Castles served many functions in the Medieval world. They were homes, defensive structures, and symbols of power that dotted the landscape. The possession of these complexes were significant markers of a noble's position in the Medieval hierarchy. Traditionally, a lord would subdivide lands under his control and parcel them out to worthy followers as a reward for service, but you can only do this so much without giving up controlling interest in your own territory. A lord needed a hired hand to look after the shop in his name, while he was busy doing whatever lordly things needed doing elsewhere. The castellan governed the castle in his lord's stead, ordering the household and the garrison.
The title of castellan, naturally, meant different things in different regions (and sometimes from position to position). The position of castellan was non-noble, but could be a hereditary title. It could be one of multiple titles held by an individual in lay or ecclesiastic governance. Some regions utilized them to direct regional strongholds or simple fortifications. In many cases, he was the manager of a castle and surrounding lands, responsible for: collection of taxes, maintenance of defensive structures, administering justice, and defending the domain under his control. Sworn vassals, they were often responsible for maintaining their own body of troops, but drew an annual wage from the lands under their direction. In many cases, while the lords were away, they ceased to be caretakers and took over the domain in fact. Some charted their own lineages back to mythic forebears to establish their credentials.
Placing someone in direct control over such an important possession was a calculated risk for the nobility. Once granted, that power was not always so easy to rescind. As they say, "Possession is nine tenths of the law." By investing a subordinate with a measure of your power, you set them up as authorities, who the locals get used to listening to and working with. The larger your domains, the more that you need to entrust to subordinates, who may stab you in the back at any time. Allegiances shifted at alarming rates in these times, at all levels of governance, especially as the middle class began to assert itself, blurring the lines between noble and commoner. What appears to have initially been an attempt to avoid giving control of important castles to power-hungry lesser nobles, instead simply muddied the waters even further.
References
title in non-British countries - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castellan
Germany - http://books.google.com/books?id=FHgaJ3k9j3MC&pg=PA99&lpg=PA99&dq=medieval+castellan&source=bl&ots=V2Au6_9kTb&sig=kYZfa0o9-u-PJYXy19U4gXtyd8g&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lrIhVM-BPNivyASg0oGgBQ&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepage&q=medieval%20castellan&f=false
France - http://books.google.com/books?id=5ebFAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA152&lpg=PA152&dq=medieval+castellan&source=bl&ots=08bwxjiBj2&sig=NMC0mFMZxMjmj3NHP_6obZs8LtA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0bIhVIj8Ksj2yQTatYHQDA&ved=0CDIQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=medieval%20castellan&f=false
Flanders - http://books.google.com/books?id=WhmtAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA47&lpg=PA47&dq=medieval+castellan&source=bl&ots=EsLDQ48FuX&sig=gxD6T4iTyA0Ls5wHpnbtjwmCKz4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=S7MhVKi_IIq3yASo2oKgBg&ved=0CEQQ6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q=medieval%20castellan&f=false
Related Thesis - http://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/ir/bitstream/1840.16/6290/1/etd.pdf
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
Jobs - Puppeteer
I've been a fan of the Muppets since I was a wee tyke. Watching the show was a family experience, as was later Fraggle Rock. A couple of months ago I got hooked on watching that reality show which has young designers designing creatures for industry types (including Jim Henson's spawn). It's amazing how some shag carpet and a pair of googly eyes can morph such a creepy art form into a cute little snuggle monster. During my time in Prague, I learned a bit about the depth of tradition involved in the historic tradition, but today I wanted to delve a little deeper into these wooden nightmare machines.
Goodness, when will I learn with these topics? I should have known that a history of puppets would go back thousands of years and appear in most ancient cultures around the world. Like so many other topics, lots of cultures claim to have been the first to utilize puppets, but that's more about propaganda than it is about history. Part of the trick in that argument is untangling the articulated dolls from the marionettes (see what I did there?). However, this is not the purpose of today's posting. Bullet dodged. Moving on.
When you discuss puppetry, there are four main types: shadow, rod, glove, and string.
