Marradharma is the Northumbrian Proto-National Socialism

That the attributes most praised by Northumbrians are the social and convivial, and that they have a special term for that awareness, tells us a lot about them. As the medieval Islamic scholar Ibn Khaldun described in his Muqaddimah of 1377, the bond of cohesion among any group of humans—what he called asabiyyah—is the basic motive force of all history.

The County Durham poet William Martin even coined the term ‘Marradharma’ to describe the spiritual force that animated the culture of the North East, a compound word he derived from the pit village socialism that thrived among the coalfield ‘marras’ (the Northumbrian dialect term for close friends and workmates), and ‘dharma’, a concept meaning a universal truth, or ‘the way’, that he discovered during his Second World War encounters with the religious of the sub-continent. As we shall see, the history of the Northumbrian people is one where mutuality has always been more cherished than individualism.

-excerpted from “The Northumbrians: North-East England and its People” by Dan Jackson (2019)

4 thoughts on “Our Marradharma

  1. My grandfather’s forebears came to America from Northumbria, so I have records for that family. None of the men lived to old age. Most died before 30 from the coal mining. A society like this requires a great deal of Volkish communalism to survive: the young for the old, the men for the widows, and the stranger for the orphans.

    My own body has testaments to that time as does my father’s. I have thick powerful back muscles that I never needed to train, and a great endurance for hard backbreaking labour. I can hear exceptionally well while my eyesight is poor except in the dark. My ancestors needed these things to survive, so they pass on to me.

    1. Upon reading your comment about your recent ancestors dying young in America, this feeling of shame and humiliation, of being abused and violated to my core by this society, was revived in me. I just don’t know what to do to regain my integrity. I feel deep anger, I have to say I have been physically abused as a child by some low life step parent – a direct consequence of the collapse of the family cell, putting anyone with anyone in the same enclosure, regardless of their types. But really, when I see that picture above, thinking about communion, and knowing that living the Volkish way means getting support from a community, I have a mixed feeling of hopelessness and hope. Hopelessness from my current situation, living in a town that is subject to those violations I mentioned – and hope, believing I will find like-minded people. I’m in Canada .. and it sucks alright. My White folk is getting violated.
      Thanks for your comment, I would appreciate a feedback if you will. I still have this damage (trauma) to deal with, sometimes it gets me into trouble with the community. Their pill-giving mentality is problematic, as you know. I see my “condition” as toxicity that I must finish cleansing my body and mind from.
      I have more hope now that I come to read you my warrior friends. Thank you for being there.

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