Battle Stone

[Deleted by the author on 14 Oct 2009 00:53 BST]

Yes, I recalled it this morning - its a significant date in our history yet there is a distinct lack of will at the top in celebrating anything to do with English or British history. Its as if these people want to bury our heritage and culture and supplant it with every other country's or people's. Its so sad.

[Deleted by the author on 14 Oct 2009 18:47 BST]

Maybe we don't celebrate the Battle of Hastings (as opposed to remembering it) because the Saxons lost, giving rise to hundreds of years of another people's culture being imposed by force on the native people of mostly England but also Wales and the Scots (Edward Longshanks anyone?). It's strange how time alters people's perception of "Heritage isn't it?

How interesting...I'll be reaching for my history books tonight. I was never interested in history as a child but now I find I can't learn enough about it. I shall look forward to being educated about the Battle of Hastings.

Well it was a significant date in English history yes! Willy the Conc and all that. Because of that date we are all now obliged to eat snails and frogs legs. LOL

Oddly enough I've written a novel on the period, culminating of course in the Battle of Hastings. Its a fictional story set against the factual backdrop of the Norman invasion. The book isn't available in the UK since its geared for the American market but you can have a look at the product and the reviews on www.amazon.com and key in 'casca 31'. The full title is Casca 31: The Conqueror. If you think its worth a read you can either get it from amazon or from my own website www.casca.net which is I know 'shameless self promotion' so please take this in this vein.

It always amuses me how the Anglo Saxons are seen as dreadful baddies in the post Roman era, (exterminating the poor Britons) but come 1066 they're the put upon tragic heroes of the hour.

Helen Hollick has written an excellent novel covering the 1066 period, mostly from a pro Saxon viewpoint. It's called Harold The King.

I am not sure how off-topic what I have to say is, but here goes anyway. Even though the 943rd anniversary hasn't been especially marked, you do find that it has been noted in recent times. At the 900th aniversary in 1966, there were official commemorations involving both the British and French governments. More recently my wife and I went to the English Heritage event at Hastings in 2006 - which involved 2000+ reenactors - it was very impressive. I cheered for the English (though I do think our use of the term 'anglo-saxon' distances us from them - they were English and spoke early English) and my wife cheered for the French (being French herself).
Afterwards we went up to the altar in the remains of the abbey on the site. Normally there are no signs of commemoration. This time there were many wreaths on the altar commemorating Harold and his army. Nothing intrinsically wrong in that perhaps, except for one or two.... What I found disturbing was the ones in early English - saying things of Harold like 'undefeated except by death'.
I'm a historian, so I am all for remembering - but if we are trying to use a battle that took place almost a thousand years ago, to claim that 'we english' are still a 'conquered race' in our own country - that is to re-ignite some kind of virulent English nationalism - by which I mean a nationalism that is 'anti-foreigner' - then I think that is very dangerous.
I am very proud to be English. but I don't want to turn the clock back 900 years. And in my personal life - my own Anglo-French alliance has been wonderful!

I am bothered. It made it more difficult for us Danes to learn English. Or "Denglish" it would have been.
In the year 1085 Canute IV called off the last massive attempt and 1000 ships were sent home again. I wonder if the Normans had become too obviously well established. But it was a closer call than generally known.

Today's English are not the English of that era, of course, nor were those English the same as the people who invaded and overran Roman Britain and the mostly Celtic population that remained after the Romans pulled out. The Norman Conquest, however unfortunate for the English of that time is now part of history and part of the modern English heritage. A really good book about the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings, though, is The Golden Warrior by a Canadian writer Hope Muntz. Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge that historical novel, perhaps the best of its kind and certainly the best I ever read dealing with Hastings and Harold, is now out of print. But you can usually find used copies on amazon or in a decent second hand bookstore. I used to pick up every stray copy I could find (they were once quite cheap) to give to friends as gifts (or just to keep on my own shelves). There really is no better historical novel in my opinion (at least of those I have read) and no better tale of Harold's tragic struggle to hold onto the English throne in the face of the relentless William. -- SWM

Has ever been written a book or short story only using words derived from the Anglo-Saxon, and no French at all? I think it can be done, if only just.