Shadow puppets may have been the earliest type (you've made some with your hands at night in front of a lamp, right?), with all of the elements of this type of performance being used by Plato in his story about the cave dwellers. Traditionally, flat figures were cut from leather and manipulated via thin rods or strings. These figures were projected onto a screen with the use of oil lamps. This method of storytelling is still popular in India and Indonesia, but seems to have been practiced in China thousands of years ago.
Rod puppets are manipulated from below. The first of these were likely shadow puppets, but eventually they came out from behind the screen (perhaps the performers wanted to work better hours) and got prettied up with paint and other forms of decoration. Indian and Indonesian puppets were manipulated from below, while Chinese puppets were performed from the side. Later rod puppets attained a third dimension, gaining significantly in expressiveness.
Glove puppets are the most common today, including sock and finger puppets. Originally, these were rod puppets that used cloth to cover the rods, allowing the hand within to manipulate the rods unseen.
String puppets, or marionettes, are thought to have derived from those string automata (toys) found in ancient tombs of many cultures (automata would do one action, like kneading bread, when triggered). Created in Medieval France, or Italy, the term "marionette" may have come from their use in early Christian morality plays. In Europe, marionettes were generally considered the more refined form of the puppet show, due to their more artful construction, leaving the more crudely designed rod or glove puppets to the masses.
For those of you keeping track at home, muppets were named for being a combination of marionette and hand puppet.
Puppets have been used to tell all kinds of stories. They have been political commentators, religious spokespeople, and pure entertainment in equal measure throughout history. While many could be operated by a single performer, some in Japan (bunraku) required three men dressed in black (in full view of the audience) to operate them. Plays and operas were adapted for their use, but some stories were designed specifically for the smaller stage.
Similar to a pantheon of gods, many characters took on archetypal roles. Punch, (evolved from the Italian "Pulcinella) who may have attained his greatest fame on the English stage, was a trickster. Guignol (French), had an acerbic wit. Spejbl and Hurvinek were a father and son duo from the more modern part of the Czech tradition. Some of these characters were specific to a performer, while others spread as a national tradition.
While puppetry may have been appreciated by the upper classes, those pulling the strings were certainly not of their rank (much like their acting brethren). In Europe, when puppets began to be used for more than simple religious education and started injecting comedy, they were outlawed. These entertainers then hit the road and began to perform alongside other traveling acts, attaining the same sort of reputation as the gypsies (and, truth be told, most anyone from "outside" that relatively static society). In many cultures, this became a serious art form, requiring years of dedication to the craft.
Worth noting is that while ventriloquism was known as far back as ancient Greece, some Medieval European folks pretended to use it to commune with the dead, so they tended to burn people for doing it.
Wiki overview - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppetry
Chinese shadows - http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/focus/shadow-puppetry.htm
Czech Puppetry - http://unima.idu.cz/en/czech-puppetry
Lots of Links - http://www.bransonshows.com/articles/PuppetShowsHistoryofthePuppet.htm
Goodness, when will I learn with these topics? I should have known that a history of puppets would go back thousands of years and appear in most ancient cultures around the world. Like so many other topics, lots of cultures claim to have been the first to utilize puppets, but that's more about propaganda than it is about history. Part of the trick in that argument is untangling the articulated dolls from the marionettes (see what I did there?). However, this is not the purpose of today's posting. Bullet dodged. Moving on.
When you discuss puppetry, there are four main types: shadow, rod, glove, and string.
Shadow puppets may have been the earliest type (you've made some with your hands at night in front of a lamp, right?), with all of the elements of this type of performance being used by Plato in his story about the cave dwellers. Traditionally, flat figures were cut from leather and manipulated via thin rods or strings. These figures were projected onto a screen with the use of oil lamps. This method of storytelling is still popular in India and Indonesia, but seems to have been practiced in China thousands of years ago.
 |
| http://www.unima-usa.org/publications/shadow/Brown.html |
Rod puppets are manipulated from below. The first of these were likely shadow puppets, but eventually they came out from behind the screen (perhaps the performers wanted to work better hours) and got prettied up with paint and other forms of decoration. Indian and Indonesian puppets were manipulated from below, while Chinese puppets were performed from the side. Later rod puppets attained a third dimension, gaining significantly in expressiveness.
