09-16-2010, 04:43 AM
Yes, Gildas is infuriating isn't he? Oh yes, and one more thing, I have read in Christopher Gidlow's new book that a skeleton found at Stonehenge, was likely one of the Tyrants that Gildas disclaims, mainly Constantine of Dumnonia. The man was about thirty-five at his death, which would make sense, and had been executed via one clean sword chop to the neck, and burried at the place of his execution. This individual was also rather well-built, robust even. He had been in good health, and had obviously been pampered as his body showed little sign of the average wear and tear one would expect on your average warrior. The archaeologist dated him quite calmly to roughly just after Gildas wrote his sermon but others have tried to refute this date and said he was two centuries too early in his dating. They said that he was a Saxon noble who had been executed as an example to others not to mess with the ruling house. The one who originally reassesed the skeleton recently thought that he was a British king who had crossed one too many lines and was being executed by a higher power (The High King) for his crimes. The only one who matches up with place, time, rank, and misdeeds is Constantine. I believe the first assesment and would gladly like to see a reconstruction of what this man looked like. Then finally we'd have a nice substantial window into this shadowy period in time. What do you guys think? Even the unreliable Geoffrey of Manmouth agrees with this one!
Nicholas
