A Gay History Of Britain By Matt Cook: The Concept Of Homosociality

Cook’s “A Gay History of Britain” provides the reader with an interesting and comprehensible concept of the term, “homosociality”. He describes homosociality as, “intense emotional relationships between people of the same sex that have social, economic or political consequences, but are not explicitly sexual in nature. ” Even though the term is arguably iconoclastic, there is much evidence catered towards the emotional process of lords and retainers throughout the Medieval Ages. Notably, these Medieval men had emotional bonds that sometimes surpassed their emotions for their wives during this time. Hence, discussing whether these men were homosexual instead of using a concept to mask the fragility of masculinity within the Medieval Age. Furthermore, this essay will attempt to critically evaluate Cook’s concept of homosociality and the immense emotional process behind how if homosociality was platonic or lead to a more intense romantic connection between Medieval men and objects because their Lords were dead in the texts, The Wanderer, The Battle of Maldon and Dream of the Rood.

Homosocial bonds between males can become heightened in emotion when one person has been alone or isolated from their other significant homosocial male other. In the poem The Wanderer, the bond between the narrator and his Lord is quite prominent as he watches his Lord die of old age and he is forced to a life of exile and isolation. Even though he was in search of a new mead hall, the narrator could not forget, “his lord’s beloved words of counsel” which in turn, would agree that “homosocial devotion creates a discourse of personal commitment from the retainer to Lord”. One could say that the narrator of this poem would be the passive partner between the two men in this homosocial bond but one would think that it was more than just a homosocial bond as, “it seems in his mind that he clasps and kisses/ his lord of men, on his knee lays/ hands and head, as he sometimes long ago/ in earlier days enjoyed the gift throne. ” Thus, coinciding with Cook’s term ‘homosociality’, but the immense emotional feeling of wanting a more homosexual relationship between the narrator and Lord is prevalent within the poem.

Furthermore, proving that the narrator dreamed of a more physical and romantic relationship with his Lord since his death but unfortunately, will have to mask the immense emotional and romantic feelings he had for his Lord so that he can retain the fragile bit of masculinity he has left. Male-male bonds are generally quite common during Medieval times because most of these bonds would be formed by Lords and retainers during battle. This is evident in the poem The Battle of Maldon, as Byrhtnoth and his retainers have a strong emotional bond to one another; these feelings grow much stronger once Byrthnoth is slain in battle. The retainers are unable to leave the battle because their homosocial bond to their lord is more special than the blow their masculinity would feel if they cowardly ran away, since “what it is to be a loyal warrior, is to lie close beside one’s lord, to choose death with him rather than live and fight another day”. Thus, proving that an emotional and homosocial bond would be more important with their Lord than an emotional and sexual bond with their wife; almost making the “female-male bond repressed”. It is with the retainer Offa that the homosocial bond between lord and retainer becomes more sexualised and romantic because, after Byrthnoth’s death, Offa wishes to, “lay like a thane at his lord’s side”, so that he does not die alone but with his lord.

Relating the narrator of The Wanderer to Offa, Offa is also the passive partner in their relationship, agreeing “that they would ride together into the stronghold”, but because their emotional connection is strong, Offa’s feelings for his lord is greater than cowardly running away. He deems it more heroic and loving to die beside his lord than to die beside his wife. Hence, the image of both Byrhtnoth and Offa lying beside each other proves that their homosocial bond has become more sexualised and romantic even when death is imminent. Furthermore, demonstrating that Offa’s homosocial bond with his lord was a mere concept to mask the homosexual nature evolving around both retainer and lord. Gender plays a big role in the poem, Dream of the Rood because Jesus’ striking masculinity is relentless towards the Cross’-passive femininity. The Cross amplifies its retainer’s role by exemplifying feministic characteristics such as romantic and physical bonds of support to its Lord, Jesus Christ, “the Lord of mankind”. Thus, by supporting Christ, his dominant and masculine figure ascended upon the Cross and the Cross immediately became the passive partner within this homosocial bond that eventually lead towards the Lord’s death. By becoming one with its lord, the retainer and Lord had been, “both mocked together”, signifying that the retainer had felt the same crucifixion their lord had faced. Therefore, standing with the lord even though his body was still there, his spirit was no longer there but the “experience of witnessing and abetting his painful and ignominious end”, was evident that the Cross showed feminine traits of romantic and physical emotion towards its homosocial lord. Although one does not know the specific gender of the Cross, it would be wrong to assume that it is female just because of the feminine traits that are surrounded by the Cross. According to Clark, “a man is to submit to being feminized, impotent, placed in the passive and subject position by Christ”, determining that Christ also identifies with the feminine qualities the Cross has?

Thus, it is with this argument that one would believe that a homosocial bond between Christ and the Cross is probable. Therefore, the homosocial bond contextualised in this poem could possibly be a disguise to hide the fragility of the religious masculinity Jesus Christ felt with notable romantic and homosexual emotions towards the Cross.