Frequently Asked Questions and politics

The name of the correspondent has been changed.

-----Original Message-----

From: John D.
Sent: May 5 2008 19:51
To: Michael
Subject: Fascinating

Great site, I look forward to reading in greater detail...  I read a book a couple of years ago which argued that English was an indigenous rather than immigrant language and that the "Celtic" areas, far from being indigenes themselves, were the result of colonization from Iberia.  This was argued on Occam's razor and while it jarred wildly with my understanding of English history, the more I thought about it the more plausible it seemed.  So began an intellectual journey for which you have provided an admirable roadmap.  This of course, especially with the current status quo of voting manipulation laughing called devolution policy in the UK, is likely to become political dynamite in the next 5 years or so.  Much Celtic nationalism is predicated on the notion that the English are squatters on Celtic territory - one Cornish nationalist of my acquaintance used to habitually refer to me and other English people as "Germans".  I ought to send him a link to your site, might open his mind a little.   Once again, many thanks for some intriguing work. 

John D.

----- Original Message -----

From: Michael
To: John D.
Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 10:16 AM
Subject: RE: Fascinating

Dear Jason,  

Thanks for your encouraging letter.

I announce to you that I will add a section 'F.A.Q.' on the website.  Some people think that I'm some sort ultra-nationalist, if not a Nazi, emphasizing 'pure blood' and , why not, honour. I deny this with utmost vehemency. English is indeed an indigenous language, just like Brythonic is indigenous. English belongs to the German language group, but was even in Antiquity different enough from (high) German. It's striking how easily people attach some moral conclusions to the alleged fact that English would be German. What is better? Imported German or indigenous German?  Such questions are preposterous. It was all about discovering the truth. English was there all the time and that's for me a scientific fact. I refuse any moral implication. No people is white and innocent as snow. Neither is the opposite. Discovering the real background of a population does by no means imply some sort of superiority. 'Rights' can not be derived from that.
The fear that this paper could be used by extreme rightwing hooligans cannot justify the dismissal of it. Historic science has been abused by politicians since it exists. History was often bend and rewritten according to political needs. This happened in all countries world wide. What a shame for the historians who lent themselves to such schemes.  

Greetings,
Michael G.

 

----Original Message-----
From: John D.
Sent: May 6 2008 21:08
To: Michael
Subject: Re: Fascinating

Dear Michael  

Thanks for the reply, a FAQ section is a good idea because you can be sure that Celtic nationalists and British Labour Party supporters will attack this theory on several fronts. An interesting programme around 5-6 years ago on Channel 4 suggested problems with genetic evidence, in that a dig of a hall from Dark age Yorkshire showed that the people found in a local graveyard were a mixture of locals and immigrants from northern Germany, but that the low status skeletons were the immigrants and the high status ones were local, this at a time when the Anglo-Saxons were supposedly taking over from the indigenous population and exterminating them.  The presenter didn't elaborate, more or less throwing it in as a last minute hand grenade before the closing titles, leaving the viewer with the suggestion that history may not have been quite as it has been handed down to us. Interesting that Celts use "German" as an insult against the English.  My father is Scottish and I have Irish blood on my mother's side but if my Celtic cousins want to call me a German I have no problem with that.  Even if it is less true than they believe it to be :-) I am a firm opponent of politicized science, I just like to know what the truth is.  People who advocate suppression of scientific facts for political reasons are in a sorry club, along with the likes of Trofim Lysenko, Alfred Rosenberg and the American evangelists.  But if English people seeking to redress the political imbalance in the UK can use this to deflect political calumny from "the nations" I don't necessarily oppose it on those grounds.

I look forward to seeing further developments  

Yours, 
John

----Original Message-----
From: Michael
Sent: May 6 2008 21:08
To: John D.
Subject: Re: Fascinating

Dear John,

Your information about the Yorkshire graves is highly interesting. I was unaware of that find. But it would fit the predictions one can derive from the website text. I clearly stated the most of the old (east) British upper-class firmly remained in power, thanks to the help of the Anglo-Saxon soldiers. Most native Anglo-Saxons remained what they previously were in North-Germany: a warrior class, a buffer between rich and poor. I'll investigate that information.

Many thanks, love it.

Michael.
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After an inquiry I found that these early Anglo-Saxon graves could indeed confirm my hypothesis.