Slavic- Germanic

[Liffrea]

Originally Posted by Svanhild
I don't know how you look and I don't know your individual life history but I dare to say that the ordinary Englishmen feels closer to Germans or Danes.

To be honest, no, I’ve never experienced much in the way of a “pan-Germanic” feeling amongst the English (the exception being some elements of the nationalist scene that have a penchant for National Socialism). We are very insular there is the British Isles and there is the “continent”, the Scots, Welsh and Irish are, for most of us, more kin than anyone else even despite the “Celtic”-“Anglo-Saxon” antipathy. The English have looked ever across the ocean, never back from the way they came.

I’ve also noticed that a lot of Germans tend to believe that we do have this feeling of relation to other “Germanics”, I personally had never come across the idea of a “Germanic” cultural sphere in the modern world until I began to post on various forms and noticed it there. I think it has been a major source of misunderstanding between the English and Germans, the latter believe that a relationship exists between us that the former never have held to. Unfortunately many English are still hung up on the war and more likely to feel hostility towards Germans.

Given our geographical position (and the effect it has had on our psychology) and history I find it unreasonable to pigeon hole England as “Germanic”, it is an entity unto itself that cannot be easily categorised. Heck the average Englishman doesn’t even consider himself part of Europe! You’re going to have your work cut out convincing him to see himself as one with anyone in mainland Europe.

The English (as long as they exist) will always be their own microcosm.

[Jarl]

Frankly, from my own perspective and experience the British have always had stronger connections and have been culturally much closer to the Romano-Latin countries, particularly France throughout most of their history. This was mainly because of the Normans and Plantagenets whose interests were invariably connected to France.

Perhaps in XIXth century, with gradual demise of France, there was a certain current which, under influence from mainland Europe, propagated a form of Saxon Teutonism. However, I do not think it was ever strong enough to overcome the simultaneous Celtic-Brythonic current, which definitely took the lead after WW I.

[Liffrea]

Originally Posted by Jarl
Frankly, from my own perspective and experience the British have been culturally much closer to the Romano-Lation countries, particularly France throughout most of their history.

Not an unreasonable assessment.

After 1066 the English spent the next four hundred years fighting the French over territory (very much more a civil war for a long time between French elites to some degree) in France and then a further two hundred years fighting for control of the globe.

Prior to 1066 the English were very much still linked to the North Sea sphere, we still kept alive our pre-migration traditions and stories, although England was becoming more orientated towards Western Europe from the early 11th century onwards the Norman Conquest wrenched England away completely from any northern European links.

It is a mixture of Celto-Germanic population, a largely Germano-Latin culture that has created the unique English culture and people. Once you start trying to tie the English to any single cultural thread you start to lose perspective. France is a similar nation in this respect.

Perhaps in XIXth century, with gradual demise of France, there was a certain current which, under influence from mainland Europe, propagated a form of Saxon Teutonism. However, I do not think it was ever strong enough to overcome the simultaneous Celtic-Brythonic current, which definitely took the lead after WW I.

There was a strong pan-Teutonic movement under various late 19th century English intellectuals Thomas Carlyle (albeit a Scot), Cecil Rhodes and even Winston Churchill shared a “pan-Germanic” vision, Theodore Roosevelt in America also bought into the concept of the English-American-German axis.

When English identity began to reassert itself from the 13th century onwards from under the Norman-French overlay there was a highly romanticised view of the Anglo-Saxon that lasted a long time in English history. With the wars against the French in the 18th and early 19th century this “heroic Saxon” propaganda was trotted out quite a lot.

Anglo-German relations really began to sour after 1890 when a formerly useful “Prussian” ally against the French began to be seen by London as a far greater threat to British security.