Curiouser and Curiouser: March 2012

Sunday, March 25, 2012

What thing it is all women most desire

The Bodleian Library has an exhibit on right now highlighting manuscripts and early printed books containing medieval romance. They have on display several lavishly illustrated volumes about King Arthur by various figures of English medieval literature such as Geoffrey Chaucer and the anonymous Gawain-Poet. I saw a manuscript today, dating back to the 1500s that contained the "The Marriage of Sir Gawain" a fragmented Arthurian ballad of the story of Sir Gawain and the loathly lady from the medieval poem The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle. (The loathly lady episode itself dates at least back to Geoffrey Chaucer's WIfe of Bath's Tale from the Canterbury Tales.)

I read this story years ago but had forgotten all about it. When I read the synopsis at the exhibit today, I was amazed that this story has been in circulation since 400 AD. The answer to the riddle is as true and timely now and it was then. Some things never change.

The story goes that King Arthur is forced to help a young lady in distress. Her love has been taken away by a surly, selfish and rough knight who is in reality blinded by magic, pride and arrogance because of a charm that was cast upon his family by a wicked witch. In order to break this spell, this churlish knight must discover, by the mouth of the king, "what thing it is all women most desire?" or the king will lose his life.

After numerous encounters with various villagers, he comes up with a list of insufficient answers. A hideous woman from the forest accosts him and proposes a bargain. If King Arthur promises the old hag a young, fair, and courtly knight, she will give him the answer.

To save Arthur, Gawain sacrifices himself to marry the old hag, so she tells Arthur the answer. Arthur is saved and discovers that both the churlish knight and the old hag are related and suffer from the same spell. True to his word, Gawain marries the loathly lady. On their wedding night, she turns into a beautiful young woman and tells him to choose whether he would have her beautiful by day and ugly by night, or vice versa. He thinks for a moment then tells her she can choose for herself, giving her her will, and that, dear reader, is “what thing it is all women most desire”: to choose for themselves.

Because Gawain gives Dame Ragnelle what she wanted most, it breaks the spell of ugliness that binds her. She turns into a lovely, beautiful women by both day and night. They live happily ever after, or so the story goes.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Abbeys, Villages, Stone Circles, and Spring

Yesterday I spent the first day of spring with 4 wonderful new friends exploring Lacock Abbey and village and the nearby Avebury stone circle.

Located in Wiltshire, Lacock village is owned by the National Trust and is well known for it’s unspoiled and charming appearance. Every building in the village is at least 200 years old, if not much older. As such, Lacock is often used as a TV and film set. Just outside the village is Lacock Abbey, a quirky country manor of various architectural styles, built upon the foundations of a former 13-century nunnery. The abbey was used as Hogwarts classrooms in the first 2 Harry Potter movies. The village is stunning and the abbey-turned-manor amazing. It is easy to see why it is so often used as a film and TV set.

About 30 minutes from Lacock is Avebury Stonehenge, the world’s largest stone circle --16 times bigger than Stonehenge. Despite its size, it is much less touristy than Stonehenge and it is not yet roped off. One can wander freely among 100 stones, ditches, mounds, and curious patterns from the past, as well as through the village of Avebury, which grew up in the middle of this fascinating, 1,400-foot-wide Neolithic circle.

Avebury’s stone circle was originally composed of at least 98 stones but there are now only 27 left intact. The main circle was probably constructed first, around 2600 BC, while the large outer ring and earthwork dates from 2500 BC. I am constantly amazed at how things here were built to last. From 5000 year-old stone circles, 2000 year-old roman walls and fortresses, to medieval castles, 13-century abbeys, and 300-year-old villages – all built without the benefit of today’s technology and machines. All built with exquisite artistic detail, craftsmanship, herculean effort, and all built to last through centuries and millennia. I can’t help but be awestruck, or as they say here in England, gobsmacked.

Lacock Abbey

Fun exploring with new friends

In the mid-16th century the Abbey was converted into a house

These rooms where used as classrooms in the first 2 Harry Potter movies

It is easy to see why this place is used in films

The artistry and attention to detail is breathtaking

A small stone henge guarding a burial ground.

A great place to enjoy the equinox.

Avebury Stone Circle

The largest stone circle in Europe

There were a few pagans also enjoying the lovely first day of Spring

The village of Avebury

5000-years-old -- built to last

Friday, March 16, 2012

Is the bean dizzy?

