Robert Gayre
Encyclopedia
George Robert Gayre of Gayre and Nigg (6 August 1907 – February 10, 1996) was a Scottish
anthropologist who founded Mankind Quarterly
. An expert on heraldry
, he also founded The Armorial, and produced many books on this subject.
, he earned an MA from University of Edinburgh
, then studied at Exeter College, Oxford
.
Gayre served with the British Expeditionary Force
in France in 1939, as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Artillery
afterwards becoming Educational Adviser to the Allied Military Government
of Italy
, based in Palermo
, where he fought for the exclusion of left-wing
text-books and communist
influence from the Italian education system. He was thereafter Director of Education to the Allied Control Commission
for Italy, based in Naples
; and Chief of Education and Religious Affairs, German Planning Unit, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
. After the war he spent a considerable amount of time in India
where he was instrumental in the establishment of the Italo-Indian Institute.
were authors of books on heraldry. As Chief of Clan Gayre
, Gayre appended "of Gayre and Nigg" becoming Grand Almoner, and Hereditary Commander of Lochore, of the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem.
His 1959 book Heraldic Standards and Other Ensigns: Their development and history is considered an important work on the subject, and he contributed on the topic to Encyclopædia Britannica
.
In 1968 he testified on behalf of members of the Racial Preservation Society
who were charged under the Race Relations Act
for publishing racialist material. They prevailed in their defence. In his evidence to the court Gayre described blacks as being "feckless" and he maintained that scientific evidence showed that blacks "prefer their leisure to the dynamism which the white and yellow races show."
and in numerous other stone ruins nearby, were placed there only after they conquered the country and drove out or absorbed the previous inhabitants; he added that the ones who remained would probably have passed some of their skills and knowledge to the invaders.
Gayre’s theory is supported by the existence of a community in the north of South Africa – the Lemba
– which, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, boasted talents shared with the people of Ancient Zimbabwe – namely, an aptitude for building in stone and for mining and metalwork. Because of those skills, the Lemba were highly regarded by surrounding tribes.
Gayre mentions the Lemba oral tradition that their male ancestors came by boat (from a country to the north which contained large cities) in order to obtain gold. He also draws attention to the numerous Semitic features and customs displayed by the Lemba
.
Thus, Gayre maintains that the Lemba are descended – through their male line – from the creators of the original Zimbabwean civilization.
As evidence of links between the Lemba and Zimbabwe, Gayre cites the following facts:
(i) Models of circumcised male organs were found in some of the ancient ruins; (that is significant because surrounding tribes regarded the Lemba
as the masters and originators of the art of circumcision);
(ii) The Lemba bury their dead in an extended rather than a crouched position – i.e., in the same style as in certain Zimbabwean graves, where gold jewellery confirmed their association with the ancient civilization;
(iii) The old Lemba language was a dialect of Karanga – which is spoken today in the Masvingo area of Zimbabwe; (thus, the Lemba female ancestry must have contained a large MaKaranga element).
According to Gayre, the enormous area of agricultural terracing and irrigation channels in the northeast of Zimbabwe was a product of the same ancient civilization – as too were the hundreds of ancient gold mines in the territory.
However, modern-day archaeologists disagree with Gayre’s interpretation and conclusions: they maintain that Great Zimbabwe
was constructed by ancestors of the Shona.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
anthropologist who founded Mankind Quarterly
Mankind Quarterly
The Mankind Quarterly is a peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to physical and cultural anthropology and is currently published by the Council for Social and Economic Studies in Washington, D.C. It contains articles on human evolution, intelligence, ethnography, linguistics, mythology,...
. An expert on heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
, he also founded The Armorial, and produced many books on this subject.
Education and military service
Born in Dublin and an AnglicanAnglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
, he earned an MA from University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, then studied at Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
.
Gayre served with the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
in France in 1939, as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
afterwards becoming Educational Adviser to the Allied Military Government
Allied Military Government for Occupied Territories
The Allied Military Government for Occupied Territories was the form of military rule administered by Allied forces during and after World War II within European territories they occupied.-Notable AMGOT:...
of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, based in Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, where he fought for the exclusion of left-wing
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
text-books and communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
influence from the Italian education system. He was thereafter Director of Education to the Allied Control Commission
Allied Commission
Following the termination of hostilities in World War II, the Allied Powers were in control of the defeated Axis countries. Anticipating the defeat of Germany and Japan, they had already set up the European Advisory Commission and a proposed Far Eastern Advisory Commission to make recommendations...
for Italy, based in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
; and Chief of Education and Religious Affairs, German Planning Unit, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force , was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was in command of SHAEF throughout its existence...
. After the war he spent a considerable amount of time in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
where he was instrumental in the establishment of the Italo-Indian Institute.
Heraldry
Both Gayre and Sir Thomas Innes of LearneyThomas Innes of Learney
Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, GCVO, WS was Lord Lyon from 1945 to 1969, after having been Carrick Pursuivant and Albany Herald in the 1930s. He was a very active Lord Lyon, strongly promoting his views of what his office was through his writings and pronouncements in his Court. In 1950, he...
were authors of books on heraldry. As Chief of Clan Gayre
Clan Gayre
-Origins of the Clan:The name Gayre has several possible origins. The chiefly line apparently originated in Cornwall in the south of England, where the de Kayres were lords of many manors. The name as it arises in Orkney and Shetland may have a separate origin deriving from the Norse word 'geirr',...
, Gayre appended "of Gayre and Nigg" becoming Grand Almoner, and Hereditary Commander of Lochore, of the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem.
His 1959 book Heraldic Standards and Other Ensigns: Their development and history is considered an important work on the subject, and he contributed on the topic to Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
.
