Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene doesn't know what Anglo-Saxons are — she's confusing them with Normans
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has proven again that she's not the brightest bulb in the tanning bed. This week she launched her own ideas from the "America First," which promoted a "common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political tradition."
Her flier also outlined a nativist argument warning that "mass immigration" poses a threat to "the long-term existential future of America as a unique country with a unique culture and a unique identity."
She has now come out against the flier, saying it was a flyer from the caucus and published without being approved by her, Axios reported Sunday.
Greene's communications stafferNick Dyer, told CNN Saturday that she "didn't approve that language and has no plans to launch anything."
Still, the idea of Anglo-Saxon traditions isn't exactly what Greene would appreciate. The group existed in what is now Britain and Wales, from 410-1066AD, known as the Early Middle Ages. It was around the time of the breakup of the Roman empire into smaller kingdoms and battles against the Vikings. They were largely pagan and slowly grew more secular or Christian after several hundred years. However, the English pagan festivals come from the Anglo-Saxons.
Normans, by contrast, were famously martial in spirit and eventually for Catholic piety, ultimately becoming known for Catholic orthodoxy. Under Norman rule, women didn't have any power, while under the Anglo-Saxons, they did.
Saxons had Germanic laws that were largely financial in nature, saying each person has a kind of "weregild," explained the Norfolk Museums Service as a monitary value. If someone stole your chicken, they had to pay for it. If someone broke your arm, they'd pay money for the price of your injury and aftermath. Each status of a person had a different price, so Dukes were worth more than commoners and Kings were worth the most. Under the new Norman rule, any Saxon who was wronged had no real resource. If a Norman was wronged, the person was killed. Capital punishment made a reappearance after the Norman's took over, ushering in the Holy Roman Empire in. the12th century.
As History Today explained it, "The Norman dynasty is famous for its martial accomplishment, its aggression and, of course, its conquests. Yet, caught up in banners and battlements, it is easy to miss the spiritual and moral foundations on which their great achievements rested."
It makes it seem as if Greene is confused about Anglo-Saxons and how they compare to the Norman Conquests.
"There is no such thing as 'Anglo-Saxon' political traditions' unless Margorie [sic] Taylor Greene is talking about Old English charters and she isn't," wrote University of Toronto medieval scholar Mary Rambaran-Olm. "If she wants to return to those, she'll have to stop advocating for gun use. 'Anglo-Saxon' is being weaponized by the far-right." She added that the very term "Anglo-Saxon" is a "racist dog-whistle, inaccurate and generally sucks balls."
Greene has been removed from the one committee assignment she had and appears to spend most of her time demanding busy Democrats debate her and trolling her neighbors.