English nationalism

English nationalism, also referred to as Englisc nationalism, is a political worldview associated with the ethnic identity and group interests of the English people and England as a nation. Like with the similar movement of Welsh nationalism, some proponents argue for simply the upholding of ethnic identity, traditions and culture, while others such as the English Democrats advocate political secession from the United Kingdom. It should not be confused with British nationalism, although some parties which advocate this try to cater to the internal ethnic traditions of all peoples classified as one of the British nations.

The movement often places a folkish emphasis on the Germanic traditions of the Anglo-Saxons, including even the old pagan gods. Typically Englisc nationalism is hostile to the impact that Normans have had on history of the country since their conquest of the nation in 1066, believing that the Norman yoke is the basis of the present class system and sometimes defensively criticises Celts who often try to attribute the crimes of the Judeo-Norman oligarchy indiscriminately onto "the English." The ideal of English nationalism is the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy of the Early Middle Ages.

Englisc Revival

Prototypes of the Englisc Revival can be taken from groups such as Đa Engliscan Gesiðas ("The English Companions") founded in 1966, who broadly articulated the English nationalist philosophy; they protested against the 900-year "celebration" of the Battle of Hastings. They were largely voices in the wilderness, however. The contemporary movement of Englisc nationalism, can be considered to have gained in popularity towards the end of the 1980s. There was a crisis of British identity which had taken place due primarily to the effects of globalism. The internal confidence of the British identity had been undermined by the development of regional nationalisms in Scotland and Wales, the negativity surrounding The Troubles in Northern Ireland, the perceived politically correct anti-English sentiment of the British ruling class (the media-academia-political complex), the effects of mass immigration of non-European groups, the decline of manufacturing and the emergence of European federalism. As a response some Englishmen turned away from "Britishness" and went in search of their ethnic Anglo-Saxon roots to give themselves a sense of place in the world.

The Anglo-Saxon Books company was founded in 1989 and a prominent writer for them was Stephen Pollington; this published popular academic books about Anglo-Saxon history, language and culture. Around this time, in the more radical political field, some former British nationalists, led by Troy Southgate embraced a localist outlook (later articulated as national anarchism) and split from the International Third Position to found the English Nationalist Movement, which existed from 1992 until 1997. In a more mainstream fashion, Tony Linsell emerged as a spokesman for English national identity and was a founding member of the Campaign for an English Parliament in 1998. Linsell founded a publishing company; Athelney and in 2000 released his work An English Nationalism. Linsell, along with Orthodox priest Fr. Andrew Phillips and other English advocates, featured in the largely patronising Channel 4 production about English identity called White Tribe by Darcus Howe.

Linsell founded and became the editor of a journal named Steadfast in around 2001, which espoused Anglo-Saxon nationalism (including the use of the Old English word "Englisc" in place of English). Robin Tilbrook, who had founded the minor English Nationalist Party in 1998, joined with activists from the Campaign for an English Parliament to found the English Democrats party in 2002. Generally, the English Democrats moved in a similar zeitgeist to the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and former members of that party sometimes joined the English Democrats. Out of the Steadfast journal came the Steadfast Trust in 2004, a charity for ethnic English rights. Founding members included Linsell, Pollington and Jane Phillips; the latter featured on another mocking Cultural Marxist Channel 4 documentary in 2006 entitled 100% English, which tried to humiliate participants through pseudo-genetics, claiming English people are actually Africans or Middle Easterners.

With the rise of the internet and social media (sites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc), Englisc nationalists capitalised in some ways. Most notably in 2004, a website was founded, originally called the United English Patriots, it was later renamed Englisc Gateway, it set up a very active discussion forum named the Anglo-Saxon Foundation, which became a focal point for activists across the nation. A small Odinist group named Woden's Folk, founded in 1998 by Wulf Ingessunu, also began to gain wider attention from around 2005 onwards with their website. Woden's Folk began associating with the Englisc movement, infusing a pagan element, where de facto (if vague) Christianity had previously been the predominating element. A direct action youth group ("English National Resistance") existed between 2009 and 2012 (some members later resurfaced in National Action), this was inspired by autonomous nationalism prominent in Europe. The English Shieldwall activist group also emerged in 2010 created by Anglo-Saxon Foundation members, under the leadership of Youngy and Lee Ingram; later Ingram set up English Advocates which continues today.

