History of Devon: Encyclopedia II - History of Devon - Celtic origins Romans and the arrival of the Saxons

History of Devon - Celtic origins Romans and the arrival of the Saxons

The name "Devon" derives from name given by the Romans to the Celtic people who inhabited the south western peninsula of Britain at the time of the Roman invasion c AD50, the Dumnonii - meaning 'Deep Valley Dwellers'. The Romans held the area under Military Occupation for approx 25 years, and maintained a garrison at Exeter, which they named 'Isca Dumnoniorum. There was a Roman Civitas here for the following three centuries at least. The Germanic peoples who settled England from the fifth century on did not conquer Devon until relatively late. The Saxons are believed to have reached Devon in small numbers in the seventh century, and the king of Wessex launched an invasion in 614. Over the next 100 years there was repeated fighting between Dumnonia and Wessex, and some historians suggest that this resulted in the effective conquest of Devon by Wessex by 715 and its formal annexation around 805. however these dates and the degree of control exterted are debated because the Dumnonian kings continued to be able to maintain (nominal) influence for some time thereafter. In 823 the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the "Defnas" (Devonians) as fighting against the "Wealas" (literally foreigners or strangers) in Cornwall. Later William of Malmesbury claimed "that the Britons and Saxons inhabited Exeter aequo jure" ("as equals") in 927, and the notion of two nations within the city at that time was confirmed by E A Freeman in his History of the Norman Conquest. Nineteenth century studies suggested that a significant ethnic Celtic element remains in the local population, and DNA analysis in the late twentieth century has presented a greater genetic commonality with the other western British peoples.

History of Devon - Celtic Placenames

Although Devon's placenames are generally not as obviously Celtic as its neighbour Cornwall, some common Devon name components, such as the ending "-combe" or "tor", are of Celtic origin (compare Welsh (language) cwm and twr, pronounced almost identically).

A number of the river names are also Celtic, e.g. the Exe (and by extension, Exeter).

History of Devon - Celtic Customs

Devon also retained a number of Celtic customs (such as its own form of Celtic wrestling. As recently as the nineteenth century a crowd of 17,000 at Devonport (Plymouth) attended a match between the champions of Devon and Cornwall). Other customs include Dartmoor step dancing and 'crying the neck'.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Celtic origins Romans and the arrival of the Saxons", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki