Cornish Identity Formation and Development - Essay Example

CORNISH IDENTITY In a society, an individual takes different roles, which is why his identity too changes with each context. An individual is identified as a person, as a part of a community, religion, culture, race, gender and so on. As today's societies are multicultural, people of different cultures co-exist and identities are being given more prominence. People follow diverse religions and come from different races. National identity in the contemporary world means a group of people following the social culture. Even people of different religions speak the same language, eat the same food, dress in a similar way, and follow a common lifestyle and social behavior. "Thus, culture determines national identity. Culture makes a nation's growth and evolution possible; culture is an ingrained aspect of society through its historical experience rather than a collection of codes or conventions that are imposed by theocratic or secular state systems." (Koushan 2008). A knowledge about their separate religions and races will not act as a barrier in being a part of the nation in which they live. This paper analyses the Cornish identity and its formation using examples. Benedict Anderson, in his article 'Imagined Communities' say that nation is just a concept created by the society. Individuals in a nation are not all familiar with each other. Still, there exists a kind of nationhood in them when someone represents their nation in international events. I propose the following "definition of the nation: it is an imagined political community - and imagined as both inherently limited and sovereign." (Anderson 1999, p.6). Cornwall is a part of the British Isles, where a vast majority of its inhabitants consider themselves as Cornish and not as British or English. The Cornish people are proud of their Cornish identity and consider Cornwall as a different imagined community. Bernard Deacon in his book says, "Our names therefore define who we are in the present, who we were in the past and the imagined community to which we belong now and once belonged." (Deacon 2004, p.56). Presently, the inhabitants of Cornwall include a lot of immigrant people, reducing the percentage of population of Cornish birth to 50. However, studies show that it is not the number that matters, but their thoughts. Carrick District council did a private sector housing survey in 1996 and it was found that despite a low percentage of native Cornish people, more than 37 percent of the population called themselves Cornish and not their original ethnic group. "Again, this implies a considerable willingness to self-define as 'Cornish'. This is especially the case as the Cornish-born are more likely to be in public sector housing." (Perceptions). Cornishness is represented and evident in their language, sports, politics, geography and even commercial products. "Despite the communications and transport revolution, international media and the inward migration of the twentieth century, Cornwall remains nevertheless decidedly special." (Cornwall 2007). Among these, Cornish language is of great significance in their lives. In the sixteenth century, English was imposed on the Cornish people and this was opposed and resisted by many people. As a result, modern Cornish emerged in the eighteenth century. It was successfully revived in the twentieth century with slight changes and Cornish is a language which people commonly use to speak and write. This situation is the result of a conscious effort to revive the language. Now, it is taught in schools and colleges in order to popularize it even more. There are films made in Cornish. Cornwall has hosted the International Celtic Film Festival in which Cornish films are included. There are magazines in Cornish and many shops are named in Cornish. As a result, the UK government officially recognized Cornish language as a minority language, which is a real achievement for the Cornish people. Nick Raynsford, the Local government and Regions Minister said, "This is a positive step in acknowledging the symbolic importance the language has for Cornish identity and heritage." (Cornish language). which is very true. The Cornish language got recognized only because the Cornish people were very particular the survival of the language. Just like they refuse to be seen as English, they refused to be known as English speaking people too. The Cornish people feared if the strong emergence of English language would weaken their unity and identity as Cornish. A former lecturer at Harvard University, Benjamin Bruch says that his increasing interest in the language hopes to create a stronger sense of Cornish identity. "If you have no language you have no land. A lot of people feel it is part of their identity, part of their heritage. Cornwall is lucky because people are working hard to use it more and more. It gives it a fighting chance when others are going." (De Bruxelles 2008). The geography of Cornwall is significant in separating the land from others. Cornwall is a peninsula and so is covered by the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel and the River Tamar. The people are separated from the mainland and this naturally has created the feeling that they are a separate land. "Robbins, for example, has suggested that the 'retention of a sense of difference' in Cornwall was a result of geographical isolation into the nineteenth century." (Chapter 2: Cornwall, cornishness, and the academy, p.5). This isolation and poor transportation facilities in Cornwall, made travelling difficult. So, people learned to live without depending on the mainland for most of their needs. There were also historical differences, which again separated them from the other counties and England, in general. Thus