Glove puppets are the most common today, including sock and finger puppets. Originally, these were rod puppets that used cloth to cover the rods, allowing the hand within to manipulate the rods unseen.
String puppets, or marionettes, are thought to have derived from those string automata (toys) found in ancient tombs of many cultures (automata would do one action, like kneading bread, when triggered). Created in Medieval France, or Italy, the term "marionette" may have come from their use in early Christian morality plays. In Europe, marionettes were generally considered the more refined form of the puppet show, due to their more artful construction, leaving the more crudely designed rod or glove puppets to the masses.
For those of you keeping track at home, muppets were named for being a combination of marionette and hand puppet.
Puppets have been used to tell all kinds of stories. They have been political commentators, religious spokespeople, and pure entertainment in equal measure throughout history. While many could be operated by a single performer, some in Japan (bunraku) required three men dressed in black (in full view of the audience) to operate them. Plays and operas were adapted for their use, but some stories were designed specifically for the smaller stage.
Similar to a pantheon of gods, many characters took on archetypal roles. Punch, (evolved from the Italian "Pulcinella) who may have attained his greatest fame on the English stage, was a trickster. Guignol (French), had an acerbic wit. Spejbl and Hurvinek were a father and son duo from the more modern part of the Czech tradition. Some of these characters were specific to a performer, while others spread as a national tradition.
While puppetry may have been appreciated by the upper classes, those pulling the strings were certainly not of their rank (much like their acting brethren). In Europe, when puppets began to be used for more than simple religious education and started injecting comedy, they were outlawed. These entertainers then hit the road and began to perform alongside other traveling acts, attaining the same sort of reputation as the gypsies (and, truth be told, most anyone from "outside" that relatively static society). In many cultures, this became a serious art form, requiring years of dedication to the craft.
Worth noting is that while ventriloquism was known as far back as ancient Greece, some Medieval European folks pretended to use it to commune with the dead, so they tended to burn people for doing it.
Wiki overview - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppetry
Chinese shadows - http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/focus/shadow-puppetry.htm
Czech Puppetry - http://unima.idu.cz/en/czech-puppetry
Lots of Links - http://www.bransonshows.com/articles/PuppetShowsHistoryofthePuppet.htm
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Feminism in Fantasy
In my quest to become a better author, I continue to read. To those of you who follow this blog, that might not be much of a surprise, but what is unusual is that I often have to push myself to read modern works within my genre. Maybe I just need to be pointed in the right direction by helpful folks (hint hint).
Recently, I picked up a novel by an author whose other work I have thoroughly enjoyed (no, I'm not saying who) and found the story of a plucky young princess who has had to take up the mantle of leadership. During this political upheaval, she decides to throw out "appropriate" riding clothing for a lady, because it isn't utilitarian enough. There is also the soldier who pines for the princess he knows he can never have. Perhaps the author turns these tropes on their heads and the story comes to a satisfying conclusion, but I doubt I'll ever find out. There was plenty more going on in the story, but these central characters just didn't grab me. Perhaps I'm not the audience for them. It did, however, help to inspire this posting.
Over the last few months, I've been exposed to more and more material about the continuing difficulty that women face in the modern world (it helps that I have a friend in a politically focused punk band). While things certainly have gotten better for women today, there is still a long way to go before "equality" can even be sniffed in the distance. As with other globe-spanning issues, the problem can feel overwhelming. The joy of the artist is that we can impact large numbers of people (theoretically). If our work is successful, we can help make that change, even if it isn't in the modern world, but with the next generation.
Ah yes, another crusading white man. Not exactly. I get that I don't really know what it's like to be discriminated against. I grew up as a white christian male in the suburbs, in relative affluence. Even during the brief time I lived in Brazil, and was obviously in the minority, being light skinned was still an advantage. In my heart and my experience, I know that there is no inherent difference between people, but it's difficult at times to know if some of my thoughts and actions are actually sexist, racist, or simply rational. What thoughts come from training and what from reasonable understanding? Real introspection is required to sort through those feelings. Then again, the answers I come up with will certainly not jibe with everybody's, so where does that leave me? Ah right, trusting the moral compass.
