Background, Where She Was From
Boudicca’s name means ‘Victory,’ it is even thought that Queen Victoria was named after her. Where exactly did this victorious Queen B come from? Boudicca was part of a larger group called the Celts that occupied Early Britannia, they consisted of various tribes that travelling philosopher from the Roman empire, Strabo described as “war-mad, both high-spirited and quick for battle, although otherwise simple and not ill-mannered” in his 23 AD book Geographica (A. Fraser, 1988). Boudicca married into a Celtic tribe called the Iceni, located in an area in Southern Brittain known as East Anglia, todays Norfolk and Suffolk in East England (image above). They were people of mixed origins that had a culture centred around farming, iron making and pottery (Jane Walker, 2000). Before the Romans came along and demanded their land and money, these would have been peaceful, hard-working people. Before joining the Iceni people, it was likely that Boudicca was part of nearby tribe, the Trinovantes that were one of the tribes to fight under her rule during the revolt against the Romans, in 61ACE.
According to Dio Cassius in Agricola, Boudicca was “a woman of kingly descent.” It is estimated that Boudicca, who was to be one of the most exceptional warrior Queens ever to grace the world, was born between 25-30AD. It is believed that she was educated in her youth, sent to live with another family and learn all about the history of the Celts, their tribal traditions and its culture and religion (Isha Bassi, 2013). It is here that she would first have picked up a sword, shield and spear. Surely, this is where Boudicca’s passion for her culture and her feisty nature would have emerged.
The Celts were famous and feared for their bravery in battle, they made great warriors, it could be said that it was in Boudicca’s blood to be a fighter. But her people were not just fighters, they were also metalsmiths, poets, musicians and story tellers as well (Diane Henessy, 1990). Who would suspect that Boudicca would grow up to embody Celtic rebellion against the Romans?
There were equal rights in the Iceni community; between women and men who held equal gender roles, and leaders and the people with chiefs being chosen by their people and only ruling with consent. This is part of what allowed Boudicca to rise up to be such an influential character. The Iceni had rights way ahead of their time, in some ways they helped lead the Western World into having more equal rights by giving the greatest example of a woman being just as powerful as a man, that was Boudicca.
Boudicca’s name means ‘Victory,’ it is even thought that Queen Victoria was named after her. Where exactly did this victorious Queen B come from? Boudicca was part of a larger group called the Celts that occupied Early Britannia, they consisted of various tribes that travelling philosopher from the Roman empire, Strabo described as “war-mad, both high-spirited and quick for battle, although otherwise simple and not ill-mannered” in his 23 AD book Geographica (A. Fraser, 1988). Boudicca married into a Celtic tribe called the Iceni, located in an area in Southern Brittain known as East Anglia, todays Norfolk and Suffolk in East England (image above). They were people of mixed origins that had a culture centred around farming, iron making and pottery (Jane Walker, 2000). Before the Romans came along and demanded their land and money, these would have been peaceful, hard-working people. Before joining the Iceni people, it was likely that Boudicca was part of nearby tribe, the Trinovantes that were one of the tribes to fight under her rule during the revolt against the Romans, in 61ACE.
According to Dio Cassius in Agricola, Boudicca was “a woman of kingly descent.” It is estimated that Boudicca, who was to be one of the most exceptional warrior Queens ever to grace the world, was born between 25-30AD. It is believed that she was educated in her youth, sent to live with another family and learn all about the history of the Celts, their tribal traditions and its culture and religion (Isha Bassi, 2013). It is here that she would first have picked up a sword, shield and spear. Surely, this is where Boudicca’s passion for her culture and her feisty nature would have emerged.
The Celts were famous and feared for their bravery in battle, they made great warriors, it could be said that it was in Boudicca’s blood to be a fighter. But her people were not just fighters, they were also metalsmiths, poets, musicians and story tellers as well (Diane Henessy, 1990). Who would suspect that Boudicca would grow up to embody Celtic rebellion against the Romans?
There were equal rights in the Iceni community; between women and men who held equal gender roles, and leaders and the people with chiefs being chosen by their people and only ruling with consent. This is part of what allowed Boudicca to rise up to be such an influential character. The Iceni had rights way ahead of their time, in some ways they helped lead the Western World into having more equal rights by giving the greatest example of a woman being just as powerful as a man, that was Boudicca.