This video explores an alternate history scenario: what if Doggerland, a landmass connecting Great Britain to continental Europe during the last ice age, had never been submerged? The video examines how this altered geography would have impacted European history, culture, and societal development.
The video presents Levitia as a vast grassland extending from what is currently the North Sea across to the European mainland, encompassing areas now submerged beneath the waters of the North Sea and encompassing parts of modern-day Great Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany. The description focuses on general features rather than precise boundaries because the exact extent and details of Doggerland are still being researched and the video focuses on an alternate history.
Geographical Features of Theoretical Levitia:
Lowlands: The core of Levitia would be a vast, flat expanse of lowland, similar to the Ukrainian steppe or the African savanna. This is crucial to the video’s narrative, as this flat terrain heavily influences the development of a horse-riding culture. The major rivers (the video mentions the Grand River system and mentions that the Thames, Rhine, and Seine would be its tributaries in the alternate history) would shape the landscape, forming fertile river valleys and creating natural boundaries between various tribes. The lowlands would be the most densely populated region.
Highlands: Surrounding the central lowlands, higher elevations would exist forming a ring of highlands. The video specifically mentions that what would be the British Isles would form hilly to mountainous highland borders in the west, acting as a natural barrier. Similar highlands would likely also have existed to the east, north and south, though the video doesn't detail these areas specifically. These highland regions would be less densely populated than the lowlands.
Coastal Regions: The coastlines would significantly shape the interaction between Levitia’s inhabitants and other peoples. The video suggests that the southern and western coastal areas, exposed to warmer Atlantic air, would have been more temperate and thus would have likely had larger populations than more northern, colder regions.
Theoretical Regions within Levitia (based on video):
The video doesn't provide formal names or detailed maps of regions within Levitia. However, we can infer some broad regional distinctions based on the cultural and geographical details described:
Western Levitia: Closer to the British Isles’ highlands, this region would have been more heavily influenced by Celtic culture, potentially mirroring the culture of Gaul, given the description of the stronger Celtic influence near Gaul. The landscape here would be transitional from the grasslands to the hilly or mountainous terrain of the highlands.
Central Levitia: This region, situated in the heart of the lowlands, would be the core of the vast grassland, potentially with a mix of Celtic and Germanic cultural influences due to its central location and the ease of travel. The major river systems would carve through this area.
Eastern Levitia: This would be closest to the Germanic tribes and would have a stronger Germanic cultural influence. The climate would gradually become colder as one moved farther east. The video suggests this area would have had a more sedentary, agricultural lifestyle than the west, possibly due to colder climate.
Northern Levitia: The video doesn't elaborate on this area beyond the description of its colder climate. The population density might be lower compared to the south, due to the colder climate and remoteness.
It is important to stress that this is a purely theoretical geographical reconstruction based on the video's alternate history premise. The actual configuration of such a landmass, if it had remained above water, would have been significantly complex and subject to various natural factors. The details provided in the video are limited but do offer an outline for imagining such a geographical space.
The video constructs a hypothetical "Levitia" with diverse cultures shaped by its geography and interactions with neighboring societies. It's crucial to remember this is a speculative reconstruction based on the video's premise.
Cultural Groups and Societies in Levitia:
Lowlanders: The inhabitants of Levitia's vast central lowlands would likely have developed a semi-nomadic or pastoral lifestyle, heavily reliant on horse-riding. The video suggests a strong cultural exchange between Celtic and Germanic groups influencing their practices. They're described as having a distinct identity separate from both Celts and Germans, adopting and adapting traits from their neighbors. Their religion featured a horse goddess, Ionan, reflecting their close relationship with horses. Their clothing and body painting customs varied across the region, with southern and western Lowlanders possibly adopting brighter colors reminiscent of Celtic highlanders, while eastern Lowlanders might have favored styles closer to their Germanic neighbors. Their society was not static: they regularly transitioned between being trading caravans and warring raiders.
Highlanders: Inhabiting the surrounding highlands, especially in the west (what is presently the British Isles), these groups would have likely retained a more distinct Celtic identity. The video suggests that they were less involved in the large-scale cultural mixing of the lowlands, and more similar to the isolated Celtic tribes of the British Isles.
"Rohan Equivalent": The video draws a parallel between Levitia's horse-riding culture and the fictional kingdom of Rohan from the Lord of the Rings. This suggests a society heavily reliant on cavalry and horsemanship, skillful warriors, and possibly nomadic or semi-nomadic in some areas. This would be largely concentrated in the central lowlands, and likely the most powerful military force in Levitia.
"Gondor Equivalent": The video briefly alludes to a coastal kingdom, possibly resembling the fictional Gondor in its defensive position surrounded by mountains. This kingdom likely represents a more settled, possibly more Latinized society. This is a very brief reference, so much of this culture is left un-described. The area mentioned here is likely in the western part of Levitia, utilizing the natural mountain barriers for defense.
"Hobbit Towns" of Wales: The video playfully suggests that Wales, in this alternate history, would resemble Hobbiton (from Lord of the Rings). This implies small, settled communities inhabiting sheltered valleys within the Welsh highlands, isolated from the larger conflicts of the lowlands, and possibly focused on agriculture.
Levati Riders: The most prominent element of Levitia's culture is the Levati riders. These horse-riding warriors are presented as skilled warriors, impacting the political landscape through both trade and raiding. Their military prowess makes them a key force in the interactions between Levatia and the Roman Empire. The video states that they would have been well known for their horsemanship, horses and riding skills across the continent.
Cultural Interactions and Conflict:
The video highlights significant interactions and conflicts between these various cultural groups:
Internal Conflicts: Raiding between different Levati groups (lowlanders and highlanders) and perhaps between western and eastern Levati was common. This internal conflict shaped their society and development.
External Conflicts: The Romans, pushing northwards, encountered fierce resistance from the Levati riders. This conflict mirrors the Roman struggles with nomadic groups, but the Levati's location created a prolonged struggle.
The video implies that due to the absence of the sea as a barrier, the Levati's cultural development would lead to a drastically different European history than what occurred in our own timeline, with entirely new kingdoms emerging in the medieval period, as the foundations for the typical Western European kingdoms wouldn’t have existed.