One of the things I harp on most often is that I love genre fiction because it allows our readers to suspend their disbelief and go on a ride unimaginable in standard fiction. We create heroes and heroines to inspire our readers. We invent ideal societies. We subvert gender and racial norms. We do all these things to promote our hopes and beliefs, but we shouldn't make our leads into Disney princesses.
There are plenty of examples of women in history who stepped outside of the defined gender-roles and did incredible things. Cleopatra seems to have been quite a woman (hi there Kahleesi). Some trained as soldiers, like the Norse shield-maidens (have you still not watched "Vikings"?). Even more fought when they had no other choice (JRRT has Eowyn told to go defend the women and children when Theoden fully expects to have his army crushed, right?). Other women became doctors and midwives (that show from the BBC has been rather popular, hasn't it?). These are the ladies we most often meet in Fantasy novels, the exceptional ones (meaning, not the historic norm). These are the figures we choose for our heroines.
However, those women that didn't take on the roles assigned to men also made significant contributions. Do you think that the life of a farmer was easy? Did his wife just tend the fire and cook his meals? Hell, reading The Good Earth was an eye-opener for me too, but I was what, 14 at the time? Nurses still play an enormous role in modern healthcare. Women have had to work just as hard as men did to scrape out an existence. Do you really think women didn't hunt, or gather? When the men went off to war, do you think the ladies had a quilting bee? They had to take over "men's jobs", just like during WWII. Why are these ladies not represented?
It's time for Fantasy to do more than to invest princess figures with modern ethics. Sure, it's good to give little girls someone to admire. It's important to inspire them to break new ground. It's also important to demonstrate what they've been accomplishing throughout history. Taking on the roles traditionally assigned to men is great, but it is just as valid for strong female characters to fill traditionally ascribed roles (you can find some in GoT). There is the old saying that, "behind every good man, is a great woman." Where are these partnerships? It feels important to show that women don't have to change or prove themselves worthy of respect, but that they've been worthy all along. You never know, along the way we just might teach some men as well.
Damn. These blog posts keep giving me more stories I have to tell. Well, I guess it's good to know I won't run out anytime soon. Sorry about another observational post. I promise that next time I'll get back to the history. Then again, if you liked it (or didn't), let me know. It's always good to get feedback.
Recently, I picked up a novel by an author whose other work I have thoroughly enjoyed (no, I'm not saying who) and found the story of a plucky young princess who has had to take up the mantle of leadership. During this political upheaval, she decides to throw out "appropriate" riding clothing for a lady, because it isn't utilitarian enough. There is also the soldier who pines for the princess he knows he can never have. Perhaps the author turns these tropes on their heads and the story comes to a satisfying conclusion, but I doubt I'll ever find out. There was plenty more going on in the story, but these central characters just didn't grab me. Perhaps I'm not the audience for them. It did, however, help to inspire this posting.
Over the last few months, I've been exposed to more and more material about the continuing difficulty that women face in the modern world (it helps that I have a friend in a politically focused punk band). While things certainly have gotten better for women today, there is still a long way to go before "equality" can even be sniffed in the distance. As with other globe-spanning issues, the problem can feel overwhelming. The joy of the artist is that we can impact large numbers of people (theoretically). If our work is successful, we can help make that change, even if it isn't in the modern world, but with the next generation.
Ah yes, another crusading white man. Not exactly. I get that I don't really know what it's like to be discriminated against. I grew up as a white christian male in the suburbs, in relative affluence. Even during the brief time I lived in Brazil, and was obviously in the minority, being light skinned was still an advantage. In my heart and my experience, I know that there is no inherent difference between people, but it's difficult at times to know if some of my thoughts and actions are actually sexist, racist, or simply rational. What thoughts come from training and what from reasonable understanding? Real introspection is required to sort through those feelings. Then again, the answers I come up with will certainly not jibe with everybody's, so where does that leave me? Ah right, trusting the moral compass.
