Identity is hugely important to everyone - many of us spend minutes (hours!?) in front of the mirror every day culturing a unique & individual look for ourselves, that when combined with our general attitude to life creates the outside view that others have of us.
Folk of all ethnicities are unique in their identity - here we look at the origins of the English & why our identity & the culture that comes with it differentiate we English from the other peoples of Britain - Scots, Welsh, Irish and the many newer immigrant communities.
Folk of all ethnicities are unique in their identity - here we look at the origins of the English & why our identity & the culture that comes with it differentiate we English from the other peoples of Britain - Scots, Welsh, Irish and the many newer immigrant communities.
England's past > England's future - A brief look at English origins.
England itself has a very distinctive past. The history of the land mass covers millions of years, though we will begin with the movement of peoples - our ancestors, travelling across the North Sea from the areas that we now call north Germany, Denmark and Holland, in their tribes during the 5th Century.
Angeln, on the north border of modern day Germany, was said by Bede to have been 'emptied'. The tribes were Germanic, primarily Angles, along with Saxons, Jutes & possibly some Frisians and Franks too. They fought the native Brythonic tribes, carving out sections of the land for themselves. Eventually, the majority of the Brythons were pushed to the western fringes of the land mass - modern Wales and Cornwall, with some isolated Brython settlements remaining in Angle and Saxon territory.
Angeln, on the north border of modern day Germany, was said by Bede to have been 'emptied'. The tribes were Germanic, primarily Angles, along with Saxons, Jutes & possibly some Frisians and Franks too. They fought the native Brythonic tribes, carving out sections of the land for themselves. Eventually, the majority of the Brythons were pushed to the western fringes of the land mass - modern Wales and Cornwall, with some isolated Brython settlements remaining in Angle and Saxon territory.
Tribes and the formation of England
As the tribes grew, they began to amalgamate and larger swathes of land were named after the men and women that peopled them. In the north (as far north as modern day Lowland Scotland), was Northumbria - the land north of the humber, peopled by Angles. Below and in the central west was Mercia, the border land, also Angles. To the east, the north folk & south folk gave their names to Norfolk & Suffolk. South of them were the Kentish tribes, largely made up of Jutes, and to the west was Essex, Sussex & Wessex - the east, south and west Saxons. Their languages were similar & mutually intelligeble, we know them now as various forms of Old English.
The Kingdoms fought each other in bitter wars - land and tribal pride was at stake. Smaller tribes were amalgamated into the larger ones. At various times, one kingdom was dominant, first Northumbria, then Mercia. Then, with the coming of the Viking invasions from Denmark & beyond - it was Wessex's turn, & under the reign of King Alfred the Great, the fightback began. King Alfred was able to start the true unification of England, named after the dominant tribe, Ænglaland - meaning 'Land of the Angles'.
In 1066, England was to be invaded for the final time - by the Normans, who resided in what is now the Normandy area of northern France. The Normans got their name from 'North Men' - they were decended from Germanic tribes themselves - Vikings from Scandinavia who had conquered the Frankish population & then settled. The men to raid England were of Norman & mixed Gaulish / Breton stock - under the control of William 'the bastard'. England was harried, and finally subdued after several uprisings.
The Kingdoms fought each other in bitter wars - land and tribal pride was at stake. Smaller tribes were amalgamated into the larger ones. At various times, one kingdom was dominant, first Northumbria, then Mercia. Then, with the coming of the Viking invasions from Denmark & beyond - it was Wessex's turn, & under the reign of King Alfred the Great, the fightback began. King Alfred was able to start the true unification of England, named after the dominant tribe, Ænglaland - meaning 'Land of the Angles'.
In 1066, England was to be invaded for the final time - by the Normans, who resided in what is now the Normandy area of northern France. The Normans got their name from 'North Men' - they were decended from Germanic tribes themselves - Vikings from Scandinavia who had conquered the Frankish population & then settled. The men to raid England were of Norman & mixed Gaulish / Breton stock - under the control of William 'the bastard'. England was harried, and finally subdued after several uprisings.
