Actually, the name comes from the word Pretani, which was the Brythonic for Picts (the Gaelic being Cruthin).

This is the name given to the Celtic dialect they spoke. There were literally dozens, if not hundreds, of Celtic tribes (i.e. Parisii, Iceni, Cassiovelauni, Silurii, Arverni, Carnutes, Insubres, Boii, etc).

The portions of the Isles which are currently Celtic are not the only areas in which the Celtic peoples settled. Later on, various Germanic tribes settled in those areas and gradually subjugated and absorbed the Britons.

Rome abandoned Britain long before 500 A.D. Before the Visigoths sacked the city in 410 A.D., the leaders of Britain sent a letter to Emperor Honorius, begging for Roman aid, but Honorius wrote back that they should see to their own defense. By 413, the legions stationed at Hadrain's Wall were gone.

Also, the Anglo-Saxons already had a few petty kingdoms in England before 500 A.D., namely Kent, Sussex, and Essex.

I was under the impression that the term was used by Herodotus of Halicarnassus in the archaic form of Keltoi, during the 6th century B.C.

The language has evolved a great deal in the intervening centuries sense the English arrived in the isles. At the time the Germanic peoples first appeared in recorded history, they were divided into various tribal groups, all of whom were lopped together under the term "Germans" by the Romans. Thus it was with the various Celtic tribes and peoples. The modern designation of Celtic may, indeed, have originated in the eighteenth century, but the comparison is a bit off.

That part I actually have to agree with. It was probably more like the Arab "invasion" of Egypt.....a few Arabs becoming rulers over many Egyptians....and the dominate culture becoming Arab.

LOL! I hadn't heard that one either. However, if Cary is the "Containment" area, how come so many of them are coming to settle in my portion of the state?????

Bruce had 2 legitimate children who survived to adulthood...his son David II and his daughter Marjory. David died childless. Marjory's son, Robert Stewart, succeeded David to the throne as Robert II. However, Bruce also had several illegitimate children. One or more of them may have had the surname "Bruce", and that may be how the name has come down to your friend, cori ::shrug::

Actually, George I's grandmother was Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James I, and, therefore, Charles's sister. It was through Elizabeth the George's claim to the British throne came. It is true that the "Great Pretender" and his sons were the last of the "Stewarts/Stuarts", but they were passed over in the line of succession due to their Catholicism.

BTW, I know this is a bit off subject.....but......about the Bruces....could someone explain to me: How did the Bruce family end up with the earldom of Carrick? I know that Robert Bruce (the King's father) married Marjory, Countess of Carrick, but she had been married before, a union from which she had a son. I would think that the earldom would have passed to him, but, instead, it went to Bruce while Thomas Randolph, who was either the son or grandson of his half-brother, later became Earl of Moray and one David II's guardians? Sorry, but that little point has always confused me, lol.

Okay, okay, I'm finished. ::climbs down::

Thank you, sir_tal, that's it precisely, and I greatly enjoyed it as well. I read the others of the Pendragon Cycle as I find them, usually by accident at one of the local libraries.

I've tried to read Rosalind Miles's Guinevere Trilogy as well as Isolde, but I just can't get into them. ::sigh::

I agree with that, bubba. Today's Arthur, I believe, is a composite of several historical, and not so historical (mythological even) characters woven into one superhero type figure, with a lot of medieval idealistic embellishment. The same can be said of Merlin.

You read my mind. Only, when I said it, it was more like "Again???!!!!!" with a bit of whine to it.

::sigh::

If this keeps up, I just might join you folks in Canada!