One of the things I harp on most often is that I love genre fiction because it allows our readers to suspend their disbelief and go on a ride unimaginable in standard fiction. We create heroes and heroines to inspire our readers. We invent ideal societies. We subvert gender and racial norms. We do all these things to promote our hopes and beliefs, but we shouldn't make our leads into Disney princesses.
There are plenty of examples of women in history who stepped outside of the defined gender-roles and did incredible things. Cleopatra seems to have been quite a woman (hi there Kahleesi). Some trained as soldiers, like the Norse shield-maidens (have you still not watched "Vikings"?). Even more fought when they had no other choice (JRRT has Eowyn told to go defend the women and children when Theoden fully expects to have his army crushed, right?). Other women became doctors and midwives (that show from the BBC has been rather popular, hasn't it?). These are the ladies we most often meet in Fantasy novels, the exceptional ones (meaning, not the historic norm). These are the figures we choose for our heroines.
However, those women that didn't take on the roles assigned to men also made significant contributions. Do you think that the life of a farmer was easy? Did his wife just tend the fire and cook his meals? Hell, reading The Good Earth was an eye-opener for me too, but I was what, 14 at the time? Nurses still play an enormous role in modern healthcare. Women have had to work just as hard as men did to scrape out an existence. Do you really think women didn't hunt, or gather? When the men went off to war, do you think the ladies had a quilting bee? They had to take over "men's jobs", just like during WWII. Why are these ladies not represented?
It's time for Fantasy to do more than to invest princess figures with modern ethics. Sure, it's good to give little girls someone to admire. It's important to inspire them to break new ground. It's also important to demonstrate what they've been accomplishing throughout history. Taking on the roles traditionally assigned to men is great, but it is just as valid for strong female characters to fill traditionally ascribed roles (you can find some in GoT). There is the old saying that, "behind every good man, is a great woman." Where are these partnerships? It feels important to show that women don't have to change or prove themselves worthy of respect, but that they've been worthy all along. You never know, along the way we just might teach some men as well.
Damn. These blog posts keep giving me more stories I have to tell. Well, I guess it's good to know I won't run out anytime soon. Sorry about another observational post. I promise that next time I'll get back to the history. Then again, if you liked it (or didn't), let me know. It's always good to get feedback.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
9/11/01
When you're from New Jersey, like I am, you meet loads of people who have powerful memories related to that date. There are thousands of people who have a more personal connection to the tragedy, but I'm having trouble thinking of much else today, so this is my memory.
At the time, I was working on a job site in Newark, right on the hillside abutting the Passaic river. In the distance, the NYC skyline was visible, poking up between the highrises of Jersey City. My work had me on site before dawn to set up my instruments before the construction guys showed to fire their engines. It was a gorgeous day.
The first time we knew something was wrong, one of the operators was calling from his excavator that there had been a terrible accident. He'd heard on his radio that a plane had somehow struck the World Trade Center. In the distance we could see the smoke streaming into the sky. Then the sirens began to wail, fire engines and ambulances began to flow across the river in a stream that would not end. For a brief interval we all stood and watched, saddened. Then we went back to work.
It wasn't until the second plane struck that we understood. Maybe we'd known all along and hadn't wanted to admit it, but now there was no way to deceive ourselves. Machines stopped. We all stood there and watched. Cars pulled off the road onto the site for a view or just to be with someone else. The foreman's voice broke through the stillness and the ceaseless sirens' wail. "Alright, let's get back to work." We didn't even see them collapse.
No work day could be more surreal. Machines ran, moving earth. My instruments needed maintenance. In the background was that everexpanding stream of smoke gashing the brilliant blue sky. I picked up lunch from the food truck up the street and ate in silence. Morgan, my normally gregarious colleague, spent the day in the office trailer, emerging only to take photos to document the site.
At the close of day, machines quieted and instruments packed, we dispersed. It was driving that finally made the day hit home. Growing up in New Jersey teaches a certain resignation towards the presence of traffic, but that afternoon the streets were empty. I didn't know that the tunnels were closed. Driving past Newark Airport was awful. The Jersey Turnpike was silent, but for one car streaking north. Finally I pulled up in the driveway of my parents' house, went inside, took my mother in my arms, and wept.
