Want to know more about the original British, the Celts?
According to the Ancient Romans who landed in Britain under Julius Ceasar in A.D 43, - the Britons were a proud, fierce fighting people - tall, muscled, long-haired, fair-skinned , with ”clear white skin”, warriors, living in separate often warring tribes.
Apparently Britons lightened the colour of their hair with lyme, often covered their bodies in blue war-paint (woad), sometimes went to battle naked, even using women fighters. You can look up Queen Boadicea and her chariot. She was a (beautiful? Long-haired at least!) famed widow warrior queen and historical heroine, (AD 60 or 61) head of the British Iceni tribe who fought against the Romans in Britain to try keep her lands free and stormed London, leading an army against the Roman conquerors that caused massive damage , before she was killed.
Celtic fighters were well equipped with long-horned helmets, a long sword they whirled round their heads, chanting deeply in unison, bearing daggers and shields of toughened leather bound with iron. Must have been a formidable sight!
When at home on the farm, Celts wove tartans ,dyed their woollen trousers and embroidered tunics in bright colours, with vegetable dyes and wore beautiful, intricate jewellery made from bronze, gold, tin, silver, coral and enamel.
The Celts spoke a Celtic language of their own, naturally, and lived in small scattered villages. Though their culture might not have seemed sophisticated compared to the heated palaces, sculptors, rhetoric and paved roads of the Romans – these Britons had their Druid priests, hilltop forts, beautiful metalwork and huge standing stone temples such as Stonehenge - and were a successful people.
They farmed corn, wheat and barley, reared sheep, goats, pigs and cattle. Homes were primitive