#jewish heraldry

[flagwars]

The final round of the Russian Federal Subject Flag Wars will begin tomorrow! It will be between Jewish Autonomous Oblast and Chuvashia. These are the coats of arms of both of the finalists.

[lesbianchemicalplant]

tangentially reminded by those last two posts (in the sense of “well none of us have ever been on the wrong side of anything”)—the reason that the Confederate Battle Flag* has an X-shaped cross instead of an upright cross is.

At the First Battle of Manassas, near Manassas, Virginia, the similarity between the "Stars and Bars" and the "Stars and Stripes" caused confusion and military problems. Regiments carried flags to help commanders observe and assess battles in the warfare of the era. At a distance, the two national flags were hard to tell apart.[40] Also, Confederate regiments carried many other flags, which added to the possibility of confusion. After the battle, General P. G. T. Beauregard wrote that he was "resolved then to have [our flag] changed if possible, or to adopt for my command a 'Battle flag', which would be Entirely different from any State or Federal flag".[20] He turned to his aide, who happened to be William Porcher Miles, the former chairman of the Confederate Congress's Committee on the Flag and Seal. Miles described his rejected national flag design to Beauregard. Miles also told the Committee on the Flag and Seal about the general's complaints and request that the national flag be changed. The committee rejected the idea by a four-to-one vote, after which Beauregard proposed the idea of having two flags.

[...] According to Museum of the Confederacy Director John Coski, Miles' design was inspired by one of the many "secessionist flags" flown at the South Carolina secession convention in Charleston of December 1860. That flag was a blue St George's Cross (an upright or Latin cross) on a red field, with 15 white stars on the cross, representing the slave-holding states,[41][42] and, on the red field, palmetto and crescent symbols. Miles received various feedback on this design, including a critique from Charles Moise, a self-described "Southerner of Jewish persuasion." Moise liked the design but asked that "... the symbol of a particular religion not be made the symbol of the nation." Taking this into account, Miles changed his flag, removing the palmetto and crescent, and substituting a heraldic saltire ("X") for the upright cross. [...] The diagonal cross was preferable, he wrote, because "it avoided the religious objection about the cross (from the Jews and many Protestant sects), because it did not stand out so conspicuously as if the cross had been placed upright thus." He also argued that the diagonal cross was "more Heraldric [sic] than Ecclesiastical, it being the 'saltire' of Heraldry, and significant of strength and progress."[43] According to Coski, the Saint Andrew's Cross (also used on the flag of Scotland as a white saltire on a blue field) had no special place in Southern iconography at the time. If Miles had not been eager to conciliate the Southern Jews, his flag would have used the traditional upright "Saint George's Cross" (as used on the flag of England, a red cross on a white field). James B. Walton submitted a battle flag design essentially identical to Miles' except with an upright Saint George's cross, but Beauregard chose the diagonal cross design.[44]

yeah

*it was specifically from the Army Of Northern Virginia, and its enshrinement as a symbol of the confederacy was due to

(1) Daughters Of The Confederacy and Confederate Veteran groups doing groundwork of building the Lost Cause narrative after the war ended, and then later

(2) revived as a racist reaction against the civil rights movement

[chicago-geniza]

Stefania spits a lot of fire about the film Uncle Moses and "traditional Jewish life" for someone who literally has an Uncle Moses (finally figured out how to access the really good Polish genealogy website. It cost $19 and answering a riddle about szlachta heraldry. I hate these guys but they do commit to the bit)

[zooterchet]

Iranian-Hebrew Interests (The Shah)

In American intelligence terms, under Reagan and up until Trump, the Shah of Iran was known as corrupt; a British oil mogul, one percent of the entire country had electricity and gathered its wealth, and the Shah's inner circle of bankers and aristocrats had deprived the rest of Iran of the monetary income and fruits of the labor.

The Shah, was placed in power in the 1940s, by British Petroleum (BP), when the democratically elected Iranian Parliament, attempted to nationalize the oil, and seize it for Iranian profits to the people.

Truman's fledgeling spies (the same sorts that had started the Cold War after Brest-Litovsk, the exit of the Russians from World War 1 and the beginning of the Bolshevist international unions for the care of workers and pay to families of those in any class of labor), had cooperated with British intelligence's SOE (Special Operations Executive); the boatmen, supporting insertions of Royal Marines (heraldry experts; pot dealers, to create an umbrella for mercenary hired operatives, moving about at night with marijuana as their cover for the illusion of mere addicts; controlling neighborhoods, in fear).

The Shah, has a locking set of five interests, dating to the 1930s, and the Tehran conference, between Winston Churchill (Lords Parliament and Naval Minister, HMS and USS Navy services), Joseph Stalin (Politburo and Secretariat, measures of minutes of meetings for Orgburo appointments, merit classed badges and documentaries of suited positions of law), and Franklin Delano Roosevelt (private oil trades, out of Saudi Arabia, the kindergarten through senior year, K-12, investment in American textbooks, out of Beacon Hill, in Boston).

German Bund: The farm county prosecutor, fascist Leninism; the hamlet, as a military and police body of farmers, with National Socialist ideals of the Holy Roman Empire, to frame its laws; France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland.

Ku Klux Klan: Those demoted in faith, as Romalians, having been held as prisoner, for free labors at hand shake under contract rifle's threat, inside nursing care; the Red Cross, the Red Crescent, and Alcoholics Anonymous.

The Posse: Slavic mercantile interests, beguiling the Jews, those held in Torah under conviction of family from prison, inside Synagogue; the rackets, through boycott of good of contraband determined by activism of law, and contract labor drawn at tower control structure of command.

The Panthers: The five colors of the Panthers, the British ethic in terms of Afro-Nubian labor; Red, prostitutes, Green, income, Blue, remedial, Black, military, and Pink, prisoner. Together, a corrections union, demanding union labor, among any dark of skin, to deprive wealth and place under bond of jail and term, for seeking to assist others outside of union, even and especially if non-membered.

The Scottish: Those demanding their origin, as facially mogrified outside of proper vision, to be held under Arab Habeebi; those converts of Romalians, Pashas, and Italians, to Jewish logic, the Mafia; the blue and white crest, of any given dealer of heroin, forbidding sales of marijuana and stimulants, instead pressing interest in opiums and anti-psychotics and morphines and injectables.

