Bird and Bear Were Titles Given to the Last Romans in "England"

 Ireland, Irish, Merlin, Revise your history. Celtic people in Main in about 500 AD. A ruler became Merlin the bird. The name of Arthur the bear was Owin. The dead Princess Diana was related to the Stewarts and so, fairly closely related to Arthur and not just bearly.

                                                                                                    Richard Sheehan

Baltic Sea Orientation

 Let's Jump Right In!

                    The Baltic Sea opens on the Atlantic Ocean and is in the northwestern part of Europe. I has a complex geological history. It seems best to begin with a bit of its geographic present. It may be best to put on a wetsuit first. The water is rarely warm.

                It has been called a brackish inland sea with a geological history which has proven difficult to clarify. We know that it is is a sea marginal to the Atlantic and that it drains into that ocean through the Danish Straits by way of the little Kattagat Sea. Some of its major features include the Gulf Bothnia, the Bay of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland,  the Gulf of Riga, and the Bay of Gdansk.

                It is brackish because the following major rivers flow into it include the Oder, Vistula, Neman, Daugava, and the Neva. Brackishness is aided by rainfall and snow, and he flow of other smaller rivers and streams; and also the salty waters of the Atlantic.

                In the Baltic Sea, not far from its entrance to the Atlantic Ocean, one may encounter Kattagat, an area of a rather shallow sea bounded by the Jutland Peninsula in the west, the Danish Straits, the rest of the Baltic Sea, and the shores of sweden to the east.

The Gulf of Bothnia:

                The word bothnia to refer to lowland shores or to low lands in general. The Gulf of Bothnia is bordered by lowland shores. The Gulf is not shallow, but the land beneath it continues to rise since its release from its Ice Age Burden of  ice. The Gulf still freezes over in winter, but that may change in our lifetime.

                I will probably feel the need to do more research on the history of Sweden and Finland find much about the history of this Gulf. When you have knowledge of this Gulf feel free to inform us about it or of anything else related to the content of this essay, at our "comments" app. I will add now that Ottar, a Viking adventurer, is said to have referred to this Gulf of Bothnia, in the 9th century, as the Kven Sea. In the 15th century, a Danish navigator referred to it as the Mare Gotticus. Bothnia Bay may be called a northern extension of the Gulf of Bothnia. 

The Gulf of  Finland:

                The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost branch of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland on the north and Estonia on the south, and to Saint Petersburg, Russia, where the the river Neva flows into it. Other major cities on this gulf are Helsinki and Tallinn.

                In the early post Ice Age the Gulf of Finland was preceded by the Littoriana Sea. The Littoriana stood as high as 30 feet above the the level of the sea in about the year 2,000. By some 4,000 years ago that sea had reeded to near present levels.

Archaeology:

                Archaeologists have found that the lands along the Gulf of Finland began to be settled by 9,000 BC by people physically very much like you and I. To me, archaeology is a kind of continuation of history and writing of its discoveries is much like writing history. So, we do seem well oriented toward the doings and happenings of those who precede us. Of course with new discovery and research our orientation is likely to change. We continue to learn. As recently as 1905 AD, eleven neolithic settlements had been found along the Gulf of Finland coast. The early cultures found there have been named the Finnic, Eesti/Chud, Votes, and Korela.

                Later, roughly between 700 AD and 900 AD along the Neva river and the Gulf of Finland settled East slaves, Ilman Slavs, and Krivichs. They practiced agriculture and animal husbandry. Between about 7oo AD 1,200 AD the river Neva and the gulf were part of the waterway from Scandinavia to the Byzantine empire. I will consider the sentence above to be fact until I find strong evidence to the contrary.

                Historic information for this area becomes more abundant from about 850 AD on. From that time on this geographic are may be said to have been held in Russian hands until 1219. At that time the Danes took control. During this time the city of Reva was established in what has been called the area of Tallinn. There is a lot to be learned about this area. From 700 and 800 documentation became increasingly abundant. 

The Gulf of Riga:

                The Gulf of Riga lies between modern Latvia and Estonia on the Baltic sea. We can learn more of this gulf through some study of the histories of Latvia and Estonia. A look at the history of the cities of Riga, Parnu, Jumala, and Kuressaare can increase our understanding.

The Bay of Gdansk:

                The Bay of Gdansk has a lot of history which may include my Prussia, Polish, and German ancestors. The Vistula river flows into this bay. Some consider that this Bay of Gdansk as extending to Russian Kaliningrad and to the coast pf  Lithuania.

