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Christianity As a Means of Identification: the Formation of Ethnic and Cultural Identities in the British Isles During the Early Medieval Period, 400-800

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Christianity As a Means of Identification: the Formation of Ethnic and Cultural Identities in the British Isles During the Early Medieval Period, 400-800 CHRISTIANITY AS A MEANS OF IDENTIFICATION: THE FORMATION OF ETHNIC AND CULTURAL IDENTITIES IN THE BRITISH ISLES DURING THE EARLY MEDIEVAL PERIOD, 400-800. A Thesis Presented To The Graduate Faculty of The University of Akron In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Masters of Arts Caitlyn Augusta Brianna Conley December, 2018 CHRISTIANITY AS A MEANS OF IDENTIFICATION: THE FORMATION OF ETHNIC AND CULTURAL IDENTITIES IN THE BRITISH ISLES DURING THE EARLY MEDIEVAL PERIOD, 400-800. Caitlyn Augusta Brianna Conley Thesis Approved: Accepted: ________________________________ _____________________________ Advisor Dean of College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Michael Graham Dr. John Green ________________________________ ______________________________ Faculty Reader Dean of Graduate School Dr. Constance B. Bouchard Dr. Chand Midha ________________________________ ______________________________ Department Chair Date Dr. Martin Wainwright ii DEDICATION To Scott, “Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.” -J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan Words will never express how grateful I am to you for helping to make my dreams come true. Thank you! I love you! iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Constance Bouchard of the Department of History at The University of Akron. Dr. Bouchard never gave up on me. She has believed in this paper since its initial conception when I was an undergraduate and has always encouraged my unique historical perspective. Through her encouragement and dedication not only as my professor, but as my advisor, this paper became my own. She helped to steer me in the right direction when I seemed to get wrapped up in thoughts of perfection, reminding me that history itself is not perfect. I would also like to thank Dr. Michael Graham of the Department of History at The University of Akron as my reader for this thesis. I am very grateful for his thoughts and insights regarding my paper. Finally, I would like to thank my parents, Gary and Laura Conley, and my sister Bridget. Mom and dad, I could not have done this without your unbelievable support. You always told me to follow my dreams and do what I love. It was not always easy to follow your advice, but I found my way with your help. I may have taken a few detours to get to this point, but I could not have done it without you. Thank you and I love you! iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………..1 Sources…………………………………………………………………………...6 What Do I Mean By Ethnic Identity and Ethnicity? ……………………………10 What Do I Mean By Cultural Identity and Culture? ……………………………13 II. HISTORIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………...16 Primary Sources…………………………………………………………………16 Patrick…………………………………………………………………...17 Gildas……………………………………………………………………22 Bede……………………………………………………………………..26 Secondary Sources………………………………………………………………33 Identity…………………………………………………………………..34 'gens Anglorum'? ……………………………………………………….40 III. THE CONSTRUCT OF ETHNICITY IN THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF CHRISTIANITY: PATRICK AND GILDAS………………………………………….46 Saint Patrick and Identity……...…………………………………………………50 Gildas and Identity……………………………………………………………….61 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….72 IV. THE CONSTRUCT OF ETHNICITY IN THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF CHRISTIANITY: BEDE……………………………………………………………….75 v Bede and Identity………………………………………………………………...76 Bede’s 'gens Anglorum'………………………………………………………….99 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………...109 V. CONCLUSION: THE CONTEXT OF CHRISTIANITY AND THE BIRTH OF THE 'GENS ANGLORUM'………………………………………………………………....112 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………118 vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Men say that on a certain day, when many merchants newly arriving in Rome had brought into the marketplace divers wares to be sold, and many had flocked hither to buy, amongst others Gregory too came thither, and amongst other things he saw boys set out to be sold, of white skin and comely countenance and hair also of excellent beauty. And beholding them a while he demanded, as they say, out of what region or land they had been brought. And it was answered that they came from the isle of Britain, where such was the appearance of the inhabitants. Again he asked whether the people of that same island were Christian men or were yet intangled in the [pagans’] errors. And the answer was made that they were [pagans]. Then this good man, heavily sighing from the bottom of his heart: ‘Alas!’ quoth he, ‘it is a piteous case, that the author of darkness possesseth such bright beautied people and that men of such gracious outward shew do bear a mind void of inward grace.’ Again therefore he enquired what was the name of that people. Answer was given that they were called Angles. Whereupon he said: ‘well are they so called, for they have too an angel’s face, and it is meet such men were inheritors with the angels in heaven. What is the name of the particular province from which those boys of yours were brought?’ The merchants answered that the people of that same province were called Deirans. ‘Marry!’ quoth he, ‘well are they called Deirans, being plucked from the ire of God and called to the mercy of Christ. How is the king of that province called?’ It was answered that his name was Aella, whereupon Gregory playing upon the name saith: ‘Alleluia! the praise of God the Creator must be sounded in those parts.’ And coming to the bishop of the Roman and apostolic see (for himself was not yet chosen bishop thereof), he besought him that he would send to the English people in Britain some ministers of the word, by whom they might be converted unto Christ; saying that he himself was ready to carry out this work with the help of the Lord, yet only if it should please the pope apostolic to permit the same. And while he was not able to accomplish this (for though the bishop would have granted him that he had asked, yet the burghers of Rome could not have suffered him to depart so far from the city), afterward, as soon as himself entered upon the office of bishop, he brought to pass the work he 1 had before so long desired: sending indeed other preachers, but himself helping to make their preaching fruitful by his exhortations and prayers. This much according to the report which we have heard from the days of old we have thought fitting to put in the History of our Church.1 This quote from Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum was a representation of the relationship that existed between identity and religion within the British Isles from the fifth to the end of the eighth century. It was reflective of how those living within the isles identified themselves, or were identified by others, regionally 1 Bede, Historia Ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, trans. by J.E. King (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1930), 2.1.1:201,203 [Throughout this paper Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum will be cited as follows within the footnotes: Bede, HE, Book Number.Chapter Number.Volume Number:Page Number. All numerical divisions are separated by a period without spaces, except for volume and page number which are separated by a colon and no intervening spaces]; “Dicunt, quia die quadam cum advenientibus nuper mercatoribus multa venalia in forum fuissent conlata, multique ad emendum confluxissent, et ipsum Gregorium inter alois advenisse ac vidisse inter alia pueros venales positos, candidi corporis, ac venusti vultus, capillorum quoque forma egregia. Quos cum aspiceret, interrogavit, ut aiunt, de qua regione vel terra essent adlati. Dictumque est quod de Brittania insula, cuius incolae talis essent aspectus. Rursus interrogavit, utrum iidem insulani Christiani, an paganis adhuc erroribus essent implicati. Dictumque est quod essent pagani. At ille intimo ex corde longa trahens suspiria: ‘Heu, proh dolor’ inquit, ‘quod tam lucidi vultus homines tenebrarum auctor possidet, tantaque gratia frontispicii mentem ab interna gratia vacuam gestat!’ Rursus ergo interrogavit, quod Angli vocarentur. At ille, ‘Bene,’ inquit; ‘nam et angelicam habent faciem, et tales angelorum in caelis decet esse coheredes. Quod habet nomen ipsa provincial de qua isti sunt adlati?’ Responsum est, quod ‘Deiri’ vocarentur iidem provincials. At ille: ‘Bene,’ inquit, ‘Deiri, de ira eruti, et ad misericordiam Christi vocati. Rex provinciae illius quomodo appellatur’ Responsum est, quod ‘Aelli’ diceretur. At ille adludens ad nomen ait: ‘Alleluia! Laudem Dei Creatoris illis in partibus oportet cantari.’ Accedenaque ad pontificem Romanae et apostolicae sedis, nondum enim erat ipse pontifex factus, rogavit ut genti Anglorum in Brittaniam aliquos verbi ministros, per quos ad Christum converteretur, mitteret; seipsum paratum esse in hoc opus Domino cooperante perficiendum, sit amen apostolico papae, hoc ut fieret, placeret. Quod dum perficere non posset; quia, etsi pontifex concedere illi quod petierat voluit, non tamen cives Romani, ut tam longe ab urbe secederet, potuere permittere; mox ut ipse pontificates officio functus est, perfecit opus diu desideratum: alios quidem praedicatores mittens, sed ipse praedicationem ut fructificaret, suis exhortationibus ac precibus adiuvans. Haec iuxta opinionem quam ab antiqus accepimus, Historiae nostrae ecclesiasticae inserere opportunum duximus (Bede, HE, 2.1.1:200,202). 2 through their loyalties to their kings or universally/collectively via their relationship to the papacy in Rome. During this period of time religion, especially Christianity, was responsible for the creation of sharp cultural boundaries.
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