Religion

The Englisc movement has a broad identitarian religious base; Pagan, Christian and Atheist. However, certain tendencies predominate over others. Early on an important spokesman has been Rev. John Lovejoy who is an Anglican vicar. In general, most people see the present Anglican Church itself as beyond hope. In the 19th-20th centuries, some English traditionalists had turned to Catholicism, such as Evelyn Waugh and G. K. Chesterton, as well as the exponents of the Gothic Revival. But generally, within the Englisc movement, Rome is seen in a less positive light as having supported the Norman conquest and being primarily concerned with it's own power. As a result some, such as priest Fr. Andrew Phillips have come to advocate the Orthodox Church for the English and veneration of Anglo-Saxon saints. While the celebration of St. George is seen as better than nothing, the Englisc Christians advocate reviving the pre-Norman feast of St. Edmund (the cult of St. George was popularised by Richard the Lionheart).

Some people in the movement, increasing as time goes on and the Churches become more and more anti-traditional, have turned to Anglo-Saxon Heathenism (known in other parts of the world as "paganism", the word deriving from the Old English hæðen means, "not Christian or Jewish"). Knowledge of the old Anglo-Saxon traditions and rune-lore are relatively (like the Norse) in tact, due to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and various pieces of Old English poetry. An important aspect of this, is most of the Anglo-Saxon monarchies of the Heptarchy, claimed in their genealogies to be descended from Woden (also known as Odin), so it is a key foundation myth of the English race itself. While some people in the Anglosphere, such as Alexander Rud Mills, have attempted to openly embrace the old gods since the 1930s, specifically tied to the Englisc movement is the group Woden's Folk. This organisation was founded in 1998 by Wulf Ingessunu; an important focus is the 6th century prophesy of the Hooded Men.

Quotes

• People say that we are 'racist bigots' and that we are hijacking the flags of England. They were always our flags and we only lifted them from the gutters where the political Marxist scum and traitors had left them. Everyone of you must take the time and effort to get people involved with the OEV as in the next two years we will see thousands of white Dragon flags flying high from our roof tops where the English are gathering for the great reckoning. I am English ethnicity, I am not an outsider claiming to be English as it is my ethnicity by birthright. I reject British Citizenship as I have never sworn loyalty to the British Occupancy and never will and the sooner England is under its own governance with the majority Ethnic English in control as is our right, the better. Come brothers and sisters of England and stand proud as we bathe in our great Culture and heritage, gathering our brethren around us and standing behind our shields of unity and wielding our swords of defiance. — Operation English Vote, 15 July 2012

• And now, at long last, our men of the war, our men of 1914, the grim ranks of our ex-servicemen again and again betrayed by our politicians. They join hands with the new youth, the new generation, which remembers the past - we say England is not dead! We say, and I ask you to say with us, lift up your voices in this great meeting in the heart of England! Send to all the world a message! England lives — and marches on! — Sir Oswald Mosley, 1931, meeting at Manchester

• The revolutionary knight is under no illusions about the tasks ahead as he sets before his eyes the accomplished fact of national salvation. He rejects the charade of ballot-box sloganeering. He belongs to a spiritual order that will transform society through ceaseless struggle, a natural elite that refuses to dirty its hands with Westminster treachery and Norman debauchery. The revolutionary knight will not 'bend' his principles to gain mass support, he knows that populism is a total betrayal of his elitist ideals. One fine day, the mongrel hordes foisted upon England by the Norman oligarchy will be shipped to other parts of the world in a phased, humane and financially assisted fashion. The anti-racial masses do not belong in this country, it is the home of the Saxon alone. We shall restore Winchester as the capital of England. The handful of Normans not facing criminal proceedings followed by swift execution, will be repatriated to the Channel Islands. — N. H. Merton, 1994, Crown against Concubine: The Untold Story of the Recent Struggle between the House of Windsor and the Vatican

See also

• English Democrats
• England First Party
• Anglo-Saxon Foundation
• Scottish nationalism
• British nationalism
• White nationalism

Bibliography

• Featherstone, Simon (2009). Englishness: Twentieth Century Popular Culture and the Forming of English Identity. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0748623655.