The Politics of Ivanhoe

Everything old is new again

Today – January 20^th, 2025 – is a good day to think about the past. Not the recent past, not that, not another tired repetition of “when I was your age . . .”. No. Let’s go deep into the past and see if we can find anything of interest there.

We can blame a friend for stirring this adventure; he mentioned that he was re-reading Ivanhoe. Having never read the book, I followed him down the rabbit-hole. Ivanhoe is considered (at least, in English) to be the first work of historical fiction. It is set in the time of Richard the Lion-Hearted and Robin Hood, Black knights and friars and jesters, and a handful of fair maidens. The Knights Templar figure prominently, as does the conflict between the Saxons and the Normans. It’s quite a yarn. Also, Sir Walter Scott wrote it over 200 years ago, so you can trust me when I tell you that reading it is quite a slog.

(Cathedral Grave Statue, Richard the Lion-Hearted, Rouen, France - photo by author)

Here's a taste:

“’At the feet of my superior I have laid down the right of self-action – the privilege of independence. The MAGA, a serf in all but the name. . . moves and breathes but at the will and pleasure of another.’

‘Alas!’ said Rebecca, ‘what advantages could compensate for such absolute sacrifice?’

‘The power of vengeance, Rebecca,’ replied the MAGA, ‘and the prospects of ambition.’ . . .

‘The MAGA loses . . .his social rights, his power of free agency, but he becomes a member and limb of a mighty body, before which thrones already tremble – even as the single drop of rain which mixes with the sea becomes an individual part of that resistless ocean which undermines rocks and ingulphs (sic) royal armadas. Such a swelling flood is that powerful league.’” (p. 241, Signet Classic ed.)

Yeah, okay, hehe, you caught me there – the book says “Templar,” not “MAGA.” Frankly, I found this passage particularly insightful, though, in its explanation for why strong men we might have once admired have thrown over their principles to follow a despot in clown costume – the power of vengeance and the prospects of ambition, causing thrones to tremble and engulfing royal armadas.

It is pretty to describe the mind of a sociopath in such flowery terms.

I believe it. I believe that the MAGA think exactly along these lines, vengeance and ambition, retribution against the people they despise, compensation for having to have suffered their existence. There is no consensus as to whom to hate: Jews, Atheists, Gender Non-conforming, People of Color, Immigrants, White “Elites,” all are fair game. These are MAGA, their hatred indiscriminate. MAGA are big proponents of free speech, providing it is blood-flecked, mean and cruel.

They are the member and limbs of a mighty body – they can hate anyone they please, so far as they also obey.

Ivanhoe. And so it was that the criminals became masters of the castles, and the free-thinking commoners became criminals of the forests. A parable for our time. Give it a read. I won’t spoil the ending for you, because I’ve only been reading it for a couple of months. It shouldn’t take me more than the next four years to get through, give or take. What the hell, there’s not much else going on.