Sub-Roman Britain (Cavalry etc)

[Alanus]

Back to you, Nathan,

I simply felt that the wording "no evidence whatsoever" in the context of discussing Sarmatians in Britan was too strong and misleading. Perhaps "little evidence" might have been more appropriate. Thanks for citing Dio as the source. I think you're aware of my thoughts on Littleton and Malcor's assertions. And besides, after a period of over three centuries any Iazage influence on Briton's society would be minimal, perhaps a foggy memory.

Yet sometimes "evidence" comes to us beyond the written word, and I'm referring to the Welsh flag and its probable link to the Equites Taifali's dragon and pearl shield. Nowhere in ancient British literature can we find mention of a dragon. Likewise in Celtic art, we do not see a dragon until the seventh century, about the same time it shows up in early Norse art. The dragon and pearl originated in China, found on Sun Quan's sword, again on a sword now in the Met, and still used in Bhuddist gongs. It was never British or even Western European... until adopted, or carried forward, onto the Equites Taifali Iuniore's shield. This outside influence was strong enough to make a significant impression on British folk memory, probably enhanced by the Roman cavalry draco.

In this same fashion, we can trace the Migration Era or "Black Sea Style" sword back to those of the Han Dynasty, as adopted by the Khotani Saka and Massagetae. The Han sword is carefully, and accurately, depicted on the Orlot Battle Plaque, incised in ivory as carried by Massagetae warriors. It's no coincidence that the Alani "were the Massagetae" (to quote Dio), that this style of sword was carried into Europe by the Alans, Goths, and Huns, where it became the forrunner of the cruxiform Crusader sword. This gold-hilted style was owned by Wale's King Morgan and the Frank's King Childeric.

In the same fashion that Roman's changed elite British into a villa society, so too did eastern and steppe customs enter the western world... including Britain. Most of it will not be found as the written word, but we cannot discount it because it's still with us as the Welsh national standard. And if that's the case, then other eastern influences found root in the west through the Roman military. We cannot equivically prove that Jesus Christ existed, possibly a mythical cult hero, possibly a real person. Which stance should we adopt? Positve or negative?

There is a posture of close-sighted Celticism that occasionally shows up on this thread (and it doesn't come from you), but I prefer the larger picture. The Celts and Britians were influenced by outside cultures, just as every society was and still is. That's why we eat pizza and wonton soup.