Of course, by the time the Vikings invaded, bringing with them their hammer-wielding god (Thursday = Thor’s Day), Britain had already weathered waves of immigrant conquest—the Germanic Angles and Saxons; before them, the Romans; before them even the Celts, who made their way from Central Europe. What must those Celtic speakers have thought of Stonehenge, built in those days over a millennium prior by Neolithic and Bronze Age peoples? Waves of conquest, waves of languages and customs introduced, layered over those that already existed. They’ve come to be taken for granted, but they were wholly new at the time.

Led Zeppelin, "Immigrant Song," written by Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, 1970.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to early June, 2025.

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