[irishfederalreconnaissance]

A Brief Explanation of Jewish Cultural Epochs (Slave Labor)

Kazakh: The Japanese Hanjo, Neanderthals, have taken Tengri, their language for currency and hotel, and reversed it, so it merges; hence, the speaking of Tengri backwards, Hebrew, is entrapment in a hostel.

Babylon: The concept of the deity, the cuneiform picture, and the cuneiform drawing of letters, available if refusing swine, is the empathy removed from the enemy, the refusal to regard enemy force as son or daughter; the mating game, without raising the past paramour.

Titus: The Jew, is the common stage, the cavorting with children and animals, as gay men, the stage as beyond war, and instead, play; the literature, as the improper ideal, that being beyond nature, as viewed through ideal to nature instead; the platonic.

Jesus: The blues and rhythm, as the band of those destroying a culture, through traveling nomad, the institute; the teaching of children, to dance and play, instead of bear war and tidings, the unserious objective of the Israelite.

Lodge: The poor man, as the militia, outnumbering the rich man, the gladiator; the print of the head of the coin, as the leader, with the back marked in currency of the past leader; a Celtic culture, however with coin upon bust, as the authorization to provoke an act, considered criminal unless in bearing of heraldry.

China: The countries of the world, as in prefecture, the university; therefore the clergy, as the leaders, through the Rabbinical, the Muhammadan, the homosexual; the netting and knighting of the world, as having luxury, without pay; the option removed, to the common feed, without pork, the aphrodesiac, hence been born slave, the tithe.

Renaissance: The shaved head, as slave soldier, having been born to act by labor of common mirth, the cooperative, a commune upon insured debt; the others, as having supported the self, the colony of state, from Europe to Asia, and inside Africa and up into Russia, the engineered project; the Hebrew tongue, as out of Latin, with a proper script of Kiev, the engineered project upon labor.

Colony: The New World, as having those implacing and implicit in creative, as slave, having held such as Protestant, hence the individual insisting upon compliance to medicine, as the slave, and those otherwise, having imbibed liquor and marijuana outside of care of common facility; the creation of paperwork, to bind the slave, and the common police, as differentiating prison and hospice, the combination to be the corrections, the separation upon statement to be the clearing of suit.

Holocaust: The calculation of wages labor, outside of performed family of difference of workshop; hence any of those performing wage to pay police in product, to acquire trade, and any of those otherwise, to be the Catechism; therefore the Jew, be working in common labor, to become the police officer, the minister of government.

Progressivism: The state of speech, as the spy, hence any raised by grooming, selected by felony, placed by patriotism, or otherwise bred by union, or any combination thereof, having found embassy, in the community, the more laws the poorer production, but the more powerful the leader; the dominance of America, under African laws imposed, the taken blacks as the heralds of the United States imperium and its resulting dominance over the voice of the people.   

[readingvocabulary]

Les Murray

peneplain - a more or less level land surface produced by erosion over a long period, undisturbed by crustal movement

commissure - the joint between two bones; a band of nerve tissue connecting the hemispheres of the brain, the two sides of the spinal cord, etc

niveaux - plateaus

hyaline - a smooth sea or a clear sky; (chiefly of cartilage) glassy and translucent in appearance.

ruched

taupe - dark brownish grey (mole)

moraine - ridge of rock deposited along the edge of a glacier

pleasance - a secluded enclosure or part of a garden, especially one attached to a large house

vol (fr. flight)

surcingle - horse strap

nacre - mother of pearl

misericord

jacquard - a fabric has a design or motif woven into the construction of the weave

entail

philtre - love potion

chenille - soft fabric

shako - military cap

cullet

mucilage

paraison

marvered

spirochaetes

peruke - wig

jute

roan

distinguo - subtle distinction

decrepitation - the crackling or breaking up of certain crystals when they are heated

coralline - reddish, pinkish red

quoin - an external angle of a wall or building

coign - a projecting corner or angle of a wall

prehension - the act of taking hold, seizing, or grasping; mental understanding : comprehension

Oligocene

scads - a large number or quantity

gamboge - deep yellow

formic - relating to ants

rales - small clicking, bubbling, or rattling sounds in the lungs

escutcheon - shield or emblem bearing a coat of arms; flat piece of metal for protection and often ornamentation, around a keyhole, door handle, or light switch

pilum - Roman javelin

corniche - a road cut into the edge of a cliff, especially one running along a coast

bouillon - broth

impetigo - highly contagious skin infection that causes red sores on the face

goffer - crimp the lace edges of (a garment) with a heated implement

jardinière - decorative pot holder

terebinth - turpentine tree

chyle

sejant - animal upright in heraldry

cloison - dividing partition

mantling - piece of ornamental drapery depicted issuing from a helmet and surrounding a shield

marques - brand

lakatois - double-hulled sailing watercraft of Papua New Guinea.

ormolu - gilt bronze

azolla - aquatic fern

loden - dark green woolen cloth

donjon - medieval tower

pintle - a pin or bolt, usually inserted into a gudgeon, which is used as part of a pivot or hinge

antiphonary - a book of plainsong for the Divine Office

grimoire

oppidum - large fortified Iron Age settlement or town

tarmacadam - tarmac

cassia

caraway

schist

piste - a ski run of compacted snow

Gaeldom - Areas in which some Gaelic languages (Scottish Gaelic and Manx) are spoken

doughboy - United States soldiers during World War I

paseo (Sp.) - walk

coatee - a woman's or infant's short coat

VVS - “very very slightly included” diamond

illimitable - without limits or an end

Wilton rug - Axminster carpets are made by creating carpet tufts of equal length before attaching them to the backing. Wilton create pile in a continuous loop, and the cutting takes place once the pile has been attached to the backing

impatiens - flower genus

maidan - an open area or space in or near a town, often used as a marketplace or parade ground

sett - a hole in the ground, often with several passages and different entrances

fusee - flare?