At the time, I was working on a job site in Newark, right on the hillside abutting the Passaic river. In the distance, the NYC skyline was visible, poking up between the highrises of Jersey City. My work had me on site before dawn to set up my instruments before the construction guys showed to fire their engines. It was a gorgeous day.
The first time we knew something was wrong, one of the operators was calling from his excavator that there had been a terrible accident. He'd heard on his radio that a plane had somehow struck the World Trade Center. In the distance we could see the smoke streaming into the sky. Then the sirens began to wail, fire engines and ambulances began to flow across the river in a stream that would not end. For a brief interval we all stood and watched, saddened. Then we went back to work.
It wasn't until the second plane struck that we understood. Maybe we'd known all along and hadn't wanted to admit it, but now there was no way to deceive ourselves. Machines stopped. We all stood there and watched. Cars pulled off the road onto the site for a view or just to be with someone else. The foreman's voice broke through the stillness and the ceaseless sirens' wail. "Alright, let's get back to work." We didn't even see them collapse.
No work day could be more surreal. Machines ran, moving earth. My instruments needed maintenance. In the background was that everexpanding stream of smoke gashing the brilliant blue sky. I picked up lunch from the food truck up the street and ate in silence. Morgan, my normally gregarious colleague, spent the day in the office trailer, emerging only to take photos to document the site.
At the close of day, machines quieted and instruments packed, we dispersed. It was driving that finally made the day hit home. Growing up in New Jersey teaches a certain resignation towards the presence of traffic, but that afternoon the streets were empty. I didn't know that the tunnels were closed. Driving past Newark Airport was awful. The Jersey Turnpike was silent, but for one car streaking north. Finally I pulled up in the driveway of my parents' house, went inside, took my mother in my arms, and wept.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
"Are you ready for a (holy) war?"
Sorry for the header, but I just re-watched
"Braveheart" again (yeah, I've seen it enough to use redundancies). It's a
sort of guilty pleasure, considering my love of history, but my Fantasist brain
loves Mel for not letting the facts get in the way of a good story.
However, today's post is not about the perils of relying on Historical Fiction
for your Trivial Pursuit victories. Today is about faith and true believers.
 |
| http://historyspaces.blogspot.com/2011/09/pope-urban-ii-first-crusade-kill-them.html |
One of the most common elements of the Fantasy genre is war. I would
guess that most modern Fantasy writers grew up playing D&D or the like, which for
many people focuses on the "hack and slash" aspect of the game, with
little true "role-playing" in evidence. I would guess that it
tends to color how we view these Medieval style worlds. It doesn't help, of course, that
dates memorized in History Class often related to famous battles. In
truth, fighting with each other has been one of the world's favorite
pastimes regardless of species. Tolerance seems to be a relatively newfangled term, especially
when related to religion. While the genre is much larger than my personal
reading, I am surprised to have encountered so few Holy Wars in its pages.
War is
most commonly depicted in Fantasy as a tool of acquisition. By having more land than the other guy, you are theoretically more powerful, so the bad
guys or the good guys go slaughter a few
neighbors (though the "good guys" do it because the "bad guys"
are such bad guys). I remember playing Risk on the computer in college and always playing black, so that when I won, the whole planet looked like one solid block . While most modern fiction is not this simplistic,
wars in them tend to be kicked off due to greed or avarice. Many would
suggest that these were the true motivations for the religious wars of the
past, that faith was a simple way to control the people. While I may
agree to a certain extent, I think its a gross oversimplification of the
situation.
Intolerance is an ancient practice (I'm trying to watch D.W. Griffith's film of
the same name, but damn it's long), with lines most clearly drawn between
faiths. Uncounted cultures have attacked and repressed each other all
over the world for the simple reason that, "they are not us." European history is pockmarked with purges of the Jews
(for a variety of reasons), gypsies, and others. Yes, faiths usually fall along political and
social (racial?) lines as well. Many times it is difficult to untangle faith
from politics in terms of motivation. It is easy to be skeptical of faith as
an explanation in these days of space exploration and hand-held computers, but
in a time when they thought there might just be an edge to the world, God was
the only bulwark you had against the unknown. Faith built
communities. What would you do to someone who threatened your way of
life?
