Greetings

[dave greenfield]

Hello Diggers:

I discovered your list yesterday and decided to join, and thought I would
say a few words by way of introduction.

I am a long time social and ecological activist with an interest in the
dissenting strands of history, including the history of movements like the
Diggers.  I first heard about the Diggers of 1649 in February of 1987, when
I bought a tape by a local folk singer which included a rendition of Leon
Rosselson's song, "The World Turned Upside Down".  The song quickly became,
and has largely remained, my favorite song.  It is a song about a particular
historic event, and yet it is timeless.

I was glad to hear, though somewhat belatedly, that there were commemorative
events on the 350th anniversary.

Since my initial discovery of the Diggers, I have encountered the Diggers'
story in a number of different contexts: in a first year history class where
they were viewed as a kind of precursor to modern socialism, In Star Hawk's
book, "Dreaming the Dark", where she discusses them in the context of the
period of the witch burnings and paganism, in writings about the early
Quakers where the main focus is the question of how Winstanley and other
Diggers may have influenced George Fox and the early Quakers, and in more
detailed descriptions in the handful of books dedicated to the study of the
Diggers at our local university library.

I am interested both in the historic Diggers and in the themes of
libertarian communalism earth-keeping and so forth as they relate to our
world today.  I was heartened to find this list on the topic of the Diggers,
and hope people on this list are still active.

In the spirit of the Diggers

Dave Greenfield

email  greendl at sasktel.net