Yesterday (25/08/2020) I read an interesting column by a certain peer of the Realm in the Sun, (I don't often read the Sun but it was the only newspaper in the Lunch room). While he agreed with my viewpoint over the recent controversy the British Broadcasting Corporation has brought upon itself I was a little bit taken aback aback at what he said was the history behind the lyrics and suggesting that most people who enthusiastically sing the song while waving flags were ignorant of the said history.
I am not going to say here if patriotic songs like Rule Britannia or Land of Hope and Glory should or should not be sung enthusiastically or even sung at all at the Last Night of the Proms nor am I going to attack the BBC decision. I am however going to look at the history of the song and you the reader can make up your own mind on the subject.
Who or what is Britannia?
Firstly lets look at the question of what is Britannia. Britannia is the Latin name for the island Great Britain which is also applied to the personification of the United Kingdom which is inspired by the Goddess Athena from Greek and later Roman mythology. Although she has appeared on coins minted by every British monarch since Charles II she became a more widely accepted symbol for Britain during the reign of Queen Victoria, probably in no small part because she is a female personification. She is generally depicted in a white toga wearing a Corinthian style helmet and armed with a trident and a Union Shield. She is often although by no means always depicted seated with a lion. Of there is tones of symbolism in the white being seen a symbol of purity or even peace, the trident symbolic of mastery of the sea etc etc (I will suggest reading the chapter on personifications in my book on Northern Ireland flags and emblems for more details)
Origins of the Song
The music was written as part of an opera about Alfred the Great by Thomas Arne, David Mallet and James Thompson. It was first performed for the Prince of Wales in 1740. Arne wrote the music for this work. Alfred the Great was the King of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex which was the most powerful of the seven kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England. He was viewed by antiquarian historians as the father of the English nation (although he himself was never king of England) for defending the islands against Viking conquest. He is sometimes called the father of the Navy as he was the first English King recorded to construct and man ships for war.
Thompson was a Scottish unionist and believed in embracing a British identity shared by English, Scots, Irish and Welsh people. This is probably his motivation when he wrote 'Rule Britannia' in 1740 for the opera.
1759 is known as Britain's year of Wonders for it saw British forces triumph over the French and their allies on land and sea all over the world (the Seven Years War is sometimes refereed to as the first ever world war). The land as a result was full of patriotic zeal not least of which resulted from the numerous achievements of the Royal Navy and this is the backdrop to which Rule Britannia a song from an opera which about great victories on land and sea against a foreign enemy became popular. (It is also the year the Royal Navy's quick march 'Heart of Oak' was written and is the "wonderful year" referred to in the first verse of that song)
The Lyrics
Thompson wrote six verses to 'Rule Britannia' although since 1759 usually on three are actually sung (as is the case in the below clip) or in some cases only two. In any case I will examine and explain all of Thompson's lyrics as the three verses that are sung (with the exception of the first verse) usually vary.
Verse One:
When Britain first, at heaven's command, Arose from out the azure main, This was the charter of the land, And Guardian Angels sang this strain:
To understand the first verse we must remember the song is written for an opera about Alfred the Great. Alfred who is being regarded as the father of the nation, defeated the Great Heathen Army of the Vikings and thus preserved Christian civilisation in England and arguably Great Britain as whole. Hence the line "at heaven's Command." Azure is a shade of blue and in heraldry is the tincture for blue, hence the second line is referencing the island nation identity and possibly even the creation of the land itself.
The Charter is a little bit more difficult to determine as Britain has an unwritten constitution (which is misleading term as the British constitution is long and complex with an awful lot of witting) it could be referring to Magna Carter (which means Great Charter) regarded as the founding document of British Rights and Freedom, it could be the much more recent Bill of Rights from the reign of William III and Mary II or it could be one of the numerous documents of Alfred the Great or even the Bible.
Then the last line returning back to the theme of Christian civilisation triumphing over the Great Heathen Army sets up the Chorus
The Chorus:
Rule Britannia! Britannia Rule the Waves! Britons Never, ever ever will be slaves!
Throughout this song you see the poet in Thompson but particularly in the chorus, for rather than simply evoke Britain ruling the waves he personifies the nation in the figure of Britannia. The lyrics about ruling the waves were originally references to Alfred defeating the Vikings who were of course excellent sailors who'es exploits can be found throughout the Northern hemisphere. Since 1759 however its been used to evoke the victories of the Royal Navy in that year and the years since.