There be Kursenieki:

                There are Kursennieki on the bay of Gdansk. They have been therelong. They call their language Curonian. Some linguists have seen it as related to Latvian. Kursenieki have also called Prussian Latvians. Who are these people? They live on a well visited seacoast and near the outlet of a navigable river. So, they are likely to have been long subject to much social and cultural exchange.

Kattagat:

                Let's travel back to where the Baltic Sea meets the Atlantic ocean. Near there is the little Kattagat sea. The name Kattagat may be of Swedish origin. I seem to have heard of a queen Kattagat who may have been a Swede. This little sea is certainly Scandinavian area.

Jutlandic Peninsula:

                The Jutlandic Peninsula juts into the Kattagal Sea an is part of Jutland. The peninsula was once called the Cimbric or  the Cimbrian Peninsula. I is now a part of Denmark.Yutes and Cimbri have lived there.

                Jute was the name for some of the powerful Germanic invaders of England. Remember the Romans once calle everyone in the area not only Germanic, but just plain German. I am not certain what to call the people of then Peninsula. might have called them Norsemen, Vikings, or Scandinavians. It seems that a few others feel a similar confusion. But, there is a reason the Peninsula is called Jute. It was a area of a lot of activity before, during, and after the Roman empire. Anyway, there the peninsula is at the Kattagat Sea.

The Cimbri:

            Let's not pass the Cimbri too quickly. The name is not very familiar to me, but it does appear that they were on the Jute peninsula before the Jutes and the name is familiar. Some authorities have thought that were what we have called Gaulish or Celtic, that makes them Indo-Europeans. I am not the only to have called it the Cimbrian Peninsula. There may well be something of interest to learn. I may have heard Cimbri mentioned in relation to Irish prehistory. Perhaps we can learn more of things Cimbri. So, far I see no documentary evidence. 

                I do find that there is evidence for an amazingly long time of seasonal migration from a Baltic sea area, and perhaps England and Ireland to the Iberian peninsula and perhaps even to the Balearic Islands. So, there seems to have been ancient and regular travel from this peninsula to that one; Cimbric to Iberian and back. It sounds right, but I am surprised, even pleasantly amazed.

                There was even a Cimbrian military expedition by the Cimbria against 1st century Rome! Seems I remember some Irish got into something with Rome along with a number of Phoenicians. Who are these Cimbri? Who were they? Ah, history.

                Now I am just finding that there Were Belgians of Cimbrian origen. The Romans may have called the German, but they called everyone in the area German. I am less than sure of who the Celts or Gauls were other than that they were almost certainly what we have called Indo-European. And I do remember reading that a people who could have been Cimbrians, but who some called Celts, joined Carthaginians to resist Rome. 

                OK, I had best stop here. Until I get some more information, or I hear from you. Remember blog sites are meant to be interactive.

                Please help me to correct my errors and mistakes or to add some info. Use a "comments" app or my email.

                Thank you for reading.

                                                                                            rcs

Toward an Exploration of Baltic History

 The Baltic Sea and People Too

                        Balts were anciently influenced by cultures call Scythian, Slav, and Celt. I am no longer sure of the nature of a Celt. It is probably say that a celt is Indo-European. You may not be very sure of the nature of a Scythian. We seem to have some learning to do. For now, let's put it off until later. Balts were also influenced by amber and the amber trade.They were probably influenced by everything else in their time and place. That certainly includes their geography.

Their Geography

                    The Baltic Sea is and has been an important feature on the face of Earth and on the course of our history; how could it not influence the people around it and on it. I am just getting oriented to it; let me pass on the little I am learning. A map can help. I believe that I have included one somewhere on this blog.

                    The Baltic Sea opens on the Atlantic Ocean and is in the northwestern part of Europe, It has a complex geography, history, and present. Here I hope to begin a look at its early history and prehistory. However, it seems best to begin with a bit of geography. It has been called a brackish inland sea the geological history of which is difficult to clarify.

                    At the risk of muddying the waters I will say that the Baltic Sea could be called the Baltic Lake. Its opening to the Atlantic is not large and it has several rivers flowing into it, including the Oder, Vistula, Neman, Daugava and the Neva. Snow melt, rain, smaller rivers and streams add to the fresh water of great lake Balt. So, it is much like a great sweet water lake made brackish by an opening to the Atlantic.

                    Still, it has been called a sea marginal to the Atlantic ocean. That Sea drains into the Atlantic through the Danish Straights by way of the little Kattagat sea. This Baltic Sea includes the Gulf of Bothnia, the Bay of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland, the Gulf of Riga, and the bay of Gdansk.

                    In the Baltic Sea is the little Kattagat sea. Kattagat refers to an area of rather shallow sea bounded by the Jutland peninsula in the west, the Danish Straights and the Baltic Sea to the south, and the shores of Sweden to the east.

                    More names and places then one can easily remember. Expect to see them more here and to hear them in your future.

The Gulf of Bothnia

                    The word "bothnia" seems to have once referred to lowland shores. The Gulf of Bothnia still has some lowland shores. However, that land has continued to rise since its release from its Ice Age burden of ice. We are looking a lands and waters in what is considered the far north. So, the waters of the Gulf still freeze over in winter.

                    I could benefit from more research in the histories of Sweden and Finland to find much of the history of this Gulf. Here is a tiny taste of that history. Ottar an early Viking adventurer may have referred to the Gulf as the Kven Sea. A Danish navigator may have referred to it as as the Mare gotticus in the 15th century. Bothnia Bay may be called a northern landward extension of the gulf of Bothnia.

The Gulf of Finland 

                    This gulf is the eastern branch of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland on north and Estonia on the south, and on to Saint Petersburg, Russia, Where the River Neva flows into it. Other major cities on the Gulf are Helsinki and Tallinn. Wikipedia reminded me of this.

                    In the early post Ice Age the Gulf of Finland was preceded by the Littoriana  Sea. hat sea stood as 30 feet above present sea level. By some 4,000 years ago that sea receded to near present levels.

    

Archaeology:

                    Archaeologist have found that the lands along the Gulf of Finland began to be settled in about 9,000 BC. To me writing about archaeology is much like writing a history. So, we do seem to be moving in the right direction. That is we are moving a bit beyond geography and more toward history. Onward. As early as 1905 AD eleven neolithic settlements had been found along the Gulf. Early culture of about that time include: Finnic, Esti/Chud, Votes, Izhorians,, and Korela. There is much to learn about each of them.

                    Later. from about 700 AD: through 900 AD East Slavs, Ilman Slavas, and Krivichs had settled along the Neva river and the Gulf of Finland. They practiced agriculture and animal husbandry and so, marked a change in culture.

Between about 700 AD and 1,200 AD, the River Neva and the Gulf were part of the waterway from, say, Scandinavia to the Byzantine Empire. I consider that last sentence to be a historic fact until I find strong evidence to the contrary. This was much the development of and the final flourishing of the "Viking Age." That is a leadership position in what became Russia and lead to attacks on the Byzantine Empire. Of course Norsemen were viking elsewhere as well.

                    After about 850 AD historic information from this arena becomes more abundant.  About that time The Gulf was controlled by Russians(Russian-Vikings) we might say. They maintained this control until 1219 when the Danes took control. Around this time the city of Reval was established on what has been called the area of Tallinn. There is plenty to learn about this are with plenty of interesting details. The historical record is increasingly complete from about 750 AD.

Gulf of Riga:

                    The Gulf of Riga lies between modern Latvia and Estonia on, of course, the Baltic sea. I hope to learn more of this gulf area through the histories and archaeology of the histories of Latvia and Estonia. You can help me with this by using the "comments" just below this essay. An investigation of the early days of the cities of Riga, Parnu, Jumala, and Kuressaare could help.

Bay of Gdansk:

                    The Bay of Gdansk has a lot of history which may include my Prussian, Polish, and German ancestors. The Vistula river flows into theBay. Some consider the Bay as extending to Russian Kaliningrad and the coast of Lithuania. I hope to learn of the happenings and doings in this area from the earliest times until Rome moved its first amber.

Kursenieski:

                        There be Kursenieski on the Bay! They have been their long. They call their language Curonian. Some linguists have seen it as related to Latvian. They have been called Prussian Latvians. Who are these people? Who were they? They lived on a well visited sea coast near the outlet of a well navigated river; so have been subjected to much social and cultural activity and change. I suspect that they were an important prehistoric people. Can you tell us more about them. I hope to live long enough to post more about them here.

    

Kattagat Sea:     

                    Let me Travel back toward where the Baltic Sea meets the Atlantic ocean. That is near to the "little" Kattagat sea. The name Kattagat may be of Swedish origin. I seem to remember having head of an ancient queen Kattagat who may have been a Swede. This Sea certainly is a Scandinavian area. 

Jutland:     

                    The Jutlandic peninsula juts into the Kattagat and is part of Jutland. The Peninsula and perhaps all of Jutland Called Cimbric or the Cimbric Peninsula and is now part of Denmark. Jutes and Cimbri have lived there.

