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On the 18th September 2014 the Scottish people voted whether they will be Scottish or British. This made me wonder: who are the Scottish? Are they descended from the Gaels of Dal Riata with Goidelic heritage from Ulster who settled in the Western Isles; the Picts of Caledonia who united with the Gaels to form Alba; the Cumbric of Ystrad Clud and Gododdin in whose language the place names of Glasgow and Edinburgh originate; the Scots, descended from the Anglians of the kingdom of Northumbria and the Norse settlers of Sudreyjar or Nordreyjar? Scotland is formed of many different Germanic and Celtic peoples, languages, and traditions, which make it similar to the English melting pot of culture. Yet these movements of 1500 years ago still affect today's political debates so understanding these echoes of our past is as crucial today as it ever was. In History, I have developed necessary skills to begin understanding the past. RS has taught me to explore ethics and the reasons why people do and believe what they do, whilst also developing empathy. Philosophy of Religion has led to new and abstract ways of thinking about fundamental issues. My fascination with linguistics has inspired me to explore the history of the Welsh language. My curiosity for Early-Medieval history led me to begin reading Bede, Nennius, Gildas and the Anglo Saxon Chronicle. The Hen Ogledd and the international significance of the Northumbrian Golden Age are subjects which interest me. After reading a BBC History magazine article which alluded to the Emporia theory in relation to Anglo-Saxon economics, I read the article 'Economic Collapse?' by Adams. She argued that unlike the Mediterranean trade model, the emporia were uniquely independent of political or religious centres. My own research projects include the journey of monks sent by Alfred the Great to St Thomas' tomb in India and considering the feasibility of such a journey. This allowed me greater insight into the medieval world and how much larger it was than I had previously thought; this was a voyage on Marco Polo's scale but 400 years earlier in the 'Dark' Ages with clear links between the Heptarchy and the Malabar coast. In June 2014 I attended a diplomatic workshop entitled 'Making Sense of Manuscripts' with Professor David d'Avray. In order to fully understand manuscripts, I learnt the necessity of its araenga and rationality, as well as the social structures and language of power. This was particularly useful when assisting at a study day at St Albans Study Centre in July 2014 entitled 'St Alban: Romano-British Martyr to Anglo Saxon Saint' where we discussed the earliest manuscripts concerning Alban using Gregory the Great's manuscript reading technique. In Year 10 I arranged work-experience with the curator of the National Roman Legionary Museum at Caerleon. He supervised my research into the village of Bassaleg and using primary sources from the National Archives, material from the Archaeologia Cambrensis & Gwent local history files, I wrote a paper entitled 'From Romans to Reformation'. I explored the village's Roman origins, its Early Medieval Welsh monastery, the impact of the Norman Conquest and its donation to Glastonbury Abbey as a cell until 1539. I furthered my knowledge of my locality as a National Trust guide, and made discoveries such as Earl Harold Godwinson's conquest of eastern Gwent after installing Bleddyn and Rhiwallon over the kingdoms of Gwynedd and Powys. This prompted me to hypothesise whether Harold might have gone on to consolidate his demesne in Wales by retaking Gwent from Caradog if the English had won the Battle of Hastings, perhaps furthering the Adventus Saxorum by conquering the land we call Wales. With a view to further study and research, I have begun to learn Latin and introduce myself to Old English through comparing many Biblical texts with their modern equivalents and reading Wikipedia in Aenglisc in order to fathom its grammar and vocabulary.
Universities Applied to:
- Cambridge (Anglo Saxon, Norse and Celtic) - Offer (A*AA) Firm
- York (History) - Offer (AAA) Insurance
- Durham (History) - Offer (A*AA)
- Exeter (History) - Offer (A*AA)
- Nottingham (History) - Offer (AAA/Unconditional is firmed)
Grades Achieved:
- History (AS) - A
- Religious Studies (AS) - A
- Mathematics (AS) - A
- Physics (AS) - A
- History (A2) - A
- Religious Studies (A2) - A
- Mathematics (A2) - A*
