The Influence of British/Celtic Myths and Figures in Haydn Middleton's Lie of the Land
The following is a list of explications pointing towards British and Celtic myths and figures. While pursuing the Celtic influences of Middleton's novel, I found myself searching for the meaning of other present mysteries. This author's twist of two cultures creates a spectrum for possible explication. It seems that the Celtic material melds into British society throughout this novel. In search of specific markers I found myself concentrating mostly on Haydn Middleton's use of names.
Textual Explications:
1. First of all it is necessary to work with the cover pictures inside of the novel which exhibit Blake's "Dance of Albion" or "Glad Day." This art work is important because Blake, in his literary work, "personified Albion as a giant." Following the physical descriptions of David Nennius in the book, one grasps a mental picture of a large and giant like man. An early description of him found on page 15 connects him to the image of Albion. (15) "I'm large aren't I?" he said as he came to rest. "Six eight and a half in my stockinged feet." ( http://www.ealaghol.demon.co.uk/celtenc/celt_a1.htm)
2. Next of course is the reference to Albion itself. Albion is visible through Blake but also through David's story. On page 99, Emrys tells Nennius a story which confirms the name of Britain. Albion is described as "the primal archetype of the Celtic world." This name is a symbol for "all that flowed into creation of the unique and magnificent wonder known as the Celtic spirit. - The Otherworld (Albion) did not have historical foundation, but the historical world (the Britons of old called their island Alba) had an Otherworldly foundation." ( http://www.ealaghol.demon.co.uk/celtenc/celt_a1.htm)
3. Another important "mention" is Brutus. Nennius speaks of Brutus' conquests to Quinn on page 41. Brutus is said to have "founded a second Troy- Troia Nova (Trinovantum) on the banks of the Thames" where he "defeated an army of giants and chained their leaders, Gog and Magog, to be his porters." Basically Brutus is the crude Abraham or Moses of the Britons as far as ancestry is concerned. It is also important to quote that Brutus is the "great-grandson of Aeneas," who killed his dear father.
4. As long as I am examining names I must make a note on "Nennius." On page 77 of the book, Mary Machin (David's mother) buys a wedding ring and renames herself Mary Nennius after reading about Historia Brittonum.
The first two lines of the poem set the mood of fear and gloom which is constant throughout the remainder of the poem. The word choice of "black" to describe the speaker's face can convey several messages (502). The most obvious meaning ...
Sargent, Michael G. “Mystical Writings and Dramatic Texts in Late Medieval England.” Religion & Literature , Vol. 37, No. 2 (Summer, 2005), pp. 77-98
Murphy, B. & Shirley J. The Literary Encyclopedia. [nl], August 31, 2004. Available at: http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2326. Access on: 22 Aug 2010.
Abstract: This is an analysis of celtic mythological motifs or themes (usually found Arthurian romances) in the medieval romance Yvain and the victorian classic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland .}
"US Government Should Stop Funding Abstinence-Only Education: Virginity Pledge Ineffective." Reproductive Health Matters Nov. 2009: 223. Academic OneFile. Web. 4 Apr. 2012.
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Shields, David S. Oracles of Empire: Poetry, Politics, and Commerce in British America, 1690-1750. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990
Every year, more and more International students are coming to the U.S. for pursuing higher education. According to the Open Doors report published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE), the number of intern...
A thrush is a songbird, which is usually brown or black, and sings its songs extremely loudly. Hardy describes the thrush in the poem by saying, “in a full-hearted evensong of joy illimited; an aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small, in blast-beruffled plume, had chosen thus to fling his soul upon the growing gloom,” (Page 1080.) What I love about the thrush in this poem is the fact that the thrush is still singing loudly in the dead of winter. The thrush was old, as Hardy said, and still sound as loud as it did when it was younger. It can easily be seen that this particular bird doesn’t give up so easy, it doesn’t give in. In a way, this bird is similar to me. Sometimes I have been through hard times, like the bird, and still remained positive and never gave up. I am simply not one to give up, I fight till the very end. Whether it be school, or my own life, I never give up. Like the bird, even though no one may be listening, I still show my pride willingly and stay strong. Clearly, the thrush in Darkling Thrush helped to keep me
However, keep in mind that this poem was published in 1794. A renowned movement in history had just taken place a few years before this poem was published. That movement was The First Great Awakening. Christine Heyrman of The Univeristy of Delaware describes the First Great Awakening as “a revitalization of religious piety that swept through the American colonies between the 1730s and the 1770s.” (Heyrnman 1). This means that just before Blake published his poem, a revamping of Christian culture was being taken place in The United States. This is essential information to keep in mind because Blake, less than thirty years later, questions Christianity in its entirety through a poem called “The
Comprehensive sex education should be taught in public schools. The youth of today cannot make educated decisions regarding sex if they are not properly educated. Not educating America’s youth in all aspects of sex education is comparable to allowing them to drive without being taught. This choice of not allowing comprehensive sex education is schools is dangerous and can have life long consequences. These consequences will not only affect the individual but can ultimately affect America. It is vital for Americans to begin giving their youth the education that is needed.
Norton, Dans and Peters Rushton. Classical Myths in English Literature. New York: Greenwood Press Publishers, 1969. P. 311-316.
Most Christians envied St. Paul or Apostle Paul because he was picked by Jesus to become an influential messenger of the gospel. Paul, who was first known as Saul of Tarsus became Paul when he saw Jesus Christ resurrected on the Damascus Road, which then he converted to Christianity. Paul was not taught the gospel, nor did he receive the gospel from anyone; he received it from the revelation of Jesus Christ. Paul is the author of 13 books of the 27 books of the New Testament Before Paul was a Christian; he was a persecutor of the Christian church. Before his conversion to Christianity, Paul was a Pharisaic Jew, and he strongly believed in following the tradition of his fathers. “For you have heard of my former life in Judaism how I persecuted the Church of God violently and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the tradition of my fathers.” (Gal. 1:15-16)
113- The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 6th ed. of the book. Vol.
Sex Education over the years has provided the necessary information about precautions, along with consequences that means to be sexually active. Moreover, it allows high schools to educate themselves about an aspect of their life that will always be important factor of their love relationship. Every action and decision towards any element in life will inevitably produce a result, and a response. The ignorance of many teens leads them to make stupid decisions that can change their future. I support the idea of implementing sex education at middle and elementary schools. Next step will be to find a strategy to implement it in the classrooms. Birth control methods are simply out of the equation, but today society has created so many tools to facilitate education that a program dedicated to this issue should not be a problem. High School sex education for public and private schools should be a extend class that will teach the different aspects on sexuality of a person life. This change could make a serious impact on the statistics of teen pregnancy, STD’s carriers, and a chance to make rational decisions about their sexual life.