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Monthly Archives: July 2006
Carnival of Feminists Women's historyAntiente Epitaphes
July 31, 2006 – 11:28 pm
Collected and sett forth in Chronologicall order
by Thomas F. Ravenshaw, M.A. F.S.A.
London:
Joseph Masters & Co
m.dccc.lxxviii.
(That’s 1878, I believe, should you have run out of toes…)
The oldest one listed ic “c. 1250 Gundrada, Daughter of William the Conqueror, Foundress of S. Pancras, Lewes”. But it is in Latin of course, and fragmentary – and if you are wondering about the dating the note says “Gundrada died AD 1085, but Mr Bowtell considers the Coffin to be not earlier than 1250”. (Gundrada is the Latin of Gundred. Wikipedia suggests: “Some scholars question whether Gundred was an illegitimate child of William I or merely a step-daughter, foundling or adopted daughter.”)
Interestingly, lots of the early ones are of women: eg Maud de Mortimer, 1210:
Mahaud de Mortimer gist ici
Jesu pour sa grande pite e misericorde
de sal alme eyt mercy.
One of the earliest English ones is, typically for the Victorians listed as “1393 Sir Thomas Walsch”, but actually says more about his wife:
Here lyes Thomas Walsche Knyght, lorde of Anlep (& dame Kat’ine his wyfe, whiche in her tyme made the Kirke of Anlep and halved the kirkyard first in wurchup of God (& oure Ladye & seynt Nicholas. That God have ther sowles and mercy.
(This is listed as at Wanlep in Leicestershire, which seems to know be spelt Wanlip.)
(And yes, I shouldn’t be allowed on eBay antiquarian books…)
Sorry, no Friday Femmes Fatales this week…
July 30, 2006 – 12:40 pm
The weekend has just got away from me, and I’ve just been reminded of a book I have to read by Tuesday…
A cycle tour of the architecture of Hastings, Winchelsea and Rye
July 30, 2006 – 12:18 pm
… with the Lambeth Cycling Campaign yesterday, otherwise known as “Benny’s Summer Spectacular”. (Thanks Benny!)
Hastings is that classic grand old lady down on her luck. There’s enough historic, impressive architecture here to really rival Brighton, but although it seems a bit improved from when I was here last, there is still a very long way to go.
At the railway station is a grand new entrance, all curtained glass walls – you don’t need a photo, you know the score, a square lump that bears no relationship at all to its surroundings. Someone commented however that with new environmental standards such architecture will disappear quickly; it will probably very quickly look as dated and anachronistic as the tall Fifties office block opposite, which appeared to be at least part abandoned.
Next up we passed through another new development – a shopping centre. I suppose, as these go, with it built around a modern square that at least provides air and sunlight, this isn’t as bad as it might be. Appropriate really since as the statue attests, this was built on the old cricket ground. (Hardly the same level of activity among users, however.) And Benny pointed to the horrible proportions of the circular towers at each end – I suppose it is an attempt to refer to the Norman castle on the hill just above, but not a particularly successful one. And you have to wonder why new shops were needed, rather than redeveloping old buildings along the front.
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Interesting women
July 30, 2006 – 10:08 am
Senait Mehari has gone from being a child soldier in Eritria enduring some of the worst conditions on earth to being a pop star in Germany.
As her book Heart of Fire graphically describes, Mehari lived in conditions so squalid that she was bitten by rats at night. She had to bury corpses and experience the deaths of other child soldiers.
“The only thing that makes me happy is that I never killed anyone myself. The knowledge of that would kill me,†she says. “I went to the front to fight, but I used to wee in my underwear from fear. The soldiers all teased me about it. They made up a name for me, and used to sing it at me.
“They didn’t want innocence. We were never cuddled. We were drilled to kill; we were all fighting for independence from Ethiopia. The war had a reason; but using children?â€
By contrast, The Countess of Mar has a title going back to 1115, an aristocratic hateur and an independent mind, having just resigned in protest from the Immigration Appeal Tribunal.
“I think it is accepted among peers that some have bought their peerages,†she says casually, “although that has probably always been the case. Where it has gone to the dogs in the last 10 years is we have got a lot of people who have lost an election (to the Commons). Why should we get the dross?†If you think that spirited, wait for her view of the appeal tribunal. “I don’t tolerate fools gladly,†she says, appraising me over the floral teacups. “I just grew irritated. The management of the tribunal got so bad. It is an appalling con. My conscience could no longer stand it.†Relations with Hodge nosedived last Christmas. “I had a huge stand-up row with him,†she says.
Interesting question
July 30, 2006 – 9:59 am
If you could bring back to life an extinct species of human being, should you?
It could soon be possible, with plans to reconstruct the genetic map of the Neanderthals.
There are so many fascinating questions you could answer … but I suppose you’d have to say it would hardly be fair to the individual created, and could they anyway be “Neanderthal” in our culture, brought up by Homo sapiens sapiens? Probably not. They’d be a cultural hybrid, if not a genetic one.
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