Ghost of a flea: Caledonian

October 20, 2004

Caledonian

"They [the Romans] say the Scots used to live underwater and breathe through reeds, then spring up and attack ... But nobody would repeat that because it is so absurd."

Considering the bellicose behaviour I have witnessed from blue-painted fellows in the fountains at Trafalgar Square I consider the account to be all too plausible. Professor Chris Smout, the Historiographer Royal, believes the great Caledonian forest was ancient "spin". Flea-readers might consider competing spin between the rhetorical needs of nationalism and environmentalism in a story for contemporary Scotland.

When the all-conquering armies of ancient Rome failed to subdue the northern end of Britain, there had to be a good reason. So the Romans decided it was not the primitive barbarians known as the Caledonii who had defeated them, but the vast impenetrable forest covering the country now known as Scotland.

However, a new book to be released next month on the history of Scotland�s woods claims this idea was invented by Roman writers to preserve the image of the empire�s "invincible" legions.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at October 20, 2004 07:16 AM

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Comments

I'd take some pride over this but the McLeods showed up in 1250 from Norway and the lowland maternals have a name that is most likely on a 1066 immigration application somewhere. There are a few of the pictish black hair types in the Campbell side of the family, however, so who knows.

Posted by: Alan at October 20, 2004 09:42 AM