Information AboutBoudicca |
|
Boudica (also spelt '''Boudicca''', formerly better known as '''Boadicea''') (d. 60/61AD) was a Queen of the Brythonic Celt ic Iceni people of Norfolk in Eastern Britain who led a major uprising of the tribes against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire . Her husband, Prasutagus , the Icenian king, who had ruled as a nominally independent ally of Rome, had left his kingdom jointly to his daughters and the Roman Emperor in his will, but when he died his will was ignored, possibly because the Romans, unlike the Britons, did not recognise daughters as heirs. The kingdom was annexed as if conquered, Boudica was flogged and her daughters raped, and Roman financiers called in their loans. In 60 or 61AD, while the Roman governor, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus , was leading a campaign on the island of Anglesey in north Wales , Boudica led the Iceni, along with the Trinovantes and others, in revolt. They destroyed Camulodunum ( Colchester ), formerly the capital of the Trinovantes but now a '' Colonia '' (a settlement for discharged Roman soldiers) and the site of a temple to the former emperor Claudius , built and maintained at local expense, and routed a Roman legion, the IX ''Hispana'' , sent to relieve the settlement. On hearing the news, Suetonius hurried to Londinium ( London ), the twenty-year-old commercial settlement which was the rebels' next target, but concluding he did not have the numbers to defend it, evacuated and abandoned it. It was burnt to the ground, as was Verulamium ( St Albans ). An estimated 70,000-80,000 people were killed in the three cities. Suetonius, meanwhile, regrouped his forces in the West Midlands , and despite being heavily outnumbered, defeated Boudica in the Battle Of Watling Street . The crisis had led the emperor Nero to consider withdrawing Roman forces from the island, but Suetonius's victory secured Roman control of the province. The chronicles of these events, as recorded by the historians and led to a resurgence of Boudica's legendary fame during the Victorian Era , when Queen Victoria was portrayed as her "namesake". Boudica has since remained an important cultural symbol in the United Kingdom. HISTORY Boudica's name Until the late 20th century, Boudica was known as Boadicea, which is probably derived from a mistranscription when a manuscript of Tacitus was copied in the 2005 Based on later development of Welsh and Irish , Kenneth Jackson concludes that the correct spelling of the name is ''Boudica'', pronounced //, although it is mispronounced by many as //. Kenneth Jackson , "Queen Boudicca?", ''Britannia'' 10, 1979 Background Tacitus and Dio agree that Boudica was of royal descent. Dio says that she was "possessed of greater intelligence than often belongs to women", that she was tall, had long red hair down to her hips, a harsh voice and a piercing glare, and habitually wore a large golden necklace (perhaps a Torc ), a many-coloured tunic and a thick cloak fastened by a brooch. Her husband, co-heir to his kingdom along with his wife and two daughters. It was normal Roman practice to allow allied kingdoms their independence only for the lifetime of their also allowed Inheritance only through the male line. So when Prasutagus died his attempts to preserve his line were ignored and his kingdom was annexed as if it had been conquered. Lands and property were confiscated and nobles treated like slaves. According to Tacitus , Boudica was flogged and her daughters raped. Dio Cassius says that Roman financiers, including Seneca The Younger , chose this point to call in their loans. Tacitus does not mention this, but does single out the Procurator , Catus Decianus , for criticism for his "avarice". Prasutagus, it seems, had lived well on borrowed Roman money, and on his death his subjects had become liable for the debt. Boudica's uprising In 60 or 61AD, while the current governor, Dio says that at the outset Boudica employed a form of Divination , releasing a Hare from the folds of her dress and interpreting the direction it ran, and invoked Andraste , a British goddess of victory. It is perhaps significant that Boudica's own name means "victory" (see Above ). The rebels' first target was . When news of the rebellion reached him, Suetonius hurried along ( St Albans ) was next to be destroyed. In the three cities destroyed, between seventy and eighty thousand people are said to have been killed. Tacitus says the Britons had no interest in taking or selling prisoners, only in slaughter by gibbet, fire or cross. Dio's account gives more prurient detail: that the noblest women were impaled on spikes and had their breasts cut off and sewn to their mouths, "to the accompaniment of sacrifices, banquets, and wanton behaviour" in sacred places, particularly the groves of Andraste. Romans rally See Also: Battle of Watling Street Suetonius regrouped with the , and ancient sources commonly exaggerate enemy numbers. Boudica exhorted her troops from her chariot, her daughters beside her. Tacitus gives her a short speech in which she presents herself not as an aristocrat avenging her lost wealth, but as an ordinary person, avenging her lost freedom, her battered body and the abused chastity of her daughters. Their cause was just, and the gods were on their side; the one legion that had dared to face them had been destroyed. She, a woman, was resolved to win or die; if the men wanted to live in slavery, that was their choice. However, the lack of maneuverability of the British forces, combined with lack of open-field tactics to command these numbers, put them at a disadvantage to the Romans, who were skilled at open combat due to their superior equipment and discipline, and the narrowness of the field meant that Boudica could only put forth as many troops as the Romans could at a given time. First, the Romans stood their ground and used volleys of ). Tacitus reports that "according to one report almost eighty thousand Britons fell" compared with only four hundred Romans. According to Tacitus, Boudica poisoned herself; Dio says she fell sick and died, and was given a lavish burial.
