The song says ' Britons never, never, never shall be slaves'. Right. But shouldn't that be ' Britons never, never, never shall be slaves again. Wasnt Briton invaded and ruled by the Romans?
2006-06-26 14:40:50 · 12 answers · asked by Rachel Maria 6 in Social Science ➔ Anthropology
WE'RE STILL SLAVES! Work work work tax tax tax law law law!
it's slavery!
2006-06-28 10:59:44 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
"Rule, Britannia!" is a patriotic British national song, originating from the poem "Rule, Britannia" by James Thomson, and set to music by Thomas Arne in 1740. The song was included in Alfred, a masque about Alfred the Great co-written by Thomson and David Mallet and first performed at Cliveden, country home of Frederick, Prince of Wales, to celebrate the accession of King George I and the birthday of the Princess Augusta.
At the time it appeared, the song was not a celebration of an existing state of naval affairs, but an exhortation for the future. It recalls the era when, under Alfred the Great, English ships were more than a match for those of the Danes. Although the Netherlands, which in the 17th century presented a major challenge to English sea power, was obviously past its peak by 1745, Britain did not yet "rule the waves". The time was still to come when the Royal Navy would be an unchallenged dominant force on the oceans, protecting Britain and her burgeoning Empire from "haughty tyrants" and "foreign strokes". The jesting lyrics of the mid 1700s would assume a material and patriotic significance by the end of the 19th century.
2006-06-27 16:54:44 · answer #2 · answered by Blah 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Britannia was a colony of the Roman Empire. They (rome) ruled the land and sent alot of slaves and goods back to Rome. However the Brits "i.e., the people of the british island at that time" were mere workers and vassals of Rome, not comepletely slaves; although I'm sure some were confiscated for such as punishment for rebellion, insurrection, etc. It was a brutual time to exist, Rome was a very brutal master to have.
2006-06-26 14:50:51 · answer #3 · answered by AdamKadmon 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Antonine Wall crosses Central Scotland...anywhere North of this wall was never conquered by the Romans. The southern softies were conquered so regularly that it became commonplace. That's probably why they sing this song so much...they are still in denial.
2006-06-26 15:03:18 · answer #4 · answered by rp804110 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By the Romans, the Anlges, Saxons, Jutes, Vikings and also the Normans to name but a few!
2006-06-26 14:47:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
And by the Saxons, and the Vikings, and the Normans ... then we got ourselves an ari-stock-racy and a monner-key and finally a ... dee-mock-racy.
2006-06-26 14:47:02 · answer #6 · answered by Owlwings 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes the romans, normans and the saxons and anyone else i've missed out
2006-06-26 14:45:57 · answer #7 · answered by baldyhugsblues 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if britain was named as such after the roman invasion then technically romans did not invade britain......
2006-06-27 01:46:54 · answer #8 · answered by softly 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but "again" wouldn't fit into the song.
2006-06-26 14:48:19 · answer #9 · answered by Irish1952 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well true, but I think we don't want to remember that little fact do we and it's not like its still in living memory is it, whereas whenthe song was written not so long ago... we weren't
2006-06-26 14:46:09 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