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National Treasures – Legends of the Four Nations – u3a Theme meeting 2022 01
The talk Legends of the Four Nations by Lorna Thomas tells the stories of an Englishwoman, an Irishman, a Scotsman and a Welshman. A rebel, a Saint, a mercenary and a nobleman!
Listen to Lorna tell the full story!
Pictures and maps illustrate the talk. Please click on an icon below to open the gallery.
Boudicca
Boudicca is married to Prasutagus and they have two daughters. Prasutagus rules the Iceni tribe. Unfortunately he dies. He has left his kingdom jointly to his two daughters and the Roman Emperor.
The Romans ignore his will, annexe his kingdom and take his property. Tacitus tells us that the Romans flog Boudicca and abuse her daughters.
Boudicca leads the Iceni, Trinovantes and others in a revolt. They sack Colchester and many terrified Romans flee.
The rebels then burn London and St. Albans. Boudicca and her forces kill between 70 and 80 thousand people.
The Romans regroup and force a battle somewhere in the Midlands, near Watling Street. They have chosen well because the site of the battle restricts the effectiveness of the nimble Iceni chariots. The Romans win and crush the rebellion.
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick is a fifth century Romano British Christian missionary and Bishop of Ireland.
It is possible that there are some Christians in Ireland before Patrick, however, the legend is that he founds Christianity in Ireland.
The legend says that when he is about sixteen, he is captured by Irish pirates and becomes a slave to Ireland. Patrick looks after animals for the next six years. He escapes and returns to his family.
Patrick becomes a cleric and returns to northern and western Ireland and then serves as a bishop.
William Wallace
The chronicler, Walter Bower, describes Wallace as ‘a tall man with the body of a giant …. with lengthy flanks ….. broad in the hips, with strong arms and legs ….. with all his limbs strong and firm‘.
This giant of a man, along with Andrew Moray, defeats the English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. He serves at the ‘Guardian of Scotland’ until his defeat at the battle of Falkirk nine months later.
He evades capture until 1305. Edward I tries him in London and he is ‘hung, drawn and quartered‘.
Owain Glyndŵr
Owain is born in to a prosperous family in around 1359. He is part of the Anglo-Welsh gentry in the Welsh Marches (the border area between England and Wales) in northeast Wales.
The are a number of alternative stories about why Owain leads a revolt against the English.
Listen to the podcast for the full story.
About this podcast:
This podcast is an edited recording of a talk first given in the series National Treasures to the Farnham u3a.
The Farnham u3a site is found here.
This podcast is also available through podcast apps including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl.
AKM Music has licensed ‘See you as you are’ for use as the theme and incidental music for this podcast.
© The MrT Podcast Studio and Farnham u3a 2018 – 2022