Location of her defeat The location of Boudica's defeat is unknown. Most historians favour a site in the West Midlands, somewhere along the Roman road now known as close to Metchley Camp has suggested another possibility. Is Boudicca buried in Birmingham? , BBC, 25 May 2006, retrieved 9 September 2006 Historical sources Tacitus, the most important Roman historian of this period, took a particular interest in Britain as Gnaeus Julius Agricola , his father-in-law and the subject of his first book, served there three times. Agricola was a military Tribune under Suetonius Paulinus, which almost certainly gave Tacitus an eyewitness source for Boudica's revolt. Cassius Dio's account is only known from an Epitome , and his sources are uncertain. He is generally agreed to have based his account on that of Tacitus, but he simplifies the sequence of events and adds details, such as the calling in of loans, that Tacitus does not mention. It is possible that 2005 ) CULTURAL IMPACT History and literature By the wrote a popular poem, ''Boadicea, an ode'', in 1782. William Cowper , '' Boadicea, an ode '' It was in the . A great bronze statue of Boudica in her war Chariot (furnished with Scythes after Persian fashion), together with her daughters, was commissioned by Prince Albert and executed by Thomas Thornycroft . It was completed in 1905 and stands next to Westminster Bridge and the Houses Of Parliament , with the following lines from Cowper's poem, referring to the British Empire: :Regions Caesar never knew Thy posterity shall sway. Ironically, the great anti-imperialist rebel was now identified with the head of the British Empire , and her statue stood guard over the city she razed to the ground.Graham Webster, ''Boudica: The British Revolt against Rome AD 60'', 1978 Historians continued to propagate her fame into the 20th and 21st centuries, recounting the story of Boudica and her fellow Iceni in such writings as Winston Churchill's "History of the English Speaking Peoples" (Volume I, 'The Birth of Britain', pages 22-27) or Simon Schama's "A History of Britain" (Volume I, 'At the Edge of the World? 3000 B.C. - 1603 A.D., pages 31-32). Fiction Boudica's story is the subject of several novels:
Boudica is referred to in other works of fiction, including:
Films and television Fictionalisations Boudica has been the subject of two feature films, 1928's ''Boadicea'', starring '', was made by Thames Television in 1978 starring Sian Phillips as Boudica and Nigel Hawthorne as Catus Decianus. Boudica was a character in an episode of the third season of '''', called ''The Deliverer'', where she was played by Jennifer Ward-Lealand . Documentaries Boudica and her revolt have been the subject of numerous documentaries, including:
Other references She was mentioned during the '' NCIS '' episode "Bloodbath". In the BBC sitcom '' The Vicar Of Dibley '', the first name of the main character, Geraldine Granger, is at one stage said to be Boadicea ( Geraldine Is Her Middle Name ). Hyacinth Bucket , the main character of the BBC sitcom '' Keeping Up Appearances '', dressed in a Queen Boadicea costume in the episode from September 10, 1995, which was entitled, "The Mayor's Fancy Dress Ball." In the 1980s children's television show '' Alvin And The Chipmunks '' there is a character called Boudikat, who appears in the episode "Romancing Miss Stone" from the third season. Boudikat is an aggressive feline creature, who constantly gets in the way of David Seville's attempts to Romance Miss Stone, with hilarious consequences. According to Roland Rivron , a leading expert on 80's cartoons, the Boudikat and thus Boudica were the inspiration for the legendary ThunderCats . In the novel '' Stardust '' by Neil Gaiman , the protagonist describes the fallen star Yvaine, "the way Boadicea was drawn in his history books." In the 1988, the UK men's magazine Mayfair (magazine) featured a serious in-depth article on Boudica by C. Baxter. Comics The '' Sláine '' series in the British comic '' 2000 AD '' included two runs, entitled "Demon Killer" and "Queen of Witches" (1993-1994), written by Pat Mills and illustrated by Glenn Fabry and Dermot Power , which featured a free interpretation of Boudica's story. The 1990s comic book series '' Witchblade '' saw Boudicca as one of the original wielders of the Witchblade. In the 1990s, DC Comics ' Green Lantern Corps included a member named Boodikka, portrayed as a fierce female warrior. In Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell 's graphic novel '' From Hell '', William Gull considers Boudica's defeat as the final defeat of female power by patriarchy. Music The Irish singer/songwriter Enya produced a song called "Boadicea" on her 1986 debut album "Enya", which was re-issued later in 1992 (after 1987's "Watermark" world wide success) under the title '' The Celts ''. This track was first sampled by Scarface as the intro to his 1993 release '' The World Is Yours ''. Later, it was most famously sampled by the rap group The Fugees for their single "Ready or Not" (from 1996's '' The Score ''), and most recently by Mario Winans (featuring Sean "P. Diddy" Combs ) on his song "I Don't Wanna