Today’s discovery while exploring Oxford: in the chapel of New College, there is a burial plaque for the Reverend William Archibald Spooner, (1844-1930), Warden of New College. Reverend Spooner was notorious for getting his words mixed up. So much so, that this tendency is named after him. A spoonerism is an error in speech or deliberate play on words in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched. Spoonerisms are commonly heard as slips of the tongue resulting from unintentionally getting one's words in a tangle (or intentionally playing with words).

Few, if any, of the Reverend’s spoonerisms were deliberate, and many of those attributed to him are apocryphal. Here are some of the best:

"The Lord is a shoving leopard" (Loving shepherd)

"It is kisstomary to cuss the bride" (...customary to kiss the bride)

"Mardon me padam, this pie is occupewed. Can I sew you to another sheet?" (Pardon me, madam, this pew is occupied. Can I show you to another seat?)

"You have hissed all my mystery lectures, and were caught fighting a liar in the quad. Having tasted two worms, you will leave by the next town drain" (You have missed all my history lectures, and were caught lighting a fire in the quad. Having wasted two terms, you will leave by the next down train)

He supposedly remarked to one lady, during a college reception, "You'll soon be had as a matter of course" (You'll soon be mad as a Hatter of course)

"Let us glaze our rasses to the queer old Dean" (...raise our glasses to the dear old queen.

"We'll have the hags flung out" (...flags hung out)

"a half-warmed fish" (A half-formed wish)

"Is the bean dizzy?" (Is the Dean busy?)

"Go and shake a tower" (Go and take a shower)

"a well-boiled icicle" (A well-oiled bicycle)

"I've lost my signifying glass". (Later): "Oh, well, it doesn't magnify."

"This vast display of cattleships and bruisers". (This vast display of battleships and cruisers)

"Such Bulgarians should be vanished...". (Such vulgarians should be banished)

"He was killed by a blushing crow". (He was killed by a crushing blow)

I’ll never be well known, nor memorialized in a lovely chapel on Oxford. But, like Spooner, I do muddle my words sometimes. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one.

New College Chapel where there is a memorial plaque
to the Reverend William Archibald Spooner

Painting of Spooner in a lecture hall at New College

Friday, March 9, 2012

Inspiration for the Imagination

Oxford is full of images that I imagine inspired C.S. Lewis, Tolkien and J.K. Rowling, among others. Walking through simple, unassuming doors into a whole new world of a college makes me see how C.S. Lewis came up with the idea of walking through a simple wardrobe door into the world of Narnia.

It isn't much of a stretch to my imagination to think that some of the majestic trees around Oxford are wise old souls, or Ents, that could get up and walk, if they wanted to, as they do in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

And the dining halls, great halls, passage ways, and student and professors wearing robes are pure Hogwarts. No stretch of the imagination there.

“Still round the corner there may wait A new road or a secret gate And though I oft have passed them by A day will come at last when I Shall take the hidden paths that run West of the Moon, East of the Sun.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien

A whole new world lies behind the door

Wadham College

All Souls College

I'm always curious about what lies behind any old door

New College

St. Edmund Hall

Great old soul

Could be an Ent

Tree at Keble College

Christchurch Dining Hall

New College Dining Hall

Students wearing their robes

Saturday, March 3, 2012

To The Manor Born

My parents came to visit for a week and we had a wonderful time together exploring Oxford and some of the nearby countryside. One of our favorite discoveries was Blenheim Palace, just 8 miles north of Oxford.

Blenheim Palace is a world heritage site, home of the 11th Duke of Marlborough and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. It is also considered to be one of the finest manor houses in the country and I can see why. Originally it was a gift from Queen Anne and a grateful nation to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, in recognition of his famous victory over the French at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. It is now the home of the 11th Duke of Marlborough and is lived in and cared for by the 11th generation of the family for whom it was built.

Every bit as impressive as the house, are the formally landscaped grounds. One could spend days just wandering through the 2100 acres of gardens and forests. I look forward to retuning in the spring and summer when the grounds are in bloom.

We also had a chance to visit friends at Buckland Manor in the charming Cotswold village of Buckland. The countryside of the Cotswolds Hills is so picturesque that I often feel like I’ve stumbled upon a film set and, if I look around, I’ll see a BBC film crew filming some scene for the latest Pride and Prejudice movie or for a Downton Abbey special.