Post 1066
From 1066 onwards, the English were second class citizens. William redistributed English land to those that had supported and taken part in the conquest. All prominent Church and administrative roles were given to Normans or their supporters. The English language was not adopted by the rulers, who spoke Norman French & Latin, though over time Norman French merged into Old English to create the Middle English language (the language of Chaucer).
Even today, many aristocratic families can trace their origins to the Norman conquest, the Norman yoke on England still exists, though doesn't have the power it used to.
Even today, many aristocratic families can trace their origins to the Norman conquest, the Norman yoke on England still exists, though doesn't have the power it used to.
The English & Immigration into England
People of English ethnicity are primarily of Germanic stock. Many English, when tracing their family tree (genealogy), will possibly find the odd descendent of Scots, Welsh or Irish ethnicity. There is a chance that some early English had wives of Brythonic ethnicity - the ancestors of the modern Welsh - the Old English word for Welsh from which the modern derives was 'Wealisc', meaning foreigner. Name elements of some early English tell us this though there is no other evidence to confirm this, & at times the Brythonic were seen as no better than slaves.
During the turbulent times up to & following 1066, various invaders settled in England. The Vikings that settled northern & eastern England were mostly Danes. They were a very similar Germanic people to the English (coming from the same place as the original English tribes). They were also culturally similar, with a closely related language to Old English. Within a short period of time they were absorbed into the English majority. The only separate group of people to invade were the Normans, as mentioned, the majority of which being of Scandinavian Germanic stock with some Gaulish (French) & Breton's (from previously displaced Brythonic tribes). These were again absorbed into the English community over time.
There was very limited immigration over the next 850+ years, though this did include French Huguenots, Jews & the Irish.
Despite modern ('not an exact science') DNA evidence & the efforts of Unionists playing down the English's unique heritage, all the written and linguistic evidence along with us residing on an island alongside the Welsh & Scottish points towards the English being a very defined people - with all immigration until the 1950's having very little impact on the English as a people.
During the turbulent times up to & following 1066, various invaders settled in England. The Vikings that settled northern & eastern England were mostly Danes. They were a very similar Germanic people to the English (coming from the same place as the original English tribes). They were also culturally similar, with a closely related language to Old English. Within a short period of time they were absorbed into the English majority. The only separate group of people to invade were the Normans, as mentioned, the majority of which being of Scandinavian Germanic stock with some Gaulish (French) & Breton's (from previously displaced Brythonic tribes). These were again absorbed into the English community over time.
There was very limited immigration over the next 850+ years, though this did include French Huguenots, Jews & the Irish.
Despite modern ('not an exact science') DNA evidence & the efforts of Unionists playing down the English's unique heritage, all the written and linguistic evidence along with us residing on an island alongside the Welsh & Scottish points towards the English being a very defined people - with all immigration until the 1950's having very little impact on the English as a people.
The future
What does the future hold for us? As a people, it's vital that we reinforce our communities - stay tight-knit & refocus on our own culture. Big business, globalist government and multi-national companies feed us globalist 'ideals', and imported music & culture - all to the detriment of our own. If we embrace globalism, our own ancient traditions end up left by the wayside, as has and is happening. We do not speak of self imposed exile, or not mixing with folk of other ethnicities and cultures (as some people might believe) - we speak simply of ensuring the preservation of our own in the face of a new globalist world.
Many other peoples ancient customs have been forgotten, and live only in books or in the minds and actions of preservationists. Our message at England Reborn is a simple one. We live in a much smaller world, it's easy to travel, we now live in an ethnically diverse country and can experience a slice of this diversity whenever we want. But we forget our roots at our peril. Our ancestors did not lay down their lives for nothing.
Thankfully, the signs of a strengthened, reinforced sense of Englishness is emerging from the ruins of the Union - folk are standing tall & are not afraid to indulge in their heritage.
Many other peoples ancient customs have been forgotten, and live only in books or in the minds and actions of preservationists. Our message at England Reborn is a simple one. We live in a much smaller world, it's easy to travel, we now live in an ethnically diverse country and can experience a slice of this diversity whenever we want. But we forget our roots at our peril. Our ancestors did not lay down their lives for nothing.
Thankfully, the signs of a strengthened, reinforced sense of Englishness is emerging from the ruins of the Union - folk are standing tall & are not afraid to indulge in their heritage.
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