The line "Britons Never will be slaves" is the particular line the BBC thinks is controversial despite the fact its clearly about fighting slavery rather than practising it. What is this line about, were British people (Britons) ever faced with slavery?
Well during Anglo-Saxon times they were. Viking raiders often took slaves as did many of the people of raided the British coast in the centuries since. Slavery was (and still is) also not enforceable in Britain under British Common Law (there were numerous court cases between the reign of Elizabeth I and George III that proved this most notably the case of Somerset vs Stewart in 1772) although such laws admittable did not extend to the colonies, and Britain benefited from trade with the colonies.
There is also a line of thinking that this line was inspired from one of Thompson's earlier works. The 'Tragedy of Sophonisba' (1730) is about a Carthaginian (another naval power form antiquity) princess who ultimately commits suicide rather than submit to Roman slavery.
Second Verse:
The nations not so blest as thee Must, in their turn, to tyrants fall, While thou shalt flourish great and free: The dread and envy of them all
Again in the context to the original opera the song was written for the first two lines of this verse references the peoples who fell to the Vikings. The last two lines simply compare the free peoples of Britain who's greatness is both envied and dreaded by other nations. Admittable there might be a bit of chest thumping here but that is hardly unique to British patriotic music.
Third Verse:
Still more majestic shalt thou rise, More dreadful from each foreign stroke, As the loud blast that tears the skies Serves but to root thy native oak.
The first two lines of this verse is simply saying in a more poetic manner that Britain always comes out of fight stronger. Likewise the last two lines imply that whenever British people or British values are threatened and attacked, rather than scare or submit British people become more defiant and more entrenched in the position they held. This is being visualised with an oak tree representing the British people, which is rooted rather than felled by a blast.
Fourth Verse:
Thee haughty tyrants ne'er shall tame;
All their attempts to bend thee down
Will but arouse thy generous flame,
But work their woe and thy renown.
The first line of this verse follows the theme of the previous verse simply stating the nation will never be tamed by tyrants. The tyrants in question probably originally intended to be Vikings but since 1759 the word referring to the French and other foreign foes. France at this time of course being an absolute monarchy whereas Britain was a constitutional monarchy with restrictions on royal power. The second and third lines really repeat the theme of the last two lines of the previous verse. This time it compares Britian to a flame which burns brighter when tyrants attempt to bend Britons down. Of course there is great symbolism in flames and light being associated with freedom and enlightenment as well as with passion which Thompson is attempting to convey to the audience.
Renown mean highly acclaimed or highly honored hence The last line simply states that while others work their woe (a word meaning sorrow or distress) Britain is also at work to the opposite effect.
Fifth Verse:
To thee belongs the rural reign;
Thy cities shall with commerce shine;
All thine shall be the subject main,
And every shore it circles, thine.
As is with many patriotic songs it talks about riches and resources and hence the first two lines speak of resources of the land (rural reign) and the cities shining with commerce.
The last two lines are open to be misinterpreted as being colonialist as they are talking about territorial possession. However they are in fact talking about British territorial integrity. The 'subject main' being the island of Great Britain and the "shores it circles" being the numerous other islands of the British Isles.
Sixth Verse:
The Muses, still with freedom found,
Shall to thy happy coasts repair.
Blest isles! with matchless beauty crowned,
And manly hearts to guard the fair.
The "Muses" are minor Gods in Greek mythology and personify the musical, literary and visual arts as well as Science. Hence the first two lines of this verse are stating that Britain is a welcoming place for culture and science. The third verse salutes the natural beauty of the British Isles where as the last verse describes the people of the said isles as fair and guarded by manly hearts. This probably has subtle notes to 18th century notions of femininity and purity as well as manhood and strength.
Concluding Remarks
Of course the song could well evoke different things for different people for a variety of reasons. However I think it is clear from the examination of the history and lyrics of the song that it is neither intended to be about Slavery or Colonialism. While it is a song that evokes naval and military power Thompson was careful to frame that power in a defensive nature. It is true the song was written in an era of colonialism when Britain benefited from the triangle trade but . However that can be said of numerous songs and poetry from history. Shakespeare wrote his plays in a time where English people were persecuted for their faith, yet no one is saying we shouldn't enjoy those plays. The same is true of Rule Britannia, enslavement and subjugation are not what I think is evoked in the song. It could be argued that the lyrics are at worst hypocritical of what Britain was or is, but I think the lyrics are more an expression of what Britain can achieve and what we as Britons should aspire for our country to be.
Those are merely the conclusions I have drawn from this examination of the song, I invite you you to draw your own.
