Thread by @magago

Here is the great hillfort of Nemeño (Ponteceso, #Galicia), ruling a fertile valley. There has been a village inside the ramparts since at least the 9th century. In this new thread of #hillfortswednesday you will discover about old seaways, Vikings, place names and great poets.

Nemeño Hillfort controls not only the land, but is also very close to the sea and open to seaways. In the 19th century it was discovered here a Bronze Age spearhead with a rapier-shaped blade, clearly connected with British or Irish concepts at this time. #hillfortswednesday

The church of Cores, very close to the hillfort, keeps an ara dedicated to Jupiter by the inhabitants of the hillfort of Aviliobris, which means in ancient Celtic, "the windy hill(fort)". Could this be the original name of the hillfort of Nemeño? #hillfortswednesday

The whole area is full of Celtic place names. The Bergantiños is related to 'Briganti' people and Brigantia mythical town. The hillfort's name, Nemeño, is explained from the root *Nem-, traditionally linked to Celtic sacred forests and quite common in Galicia. #hillfortswednesday

Perhaps an old sacred forest was the reason to build a monastery somewhere in this picture. Already in the XIth century it had one of the largest collections of relics in the region, including the most beloved saint in Galicia: Santa Mariña #hillfortswednesday

In fact, the entire Seaia Valley (meaning probably 'the Ocean') is plenty of early medieval monasteries with rich treasures and libraries, including books by the Venerable Bede! You can explore early medieval evidence in this map. #hillfortswednesday google.com/maps/d/edit?mi…

The monastery and the relics of Nemeño have been lost, but not the memory of Santa Mariña. On the coast, not far away, we find an islet where existed a chapel devoted to ther, in a small marine inlet in Niñóns. And its legend is surprising. #hillfortswednesday

Locals say that Mariña was a girl who arrived in the Vikings ships on a raid and managed to escape. Neighbours took care of her, and she lived off tending cattle. She saved them many times by warning of the pirates. When she died, they decided to santify her. #hillfortswednesday

The great poet Eduardo Pondal wrote in XIXth century about the hillfort "king of the forts, strong hillfort / beautiful Nemenzo hillfort; the one with the good appearance/ the one with the high parapets/ the well-finished moats / deep and well made". #hillfortswednesday

Pic of the Santa Mariña islet by Ponte na Fala. To know more about the spearhed, check this Dr. Suárez Otero article. researchgate.net/publication/33… #hillfortswednesday