The University of Nottingham has decided to drop the term "Anglo-Saxon" from its course titles as part of an effort to "decolonise the curriculum" and tackle "nationalist narratives."
Instead, they're opting for the less controversial term "Early Medieval English" in several programs, including History and English Literature.
This change came after academics campaigned over their concerns that "Anglo-Saxon" gave off the impression of a distinct, native English identity.
(THE HORROR!)
In recent years, the term has become a buzzword, where it's been co-opted to describe white people. Before Nottingham made its move, Cambridge University took things a step further in 2023, teaching students that the Anglo-Saxons weren't really a distinct ethnic group at all.
The term "Anglo-Saxon" refers to the cultural group that emerged after the fall of Roman Britain and before the Norman conquest in 1066. Even though the term specifically describes three Germanic tribes — the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes — who ruled over the land that would eventually become England, we now have to pretend the term is racist and, basically, made up.
At least not everyone is on board with the change. Several dozen medieval historians and archaeologists signed a statement defending the use of the term in a published letter on the Forum for Multidisciplinary Anglo-Saxon Studies.
The conditions in which the term is encountered, and how it is perceived, are very different in the USA from elsewhere. In the UK the period has been carefully presented and discussed in popular and successful documentaries and exhibitions over many years.
The term ‘Anglo-Saxon' is historically authentic in the sense that from the 8th century it was used externally to refer to a dominant population in southern Britain. Its earliest uses, therefore, embody exactly the significant issues we can expect any general ethnic or national label to represent.
Professor Emeritus of Mediterranean History at Cambridge University, David Abulafia, also criticized the lack of backbone at Cambridge.
The journal should glory in its distinguished reputation rather than trying to reinvent itself under a bland new name dictated by a passing fashion for dropping the term Anglo-Saxon.
Nottingham isn't stopping there, though. They're also rethinking the use of the problematic term "Viking."
According to the Daily Telegraph, the university, which is one of the few in the UK offering a Viking Studies course, plans to rename an English literature course from "A Tale of Seven Kingdoms: Anglo-Saxon and Viking-Age England from Bede to Alfred the Great" to "Early Medieval England from Bede to Alfred the Great."
Apparently, there are concerns about the connections between Norse mythology and problematic themes like race, empire, and Nazism.
For instance, the Nazis famously used Norse symbols for groups like the SS.
I guess Nottingham would rather steer completely clear of history to ensure no one gets offended?
P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇
