Sub-Roman Britain (Cavalry etc)

[Robert Vermaat]

Hi Nicholas,

Thanks for the contribution, but would you PLEASE take a bit more time before you post? There's a lot of information ready on the internet, you know?

the poem Llongborth

That would be the poem 'Geraint son of Erbin', and the oldest written version comes from the mid-13th century Black Book of Carmarthen.

I found that one translation has it written that Gerran's men rode astride "long-legged chargers" (I believe we'll need Carvettia's expertise here) which were fed grain.

Most translations use 'swift racers' here, referring to their speed, and propably not to their use as cataphract horses?????

this sounds a lot like the arabian breeds used by the Romans for cataphracts.

References for that 'fact' please?

And I believe Allanus is right about the cataphractarii being stationed at Edinburgh, they found a cataphract horse skeleton there.

If he mentioned that, references for that 'fact' please.

Also a few Anglo-Saxon graves from the fith century bear crushed bones from being trampled by a horse that actually charged them, and didn't kill them from afar with javelins.

Need I say more? references for that 'fact' please.

Nicholas (and others), we do have some rules on this forum, and one of these is that we post with, if possible, references to publications. Stated 'facts' like these do not contribute to the level of discussion on this forum, and even if it might dampen the level of enthusiasm here (which I hope not), it aids us nothing if we just go from one 'I heard that..' to another 'they did this and that'... without any reference.