h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Folks,

Are any of you feeling a bit depressed or stressed out? Do you need a thumping good laugh? If so, go to the BBC Cornwall, Nationalism forum and read Adrian Watt's Fantasy History of Devon; the best comedy set in Devon since Fawlty Towers. But don't laugh too much, or you may forget to go up to the baronial hall to doff your peasant caps to the Lord of the Manor, Baron Norman, or to wash the car belonging to those new people, from up the line, up at the big house. What are they called again? Oh yes, Mr. And Mrs. Sows-Neck. Excoose my badd spelin, I only lernt to rite last weeek.


Plymouth Exile

Plymouth Exile

Yes - an interesting hypothesis from Adrian.

However despite the fanciful and imaginative historical tales, my biggest concern is that somehow he believes that Devon's culture is less Celtic because only the 'plebs' were Celtic - the landed gentry being Norman and/or Saxon.

So my concern is that even if Adrian's imaginative theory was correct - he seems to value peoples importance based on their 'status' in society.

A touch sad. Perhaps it is he who still doffs his cap.

I might tell him so.

Coref,

You do that. I have already replied to him (my post is already displayed).

Incidentally, which beers (coref) are your favourites? Actally, the Cornish do some things very well; have you tried Blue Anchor Best Bitter? It is excellent.


Plymouth Exile

Plymouth Exile

Actually the 'nickname' is the name of my dog - so occaisionally you can hear me out shouting for a beer - and generally getting little success (bad training).

Blue Anchor Best Bitter? - I haven't tried it - but based on your recommendation I intend to.

I quite liked Redruth Brewery's Cornish Rebellion - but haven't seen it in a while. Some of the St Austell brews are alright as well.

Personally - I was brought up on Bass (brewed at Devonport)....and Hills Cider.


Paul

Coref,

Blue Anchor beers are only obtainable from the Blue Anchor in Helston. It is probably the most famous Home Brew pub in the World. The beers are locally known as Spingo.


Plymouth Exile

Ah, Spingo!

I have heard of it, but never had the pleasure

Paul

I have come to the conclusion that in trying to talk in a logical and reasonable way to the Cornish Nationalists, we are wasting our time and breath. They are not open to reason. To illustrate what I mean, I have extracted an account of the 1549 Prayer Book Rebellion from a typical Nationalist site:-


"The first concerted attempt to impose English culture and language upon the Celtic Cornish occurred in 1549 when, at the demand of the previous king, Henry VIII, Catholicism was to be replaced by the Protestantism of the Anglican church.

The Cornish people resisted strongly, protesting particularly at the imposition of the English language that few of them spoke or understood (most were monoglot Cornish speakers) in church services.

Their uprising in defence of their religion and language is reviewed by some as part of the Prayer Book Rebellion and was the third time in 50 years that the Cornish had marched upon England in anger. The English response was shameful, bringing in foreign mercenaries and becoming the first state to use them in a civil dispute. These arquebusiers from Germany and Italy killed a thousand Cornish fighters, then murdered 900 unarmed Cornishmen at Clyst St Mary, 1300 Cornishmen were slaughtered at Sampford Courtnay and 300 Cornish patriots died at Fenny Bridges. The King being a mere child at the time, further orders were issued by the Lord Protector, the Earl of Somerset, and Archbishop Thomas Cranmer for the genoside of the Cornish people. Under Sir Anthony Kingston, English and mercenary forces moved into Cornwall and, in all, brought the slaughter up to 11% of its population before the butchery was stopped. With families deprived of their menfolk and and livelihoods, the true figure of deaths caused by this barbaric crime accounted for 20% of the Cornish population. Proposals to translate the Prayer Book into Cornish were also suppressed. Those that had led the ethnic slaughter on England's behalf were richly rewarded. The Cornish Holocaust has, for years been omitted or glossed over by English "history" books but is now coming to light more publicly."


(Note: The spelling of the word 'genocide' is theirs, not mine.)
Here below, is the same event, as described on a free on-line encyclopaedia:-



Prayer Book rebellion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The Prayer Book rebellion of 1549

In 1549 the Act of Unification? made it illegal, as from Whit Sunday of that year, to use the Latin Prayer Book which was replaced by an English translation (the first Book of Common Prayer, completely in English). The Cornish people, few of whom spoke English, were particularly affected by this new legislation.
The villagers of Sampford Courtenay in Devon objected and began what has also come to be known as the 'Western Rebellion'. With hundreds of villagers from all over Devon and Cornwall they marched on Crediton and occupied it. In London, king Edward VI? (Henry VIII's son) and his Privy Council became alarmed by this news from the West Country. One of the Privy Councillors, Sir Gawain Carew was ordered to pacify the rebels. At the same time Lord John Russell was ordered to take an army, composed mainly of German and Italian mercenaries, and impose a military solution.
The mercenary arquebusiers from Germany and Italy subsequently killed over a thousand fighters at Crediton, then murdered 900 unarmed people at Clyst St Mary. 1300 more people were slaughtered at Sampford Courtenay and 300 died at Fenny Bridges. The king being a child at the time, further orders were issued by the Lord Protector, the Earl of Somerset, and Archbishop Thomas Cranmer for the continuance of the onslaught on the local populace. Under Sir Anthony Kingston?, English and mercenary forces moved into Cornwall and summarily executed or murdered many people before the bloodshed finally ceased. Proposals to translate the Prayer Book into Cornish were also suppressed.


Just to give full credence to this account, here is the summary account from Encyclopaedia Britannica:-

"In the summer of 1549 the peasantry in Cornwall and Devonshire revolted against the Prayer Book in the name of the good old religious days under Henry VIII, and almost simultaneously the humble folk in Norfolk rose up against the economic and social injustices of the century."

I regard this as the worst type of re-writing of history imaginable. You will notice that the people of Devon who took part in the revolt, alongside their Cornish neighbours, have been deliberately erased from history. It appears that all of the people who died on that tragic occasion were Cornish. A simplified version of the Cornish account was included in the book "Cornwall For Ever", which was distributed to all Cornish school children at the Millennium. Without actually saying so, it was half implied that it was the 'English' of Devon who the Cornish were fighting against. Nothing could be more designed to poison the minds of the Cornish youth and persuade them to hate the Devonians than misinformation such as this. Also in the book, they are told that Athelstan evicted the Cornish from Exeter (not the Britons of Devon). Unbelievably, the book was sanctioned by Cornwall County Council, and forwarded by the Duke of Cornwall. This is the way that the worst dictators of the last Century gradually roused their people to hatred. Youngest minds are the most vulnerable. I fear that if this goes on unchecked, for another ten years or so, we could see another 'Northern Ireland' situation develop at the Tamar.


Plymouth Exile

Sad to say I am not surprised by the selective history that the Cornish Nationalists put out.

I wouldn't do to acknowledge that Devonian's don't have horns and a pointy tail!

By the way - did you get contacted by the BBC for a radio i/view?

I did - it was relatively harmless even if the concept was a bit threatening!!