        

                    Jutes have been named among powerful Germanic invaders of England. Was this naming a Roman idea? It seems that there may be some confusion over this naming. But there seems to be good reason the peninsula is called Jute. It was an area of Jute movement and trade before, during, and after the Roman Empire. If you believe me wrong, please tell me about it. Anyway there the Jutland Peninsula is at the Kattaga Sea.

Cimbrian:

                     Wait a minute! We have a varied lot of people to learn about and the Cimbri are one of them and they seem to have been on the Jutland Peninsula before the the Jutes. Many have thought that the Cimbri were what we have called Gauls Celts. Anyway I believe that this peninsula was once called the Cimbrian peninsula. We have more to learn. We need more archaeological and historical evidence.

                    We humans do seem to get around a lot and it seems that includes the Cimbri. I am finding that for a very long time there was a mostly seasonal migration from part of the Baltic Sea area and from part of Britain as least as far as the Iberian peninsula. So, there was probably movement from peninsula to peninsula, Cimbric to Iberian and back. It sounds right, but I a feeling some amazement. 

                    I also find that there was even a Cimbrian military expedition against 1st century Rome! Who are these Cimbri? Who were they. Could they have been visitors to Ireland as early as the early Bronze Age? 

                    Some say that there were Belgians of Cimbrian origin. Romans may have called them Germans, but then they called nearly everyone of the area German. We are not very clear about who Celts were other than that they were almost certainly what we have called Indo-Europeans. However that may be, a people who seemed much like Cimbri, but whom some called Celts joined Carthaginians to resist Rome. I wish you could help me to learn more.

                    OK it seems about time to publish this. I intend to gather more information. Might I get some from you. Remember this blog and its associated blogs were designed to have some interactivity. 

                    Please do try to help to correct the errors or misapprehensions I make. Try using the "comments" app below.

                    Thank you for reading.

                                                                                Richard  S

 

Balt History: an exploration

History With RCS: Toward an exploration of Baltic Sea Cultures. 

                Before getting into the cultures active in the area I would like to introduce some of its geological and geographic features. But as a taste of doings and happenings to come I'll mention a few. Amber has long been collected and traded there. River and sea commerce has long been very active. Even now Russian and Dane meet there, Finn and Swede too, and a good many more. Ancient cultures there were Scythian, Celt, and Slav to name a few. Norsemen learn viking their and reach Byzantium.

                Th Baltic Sea is an important feature on the face of Earth and on the course of world history. It has been called a brackish inland sea the geological history of which is unclear. You can check it out a Google Maps and elsewhere.

                If you look at the Atlantic Ocean and looked to its northeast margin and there looked landward you would see a large body of water with outlet to the Atlantic. It drains into the Atlantic through the Danish straights by of the little, somewhat shallow, Kattagat sea If you were a seaman you might note passing through the Great Belt and the Little Belt. Once well within the Sea you could find some prominent gulfs and bays. There is the Gulf of Bothnia and the Bay of Bothnia, The Gulf of Finland, the Gulf of Riga, and the bay of Gdansk.

                That shallow little sea called Kattagat is bounded by the Jutlandic Peninsula in the west, the Danish Straights and the Baltic Sea to the south and the shores of Sweden to the east. It's okay if you feel more disoriented then oriented. You will begin to remember the names and that is a good start.

                The word bothnia seems to have referred to lowlands or to lowland shores. The Gulf of Bothnia is fairly deep, but geologically the land beneath it is still rising from its release from its Ice Age burden of ice. It can still freeze over in winter.

               Take a breath, there are more geographic references to come, but finally with some admixture of history. 

                You could help us with info about the Gulf of Bothnia. I am sure that it is important in the stories of both Finland and Sweden. A 15th century navigator may have referred to it as the Mare Gotticus. Ottar, a viking age adventurer in the 9the century may have referred to it as the Kven Sea.

                Bothnia Bay may be thought of as a northern landward extension of the Gulf of Bothnia. Both Bay and Gulf may freeze over in winter.

                The Gulf of Finland is the eastern most branch of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland on the north, and Estonia on the south, to Saint Petersburg, Russia in the east where the river Neva flows into it. Other major cities on that gulf are Helsinki and Tallinn.

                I am checking many facts with Wikipedia but errors here are surely mine. Please feel free to correct errors and to make useful additions by way of "comments" at the end of this post.

                In the Post Ice Age of the Gulf of Finland that gulf was preceded by the Littorina Sea. The level of that sea was about 30 feet above present sea level. By some 4,000 years ago, the Littorina Sea had receded to about present level.