finial - architectural elements typically used as decorative or ornamental features that mark the top or end of domes, spires, roofs, gables, buildings

perigee - the point in the orbit of the moon or a satellite at which it is nearest to the earth

pince-nez - style of glasses

shofar - Jewish horn

lorn - lonely

bowstave

bleb - blister

chiacking - the exchange of jeering or teasing remarks

arraign - call or bring (someone) before a court to answer a criminal charges

curcurbit - plant from gourd family

abyssal - of or relating to the bottom waters of the ocean depths; impossible to comprehend : unfathomable

tilth - tilled soil

sub rosa - in secret

antic - grotesque, bizarre

his nibs

talus - a slope formed especially by an accumulation of rock debris

Nunc Stans - Eternal existence as an attribute of God

oriel - a large upper-storey bay with a window

fistmele - is the breadth of a fist with thumb stuck out used especially in archery to give the correct height of a string from a braced bow

potch - opal which has no play of colour and is of no value

Borsalino - Italian hat

welter - confused mass, turmoil

infra dig

nose-gaffed

septum/septa

camelid

bitou - invasive bush

acrophobia - fear of heights

switchback - a road which goes up a steep hill in a series of sharp bends, or a sharp bend in a road

amethystine - scrub python

cotillon - 18th century dance

grue (Scot) - a shiver or shudder; a creeping of the flesh

cottar - in Scotland and Ireland a farm labourer or tenant occupying a cottage in return for labour

tufa - variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitate out of water in unheated rivers or lakes

fig - dress, appearance

bourdon - drone

fado - Portuguese music

paladin - trusted military leader; a leading champion of a cause

gelid - icy, extremely cold

natron - baking soda

baulk - roughly squared timber beam

clamant - urgently demanding attention

cupidity - greed for money or possessions

avocation - a hobby or minor occupation

unexceptionable - not open to objection, but not particularly new or exciting

drupe - a fleshy fruit with thin skin and a central stone containing the seed, e.g. a plum, cherry, almond, or olive

bund - retaining wall

Ishihara dots

rrark - Aboriginal cross-hatching

unkent - unknown, strange (Scot.)

jarl - a Norse or Danish chief

ebullition - a sudden outburst of emotion or violence

dunnage - a person's belongings, especially those brought on board ship

coggage

stetl - a small Jewish town or village formerly found in Eastern Europe

pukka

recension - a revised edition of a text

coeval - a person of roughly the same age as oneself; a contemporary

peculator - embezzler

pasquil - a satire or lampoon

asthenic (asthenia) - abnormal physical weakness or lack of energy

canaille - common people; the masses

monorchidism - (or monorchism) the state of having only one testicle within the scrotum

sera - an amber-coloured, protein-rich liquid which separates out when blood coagulates

ichor - fluid that flows like blood in the veins of the gods; watery discharge from a wound

bordure - In heraldry, a band of contrasting tincture forming a border around the edge of a shield

boi meat - ox meat (Galician)

in-continuo

chivvy - tell (someone) repeatedly to do something

biltong - dried meat

wobbegong - carpet shark

bijou - small dainty usually ornamental piece of delicate workmanship : jewel; something delicate, elegant, or highly prized

placket - a finished opening in the upper part of trousers or skirts, or at the neck, front, or sleeve of a garment

tumbril - two wheeled cart

grab-bar

gomp

beetle bix

dottle - unburned and partially burned tobacco in the bowl of a pipe

mezedes or meze - small plates of appetisers (Greek)

whale sounding - diving

bootless - ineffectual, useless

galligaskins - loose wide hose or breeches worn in the 16th and 17th centuries

Ricardian - people who dispute the negative posthumous reputation of King Richard III of England

precarian (precariat) - a social class formed by people suffering from precarity, which means existing without predictability or security, affecting material or psychological welfare. The term is a portmanteau merging precarious with proletariat

besoming - sweeping (besom - a broom made of twigs tied round a stick)

gilet - a waist- or hip-length garment, usually sleeveless, fastening up the front; sometimes made from a quilted fabric, and designed to be worn over a blouse, shirt, etc; bodice resembling a waistcoat in a woman's dress

swart - swarthy, dark

voile - sheer fabric

[telluridelilies]

Well my jewish name really is Ricarda Mina Frank ricardafrank.livejournal.com

Hebrew is Rosenthal. And another is zynshuareisen.tumblr.com

I have heraldry for another Hebrew name, but I forget what it is.

~emmaruth

from pinterest.com

[aegor-bamfsteel]

The Middle Color: Medieval scholars inherited the idea from ancient times that there were seven primary colors: white, yellow, red, green, blue, purple, and black. Green occupied a central position, symbolically balanced between the extremes of white and black. It was also regarded as a soothing color.

White vs Red: Michel Pastoureau writes that “the true medieval opposite for white was not so much black as red.” This can be seen in the way Europeans adapted chess. It was only towards the end of the Middle Ages that the white versus black dichotomy became more favoured. A key factor in this shift was the advent of printing, where black ink was used on white paper, reinforcing the perception of these colours as natural opposites

Knightly Colours Arthurian romances, one of the most popular forms of literature in the High Middle Ages, frequently employed colour symbolism, particularly in the depiction of knights. Pastoureau notes that these narratives used colours to convey deeper meanings and character traits. He writes: The color code was recurrent and meaningful. A black knight was almost a character of primary importance (Tristan, Lancelot, Gawain) who wanted to hide his identity; he was generally motivated by good intentions and prepared to demonstrate his valor, especially by jousting or tournament. A red knight, on the other hand, was often hostile to the hero; this was a perfidious or evil knight, sometimes the devil’s envoy or a mysterious being from the Other World. Less prominent, a white knight was generally viewed as good; this was an older figure, a friend of protector or the hero, to who he gave wise council. Conversely, a green knight was a young knight, recently dubbed, whose audacious or insolent behavior was going to cause great disorder; he could be good or bad. Finally, yellow or gold knights were rare and blue knights nonexistent

Black vs. White monks: During the Early Middle Ages, monastic rules stipulated that monks should not concern themselves with the colour of their clothing. However, over the centuries, their attire became increasingly darker. The Cluniacs, one of the most influential monastic communities, believed that black was the appropriate colour for one’s habit. This perspective faced backlash in the twelfth century when the Cistercians adopted a white habit. The debate over monastic colours was intense among the leaders of these orders.

The Color of Islam: Green is widely associated with Islam, but this association only developed in the twelfth century because “Its symbolism is associated with that of paradise, happiness, riches, water, the sky, and hope”. While green was linked to Muhammad’s descendants, different colours were associated with the ruling Islamic dynasties: white for the Umayyads, black for the Abbasids, and red for the Almohads.

