An heroic age is a period of time when the established political and cultural roots of a culture have been uprooted because of violent military, social, or climatic change. This changes the dynamics of the ruling elite without necessarily altering the lives of normal people.
Social Structure[]
In heroic age society, the dynamics of the elite centered around a personal connection with the king. Warriors were fed and given gifts in the king’s hall. Entertainment, in the form of women, jugglers, poets, and acrobats, were made available. In return, they were expected to risk their lives, often in relatively safe cattle raids but regularly in pitched battles. In these the king led. Leaders were believed to be superior warriors, very often with some sort of connection with the gods. The Germanics and Greeks, for instance, made their kings descendants of the gods. There is strong evidence the Britons did as well before becoming Christian. The Celtic and Germanic peoples also believed that ruling clans had a sort of supernatural luck that made them successful in battle and elsewhere.
Poets[]
Warriors were not just made to feel personally loyal to their king, but to remember they had a chance at immortal fame if they fought with enough skill and courage. Stories about legendary heroes like Heracles, Cù Chulainn, and Sigurd were often told in halls. Traveling entertainers were also paid to make up new praises for local heroes.
Activities[]
The primary activity was cattle theft. This served several purposes. Obviously, they occupied the warriors, giving them the opportunity to establish a hierarchy among themselves. Cattle were also a foundation of wealth, so that the most successful raider was the wealthiest king. Probably most important for the perpetuation of the culture the raiding reinforced the idea that their king was protecting the peasants.
Heroic Ages[]
Irish Heroic Age[]
Period: First century before the Common Era. The time of Conchobar and the warriors of his band, most notably Cù Chulainn. The main event of this period is the Cattle Raid of Cooley, more famously known as the Tàin Bo Cuailgne.
Germanic Heroic Age[]
Period: First century of the Common Era into the sixth century. The Age of Migrations would see the invasion of the Germanic tribes, whose need for land, valuables, and food would force them into a culture of raiding and incessant warfare. After the end of the Roman Empire, they settled throughout Europe and Africa, becoming the ruling elite in those areas and eventually taking up a more sedentary lifestyle.
British Heroic Age[]
Period: Last third of the fifth century to the first third of the seventh. This was a response to the migrations of the Germanic peoples and their spread across Britain. The British Heroic Age was distinguished by cattle raids and the fame of individuals such as Arthur, Urien, and Run son of Maelgwn.