                Archaeologists have found that the lands along the Gulf of Finland began to be settled in about 9,000 BC, not long after the last Ice Age. Returning to our own Age, as early as 1905 AD, eleven neolithic settlements had been found along the Gulf. Among the early cultures were Finnic, Eesti, Votes/Chud, Izorians, and Korela. 

                We have begun to talk pre-historic. So, now we are considering  people!

                There is evidence that between about 700 AD and 900 AD East Slavs, Ilman Slavs, and Krivichs were along the Neva river and the Gulf of Finland. These cultures practiced agriculture and animal husbandry. Between 700 AD and 1,200 AD the river Neva and the gulf were part of the inland waterway from Scandinavia to the Byzantine Empire. Norsemen were practicing viking along these waterways.

                Now we have entered historic times and there are documents to prove it! 

                Historic information becomes more abundant from 850 AD when the Gulf of Finland was held by Russians and after 1229 when Danes took control. During this period the city of Reval was established on what was to become the area of Tallinn. There is a lot to find out about this Baltic area and the finds are becoming more abundant.

                The Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea lies between modern Latvia and Estonia. We can learn more of this gulf through a study of the histories of these two lands. A look at the cities of Riga, Parnu, Jumala, and Kuressare could help too. I bet we can learn more about their earliest days.

                The Bay of Gdansk is taking my interest already. It's history may may touch on the lives of some of my Prussian, Polish, and even German ancestors. The Vistula River flows into it. Some consider the Bay widening to include Russian Kaliningrad and the coast of Lithuania.

                There be Kursenieki on this bay. They have been there long. They call their language Curonian. There are those who the language as related to Latvian. They have been called Prussian Latvians. They are a mystery to which their language may be a clue. They are certainly not a geographically isolated people. They are on a well visited sea coast and near the mouth of a long navigated river and so have witnessed much trade and commerce.

                Before 1,200 AD a Curonian people held a privileged position on the Baltic Sea. The Coruland Peninsula was theirs. However, by the mid 1600s they are not mentioned. The Curonian Peninsula is now western Latvia so one supposes that those of Curonian blood are now mostly of Latvian culture, but bet Latvian culture is now a bit Curonian. There is some discussion as to whether they originally came from the east or the west. I believe that they may have been the first to arrive on the Sea of all who are now there. 

                We are still looking at a lot of geography. Geography does effect culture and the story of culture is history. As we progress we may see the people more clearly in their backdrop of Baltic Sea and surrounding lands. We begin to see how people can be grounded in their geography. We have already learned the names of some of the people who have found their home here around this sea.

                Let's get back to where the Baltic waters meet the Atlantic ocean. Kattagat, the name of the little sea area near the Baltic entrance to the Atlantic is probably Swedish origin. I seem to remember a queen Kattagat who may have been a Swede. This sea is certainly placed so as to be Scandinavian. The Jutland peninsula juts here. It is part of Jutland. Long ago this same peninsula was called the Cimbric or Cimbrian peninsula. Now it is part of Denmark; Jutes and Cimbri used to live there.

                Waite a minute, the Cimbri are a people new to me. They are the first people, we know about, to live on this peninsula not far from the Baltic entrance to the Atlantic. I find that they have been thought to be Gaulish or Celtic and the Jutland peninsula was once Cimbrian peninsula. The meaning of Celt is a bit broad, but they are generally accepted to be early Indo-Eurpoean arrivals. Gaulish often refers to and early Celtic language. It may prove interesting to learn more of these guys, and gals. Is there any archaeological evidence of them on the peninsula? I'll try to be alert to historical documentation of them. There name is a big hint.

                It does seem that there is evidence of there being a long period of of annual migrations from the Baltic area and perhaps England and Ireland to the Iberian peninsula and back with the seasons from pre- Roman times. It sounds right and amazing at the same time. There was a whole lot of motion going on. There was even a Cimbria military expedition against 1st century Rome! Who are these Cambrians? Were they some of the Celts who joined Carthaginians to resist Rome. Some of those Celts where from Ireland.

                It has been said that there were Belgians of Cimbrian origin. I see no evidence of Cimbrians being German, other than the Romans calling everyone in the area German. 

                Scythian has been called Cimerian. Could Cimerian be Cimbrian? Cimbrians seem to have been a trading people and Scythians were great traders even before their Hellenization. I may be reaching to far.

            This brings us to the end of these preliminary words here. I intend there to be more. When you are interested please tell me so. Also if you know or find info on the Cimbri, PLEASE tell us about it here. Use the "comments" section just below. If you are one who has not yet explored this blog, get busy. 

                Thank you for reading.

 

                                                                       rcs