Search Results

Lanercost Priory: The Wall and the English border

Richard Hingley

in Hadrian's Wall: A Life

This chapter reviews the formation of the northern frontier of the kingdom of England from the eleventh to the later sixteenth century. Through a study of the physical and symbolic roles of the Wall, ... More

This chapter reviews the formation of the northern frontier of the kingdom of England from the eleventh to the later sixteenth century. Through a study of the physical and symbolic roles of the Wall, it explores the origins of the concept linking this Roman monument to the delimitation of the northern boundary of England. This theme draws upon a significant location along the Wall's line, Lanercost Priory (Cumbria). Lanercost is a medieval religious house that was founded during the later half of the twelfth century, in the contested borderlands between England and Scotland. The construction of the Priory drew both physically and conceptually upon the remains of the Picts' Wall located 700 metres to the north. During the late sixteenth century, the buildings of the converted Priory were to become the home of Christopher Dacre, one of the Elizabethan gentlemen responsible for the maintenance of order along England's northern frontier.Less

Reconstructing Indigenous Music and Dance

in The Power of Song: Music and Dance in the Mission Communities of Northern New Spain, 1590–1810

This chapter examines the varieties and social functions of music in the diverse indigenous societies in the territories that would become New Spain's northern frontier. It investigates how musical ... More

This chapter examines the varieties and social functions of music in the diverse indigenous societies in the territories that would become New Spain's northern frontier. It investigates how musical activities shaped identity, structured daily and ritual experience, and communicated expectations, beliefs, and cultural norms for pre-Contact and colonial-era native groups. This chapter suggests that for the people of the northern frontier, songs and dances were primary methods of communicating within and between groups and that music also served important social functions including enculturation of the young and reinforcing social identity during life transitions.Less

Battle Experience: Facing the Enemy

Steven C. Eames

in Rustic Warriors: Warfare and the Provincial Soldier on the New England Frontier, 1689-1748

This chapter discusses the physical experience of combat in the northern frontier. The combat experienced by provincial soldiers differed greatly from the war experiences of their contemporary ... More

This chapter discusses the physical experience of combat in the northern frontier. The combat experienced by provincial soldiers differed greatly from the war experiences of their contemporary European counterparts. European battles were distinguished by the roar of artillery and musketry, and a choking, blinding blanket of powder smoke as armies numbering tens of thousands battered and clawed at each other. All maneuvering was deliberate and slow on the battlefield for fear that confusion or untimely enthusiasm might destroy tactical designs. Combat lasted most of the day, ending with the retreat of one army or darkness. In contrast, a battle on the northern frontier tended to be short and sharp, often not lasting more than thirty minutes. The roar of artillery did not disturb the combatants, and the numbers involved rarely exceeded more than a few hundred. More commonly, frontier combat pitted a handful of desperate men in a swift, savage test of wills in the forested wilderness that delineated the colonies of New France and New England.Less

Remapping the National Landscape

in Vietnam and Beyond: Tim O'Brien and the Power of Storytelling

This chapter analyses the literal and mythical geography of O'Brien's oeuvre, concentrating on those novels that capitalize on the austere connotations of the northern frontier, itself set against ... More

This chapter analyses the literal and mythical geography of O'Brien's oeuvre, concentrating on those novels that capitalize on the austere connotations of the northern frontier, itself set against the national epic of the conquest of the West. It shows that neither landscape repays the contemporary ‘pioneer’ with a sense of security and belonging. Vietnam is the geographical location of the most visible traumas in O'Brien's narrative universe, yet, like all good war literature, O'Brien's writing deals with deeper, radical questions, with insecurities and ordeals that are part of ordinary human experience. With their ever-increasing focus on American society and culture, O'Brien's stories imply that it is just as easy to get lost in the apparent safety of familiar surroundings as in the unknown territory of Vietnam.Less