Claims that I am "far right" based on appearences on allegedly right wing broadcasts follow a logic that would also require me to be described as a Muslim and as a communist since I also appeared on Islamic TV channel IQRA tv and in the Communist newspaper Morning Star. It has been brought to my attention that Morning Star recently deleted their review of my film From Runes to Ruins from their website after six years of hosting it (likely under pressure from other far left groups so that their false narrative can be maintained)
Never mind - the internet never forgets!
We're all taught about Greek and Roman mythology in school but study of our indigenous traditions doesn't figure large on the syllabus.
Credit, then, to Thomas Rowsell for seeking to redress the balance somewhat with this documentary From Runes to Ruins is a voyage of exploration to ancient barrows, churches and even inner city London in the search for Anglo-Saxon influences.
Historians, re-enactors and neo-pagans explain the cultural relevance of the beliefs of our ancestors while Rowsell, reciting what sounds like perfectly enunciated Old English poetry, conducts a dark and mysterious odyssey through woodland and graveyards. The sense of the magical is underscored by the appearance of a fox on a path behind him
Britain la a holy place and our shores are scattered with ancient monuments and sacred groves where pagans once worshipped and Rowsell explains that his interest was kindled by growing up near ancient sites such as the Uffington White Horse.
That fascination is shared by many with an interest in the history of where they're from, how people lived and the battlefields and settlements hidden beneath the ground today.
Literature and film featuring the Saxons such as JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and the Saxon Tales series by Bernard Cornwell...along with the 1980a TV series Robin of Sherwood, featuring the deity Herne the Hunter and atmospheric music by the Irish folk group Clannad, have also fired the popular imagination.
Those Saxon roots are explored in Rowsell's film, which reveals how place names and everyday language have Saxon roots.
The London borough of Waltham stow is "the place of welcome" and Wednesday is derived from "Woden's day" itself an English version of the Norse god Odin and is the origin of Wednesfield in the west Midlands and Wodnesfeld in Essex. Other Anglo-Saxon gods such as Tiw see their name in Tuesley in Surrey and Thursley comes from the god Thunor.
These gods also feature prominently on artefacts from Sutton Hoo and the Stafford shire hoard, now on display at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, is a stunning example of the beauty of Saxon craftwork.
A fascinating feature of the documentary is its explanation of how early Christians incorporated elements of paganism, evidenced in the carvings and relics to be found in ancient churches. Indeed, the first Christian kings of England still claimed to be descended from Woden.
Britain was the first industrial nation and communities were destroyed as the population was dis placed in search of work. The elites were early converts to liberal rationalism and this resulted in the British being more divorced from their folklore than most countries. That keenly felt separation, compounded by a materialistic, consumer society, is driving more people to history in search of an identity.
The apparent appropriation of runic symbols and Norse mythology by neo nazis might put some off the study of our Anglo-Saxon heritage, but that's all the more reason to reclaim our culture from the racists.The documentary features a sword display by Fighters Against Racism, an anti-racist martial arts group, but as Rowsell emphasises historical heritage belongs to neither the right or left. It's more important than that.
Our shared culture has been enriched by our Anglo-Saxon ancestors and a deeper understand ing of them provides not just historical interest but, as this documentary shows, an enlightening touch of mysticism in everyday places.
George Waterhouse - 2015