Mankind Quarterly and publications on race
Gayre was editor of Mankind Quarterly from 1960 to 1978, and was honorary editor-in-chief thereafter.In 1968 he testified on behalf of members of the Racial Preservation Society
Racial Preservation Society
The Racial Preservation Society was a right-wing pressure group opposed to immigration and in favour of white nationalism, national preservation and protection in the United Kingdom in the 1960s.-Background:...
who were charged under the Race Relations Act
Race Relations Act
The Race Relations Acts are a series of statutes by the United Kingdom parliament to address racial discrimination.They are:* The Race Relations Act 1965* The Race Relations Act 1968* The Race Relations Act 1976* The Race Relations Amendment Act 2000...
for publishing racialist material. They prevailed in their defence. In his evidence to the court Gayre described blacks as being "feckless" and he maintained that scientific evidence showed that blacks "prefer their leisure to the dynamism which the white and yellow races show."
Publications on ancient Zimbabwe
Gayre wrote a few articles and a book proposing a Semitic origin for the Ancient Zimbabwean Civilization. Thus, he suggested that the Shona artefacts which were found at Great ZimbabweGreat Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe is a ruined city that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which existed from 1100 to 1450 C.E. during the country’s Late Iron Age. The monument, which first began to be constructed in the 11th century and which continued to be built until the 14th century, spanned an...
and in numerous other stone ruins nearby, were placed there only after they conquered the country and drove out or absorbed the previous inhabitants; he added that the ones who remained would probably have passed some of their skills and knowledge to the invaders.
Gayre’s theory is supported by the existence of a community in the north of South Africa – the Lemba
Lemba
The Lemba or 'wa-Remba' are a southern African ethnic group to be found in Zimbabwe and South Africa with some little known branches in Mozambique and Malawi. According to Parfitt they are thought to number 70,000...
– which, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, boasted talents shared with the people of Ancient Zimbabwe – namely, an aptitude for building in stone and for mining and metalwork. Because of those skills, the Lemba were highly regarded by surrounding tribes.
Gayre mentions the Lemba oral tradition that their male ancestors came by boat (from a country to the north which contained large cities) in order to obtain gold. He also draws attention to the numerous Semitic features and customs displayed by the Lemba
Lemba
The Lemba or 'wa-Remba' are a southern African ethnic group to be found in Zimbabwe and South Africa with some little known branches in Mozambique and Malawi. According to Parfitt they are thought to number 70,000...
.
Thus, Gayre maintains that the Lemba are descended – through their male line – from the creators of the original Zimbabwean civilization.
As evidence of links between the Lemba and Zimbabwe, Gayre cites the following facts:
(i) Models of circumcised male organs were found in some of the ancient ruins; (that is significant because surrounding tribes regarded the Lemba
Lemba
The Lemba or 'wa-Remba' are a southern African ethnic group to be found in Zimbabwe and South Africa with some little known branches in Mozambique and Malawi. According to Parfitt they are thought to number 70,000...
as the masters and originators of the art of circumcision);
(ii) The Lemba bury their dead in an extended rather than a crouched position – i.e., in the same style as in certain Zimbabwean graves, where gold jewellery confirmed their association with the ancient civilization;
(iii) The old Lemba language was a dialect of Karanga – which is spoken today in the Masvingo area of Zimbabwe; (thus, the Lemba female ancestry must have contained a large MaKaranga element).
According to Gayre, the enormous area of agricultural terracing and irrigation channels in the northeast of Zimbabwe was a product of the same ancient civilization – as too were the hundreds of ancient gold mines in the territory.
However, modern-day archaeologists disagree with Gayre’s interpretation and conclusions: they maintain that Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe is a ruined city that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which existed from 1100 to 1450 C.E. during the country’s Late Iron Age. The monument, which first began to be constructed in the 11th century and which continued to be built until the 14th century, spanned an...
was constructed by ancestors of the Shona.
Selected bibliography
- Teuton and Slav on the Polish Frontier: : A diagnosis of the racial basis of the Germano-Polish borderlands, with suggestions for the settlement of German and Slav claims. Eyre and Spottiswoode (1944) ASIN: B0007J1KXK
- Italy in Transition: Extracts from the private journal of G.R. Gayre. Faber and Faber Ltd (1946) ASIN: B0006DB91U
- Gayre's Booke: Being a History of the Family of Gayre. Phillimore (1948) ASIN: B00069X8L8
- Wassail! In Mazers of Mead: An Account of Mead, Metheglin, Sack and Other Ancient Liquors, and of the mazer cups out of which they were drunk, with some ... upon the drinking customs of our forebears. Phillimore (1948) ASIN: B0007IYD4O
- Heraldic Standards and Other Ensigns: Their development and history. Oliver and Boyd (1959) ASIN: B0007IV3L0
- The Nature of Arms: An Exposition of the Meaning and Significance of Heraldry with Special... 1961, Oliver and Boyd
- The Nature of Arms: An Exposition of the Meaning and Significance of Heraldry with Special... 1961, Oliver and Boyd
- Heraldic cadency;: The development of differencing of coats of arms for kinsmen and other purposes. Foreword by the Duke of Salandra and Serracapriola. Faber and Faber (1961) ASIN: B0007IUYCE
- The House of Gayre and an account of Minard castle. The Armorial (1960) ASIN: B0007KCG46
- The Bantu homelands of the northern Transvaal Duquesne University Press (1962) ASIN: B0007ETDFW
- More Ethnological elements of Africa. Armorial (1972) ASIN: B0007AILLS
- The knightly twilight, Lochore Enterprises Valletta 1973