arose the feeling that they are different and the Cornish people eventually developed a sense of pride in their history, language, culture and heritage. Cornwall remains separate from England in its political matters. Mebyon Kernow is one of the major political parties in Cornwall, though its representation is not important at Westminster elections. The Cornish National Party is another one equally strong. "In addition to the political parties the CornishStannary Parliament acts as a pressure group on Cornish constitutional issues and Cornwall 2000 theHuman Rightsorganization works with Cornish cultural issues." (Cornwall 2007). Powers are no more given to Stannary and the Dutchy, as now, they are regarded as part of feudalism. However, in Cornwall, the Dutchy is still responsible for appointing the Sheriff. The activists of Stannary Parliament are not familiar in England or its politics. Cornwall wished for a Cornish assembly and campaigned for it 2001. Though, it has not yet succeeded, Cornwall's wish to remain independent is seen here. Territory is very important in Cornwall and any threat to territorial integrity are seen as against Cornishness. The Cornish people are still indignant about what the English people did to their ancestors. They have throughout tried to stop England's interference and Cornwall's oppression by the English. In order to remain separate from others who are not Cornish, they have drawn a ethnic boundary, which when crossed by any foreigner, they resist. "Such comments have been interpreted by a modern historian as clear "evidence of the West Cornish determination to resist cultural assimilation with England."" (Perceptions). Cornwall is one of the poorest places in Britain, though this was not the case always. In the middle of the nineteenth century, Cornish mining and engineering were considered as symbols of their identity. There were many developments in the fields of mining and engineering and Cornwall was known for these historical inventions. By the end of that century, however, situation changed and mining industries faced failure. "Bitter disputes and strikes ensued during the depression and in South Crofty mine, this came to a head in 1939." (Cornwall- last mine standing). Though Cornwall still had economic growth, it lost its identity which was to a large extent dependent on mining. With industrialization and improvements in mining, thousands of people in Cornwall were employed in mining field. With its fall, a majority of them lost jobs, and this situation was called 'Cousin Jack.' It forced them to migrate to outside lands for better opportunities. Many of them migrated to Latin America. Though the immigrants were not all mining workers, migration helped in spreading the rich heritage of Cornwall and established the Cornish people as expert miners. What is special about these Cornish immigrants in other countries is that they maintained and followed the Cornish culture and traditions, instead of adopting the foreign ways. Many of these immigrants returned to Cornwall after they became rich. They brought enough money to buy lands and start new businesses. This made the economy again stable, and also helped in developing Tourism, which now forms a main income in Cornwall. "Tourism, the economic mainstay of modern Cornwall, was initially developed by 'migrapounds' from the gold, silver, copper, and nitrate fields of South America, invested by a group of entrepreneurs including Sir Robert Harvey, George Hicks, Sampson Waters and John Jose." (Cornish mining and migration). Thus, though mining underwent a decline, it indirectly helped in promoting tourism, which spreads the culture and heritage of Cornwall all over the world. Tourism has thus created a pride in the minds of the Cornish people about their identity and culture. Cornwall gives importance to the game of Rugby in promoting a common feeling among the Cornish people and in thus helping in preserving the Cornish identity. The initial sport was slightly different from Rugby and was called Hurling. Over the years, rugby became popular and as people migrated to foreign lands, they spread the game all over the world. Soon, efforts were made to further promote the game and various associations and organizations took initiatives to establish rugby as a game from Cornwall. They succeeded in it and Cornwall came to known for rugby and for this reason, it was given opportunities to host international rugby competitions. The unions which worked hard to promote the game also made it point to promote Cornish identity with the game. "By the late 1980s the celebration of Cornwall as a 'national' side had become even more overt, reflected in the 'Trelawny's Army' phenomenon where the supposed independence and rebel spirit of the historical Bishop Trelawney - together with the song 'Trelawny', theCornish'national anthem' - had been co-opted by present dayCornish Rugby supporters." (Seward 1998, p.8). The development of Cornish rugby helped in creating a feeling of sameness among the Cornish people, which is exactly what Anderson says about imagined communities. The game of rugby boosted the national feeling in its people, thus successfully maintaining the Cornishness in every inhabitant. "It is clear that modern sport has exercised a 'nation building' effect, and Gutmann has noted that the 'integrative' consequences of sport are stronger than its 'divisive' effects, an observation illustrated in the 'integrative' nature of Cornish rugby." (Seward 2009, p.10). History has proved that Cornish people are really proud of their game and its success. Their success has taken them t as high as a gold medal in the Olympics. People are inspired from the victories and this has made rugby a part of their culture. "Rugby football, it seems, has a similar significance in