Writing the North of England in the Middle Ages: Regionalism and Nationalism in Medieval English Literature by Joseph Taylor (review)

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Reviewed by:

• Writing the North of England in the Middle Ages: Regionalism and Nationalism in Medieval English Literature by Joseph Taylor
• Ann M. Martinez

joseph taylor, Writing the North of England in the Middle Ages: Regionalism and Nationalism in Medieval English Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023. Pp. xiii, 254. isbn: 978–1–009–18211–9. $99.

The author begins by posing questions of English nationhood and regional identity, with a primary focus on the Middle Ages. From physical to ideological boundaries, he delves into the effects of geographical distance, religious, political, and linguistic divides, stating that ‘In medieval England, the North is not simply “other”; rather, the [End Page 105] broad region comprises a liminal space, both within and without a national frame’ (p. 4). Taylor sets up the North-South divide primarily through the lens of literature, examining relevant authors and texts: beginning with William of Malmesbury and Bede, then on to Chaucer, A Gest of Robyn Hode, and the Towneley plays. Due to the nature of the book’s focus, the North-South divide and the literature are historically contextualized.

Taylor starts with an overview of the North-South tensions. He then poses seemingly simple questions requiring complicated answers: ‘What is Nation?’ (p. 8) and ‘Where is the North?’ (p. 13). He constructs a historical scaffold built on conquest, attempted decimation, and constant rebellion, outlining events, battles, and major political players. The first literary examination involves William of Malmesbury and Bede. Taylor reminds readers that a ‘desire to put forward a uniform English identity’ (p. 35) is missing from Bede’s work, as scholars have noted, while his love of Northumbria pervades his writings. Taylor argues that, although William admired Bede, in William’s Gesta Pontificum Anglorum he omits and overwrites material related to the North found in Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum, showcasing his ‘marked derision of the North’ (p. 36). Taylor notes that for William, Northumbrians are ‘brutal, barbarous of speech, and unwilling to be ruled’ (p. 52), characteristics that make it difficult for William to present a unified nation in his writing.

The author next explores how the divide manifested in medieval English universities. He delves into physical altercations and ideological differences of the ‘so-called university “nations”’ (p. 63), grouping students by region modeled on French practices. Southerners’ stereotypes of Northerners, and vice versa, led to hostilities in Oxford and Cambridge, including deadly altercations, culminating (but not evaporating) with the Stanford Schism, until King Edward III interceded. Taylor sets up the tensions in the universities as a ‘miniature [of ] the ideological and psychological antagonisms of the larger medieval North-South divide’ (p. 86).

While the chapter on Chaucer is focused on The Reeve’s Tale, the author also examines The Friar’s Tale, The Man of Law’s Tale, The Summoner’s Tale, and The Knight’s Tale. Chaucer, in his presentation of diverse pilgrims, gives readers an overview of the divide. But this overview is more complex than it might seem at first, according to Taylor. He argues that Chaucer is ‘aware of the stereotypes of the North as culturally backward and brutal’ (p. 92), as can be seen in the tales. However, this is further complicated by the emotional response readers have toward the Northern characters (p. 97). Additionally, Chaucer’s personal association with King Richard II, John of Gaunt, and other key Northerners speaks to his awareness of the influence the North had on the English political stage (p. 98).

For later centuries, Taylor further underscores the political and religious divide in the chosen texts. In A Gest of Robyn Hode, he sees Robin not as a simple outlaw but a paradoxical figure of a ‘great northern magnate’ in a romanticized period where he both ‘served his king by protecting the borders of the realm and served the interests of his family and region’ (p. 115). Taylor explores the differing reception of Robin Hood by region, as entertainment in the South and a potential figure of rebellion in the North (p. 188). The Towneley plays are examined as possible instigators of [End Page 106] rebellion during the Reformation. Taylor suggests the Thomas play in the Towneley manuscript a more...