A.D. 500: A Journey Through the Dark Isles of Britain and Ireland

by Simon Young

Hardcover, 2005

Status

Available

Call number

941.014

Genres

Collection

Physical Books

Publication

Weidenfeld & Nicolson (2005), Hardcover

Description

A window on the mysterious world of the Dark Ages by a brilliant young historian AD 500 is written as a practical survival guide for the use of civilised visitors to the barbaric islands of Britain and Ireland. It describes a journey which begins in Cornwall and continues through Wales and Ireland, then across to Scotland and eventually down to London and southern Britain. The Romans have left, and the islands are now fought over by Irish, British Celts, Picts and Saxons. It is a dangerous world, full of tribal war. The British Celts are enthusiastic head-hunters, while the Saxon gods require regular blood sacrifices, animal and sometimes human. There are social pitfals too (`Do not make fun of the Celts' beliefs about Arthur'...'Don't refuse a place in a Welsh collective bed.') Cheviot bandits, bizarre forms of Christianity, boat burials, peculiar haircuts, human sacrifice, poetry competitions, slave markets, the legend of King Arthur - these are the realities of life in the sixth century AD.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member sben

Interesting, well-researched overview of life in the British Isles in the 6th century, fictionalized as a guide for travelers from Byzantium. Some of the main text is extrapolated beyond the evidence specifically available for the British Isles, but is not beyond the bounds of plausibility, is

based on actual research (e.g. continental and/or later practices), and is flagged as such in the endnotes.

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LibraryThing member James_Patrick_Joyce

This was an interesting way to impart dry historical data.

Simon Young, a Celtic and Dark Ages historian, created a fictional Byzantine travelogue, narrated by an adviser to the Emperor. The Emperor is always "planning" for the eventual reconquering of the barbaric isles of Britain and this

travelogue is from a previous, fateful expedition. The narrator makes many "helpful" comments, giving insight into both the actual period and various misconceptions that other peoples had about England, of the time.

The journal entries refer to the names of places at the time, but footnotes clarify which are still existing places. Copious footnotes and end-notes provide additional details.

Overall, I enjoyed this approach and I now intend to seek out some other works by Young, just because of how he wrote this one.

Fun, for fans of the time and place.

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LibraryThing member redcrowstudio

I've had a long time interest in dark ages Britain and Ireland, and this book scratches that itch with a compelling conceit, that of a fictionalized Byzantine travelogue of those "dark isles". The travelers cover all quarters, encountering British Celts (both in the kingdoms of southwestern Britain

and and in what is now southern Scotland and Wales), Irish & Dal Riadan Gaels, Pictish tribes, and Saxon warlords. They even show up in Din Eidyn (Edinburgh) in time to accompany the Gododdin on their fatal march to battle with the Saxons at Catraeth (as chronicled in the ancient poem Y Gododdin). The travellers also meet some famous saints and bards (hello, Taliesin) and meet many dangers on their rough journey. The fictionalized format makes for livelier reading than most dark age histories, and makes for good fodder for a historically based rpg campaign (maybe King Arthur Pendragon or Ars Magica?).

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