The Sailor

[anteros_lmc]

Just a little reminder that tomorrow's episode of Amanda Vickery's series on the history of men and masculinity focuses on the archetype of The Sailor. The programme broadcasts on BBC Radio 4 at 09.00 and will be available on iPlayer for a week. (I've been led to believe that radio programmes are available on the iPlayer worldwide, although tv programems are restricted, but I can't confirm that.) The first episode of the series on The Knight was a bit meh, but subsequent episodes on The Gentleman and The Lover have been much better.

The Radio 4 blurb for tomorrow's episode reads as follows:

From the defeat of the Armada to the Battle of Trafalgar, the sailor was the most virile poster boy of British manhood. Any boy worth his salt wanted to run away to sea. National wealth rested on maritime trade and it was the sailor who ensured that Britain ruled the waves. The bravest were lionised and none more so than Horatio Nelson.

Professor Vickery begins on location in Nelson's flagship HMS Victory, with Quintin Colville, curator of naval history at the National Maritime Museum. She explores how it was that Nelson became a symbol of the nation, with historian Kathleen Wilson. And there is new research from David Turner, author of a history of disability, about what happened to less famous sailors who were disabled by war. Were they still men?

Sources include songs, 19th century romantic novels, and cinematic representations of Nelson.

The programme is produced by Loftus Audio and there is some additional commentary on their site from Dr Quintin Colville, Curator of Naval History at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich:

"Many British people during the eighteenth century had never seen the sea let alone a warship. And yet the figure of the sailor loomed large in the public imagination: colourful, charismatic, compelling and, of course, manly. The reason perhaps is that, irrespective of direct personal experience, the Royal Navy and its crews had become integral to British hopes and ambitions. They defended the nation's liberties and way of life from the hostile intentions of Europe's great Catholic powers, and they protected and promoted the commerce that contributed to its wealth.

This is not to say that the sailor - or as he was often known, the 'Jack Tar' - always received a good press. Caricatures and ceramics frequently portrayed him as a disreputable, rollicking womaniser or as bar-room brawler. Moreover his supposed ignorance of the ways of the world ashore made him a butt for satire and mockery. At the same time, though, Jack Tar was also seen as a patriotic hero: stout-hearted, tough and valiant, and quite capable of giving Napoleon a wallop. In this latter guise, Jack's manly qualities were merged with the idealised characteristics of Britishness itself. He became a second John Bull.

Nonetheless it was through a naval officer, rather than an ordinary sailor, that this process reached its pinnacle. Above all with his victories at the Nile and Trafalgar, Admiral Lord Nelson became the era's ultimate expression of masculine heroism. As such, he was transfigured from a mere mortal into an icon of nationhood. Needless to say, the everyday experience of male identity within the navy was rather less spectacular, as well as being considerably more complex and varied. But one thing united Nelson with his fellow servicemen. The stereotypes of sailors generated by those at home could never encompass the realities of being a man at sea."

Comments

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

I love that picture. They are having a lovely time. The bodies sloping down to the little tiny feet always amuse me.

I am going to try and get this.

We made a decision to get rid of our TV. So our little space is a lot quieter now. I can watch things on Youtube when I want. (Watched Edward II last night. A modern production, but Marlowe's words. Very violent, very naked.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

This one is't even video -- it's a radio broadcast, and you should have no trouble listening to it.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

The bodies sloping down to the little tiny feet always amuse me.
It's true! They always have such dainty little feet :)

Watched Edward II last night. A modern production, but Marlowe's words. Very violent, very naked.
Have you seen Derek Jarman's Edward II? It's years since I've seen it but I remember it being brilliant and disturbing in equal measure. And Gaveston is played Andrew Tiernan aka Bunting.

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Thats the one I saw! That was Bunting-- he was naked! I saw naked Bunting?! (Has he done other things where he is, you know, nice? I did not like Gaveston.)

It would never have been made in the USA for any kind of serious wide release. We are too scared of that sort of full frontal dangling. (Too bad, because the play was riveting.)

The scene in the beginning with the two sailors made me laugh-- I mean, of course they were sailors, how not?

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Hey how about that! It's an amazing film isn't it? Really raw and disturbing but quite beautiful in places.

Thankfully I saw it years before I saw Hornblower so I am spared the image of naked Bunting!

Not sure if Andrew Tiernan has ever played "nice". If he has, I've never seen it!

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

I've listened to Amanda Vickery on Radio 4 iPlayer before, without any IP-masking trickery, so I can confirm that it works in the US, at least. Thanks for the heads-up!

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a plan.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

If you have any trouble getting a hold of it let me know, I've got a recording. Tbh I didn't think it was one of the better episodes of the series, but it's still worth a listen. There was rather too much on Nelson for my tastes. Also there was also an academic who made one or two questionable pronouncements on incidents of homosexuality in the service. I took a few notes, I'll maybe see if I can write them up later in the week.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Good to know that the iPlayer works across the pond for radio at least!