Celtic Warrior Women: Queen Boudica of the Iceni

Boadicea, leader of the rebellion against the Romans. By Joseph Martin Kronheim (1810–96)[1] - This file has been extracted from another file: Pictures of English History - Plates I to IV.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12705208

Queen Boudica, ruler of the Iceni people of Britain, was famous for leading a violent uprising against Roman rule. Although she had early success, the rebellion ultimately failed, but made her into a legend and a folk heroine of the British people. Here we look briefly at how Boudica is presented in history, the causes of the rebellion, its successes and its ultimate failure and how she became perceived in later centuries.

Folk-Ore: The Magical Power of Blacksmiths and Their Enduring Stories

Saint Dunstan using his blacksmith’s tongs to grasp the Devil’s nose. As depicted in two Mediaeval manuscripts. Left, from the Harley Manuscripts and right, from the Luttrell Psalter - both courtesy British Library Digitised Manuscripts Archive. http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/welcome.htm

The folklore of iron and smithing has been common since prehistory, and one of the oldest folktales tells of a blacksmith forging a deal with the devil.

Spring-heeled Jack: The Terror of Victorian England

Drawing of Spring Heeled Jack https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Spring_Heeled_Jack#/media/File:Spring_Heeled_Jack-penny_dreadful.png

In 1838, the year Queen Victoria came to the throne, London was bedevilled by a clawed, fire-breathing, shape-shifting demon popularly known as Spring-heeled Jack. A rather haphazard creation of local gossip, newspaper reports, and penny dreadful fiction, this urban legend, once largely forgotten, is now being revived through a contemporary interest in steampunk and reimagined […]

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