Know" (2004). The track was also used in the Soundtrack of the film '' Sleepwalkers ''. The famous Dutch soprano singer/songwriter Petra Berger produced an {Link without Title} song called "Boadicea" (written by G.Romita) on her 2001 album "Eternal Woman" . Scottish singer/songwriter Steve McDonald composed a biographical song called "Boadicea" on his 1997 album ''Stone of Destiny'', detailing her life and tragic death. ''Stone of Destiny'' lyrics from Official Steve McDonald Fanlisting British rock band The Libertines refer to "Queen Boadicea" in their song "The Good Old Days", indicating a belief that her spirit still lives on in Britons today. The British metal band Bal-Sagoth have written a song entitled "Blood Slakes the Sand at the Circus Maximus" (found on the band's album ''Battle Magic'') which features an Iceni Warrior of Boudica's uprising being captured and brought back to Rome. Her name (always spelled "Boudicca") returns in the song "When Rides the Scion of the Storms" of the same album. Faith And The Muse produced a song, "Boudiccea" for their most recent album, ''Burning Season''. The song suggests that Boudiccea may have committed suicide by falling on her sword. ''Boudiccea'' lyrics from the Faith and the Muse Site The Song, "Boadicea" appears on the album "Eternal Women", which is a compilation of songs to 11 famous women by Dutch Singer, Petra Berger. "Boadicea Uprising" is the name of a track of the new " In The Witching House [http://www.myspace.com/dreamsinthewitchinghouse]" album called "Rodinia". Other cultural references There have been scattered reports that the restless spirit of Boudica has been seen in the county of Lincolnshire . These reports, dating back to the mid-19th century, claim Boudica rides her chariot, heading for some unknown destination, and many a traveller and motorist have claimed to have seen her. There has been some debate as to how long this has been going on. Some say that the queen's restless spirit has been appearing since her death, while other suggest that the revival of interest in Boudica's story in the 19th century might have summoned her spirit back to our world. As with all reports of ghostly activity, it is up to the individual to decide whether they are true or not.Dan Asfar, ''Haunted Highways: Ghost Stories and Strange Tales'', 2003 There is also a long-lived urban myth that she is buried under Platform 8, 9 or 10 of King's Cross Railway Station in London.[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6497] This originates from the village of Battle Bridge (previously on the station's site), which was said to be the site of her last battle, suicide and burial. This is now accepted as a fiction and a hoax, whose origins can be traced back to Lewis Spence's book 'Boadicea - Warrior Queen of the Britons (1937) (where it is given but unevidenced)Bob Trubshaw, [http://www.indigogroup.co.uk/edge/boudica6.htm "Boudica - the case for Atherstone and Kings Cross"] from '' At the Edge '' or earlier. "A Boudicca question" , discussion on the Time Team forum at Channel 4 It is now thought that Battle Bridge was a corruption of 'Broad Ford Bridge'. Other such legends place her burial on Parliament Hill, Hampstead or in Suffolk. In 2003, an LTR Retrotransposon from the Genome of the human Blood Fluke ''Schistosoma mansoni'' was named ''Boudicca''.Copeland CS, Brindley PJ, Heyers O, Michael SF, Johnston DA, Williams DL, Ivens AC, Kalinna BH, "''Boudicca'', a retrovirus-like long terminal repeat retrotransposon from the genome of the human blood fluke ''Schistosoma mansoni''". ''Journal of Virology'' 2003 Jun;77(11):6153-66; Copeland CS, Heyers O, Kalinna BH, Bachmair A, Stadler PF, Hofacker IL, Brindley PJ, "Structural and evolutionary analysis of the transcribed sequence of ''Boudicca'', a ''Schistosoma mansoni'' retrotransposon". ''Gene'' 2004;329:103-114. In the '' Ghosts Of Albion '' series of web animations and books, created by Amber Benson and Christopher Golden , Boudica (called Bodicea in this instance) is represented as a ghost defender of Albion. In 2005 Boudicca and the Belgic revolt was added to the board game Britannia after twenty years, having been omitted from the original edition. The Boudica spelling had been suggested during development, but traditionalism prevailed. In 2006, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines announced their newest ship, entering service in early 2006, would be named ''Boudicca''. Indian queen Rani Lakshmibai is sometimes referred to as the Boudica of India. Book 9 in Tom Clancy's Net Force Explorers series, ''Private Lives'', features a character named Bodicea, who claims that her mother named her after the legendary queen. In Greg Weisman's '' Gargoyles '' franchise, Boudicca is the name of a gargoyle beast that is part of the Avalon Clan . In the videogame, , her traits are "Charismatic" and "Aggressive". Boudica appears as a second Celtic leader, after Brennus In the '' Anachronism '' card game, Boudicca appears as a warrior in Set Two. REFERENCES FURTHER READING
EXTERNAL LINKS
http://blip.tv/?id=341310;s=file Puppet Movie about the rebellion made by a Summer School in Great Yarmouth |
|
|