As I mentioned in an old post about designing your own religions, for a faith
to survive, it must offer access to a heaven that non-believers cannot
reach. For a believer, this is significant motivation. Now, imagine
that you have tangible evidence that your God exists; your God has performed miracles or invested you with holy power. What would that do
to your level of fervor? What would you be willing to do for that
God? In a world of interventionist Gods, Holy War would seem to be an
inevitability.
While it is a sweeping statement, I feel relatively confident in suggesting
that religion is on the decline in the Western World. Yes, I know I'm
going out on a limb here. The point is that as religion as a whole
decreases in importance for the larger population, the less likely the reader
is to identify with the protagonist in such a story (or any of the cast). If you don't really
know what it means to "take it on faith," then you might not accept
the actions of a true believer. I know that I can't fathom a suicide
bomber, much less what drove someone like George Orwell to volunteer to fight
in someone else's civil war. Perhaps we authors (or it could be the
publishers) feel that the wider readership has become too cynical for a character
defined by their faith in a God.
It's possible that authors are afraid of tackling a subject that is too
topical, as well as being a significant threat in the modern world. Much
of what I read in the Fantasy genre covers a lot of old ground with women
fighting for their rights (literally and figuratively), racial intolerance
frowned upon, and alternate sexual preferences being defended (more
recently at least). While these are all important themes (which I use in my own
writing), it seems like now would be the perfect time to explore the mind of a
believer. Even Tom Waits, in "The Road to Peace," can only
describe what many call fanaticism (though the song is about a lot more than that) from the outside. Fantasy is one of the best ways we have to
explore the mind of the other, the unknown, the unexplainable. It's what I love about my genre.
Damn, I suppose that means I'll have to write it. Put it on the list.
Am I completely off base here? I know GRRM is including some soldiers of faith in upcoming works (or at least he has set them up), but do you know any others? Let me know. I'd be interested to read (as if I didn't have enough books in the queue).
Am I completely off base here? I know GRRM is including some soldiers of faith in upcoming works (or at least he has set them up), but do you know any others? Let me know. I'd be interested to read (as if I didn't have enough books in the queue).
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Pierced Ears
 |
| Sir Walter Raleigh |
Every now and again I have those moments in life where I begin to wonder, "Who thought that was a good idea?" Personal adornment, as an expression of individuality, I get. Who do you think the first person to say, "Let's drive a spike through my earlobe and make it good for something besides nibbling on," was? Neither of my Grandmothers had pierced ears, and apparently it was a somewhat rebellious thing for my Mom to get hers done (I believe my Grandfather asked if she "wanted to look like a Gypsy"). Granted, both sides of the family had strong Protestant backgrounds, but is it truly that modern a concept?
It turns out that people have been piercing their ears for a long long time and on every continent. The Iceman (a 5,300 year old mummy discovered in the Alps) was found to have evidence of pierced ears, as was King Tut (though none were actually found in Tutankhaman's ears when they opened the tomb). It seems that in Egypt, earring may have been a common ornament for children, but not adults. The Israelites, of the Old Testament were mentioned to have golden earrings and other jewelery. It was the Christians who later began to go away from adornment.
The cultural significance of ear piercing varies widely from civilization to civilization. During the Roman Empire, pierced ears were a sign of status. In nomadic tribes the world over, carrying your wealth on your person, in the form of jewelery, could simply be a practical choice. Passage into adulthood is marked in some cultures by the piercing of one ear. In Borneo, a child's ears are pierced to show dependence on the parents. Some believed that the materials used for earrings might impart mystical powers. Apart from adornment, the Bible also mentions marking slaves by using an awl to pierce their ear. Soldiers wore them in Mesopotamia and other ancient cultures. Sailors were said to have worn them to potentially pay for their burial if they washed up on shore (or to pay Charon the boatman for their crossing, or because they thought it might improve their eyesight, or because they were nomads of a sort too). It seems that this simple form of decoration took on myriad meanings.