Cornwall - it has become an integral part of Cornish culture and offers opportunities for the expression of community loyalties, collective endeavour and common aspirations at a time of dynamic socio-economic change." (Seward 2009, p.15). Another cultural consequence of mining is the popularity given to pasties, which soon came to be known as Cornish pasties. At the time when mining industries were at the peak, the workers took pasties with them, as it made for lunch. The Cornish pasties are unique because of its extraordinary fillings. Though originally the pasties were filled with beef and potato, the trend gradually changed and almost every food item began to be used as a filling. Though many of these combinations may not have even been thought of by others, it is found very tasty. "It was once said that the Devil would never dare to cross the River Tamar into Cornwall for fear of ending up as a filling in a Cornish Pasty."(The Cornish pasty 2000). With the development of tourism, Cornish pasties and their fame have reached far and wide, making many other countries to follow the same trend. The Cornish people hold their famous pasties close to their hearts, which is the reason why they protested when pasties made outside Cornwall were marketed as 'Cornish Pasties.' Here is an excerpt from BBC News about the issue. "Cornwall County Council is applying to the European Commission for the term to be given protected status, claiming the humble pasty is a uniquely Cornish invention." (Fight for Cornish pasty 2000). Cornish pasties have become popular in many other parts of the world and this has made the Cornish people proud. After the decline of the mining industry, they believe that their pasties symbolize Cornishness to the same extent as the same expertise which the Cornish miners show in mining can be seen in the pasties made by the Cornish people. They think of pasties as a symbol of Cornish identity. This is why Cornish pasties are hoisted during the rugby matches. Rugby is a part of their culture. Similarly, Cornish pasties are capable of creating a feeling of nationhood in the Cornish people. They consider Cornish pasties as an important element of their identity. "Any Cornish man or woman will tell you, however, that a true Cornish pasty can only be homebaked in the traditional way, and you will only experience the mouth-watering taste of a true Cornish pasty if you pay a visit to the county where it was created." (The Cornish pasty 2000). Another symbol of Cornish identity is in Kellys Ice cream, which have been in the market for over 100 years. Their success lies in the quality of the products, which require high-quality ingredients. Kellys ice cream, ever since the beginning uses fresh Cornish milk products. Clotted cream and milk used for their ice creams are taken from Cornwall. Kellys ice cream is unique in its quality and taste, for which the praise goes to the Cornish ingredients used in it. "The current Kellys are the fourth generation of the family to use this recipe so it's clearly stood the test of time." (Case studies: Kelly's of Cornwall 2009). Unlike George H Mead's writings about pick-and-mix identity, Cornwall follows an almost singular culture and lifestyle due to the Cornish peoples' sameness of thoughts. Pick-and-mix is the method of adopting styles of living from various cultures and mixing them to form a new culture. This is relevant in today's world because almost every nation include people of different cultures. However, Cornwall and its people are particular about maintaining Cornishness in their lifestyles. As earlier mentioned, even the immigrants accept themselves as Cornish people. Every effort is made to revive and maintain the Cornish culture and heritage, unlike other nations which follow foreign lifestyles and cultures. While Cornwall has always resisted any kind of foreign interference in their nation, many other countries have accepted markers of Cornish identity like their pasties, mining expertise and technologies and so on. Though this paper deals with the case of Cornwall, the factors which mark a nation's identity is the same in other cases too. The above discussed factors are not the only key markers in developing national identity, though. Each nation has characteristics, unique to itself. These mark and separate the nation from others. For example, religion is a key marker. There are nations with only one religion. The nation may be even known by its religion. As in the case of Cornwall, religion includes Methodism and Pre-Christianity. "Of approximately 700 chapels that survive in Cornwall today, over 80 per cent are Methodist in origin, many of which were built relatively early and then re-built in the nineteenth century." (Methodism 2009). History shows that England tried to establish its culture in Cornwall, like it did everywhere else. The Cornish people, who are strong in their feeling of nationhood successfully resisted all that. The sincere efforts made by the people to revive their culture and heritage has paid off well. Cornwall remains a special land, rich in its heritage, culture and nation-loving people. Now, Cornwall has turned to be a tourist centre and the Cornish income largely depends on tourism. It helped them come out of their poverty, which came with the fall of mining. However, there are still many problems which are ignored by England. Cornwall is a place which has been ignored by England in history. Though the Cornish people have succeeded despite the injustice shown to them, they still raise their voices on certain political and social issues, which have not yet been granted to them. Despite their problems, Cornwall can hope for better times ahead with the strong will and national feeling of its people. 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