In Welsh language, a caer or kaer was a royal residence during the 1st millennium AD or earlier. Caer can be loosely translated castle or palace or fort but no one English word captures the essence of a caer. A caer was home to a king, his royal family, his warband of loyal knights (teulu) who were his primary defenders in conflict, his druid(s) who were his chief advisors and the spiritual leaders of his people, and his bards who provided entertainment in music and poetry; together with their retinue of squires, artisans, servants, slaves and horses. Caers were famed for their great feasts that could last as long as a year, at which the kings and upper classes of two or several kingdoms would gather. Giving of feasts was a primary sign of wealth and status in Celtic society, at any rate in the fifth and sixth centuries. Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... (1st millennium BC – 1st millennium – 2nd millennium – other millennia) Events Beginning of Christianity (30s) and Islam (7th century) London founded by Romans as Londinium Diaspora of the Jews The Olympic Games observed until 393 The Library of Alexandria, largest library in the world, burned Rise and fall of the Roman... The Alcázar of Segovia, Spain A castle (from the Latin castellum, diminutive of castra, a military camp, in turn the plural of castrum or watchpost), is a fort, a camp and the logical development of a fortified enclosure. ... The quintessential medieval European palace: Palais de la Cité, in Paris, the royal palace of France. ... Fortifications (Latin fortis, strong, and facere, to make) are military constructions designed for defensive warfare. ... A silver statue of an armoured knight, created as a trophy in 1850 For the chess piece, see knight (chess). ... In the Celtic religion, the modern words Druidry or Druidism denote the practices of the ancient druids, the priestly class in ancient Celtic societies through much of Western Europe north of the Alps and in the British Isles. ... In medieval times a squire was a man-at-arms in the service of a knight, often as his apprentice. ... An artisan, also called a craftsman, is a skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft. ... Servant has a number of meaning: A servant is another word for domestic worker, a person who is hired to provide regular household or other duties, and receives compensation. ... The word slaves has several meanings and usages: People who are owned by others, and live to serve them without pay. ... (4th century - 5th century - 6th century - other centuries) Events Rome sacked by Visigoths in 410. ... (5th century — 6th century — 7th century — other centuries) Events The first academy of the east the Academy of Gundeshapur founded in Persia by the Persian Shah Khosrau I. Irish colonists and invaders, the Scots, began migrating to Caledonia (later known as Scotland) Glendalough monastery, Wicklow Ireland founded by St. ...

At the same time, a caer was a defended fortress. They were often hill forts, such as the possibly-Camelot hill fort at South Cadbury in Somerset, or coastal forts such as Tintagel in Cornwall and Aberdyfi in Ceredigion. The term hill fort is commonly used by archeologists to describe fortified enclosures located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. ... Camelot is the name of the stronghold of the legendary King Arthur, from which he fought many of the battles that made up his life. ... South Cadbury in Somerset is a hilltop archaeological site covering an area of around 8ha, 12km northeast of Yeovil and near the historical hillfort Cadbury Castle. ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... Situated on the north Atlantic coast of Cornwall, the village of Tintagel and nearby Tintagel Castle have long been associated with the legends surrounding King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. ... Motto: Onan hag oll (Cornish: One and all) Cornwall, England Geography Status Ceremonial and (smaller) Administrative county Traditional county Duchy of Cornwall Region South West England Area - Total - Admin. ... Aberdyfi (English: Aberdovey) is a village on the estuary of the River Dyfi in Gwynedd, Wales. ... For other uses please see Ceredigion (disambiguation) Ceredigion is a county in Wales. ...

Kings of small kingdoms, such as Ceredigion, had one caer. Kings of large kingdoms, such as Rheged, had several and migrated peripatetically among them. Entrance to the Rheged Discovery Centre Rheged was a nation in Dark Ages Britain. ...

A caer therefore comes functionally close to a capital city, but in the context of an almost totally non-urban society.

As an aside, Caer is the welsh name for the City of Chester, situated on the North-East border with England.

Mythology

In Irish mythology, Caer was a daughter of Ethal and Prince Anubal of Connacht. She eventually married Aengus, but first he had to pick her, in swan form, out of a group of other swans. With Aengus, she was the mother of Diarmuid. The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branches of Celtic mythology. ... In Irish mythology, Ethal was the mother of Caer by Prince Anubal of Connacht. ... In Irish mythology, Prince Anubal of Connacht was the father of Caer by Ethal. ... Connaught redirects here. ... In Irish mythology, Aengus (Áengus, Óengus, Angus, Anghus) aka Aengus Óg (Aengus the Young), Mac ind Óg (son of the young) or Mac Óg (young son) was a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann and probably a god of love, youth and beauty. ... Genera Cygnus Coscoroba Swans are large water birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. ... In Irish mythology, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (Diarmuid of the love spot) was son of Donn and a warrior of the Fianna. ...