Amongst the Cornish: The formation of Cornwall and the Cornish identity in the Early Medieval Period
Lecture by John Fletcher
Given online by the Cornish American Heritage Society on July 16, 2023
Abstract: At the beginning of the 8th Century an entry in the Welsh Annals records three victories of the Britons over Anglo-Saxon invaders: “And the battle of Hehil among the Cornish, the battle of Garth Maelog, the battle of Pencon among the south Britons, and the Britons were the victors in those three battles.”
This remarkable entry is the first time the Cornish are listed as their own people, separate to an overriding SW Kingdom of Dumnonia. But how did this identity emerge? What happened to Dumnonia? And how did the fledgling Cornish survive the eventual rise of England to preserve their own identity, language and culture into the modern era? John Fletcher, author of The Western Kingdom: The Birth of Cornwall will aim to answer these questions and paint a picture of a vibrant, outward looking and thriving kingdom and culture located in the far SW of Britain.
Advertisement
John Fletcher has been an Early Medieval reenactor for sixteen years, with much of that being focused on recreating life in 8th-11th century Cornwall and Devon. He runs the Facebook page ‘Morvleydh’, and gives talks on the emergence of the Cornish state. He has a Bsc in Environmental Sciences and focused his dissertation on how climate change impacted Early Medieval settlement on Dartmoor.
Amongst the Cornish: The formation of Cornwall and the Cornish identity in the Early Medieval Period
Lecture by John Fletcher
Given online by the Cornish American Heritage Society on July 16, 2023
Abstract: At the beginning of the 8th Century an entry in the Welsh Annals records three victories of the Britons over Anglo-Saxon invaders: “And the battle of Hehil among the Cornish, the battle of Garth Maelog, the battle of Pencon among the south Britons, and the Britons were the victors in those three battles.”
John Fletcher has been an Early Medieval reenactor for sixteen years, with much of that being focused on recreating life in 8th-11th century Cornwall and Devon. He runs the Facebook page ‘Morvleydh’, and gives talks on the emergence of the Cornish state. He has a Bsc in Environmental Sciences and focused his dissertation on how climate change impacted Early Medieval settlement on Dartmoor.
Click here to visit the Cornish American Heritage Society website
Top Image: 16th century map of Cornwall – image by University of Exeter Special Collections / Wikimedia Commons
Related Posts
Subscribe to Medievalverse