The ‘Blue Revolution’: Michel Pastoureau’s book on blue begins by highlighting the neglect this colour faced among the ancient Greeks and Romans, who rarely wrote about it or used it. This neglect persisted through the early Middle Ages until the twelfth century. “Then suddenly,” writes Pastoureau, “in just a few decades, everything changes – blue is ‘discovered’ and attains a prominent place in painting, heraldry, and clothing.”

The Decline of Yellow: Yellow initially benefited from its resemblance to gold, which bolstered its reputation. Many medieval heraldic symbols incorporated yellow, and possessing blonde hair was considered highly fashionable. However, in the Later Middle Ages, yellow began to acquire negative associations, including envy and heresy. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was increasingly depicted wearing yellow clothing. Yellow also became associated with Jews, and as European Christians enforced clothing regulations on Jewish communities, yellow was often (though not always) included. By the early modern period, yellow fell out of favor, perceived as gaudy and unpopular.

[babygirlvanitas]

Archivist n. Keeper of archives.

Archway n. Arched entrance or passage.

Arc lamp n. (also arc light) light using an electric arc.

Arctic —adj. 1 of the north polar regions. 2 (arctic) colloq. Very cold. —n. Arctic regions. [greek arktos great bear]

Arctic circle n. Parallel of latitude 66° 33´ n, forming an imaginary line round the arctic region.

Arc welding n. Use of an electric arc to melt metals to be welded.

Ardent adj. 1 eager, fervent, passionate. 2 burning.  ardently adv. [latin ardeo burn]

Ardor n. (brit. Ardour) zeal, enthusiasm, passion.

Ardour n. (us ardor) zeal, enthusiasm, passion.

Arduous adj. Hard to accomplish; laborious, strenuous. [latin, = steep]

Are1 2nd sing. Present & 1st, 2nd, 3rd pl. Present of *be.

Are2 n. Metric unit of measure, 100 square metres. [latin: related to *area]

Area n. 1 extent or measure of a surface (over a large area). 2 region (southern area). 3 space for a specific purpose (dining area). 4 scope or range. 5 space in front of the basement of a building. [latin, = vacant space]

Arena n. 1 central part of an amphitheatre etc. 2 scene of conflict; sphere of action. [latin, = sand]

Aren't contr. 1 are not. 2 (in interrog.) Am not (aren't i coming too?).

Areola n. (pl. -lae) circular pigmented area, esp. Around a nipple.  areolar adj. [latin diminutive of *area]

Arête n. Sharp mountain ridge. [french from latin arista spine]

Argent n. & adj. Heraldry silver; silvery-white. [latin argentum]

Argon n. Inert gaseous element. [greek argos idle]

Argosy n. (pl. -ies) poet. Large merchant ship. [italian ragusea nave ship of ragusa (in dalmatia)]

Argot n. Jargon of a group or class. [french]

Argue v. (-ues, -ued, -uing) 1 (often foll. By with, about, etc.) Exchange views forcefully or contentiously. 2 (often foll. By that) maintain by reasoning; indicate. 3 (foll. Argue v. (-ues, -ued, -uing) 1 (often foll. By with, about, etc.) Exchange views forcefully or contentiously. 2 (often foll. By that) maintain by reasoning; indicate. 3 (foll. By for, against) reason. 4 treat (a matter) by reasoning. 5 (foll. By into, out of) persuade.  argue the toss colloq. Dispute a choice already made.  arguable adj. Arguably adv. [latin arguo make clear, prove]

Argument n. 1 (esp. Contentious) exchange of views; dispute. 2 (often foll. By for, against) reason given; reasoning process. 3 summary of a book etc.

Argumentation n. Methodical reasoning; arguing.

Argumentative adj. Given to arguing.

Argus n. Watchful guardian. [greek argos mythical giant with 100 eyes]

Argy-bargy n. (pl. -ies) joc. Dispute, wrangle. [originally scots]

Aria n. Long accompanied solo song in an opera etc. [italian]

Arid adj. 1 dry, parched. 2 uninteresting.  aridity n. [latin areo be dry]

Aries n. (pl. Same) 1 constellation and first sign of the zodiac (the ram). 2 person born when the sun is in this sign. [latin, = ram]

Aright adv. Rightly.

Arise v. (-sing; past arose; past part. Arisen) 1 originate. 2 (usu. Foll. By from, out of) result. 3 come to one's notice; emerge. 4 rise, esp. From the dead or from kneeling. [old english a- intensive prefix]

Aristocracy n. (pl. -ies) 1 ruling class or élite; nobility. 2 a government by an élite. B state so governed. 3 (often foll. By of) best representatives. [greek aristokratia rule by the best]

Aristocrat n. Member of the aristocracy.

Aristocratic adj. 1 of or like the aristocracy. 2 a distinguished. B grand, stylish.

Aristotelian —n. Disciple or student of aristotle. —adj. Of aristotle or his ideas. [greek aristoteles (4th c. Bc), name of a greek philosopher]

Arithmetic —n. 1 science of numbers. 2 use of numbers; computation. —adj. (also arithmetical) of arithmetic. [greek arithmos number]

Arithmetic mean n. = *average 2.

Arithmetic progression n. Sequence of numbers with constant intervals (e.g. 9, 7, 5, 3, etc.).

Ark n. Ship in which noah escaped the flood with his family and animals. [old english from latin arca]

Ark of the covenant n. Chest or cupboard containing the tables of jewish law.

Arm1 n. 1 upper limb of the human body from shoulder to hand. 2 forelimb or tentacle of an animal. 3 a sleeve of a garment. B arm support of a chair etc. C thing branching from a main stem (an arm of the sea). D control, means of reaching (arm of the law).  arm in arm with arms linked. At arm's length at a distance. With open arms cordially.  armful n. (pl. -s). [old english]

Arm2 —n. 1 (usu. In pl.) Weapon. 2 (in pl.) Military profession. 3 branch of the military (e.g. Infantry, cavalry). 4 (in pl.) Heraldic devices (coat of arms). —v. 1 supply, or equip oneself, with weapons etc., esp. In preparation for war. 2 make (a bomb etc.) Ready.  take up arms go to war. Under arms equipped for war. Up in arms (usu. Foll. By against, about) actively resisting, highly indignant. [latin arma arms]

Armada n. Fleet of warships, esp. (armada) that sent by spain against england in 1588. [spanish from romanic]

Armadillo n. (pl. -s) s. American mammal with a plated body and large claws. [spanish armado armed man]

Armageddon n. Huge battle or struggle, esp. Marking the end of the world. [rev. 16:16]

Armament n. 1 (often in pl.) Military equipment. 2 equipping for war. 3 force equipped. [latin: related to *arm2]

Armature n. 1 rotating coil or coils of a dynamo or electric motor. 2 iron bar placed across the poles of a horseshoe magnet to preserve its power. 3 metal framework on which a sculpture is moulded. [latin armatura, = armour]

Armband n. Band worn around the upper arm to hold up a shirtsleeve, or as identification, or to aid swimming.

