobleman named Vel Saties, shown wearing a purple Toga Picta — embroidered with images of prancing naked men (🦄🙄🤢). One of the frescoes shows a battle scene that ties in with known Roman history: One party of Etruscans carries out a night ambush on another and slaughters them. The rescuing party includes Mastarna, —whom the Roman emperor Claudius later claimed was a nickname for the sixth king of Rome, Servius Tullius— who is shown on the left rescuing his friend Caelius Vibenna from captivity. Also among the rescuing party is Marcus Furius Camillus, who is shown on the right killing “Gnaeus Tarquinius”. The latter would appear to be the fifth king of Rome, whom the Romans remembered as Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. The problem is, this scene contradicts the official narrative of Roman history.
Starting with Marcus Furius Camillus, Roman historians tell of how he restored Rome after the Gallic sack of the city in 387 B.C; and then took vengeance on the Gauls through a series of spectacular military victories. But the François Tomb suggests that the Romans were confused and making things up to try and compensate for their humiliation: The real Camillus apparently lived almost two centuries before the sack, and probably never encountered a Celt in his life. In fact, the painters of the François Tomb even seem to have Camillus killing a king of Rome, whose name the Romans apparently misremembered as ‘Lucius’. It’s a totally different story than what the Romans told us: That Priscus was overthrown in a riot and Tullius was placed on the throne by the former’s wife (allegedly in preference over her own sons). Vel Saties’ tomb gives us a different narrative: The Romans were defeated in battle by another Etruscan state somewhere outside of Rome, and their king Lucius Gnaeus Tarquinius Priscus was killed there on the battlefield. The logical sequence would seem to be that the victorius ‘Mastarna’, then marched on Rome and had himself made king as Servius Tullius.
The François tomb provides solid evidence that Roman history was not 100% reliable and often contained everything from confused data points to outright fabrications.
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Somewhere in Appalachia 🇺🇸🇺🇸
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Gold torc decorated in La Tène style, found at Mailly-le-Camp, in the Aube department of France; 2nd century B.C. ⚜️🇫🇷
The torc bears an inscription in Greek listing several names of individuals, whom it identifies as members of the Gallic Nitiobroges tribe. The torc thus appears to have been made in, and belonged to someone from the faraway Garonne region, before somehow ending up at Mailly-le-Camp.
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Open air feasting in Gallaecia; credit to David Das Tebras. 🇪🇸
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King “Mark of Cornwall”, a.k.a. Conomor “the Cursed”; 1905 drawing by Howard Pyle. 🇫🇷
Conomor is known from Breton history as a king of Domnonée. He was said to have murdered the previous king, Jonas, and married his wife, later causing her to flee with her son Judael to the court of the Frankish king. Prior to this he had only held the minor fiefdom of Poher (later Carhaix-Ploughee) in Brittany, and possibly others across the channel in Cornwall. His attempts to have Judael murdered led to an assembly of Christian bishops —including Gildas and Samson of Dol— in which he was excommunicated. He later married Tryphine, daughter of count Waroch I of Vannes, with whom he’d been at war, apparently as part of a truce arrangement. But Conomor ended up murdering both Tryphine and her son Trémeur. This shocking development seems to have inspired the legend of the wife-murdering character “Bluebeard”. After the death of Childebert, Conomor unwisely interfered in Frankish affairs by sheltering the rebellious prince Chram and raiding France with him. Chram’s father, king Chlothar I of France, responded with an invasion of Brittany, defeating Chramn and Conomor in a battle fought near Plonéour-Ménez, during the winter of AD 560. Conomor was killed in the rout, and Chram was hunted down, captured, and later executed.
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View from near Killala, in county Mayo, Ireland: Rathfran Priory in the foreground, Ox Mountains (county Sligo) in the distance. 🇮🇪
In his Collectanea, a biography of St. Patrick, the 7th century author Tírechán —who was a native of that area— stated that there was once a vast forest there known as Focluth. In his Confession, St. Patrick spoke of having a dream in which he saw the great woodland of Focluth and the Irish people who lived there, begging him to return to Ireland. He had escaped a life of slavery in Ireland to return to his native Britain and pursue a career as a clergyman. It was that dream that persuaded him to return and preach the gospel to the Irish. The region became known as Tirawley (Irish: Tír Amhlaidh), named after a contemporary chieftain, Amalgaid, son of Fiachrae. The Uí Fiachrach provided many kings of Connacht and even some High Kings of Ireland. Nath Í, son of Fiachrae was one such High King, and it may have been one of his own raids on Britain that resulted in the capture and enslavement of Patrick. Nath Í’s son Ailill Molt was also High King during the time that Patrick was living and preaching in Ireland.
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The Celtiberian hill-fort known as Castilviejo (Spanish: “Old Castle”), near Guijosa, in Guadalajara province, Spain. 🇪🇸
Castilviejo has one of the few examples in ancient Europe of a stone chevaux-de-frise, similar to the one found at the better known Dun Aengus in Ireland. The settlement is triangular in shape and was built on a spur, with two sections of wall protecting its north and south sides. The east is protected by two sections of impassable chevaux-de-frise flanking a narrow corridor between them. Behind is a ditch with an opening on the north side. Anyone coming in through that corridor would have to make a left turn and go along the ditch, completely exposed, in order to enter the village. Dating is uncertain, but it’s speculated to have been built and inhabited between the 8th and 4th centuries B.C.
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Vercingetorix charges over a slain Roman at the Battle of Gergovia; 52 B.C. 1902 Bronze statue by Auguste Bartholdi in Clermont-Ferrand, France. ⚜️🇫🇷
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