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Post by Scruffy Brooky on Jan 4, 2011 14:53:55 GMT
Rob's musings on our local heritage, the importance of names, and Rugby Pagans purpose makes me think I should post this rather than keep it to myself.
Whlist the children and I were waiting for Summerstorm to get out of a clothes shop, I ended up reading the information boards put up by Rugby Council and read about the Celtic theory behind the origins of the name Rugby. I had previously been aware of the Roman Tripontium but not the rest. This brief quote is pinched from Wikipedia:
"Early Iron age settlement existed in the Rugby area, and a few miles outside what is now Rugby, existed a Roman settlement known as Tripontium. Rugby was originally a small Anglo-Saxon farming settlement, and was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Rocheberie. Rugby obtained a charter to hold a market in 1255, and soon developed into a small country market town.
The name's likeliest origin is Anglo-Saxon Hrôca burh or similar = "Rook fort", where Rook may be the birds or may be a man's name. Another theory is that the name is originally derived from an old Celtic name Droche-brig meaning "wild hilltop". The change to -by is because of Viking influence: there are other place names ending in -by in the area ('By' meaning town in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish even today)."
I think I am going to have to look into our local history. Anyone got any information they want to share or directions they want to point me in?
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Post by robur on Jan 4, 2011 15:29:41 GMT
Nice try. I've got a little book which lists every place name in Warwickshire, with its historical usage. This is what I have: There's 'rooks'. Rooks do have very witchy associations, but I couldn't really see a lead from there. A rook is also a chess piece, which represents the 'Chariot' Tarot card. If you saw this notice, 'by chance', then perhaps it is a clue to something.
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Post by Scruffy Brooky on Jan 4, 2011 15:47:13 GMT
Lol It wasn't a try at anything. I was asking for help. Thank you for yours!
There's actually a rookery close to my house in the fields towards Dunchurch on a public right of way that I have walked many times, though only once since I've been back! It takes in the Rainsbrook too. It's quite a pleasant little ramble.
It was actually "derived from an old Celtic name Droche-brig meaning "wild hilltop"", that caught my attention on the sign. I don't know anything of the local topography but Rugby isn't somewhere I associate with hills.
I am intrigued.
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Post by watergypsy on Jan 7, 2011 18:39:01 GMT
I remember reading somewhere that the name Rugby means Rough Hill, if you come in from any direction to the town centre, you do come up hill. I only ever managed to cycle into town once (up the Newbold Road) and vowed never to do it again!
Rob.. I'd be interested to see what your little book has to say about Easenhall and Brinklow?
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Post by summerstorm on Jan 7, 2011 23:45:25 GMT
I looked a little bit into the topography of Rugby and the surrounding area and i'm im agreement with Water Gypsy I found several references to the town centre being built on a sandstone mound.
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Post by robur on Jan 8, 2011 9:52:03 GMT
Brinklow was the site of a strategic castle on the Fosse Way. The mound may be natural, or it could be man-made. The names of both places don't actually say much:
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Post by Scruffy Brooky on Jan 10, 2011 11:45:41 GMT
Rob, what's the name of this book? Is it still in print / available? I'd be interested in getting a copy.
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Post by robur on Jan 10, 2011 15:34:59 GMT
The book is 'The Place-Names of Warwickshire'. It's out of print, and is one of the books that increases in price, as copies get scarcer. I managed to get one a few years ago, when it was far cheaper than it is now. This is the book: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/0521049067You must be able to think of far better ways of spending that sort of money.
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Post by Scruffy Brooky on Jan 10, 2011 17:44:42 GMT
You must be able to think of far better ways of spending that sort of money. Certainly can! One to bear in mind when in second hand book shops though!! Thanks for the info!
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Gus-hawk
Earth Dreamer
Gus Dog
Posts: 26
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Post by Gus-hawk on Jan 10, 2011 21:47:14 GMT
Not entirely to do with the name, but does anyone know which ancient British tribe held power in Rugby?
In the library's Tripontium exhibition there is a tile inscribed with the legend that 'the people belonged to the Corieltauvi'. The corieltauvi (or coritani) occupied Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire.
Now Tripontium is not Rugby. It seems there may have been a small town there. Could there have been a different tribe in Rugby?
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Gus-hawk
Earth Dreamer
Gus Dog
Posts: 26
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Post by Gus-hawk on Jan 10, 2011 21:54:20 GMT
Actually, I can answer my own question. I found a website with all the BRitish tribes, and we would (probably) have been the Dobunni www.roman-britain.org/tribes/dobunni.htmI like the idea it's the do-bunni tribe as I was born in the chinese year of the rabbit ;D
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Post by Scruffy Brooky on Jan 11, 2011 0:12:57 GMT
That's fascinating stuff Gus. Thanks! Anyone know of any good local history books?
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Post by summerstorm on Jan 11, 2011 0:22:02 GMT
Hi Gus, apparently Rugby was in an boarder area between the two tribes you mention. I'll post more tomorrow when I can find the website where I found the information (and my brain is more in gear...sleep needed )
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Post by summerstorm on Jan 11, 2011 13:24:29 GMT
Here is the bit of information I read of a Local Rugby History Website....
Archaeologist's are uncertain of the names of Iron Age tribes, let alone where the boundaries were. An inscription on a tile from Tripontium says it was made in the 'Civitas corieltavvorum' - the area of the Corieltauvi ( or Coritani ). The capital of that area was Leicester. However Rugby was in the border area with the Dobunni to the south west and the Catuvellauni to the south east.
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marcus
Earth Dreamer
Posts: 14
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Post by marcus on Jan 11, 2011 15:17:55 GMT
As said above - the area where Rugby is was occupied by the Dobunni (Britanic-Celts) who were then "replaced" by the Hwicce (AngloSaxons). Rugby however was on the border and the Dobunni neighboured the Catuvellauni.
Actually all evidence points to the Hwicce not replacing the Donunni at all - but mingling with them to form a new people (though with an AngloSaxon elite)
Both the Dobunni & Hwicce (who had a hill fort at Wychbury just off the Hagley Road) are interesting because they both apparently worshipped a local Goddess - Cuda. We don't know an awful lot about Cuda - except cups are often a motif (there's a nice stone inscription of Cuda was found in Cirencester - Dobunni's main centre of power).
I recommend reading Stephen Yeates book "The Tribe of Witches: The Religion of the Dobunni and Hwicce" which is a good academic account of what we know (despite the silly title.)
Marcus
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