Armchair n. 1 chair with arm supports. 2 (attrib.) Theoretical rather than active (armchair critic).

Armhole n. Each of two holes for arms in a garment. Armhole n. Each of two holes for arms in a garment.

Armistice n. Truce, esp. Permanent. [latin arma arms, sisto make stand]

Armistice day n. Anniversary of the armistice of 11 nov. 1918.

Armlet n. Ornamental band worn round the arm.

Armor (brit. Armour) —n. 1 protective usu. Metal covering formerly worn in fighting. 2 a (in full armour-plate) protective metal covering for an armed vehicle, ship, etc. B armed vehicles collectively. 3 protective covering or shell of an animal or plant. 4 heraldic devices. —v. (usu. Asarmoured adj.) Provide with protective covering, and often guns (armoured car; armoured train). [latin armatura: related to *arm2]

Armorial adj. Of heraldry or coats of arms. [related to *armour]

Armour —n. 1 protective usu. Metal covering formerly worn in fighting. 2 a (in full armour-plate) protective metal covering for an armed vehicle, ship, etc. B armed vehicles collectively. 3 protective covering or shell of an animal or plant. 4 heraldic devices. —v. (usu. As armoured adj.) Provide with protective covering, and often guns (armoured car; armoured train). [latin armatura: related to *arm2]

Armourer n. 1 maker of arms or armour. 2 official in charge of arms.

Armoury n. (pl. -ies) arsenal.

Armpit n. Hollow under the arm at the shoulder.

Armrest n. = *arm1 3b.

Arms race n. Competitive accumulation of weapons by nations.

Arm-wrestling n. Trial of strength in which each party tries to force the other's arm down.

Army n. (pl. -ies) 1 organized armed land force. 2 (prec. By the) the military profession. 3 (often foll. By of) very large number (army of locusts). 4 organized civilian body (salvation army). [french: related to *arm2]

Arnica n. 1 plant of the daisy family with yellow flowers. 2 medicine prepared from this. [origin unknown]

Aroma n. 1 esp. Pleasing smell, often of food. 2 subtle pervasive quality. [greek, = spice]

Aromatherapy n. Use of plant extracts and oils in massage.  aromatherapist n.

Aromatic —adj. 1 fragrant, spicy. 2 chem. Of organic compounds having an unsaturated ring, esp. Containing a benzene ring. —n. Aromatic substance. [latin: related to *aroma]

Arose past of *arise.

Around —adv. 1 on every side; all round; round about. 2 colloq. A in existence; available. B near at hand. 3 here and there (shop around). —prep. 1 on or along the circuit of. 2 on every side of. 3 here and there in or near (chairs around the room). 4 a round (church around the corner). B at a time near to (came around four o'clock).  have been around colloq. Be widely experienced.

Arouse v. (-sing) 1 induce (esp. An emotion). 2 awake from sleep. 3 stir into activity. 4 stimulate sexually.  arousal n. [a- intensive prefix]

Arpeggio n. (pl. -s) mus. Notes of a chord played in succession. [italian arpa harp]

Arrack n. (also arak) alcoholic spirit, esp. Made from coco sap or rice. [arabic]

Arraign v. 1 indict, accuse. 2 find fault with; call into question (an action or statement).  arraignment n. [latin ratio reason]

Arrange v. (-ging) 1 put into order; classify. 2 plan or provide for; take measures (arranged a meeting; arrange to see him; arranged for a taxi). 3 agree (arranged it with her). 4 mus. Adapt (a composition) for a particular manner of performance. [french: related to *range]

Arrangement n. 1 arranging or being arranged. 2 manner of this. 3 something arranged. 4 (in pl.) Plans, measures (made my own arrangements). 5 mus. Composition adapted for performance in a particular way.

Arrant adj. Literary downright, utter (arrant liar). [var. Of *errant, originally in arrant (= outlawed, roving) thief etc.]

Arras n. Hist. Rich tapestry or wall-hanging. [arras in france]

Array —n. 1 imposing or well-ordered series or display. 2 ordered arrangement, esp. Of troops (battle array). —v. 1 deck, adorn. 2 set in order; marshal (forces). [latin ad-, *ready] Array —n. 1 imposing or well-ordered series or display. 2 ordered arrangement, esp. Of troops (battle array). —v. 1 deck, adorn. 2 set in order; marshal (forces). [latin ad-, *ready]

Arrears n.pl. Amount (esp. Of work, rent, etc.) Still outstanding or uncompleted.  in arrears behind, esp. In payment. [medieval latin adretro behindhand]

Arrest —v. 1 lawfully seize (a suspect etc.). 2 stop or check the progress of. 3 attract (a person's attention). —n. 1 arresting or being arrested. 2 stoppage (cardiac arrest). [latin resto remain]

Arrester n. Device for slowing an aircraft after landing.

Arrière-pensée n. 1 secret motive. 2 mental reservation. [french]

Arris n. Archit. Sharp edge at the junction of two surfaces. [french areste, = *arête]

Arrival n. 1 arriving; appearance on the scene. 2 person or thing that has arrived.

Arrive v. (-ving) 1 (often foll. By at, in) reach a destination. 2 (foll. By at) reach (a conclusion etc.). 3 colloq. Become successful. 4 colloq. (of a child) be born. 5 (of a time) come. [latin ripa shore]

Arriviste n. Ambitious or ruthless person. [french: related to *arrive]

Arrogant adj. Aggressively assertive or presumptuous.  arrogance n. Arrogantly adv. [related to *arrogate]

Arrogate v. (-ting) 1 (often foll. By to oneself) claim (power etc.) Without right. 2 (often foll. By to) attribute unjustly (to a person).  arrogation n. [latin rogo ask]

Arrow n. 1 pointed slender missile shot from a bow. 2 representation of this, esp. Indicating direction. [old english]

Arrowhead n. 1 pointed tip of an arrow. 2 water-plant with arrow-shaped leaves.

