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Evelyn K. Brunswick's avatar

I don't know why anyone would not find this fascinating! I think it is entirely true that we take the weather with us when we go to live in a different place. I live in France, for example, and although we have adopted a lot of French cultural stuff, we also have our quintessentially English rituals (teatime, for example). (And the use of the word 'quintessential').

Human beings are social animals, thus a significant part of an individual identity is indeed their 'cultural identity'.

Given that you are studying the seventh century I can understand why this cultural identity question is so important, as this was one of the most significant transition periods in British identity (or at least Anglo-Saxon), namely the adoption of 'Christianity', the Roman version, that is (enhanced by those marriages, perhaps?). In particular for 'ordinary' people, their cultural identity will have been distinctly pagan. Asking, let alone forcing, them to adopt a completely new and in many ways antagonistic identity (Christian) would've been, if not traumatic (although there's no evidence for that imo), certainly a serious issue (contrast with Roman Britain which was multi-religious/cultural). I would imagine these people would've found (subversive?) ways to retain their cultural identity, and burials would've been an obvious one (along with other everyday objects). You mention in your footnote that furnished burials are largely a seventh century custom, but then give way to unfurnished - would Roman Christianity have anything to do with this, if 'furnished' is perceived as being too pagan? What I have always found quite telling about Anglo-Saxon England is precisely this survival of pagan customs - an obvious example being Sutton Hoo, which is full of lavish stuff I wouldn't really associate with Christianity.

So I really don't think you should worry about what you write not being fascinating or relevant (the best historians, imo, are always able to draw contemporary parallels). Cultural identity is always important whichever period one lives in. Unfortunately today the issue of 'identity' has clearly been weaponised to sow division. And equally clearly, I would imagine the Anglo-Saxons (and the Celts, of course) had a far more enlightened attitude towards such things. If only the English could remember who they really are, eh!

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Matt Brown's avatar

A real eye-opener… thanks for sharing this Holly. I had no idea. It did remind me, though, that archaeologists recently found a bed burial near Holborn Viaduct. This one was late Roman (5th century) and male. I don’t think hyperlinks work in the comments but it’s easily googled. I wonder if the 7th century bed burials you describe were a continuity of the same tradition?

I want to be buried in a bathtub when I die, because that’s where I’m happiest.

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