The Invention of Tradition Edited by Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger

Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger, eds., The Invention of Tradition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983).

The Invention of Tradition, edited by Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger, is a collection of essays on invented traditions in a variety of states, regions, and colonies, most of which are closely related to Great Britain. As a collection of essays, it is difficult to critique them in a general way. Instead, it is more productive to review each essay individually by examining first how Hobsbawm defines the invention of tradition in his introductory essay, and how well the examples of each of the other authors fit this basic definition.

Hobsbawm begins his essay by defining the invention of tradition as "a set of practices ... of a ritual or symbolic nature, which seek to inculcate certain values and norms of behaviour by repetition, which automatically implies continuity with the past" (p. 1). The invented portion of traditions generally comes into play when traditions of rather recent historic origin are given fictitious continuity with an historic past of varied accuracy. In fact, as the other essays of the book reveal, some of the most resilient traditions are those based upon a largely fictitious history.

Hugh Trevor-Roper's explanation of Scottish invented traditions follows Hobsbawm's definition very closely. In his essay, "The Invention of Tradition: The Highlander Tradition of Scotland," Trevor-Roper explores the ways in which the Scots attempted to preserve their heritage in the face of union with England. In particular, he examines the origins of the Scots and their "traditional" mode of dress, only to find that both of these were largely invented, but rapidly accepted and sanctified by the people of Scotland. The traditions that comprise much of Scottish identity are based on 18th century forgeries and fantasies, invented by men who felt the need for the Scots to have a culture superior to other cultures found in the British Isles at this time.

Prys Morgan's essay, "From Death to a View: The Hunt for the Welsh Past in the Romantic Period," begins with a description of the ways in which the Welsh identity was destroyed in the 17th century (and even earlier, in some cases). The destruction was a result of a number of factors, both internal and external, but it had the end result of causing the Welsh to face a "loss of self-confidence ... [and a] loss of a sense of history" (p. 45). The Welsh realized that they had little culture to preserve, thus they took the few pieces that were worth salvaging (many of which came from the far distant past) and turned these into a fairly vibrant artistic culture, based largely on music, bardic poetry, Druidism, linguistics, and patriotic insignia. Thus by the mid 19th century, when Great Britain strove for uniformity for their several regions, the Welsh were seen as somewhat backwards, but mostly radical and non-conforming to the British ideals, as a result of the traditions which had been invented for them by the Romantics of Wales.

One article which seems to diverge from Hobsbawm's definition is David Cannadine's essay, "The Context, Performance and Meaning of Ritual: The British Monarchy and the 'Invention of Tradition,' c. 1820-1977." It may be significant that Cannadine places the words 'invention of tradition' in quotes, since this article talks little about new traditions being invented in England, and more about the changing perception of the British monarchy. In fact, Cannadine emphasizes the way that the actual traditions surrounding royal ceremonies changed little - for example, the royal family continued to use horse drawn carriages as transportation even after most other people were using cars. The perception of the use of carriages, however, changed drastically - where the royal carriage was once seen as very average, it came to symbolize the antiquity of the royal line by their use of an antiquated conveyance. While the tradition itself did not change, the meaning of the tradition changed greatly. This phenomenon would better be described as the invention of meaning or the reinvention of tradition.

Bernard S. Cohn's essay, "Representing Authority in Victorian India," also deals with the alteration of existent customs, but in the case of India, it seems that British imperial rule altered the native traditions enough that it seemed to be a complete invention of new traditions. The reason for the invention of tradition is particularly significant in this instance - the British were colonizing an area which had indigenous rulers, over whom the British needed to assert authority. By interpreting Indian customs with a British perspective, the imperial government fundamentally changed the nature of these customs into new customs which had some continuity with the past (certainly a much more recent past than in some of the other examples).

The traditions which the British invented in Africa, as detailed in Terence Ranger's essay, "The Invention of Tradition in Colonial Africa," were invented for a reason similar to those invented in India. The colonial government wished to assert authority over the indigenous ruling classes, thus they attempted to adopt and transform some of the indigenous culture's customs. This was less successful in Africa, largely as a result of the diversity of the tribes, and the manipulation of invented traditions by the Africans. However, the African continent still retains some of the legacy of European domination within its traditions, despite their relatively recent introduction to that area.

The final essay of this collection, "Mass Producing Traditions: Europe, 1870-1914," serves as an opportunity for Hobsbawm to make some closing remarks on the topic of invented tradition, while expanding the focus of the book outside of the British Isles and her colonies. Here, Hobsbawm connects the invention of traditions with the 19th and 20th century phenomena of state-building and nationalism. He finds that invented traditions were significant in nearly every state which was created or transformed within this time frame, particularly to legitimize their birth and power. Invented traditions in this time period were not, however, restricted exclusively to states and nations; they were used to form group cohesion in many other areas (such as the socialist labor movements) as well, revealing their widespread attraction regardless of political views or origin.