Vikings, Statesmen and Herdwicks: History and Myth in the Lake District

May's talk in the University of Cumbria's Centre for National Parks and Protected Area's Cultural Landscape's series was Professor Angus Winchester speaking about history and myth in the Lake District.

This was a fascinating talk which covered myths and the perceptions of place history in the Lake District. I was especially interested to hear about the role that major Cumbrian writers and texts play in helping to shape and consolidate these myths.

Professor Winchester touched on some of my favourite writers and authors including W G Collingwood, Hardwicke Rawnsley, Beatrix Potter and Rosemary Sutcliffe.

All of these writers and many more have given the Lake District its own collection of myths and stories, built upon links between history and landscape. It is interesting to note that this same sense of difference and otherness also suffuses Celtic history and literature; the creation of myths and legends which create and develop a culture.

A really interesting talk which I'm clearly struggling to sum up in a short post!