Arrowroot n. 1 nutritious starch. 2 plant yielding this.

Arse n. (us ass) coarse slang buttocks. [old english]

Arsehole n. (us asshole) coarse slang 1 anus. 2 offens. Contemptible person.

Arsenal n. 1 store, esp. Of weapons. 2 place for the storage and manufacture of weapons and ammunition. [arabic, = workshop]

Arsenic —n. 1 non-scientific name for arsenic trioxide, a highly poisonous white powder used in weed-killers etc. 2 chem. Brittle semi-metallic element. —adj. Of or containing arsenic. [french, ultimately from persian zar gold]

Arson n. Crime of deliberately setting fire to property.  arsonist n. [latin ardeo ars- burn]

Art n. 1 a human creative skill or its application. B work showing this. 2 a (in pl.; prec. By the) branches of creative activity concerned with the production of imaginative designs, sounds, or ideas, e.g. Painting, music, writing. B any one of these. 3 creative activity resulting in visual representation (good at music but not art). 4 human skill as opposed to nature (art and nature combined). 5 (often foll. By of) a skill, knack. B cunning; trick, stratagem. 6 (in pl.; usu. Prec. By the) supposedly creative subjects (esp. Languages, literature, and history) as opposed to scientific, technical, or vocational subjects. [latin ars art-]

Art deco n. Decorative art style of 1910–30, with geometric motifs and strong colours.

Artefact n. (also artifact) man-made object, esp. A tool or vessel as an archaeological item. [latin arte by art, facio make]

Arterial adj. 1 of or like an artery. 2 (esp. Of a road) main, important. [french: related to *artery]

Arteriosclerosis n. Loss of elasticity and thickening of artery walls, esp. In old age. [from *artery, *sclerosis]

Artery n. (pl. -ies) 1 any of the blood-vessels carrying blood from the heart. 2 main road or railway line. [greek, probably from airo raise]

Artesian well n. Well in which water rises to the surface by natural pressure through a vertically drilled hole. [artois, old french province]

Artful adj. Crafty, deceitful.  artfully adv.

Arthritis n. Inflammation of a joint or joints.  arthritic adj. & n. [greek arthron joint]

Arthropod n. Invertebrate with a segmented body and jointed limbs, e.g. An insect, spider, or crustacean. [greek arthron joint, pous pod- foot] Arthropod n. Invertebrate with a segmented body and jointed limbs, e.g. An insect, spider, or crustacean. [greek arthron joint, pous pod- foot]

Artichoke n. 1 plant allied to the thistle. 2 (in full globe artichoke) its partly edible flower-head (see also *jerusalem artichoke). [italian from arabic]

Article —n. 1 item or thing. 2 non-fictional journalistic essay. 3 clause or item in an agreement or contract. 4 definite or indefinite article. —v. (-ling) employ under contract as a trainee. [latin articulus from artus joint]

Articled clerk n. Trainee solicitor.

Articular adj. Of a joint or joints. [latin: related to *article]

Articulate —adj. 1 fluent and clear in speech. 2 (of sound or speech) having clearly distinguishable parts. 3 having joints. —v. (-ting) 1 a pronounce distinctly. B speak or express clearly. 2 (usu. In passive) connect by joints. 3 mark with apparent joints. 4 (often foll. By with) form a joint.  articulately adv.

Articulated lorry n. One with sections connected by a flexible joint.

Articulation n. 1 a speaking or being spoken. B articulate utterance; speech. 2 a act or mode of jointing. B joint. [latin: related to *articulate]

Artifact var. Of *artefact.

Artifice n. 1 trick or clever device. 2 cunning. 3 skill, ingenuity. [latin ars art- art, facio make]

Artificer n. 1 craftsman. 2 skilled military mechanic.

Artificial adj. 1 not natural (artificial lake). 2 imitating nature (artificial flowers). 3 affected, insincere.  artificiality n. Artificially adv. [latin: related to *artifice]

Artificial insemination n. Non-sexual injection of semen into the uterus.

Artificial intelligence n. Use of computers for tasks normally regarded as needing human intelligence.

Artificial respiration n. Manual or mechanical stimulation of breathing.

Artillery n. (pl. -ies) 1 heavy guns used in land warfare. 2 branch of the army using these.  artilleryman n. [french artiller equip]

Artisan n. Skilled manual worker or craftsman. [latin artio instruct in the arts]

Artist n. 1 practitioner of any of the arts, esp. Painting. 2 artiste. 3 person using skill or taste.  artistry n. [french artiste from italian]

Artiste n. Professional performer, esp. A singer or dancer.

Artistic adj. 1 having natural skill in art. 2 skilfully or tastefully done. 3 of art or artists.  artistically adv.

Artless adj. 1 guileless, ingenuous. 2 natural. 3 clumsy.  artlessly adv.

Art nouveau n. Art style of the late 19th century, with flowing lines.

Artwork n. 1 illustrative material in printed matter. 2 works of art collectively (exhibition of children's artwork).

Arty adj. (-ier, -iest) colloq. Pretentiously or affectedly artistic.

Arum n. Plant with arrow-shaped leaves. [greek aron]

as much as i hate them the word aristocrat is such a silly word and for what

[magnetothemagnificent]

As a dork who loves heraldry and family symbols, the ask you answered about Lions made me realize: I know nothing about Jewish heraldry! Any other fun facts, if you have time? I just like understanding the many meanings symbols have from culture to culture. Have a lovely day!

The first instance of Jewish heraldry is of course, with the 12 Tribes. Each of the 12 Tribes have their own flag, with a symbol on it, and a colour, and a precious stone associated with them.

They are:

Reuven (Reuben)- Symbol: Duda'im (Mandrake or Jasmine). Stone: Odem (Ruby). Flag colour: Red.

Shimon (Simeon)- Symbol: The walls of the city of Schem. Stone: Pitdah (Topaz or Prase). Flag colour: Green.

Levi (Levi)- Symbol: Urim V'Tumim. Stone: Bareket (Emerald or Onyx or Carbuncle). Flag colour: Three stripes of white, black, and red.

Yehudah (Judah)- Symbol: Lion. Stone: Nofech (Probably Emerald). Flag colour: Sky blue.

Yissachar (Issacar)- Symbol: Sun and moon. Stone: Sappir (Sapphire). Flag colour: Dark blue.

Z'vulun (Zebulun)- Symbol: Merchant ship. Stone: Yahalom (Diamond or Pearl). Flag colour: White.

Dan (Dan)- Symbol: Snake. Stone: Leshem (Probably Amber). Flag colour: Blue.

Naftali (Naphtali)- Symbol: Gazelle. Stone: Achlamah (Amathyst or Quartz). Flag colour: Wine red.

Gad (Gad)- Symbol: Military camp. Stone: Shevo (Turquoise, Agate, or Obsidian). Flag color: Black and white.

Asher (Asher)- Symbol: Olive tree. Stone: Tarshish (Chrysolite, Coal, Flint, or Jacinth). Flag colour: Unclear, pearl likely.

Yosef (Joseph)- Yosef was split into two territories, of his sons, Menashe and Ephraim, but they both had the same precious stone of Shoham (Malachite or Onyx) and flag colour of black. For their flags; Menashe- Symbol: Re'em (Horned animal, either an Ox, a Rhinoceros, or a Unicorn). Ephraim- Symbol- Bull.

Binyamin (Benjamin)- Symbol: Wolf. Stone: Yashfe (Maybe Jasper). Flag colour: Multicolour.

Historically, Jewish family heralds were not recognized by the dominant governences, since Jews were second-class citizens throughout much of the world. As such, family heralds weren't officially recognized, but you can find many patterns in the gravestones of Jewish cemetaries and family documents.

Jewish family heralds often incoorperated symbols from their known tribe, as well as Kabbalistic and Tanakhic symbols. Astrological symbols were also popular. Many families who claimed descent from King David incorperated lions or any felines into their heralds. Families who were Cohanim often had hand symbolism.

To read more:

Jewish Encyclopedia Entry for 'Coat of Arms'

Jewish Virtual Library Entry for 'Heraldry'

The Stones, Symbols, and Flags of the Twelve Tribes of Israel

The High Priest’s Breastplate (Choshen)

12 Tribes of Israel: The Shevatim

You can also learn a lot about the symbolism important to Jews throughout history by studying the various Judean coins produced throughout history:

Jewish Virtual Library Entry for 'Ancient Jewish Coins'

Happy Learning!

[rametarin]

Adding to the last post without actually adding to the last post.

I’m sure our Jewish friends would not appreciate it very much if some militaristic tyrannical regime appropriated Jewish symbolism like the Star of David, the Stone Tablets, the Menorah, the Judah Lion (specifically, I know lions are big in European heraldry too.) Much less being told they are no longer allowed to use those symbols because some murderous and terrible regime abused them while committing heinous acts of genocide.

Same difference with appropriating the manjit and swastika from Hindu. The Nazi Hakenkrauz is not the appropriate Hindu Swastika. So. Y’know.

It’s time, with India and Hindus entering more western countries, to understand the Hindu Swastika and the Buddhist symbol (and Taoist, too?) is not the German Nazi symbol. The context behind them is entirely different, and you can’t just assume use of that symbol represents antisemitic intention anymore.

[alamuts-lair-of-madness]

I mean most of us are, but some people will still delusion themselves with wishful thinking, that their ancestors had a "dworek" and fought at the Battle of Vienna.

ALTHOUGH considering, that the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth hat the biggest number of nobility in relation to the overall population in Europe (around 10%), there is a higher chance for that as opposed in, for example England. Especially considering, that a lot of our szlachta zaściankowa wasn't much better of than peasants.

On a side note: years ago, me and my parents went to a knight's tournament (Lower Silesia has a lot of castles and re-enactor groups), and there was a guy dressed as a scribe, with a bunch of old heraldry books, who, for a small price, would check if your family name has a coat of arms.

So this one nouveau rich looking lady, with lots of ostentatious gold jewellery steps up to him and asks after "HER" (she accentuated that part strongly) coat of arms. Guy quickly checked his books and said to her "Ma'am I'm sorry there is no coat of arms, but based on the literature I have at hand, you could be related to a pretty famous Jewish merchant family from Kraków".

God was she pissed xD

This is real.

[carewyncromwell]

HPHM Patronus Analysis

Hey there! So I was inspired to do this largely because I adore symbolism and mythology, and I thought -- why not try to break down the Patronus options we see in the game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery? Obviously there’s a bit of a formula for receiving each Patronus -- but yeah, what do these specific Patronuses symbolize, and therefore, what could it say about their wielders?

Let’s jump in! Expecto Patronum!

Winged Horse

Winged horses are symbolic of freedom and divinity. The most famous winged horse in mythology is Pegasus, the white winged horse that emerged from the neck stump of the fallen Gordon Medusa, when she was slain by the Greek hero Perseus. That same winged horse was later the steed of the hero Bellerophon when he slew the lethal chimaera and even tried flying all the way to Mount Olympus, home of the gods, which mankind was forbidden to visit. Although historians aren’t entirely sure where the name “Pegasus” originated, one theory posits that it’s derivative of the ancient word pihassas, meaning “lightning.” In Norse mythology, the Valkyrie rode winged horses as they selected souls of those warriors slain in battle who could accompany them to the heavenly Valhalla.

Unicorn

Unicorns are primarily associated with purity and grace -- according to medieval European legends, it’s a beast that could only be tamed by a virgin. Their horns were also purported to have legendary healing qualities, prompting many to sell fake unicorn horns (in truth tusks or horns from other animals, like narwhals and rhinos) at exorbitant prices. Unicorns are often connected to heraldry and therefore nobility. In the United Kingdom specifically, the lion and the unicorn appear on its royal coat of arms, being symbolic of the union between England (the lion) and Scotland (the unicorn). In medieval times, it was also symbolic of chaste love and faithfulness.

White Stallion

White horses symbolize fertility and heroism. In many traditions, they are the steeds of heroes, gods, and saints. In Hinduism, they’re also associated with the sun -- the sun deity Surya even rides in a chariot pulled by white horses. Even by more modern standards, it’s common to imagine a “knight in shining armor” coming to the rescue on the back of a white horse. The white horse’s association with battle, however, can also have darker shades. In the Book of Revelation, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse -- Conquest -- rides in on a white horse, and in the Norwegian play Rosmersholm, a white horse is a recurring motif representing death.

