[Rimbaud]

I refer to the popular discourse of the moment in England of this very topic; what it is to be English. The issue has come to the forefront of minds (see Paxman's unexpectedly readable The English) since the devolution of the Welsh and Scottish Parliaments. The Celtic regions of the British Isles of always been in possession of a deeper sense of cultural identity and if this were to be explored, I would agree that this is largely due to repeated invasions of the mainland of Great Britain. Roman rule faltered as it reached Scotland and Wales (as did English rule for much of the time) and even the Normans struggled to retain peaceful ties. However, I have neither the time, nor the expertise to explore this issue fully, and it is not my intention to attempt to do so.

Recent devolution in the Disunited Kingdom has led to a flowering of the Celtic cultures (Welsh-language radio and television is very popular, particularly in the less Anglified north of Wales) and cultural pride is self-evident in those areas. It is more difficult to pin down a concept of what it means to be English. Certainly, it is harder than for our immediate neighbours, in Wales, Scotland and Ireland. England has an unfortunately checquered history (particularly with regard to...Wales, Scotland and Ireland...) and a very confused notion of itself.

It has been noted on this thread that the ideal of England, rolling green fields, cricket watched with strawberries and cream, horses plodding through sun-dappled sleepy villages is inaccurate today; it is arguable that such an idyll has never existed but has been perpetuated by the literature and story-telling of the land.

The true story of England, even from its earliest recorded history, is of class and race. This is true today. Devolved from class and race is the more visible dichotomy of rich and poor. Of course, this is not an English anomaly; these symptoms of civilisation exist throughout all nations; yet those nations, usually have also, a firmer grasp of cultural self than exists in England. For me, the real English elements of Tolkien are not those picked out on this thread, but rather the inter-relationships, especially, of course, Frodo and Sam. This microcosmic relationship is an idealised picture of a world that had passed when Tolkien was writing - and, again, had not really ever existed, except as some sort of mass-hallucination on the part of the rich/educated/self-made-erudites, especially of the Victorian era, needing justification for the servitude of the less economically privileged.

My mention of parody was deliberate; I see the Gaffer and others of the hobbitry as over-lurid depictions of blind/willing cogs in a failed machine. I could go on with further examples, but this is not really on-topic and I have not the time...yet suffice it to say that the visual trappings of ME are not the important Anglic elements discernable, despite the attempt to make them so, rather those elements are the inherent hierachies within the societies/relationships created.

[ October 01, 2002: Message edited by: Rimbaud ]