In medieval Europe, earrings were not widely popular, though a resurgence began in the Renaissance. Male nobles in the 16th Century began to display a single gaudy earring to display their dash and daring. Women still thought them somewhat uncivilized and tended to have high collars and elaborate wigs, which would tend to hide the earrings anyway. The resurgence started in Spain, Italy, England, and France, spreading slowly back across the continent and eventually to the US (where it fell from favor again after WWI after clip-on earrings were invented, which are what my grandmothers wore, which made the "Gypsy" question doubly odd).
Well, there we are. It seems that only my repressive Christian forebears were strongly against getting your ears pierced. Otherwise, the practice seems to have shown up all over the world, even if it was done for wildly different reasons. Their presence, or absence, might hold a variety of significant meanings, dependent upon the society inn question. The wearer might be a noble or a slave, sailor or soldier. As I continue to develop this Fantasy world of mine, I'll have to look for some good opportunities to adorn my own people for some suitable purpose.
Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earring#History
Biblical References - http://www.openbible.info/topics/ear_piercings
General History - http://psjewelers.blogspot.com/2013/06/when-did-people-first-start-piercing.html
General Tradition - http://www.squidoo.com/history-of-ear-piercings
General Body Mod History - http://steelandsilver.com/product/piercing_history.aspx
Brief Blog - http://blog.bodyjewelry.com/?p=438
Friday, August 29, 2014
Games - Skittles
 | |
| Farmers Playing at the Skittles Jan Steen (1665) |
First off, not the candy. Skittles is a game of knocking down pins, which has had many derivations and evolutions over the course of human history (including modern USA style bowling). Some try to connect Skittles to Ancient Greece, or Rome. Others suggest that the earliest known game of this type comes from 3rd or 4th Century Germany, where monks would try to knock over a kegel (or club) with thrown stones (Kegelen is the modern German term for Skittles). Kayles (again, Skittles) players show up in 14th C France as well. Whatever its origin, for some reason, we like throwing heavy things at pins.
For the basic rules, I'm using a games handbook from 1892. Nine pins are used in the game, placed on a wooden board in a diamond pattern (a square, with one point directed at the player). From a distance of about 21 feet, the player should throw a heavy round (or cheese-shaped) ball, attempting to knock down as many pins as possible (though the book doesn't suggest a way to "win," the best players knock down the most pins in the least amount of time and/or throws). Ordinarily, one step is allowed before releasing the ball, but the "trotting" variation allows multiple steps. Other Nineteenth Century variations include: Nine Pins, Dutch Pins, Four Corners, and Rolly Polly.
As suggested, the variations on this game are legion. Pins come in a variety of shapes and sizes (and materials), sometimes employing a "king pin" which is taller. Often, the kingpin should be knocked over first, or maybe it is the only pin you want to knock down, or the only one you should leave standing. The pins will only be placed on a board if you're throwing at them. Otherwise, they may be placed on a smooth patch of ground, or at the end of a wooden alley in a pub. The ball might be made of rubber or wood (with lignum vitae being the old favorite). At times the ball (or cheese, or even a club) should be thrown, but it might be bowled, or bounced as well. In the French variation, after the first bowl is taken at a distance, a second throw (if needed) is done at point-blank range. Scoring is another place for wide variety, with the goal of some games being the least number of bowls to knock down the nine pins, to trying to knock down the most pins in a certain number of throws.
Confusing isn't it? Don't worry too much. Skittles is, at its heart, a simple game. Its history is much like the history of Fairy Tales. The core remains the same while the details are altered to best fit each community. Like any good traveler, if you want to get involved in the game, let the locals show you how to play. If you want to make up your own variation to put in a story, or to play at home, feel free. You'd hardly be the first.
Rule Book (pg61-63) - http://books.google.com/books?id=ljAPAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=quoits+history&source=bl&ots=Nff7pjlbrM&sig=3MTsT1pgz4-lyfIfZuTmoaVTg2I&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sCasU4OkO8OeyATchIHIDw&ved=0CGkQ6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q=quoits%20history&f=false
History and rules variations by region - http://www.tradgames.org.uk/games/Skittles.htm
London Skittles - http://www.londonskittles.co.uk/content/history.htm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)