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Page 8 of 8

• 1. Heretical beliefs
• 2. Roles of a historian
• 3. Interpreting history
• 4. A choice of histories
• 5. Attaching meaning
• 6. Subjective history
• 7. Combining roles
• 8. A choice of context
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A choice of context

So to conclude the tale in question here. Unfortunately, we don't know anything more about John Hogsflesh, although I have briefly presented certain contexts that might explain the meaning of his actions.

In doing this, I have adopted certain roles as a historian - not least, that I chose to present the story of John Hogsflesh (rather than, say, that of Henry VIII) to you in the first place. Which suggests to me that there is another question here about roles, the role adopted by the reader or audience of history.

Is the audience best served by passively accepting everything that historians say or write? Or might the reader also want to ask questions, think of arguments - and wonder about what roles the historian adopted in producing his or her 'history'?

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Published: 2005-01-28