Cheetah

Cheetahs are the fastest land animal on Earth. Because of this, they’re associated both with speed and with single-minded focus. The most well-known legend about the cheetah centers around the black tear-like markings near their eyes. According to the story, there once was a mother cheetah who had to hunt constantly to provide for her two small cubs. A lazy human hunter noticed how great she was at hunting and decided to steal the cheetah’s defenseless cubs for himself. Upon discovering her children were missing, the poor cheetah mother cried for months on end, to the point that the tears had scarred over into two black marks down either side of her face. Even when the cheetah mother gave birth to new cubs, those cubs bore those same markings, and so has every other cheetah since.

Tiger

Tigers are to east Asian cultures what lions are to European cultures -- the king of beasts. In Mandarin, the character meaning “king” ( 王 ) even resembles a tiger’s stripes. Tigers represent royalty, fearlessness, and wrath.The last trait in particular is referenced in Buddhism, where the tiger appears as one of the Three Senseless Creatures as a symbol of rage. In Korea, the tiger is seen as a guardian creature that can chase away evil spirits and bring good luck. Tigers were also the steeds of several deities in different mythologies, such as the Hindu goddess Durga.

Leopard

Leopards, like lions and tigers, are generally associated with heraldry, as well as wealth, power, and divinity. They were most associated with the Greek god of wine, Dionysus, who both wore leopard skins and frequently rode on the back of a leopard. In one story, two leopards even raced to Dionysus’s rescue after he was kidnapped by pirates. In China, the leopard is often contrasted with the “noble" tiger, being more connected to cruelty and punishment. The Benin Empire often engraved or carved leopards into their belongings and architecture to symbolize royal power, seeing leopards as the king of the forest. Even today many coats of arms belonging to African nations depict leopard iconography.

Hares and Rabbits

In the game, we have three different types of hare/rabbit Patronuses -- Mountain Hare, Spotted Hare and Lop-Eared Rabbit. There isn’t much specific symbolism for the different breeds of hares or rabbits (the two animals’ symbolism in itself tends to be one and the same), so this particular analysis will be much more general.

Rabbits and hares are both symbolic of fertility, spring, and rebirth, and are often associated with the Easter holiday. The hare and rabbit have also been interpreted as tricksters, such as the Hare of Inaba from Japan or (for a more modern example) Beatrix Potter’s character Peter Rabbit. In Jewish folklore, rabbits can be associated with cowardice (likely due to their rather timid nature), but most other cultures see the creatures much more favorably. The Greeks used to give live hares as a token of love to the subject of their affection. In Vietnamese tradition, rabbits are associated with youth and innocence, and in Ojibwe tradition, the Great Rabbit Nanabozho was central to the creation of the earth. Even today, a rabbit’s foot is considered a good luck charm.

[an-incurable-affection-blog]

Ivanhoe

Sir Walter Scott. 1819. “Romanticism and Gothic” list.

“Rebecca and the Wounded Ivanhoe” by Eugene Delacroix.

“The knights are dust, And their good swords are rust, And their souls are with the saints, we trust.”

In the style of Sir Walter Scott, whose books and chapters open with epigraphs, I begin with a quote that Scott adapts from Coleridge’s “The Knight’s Tomb” (although in Ivanhoe we find this in the main body of the text). 

The quote is just one of countless places where the narrator calls attention to the fact that the book is set in an earlier age (the reign of Richard I, in the 12th century) than its time of publication (1819). Whereas a contemporary historical novel typically presents a self-contained story, without extradiegetic references to its nature as a period piece, Ivanhoe scuttles between its setting and (Scott’s) present-day: for example, to contrast what a certain building looked like in the period with how it does now; or contrast the customs of the time with current customs, sometimes to help readers understand an event (“And as there were no forks in those days, his clutches were instantly in the bowels of the pasty”), sometimes just because; or offer reasons why we should believe in the plausibility of his fictions, naming his historical sources. As the first historical novelist, Scott seems to feel called upon to explain and justify his new genre even within the text itself. In their context, the Coleridge lines are trotted out to justify why the narrative declines to include lengthy descriptions of the devices and colors of the knights at a particular tournament⁠—contrary, the narrator explains, to “my Saxon authority (in the Wardour Manuscript).” 

Of course, no work of fiction needs to justify why it includes certain details and leaves out others—it is the author’s job to decide what material is relevant, and there are far too many choices involved to justify each one. But the narrator brings up his reasoning behind not describing knights’ heraldry—namely, because they’re all dead now—to play up the theme of nostalgia, a staple of the Romanticist movement. Not only are we, in the nineteenth century, looking back at knights (how nostalgic), but remember, readers, they no longer exist (aw!). 

But the Romanticist project here is ambivalent, with the narrator both criticizing (explicitly) and glorifying (usually more implicitly) the Age of Chivalry. The narrator frequently opines on “the disgraceful license by which that age was stained,” and how “fiction itself can hardly reach the dark reality of the horrors of the period,” and so on. “In our own days...morals are better understood” (he’s no relativist). But on the other hand, as Richard the Lionheart comments upon hearing the Saxon noble Athelstane detail how he escaped from a crypt, “beshrew me but such a tale is as well worth listening to as a romance.” That’s because it’s a tale within a romance, and romances, the implied author seems to agree, are well worth listening to. “The horrors” are seductive. The horrors are romantic. (Cf. the Gothic.)

The title may be Ivanhoe, after its chivalric Saxon hero Wilfred of Ivanhoe, but the real hero(ine), arguably, is the beautiful and long-suffering Jewess Rebecca. Here we can see the real divergence of this 19th-century Romantic work from its medieval-romance inspiration. In what can be read as an implicit criticism of medieval romance and the age that gave rise to it, the show, I think, is stolen from the titular knight-errant by a Jewish woman. 

The only character with no flaws or foibles, Rebecca is even more perfect than the heroine we would expect to star in this romance—Ivanhoe’s lady-love, the Saxon princess Rowena. As the similarity of their names suggests, Rebecca and Rowena are doubles. They appear in back-to-back chapters, simultaneously unfolding chapters that feature them, imprisoned in separate rooms of the same castle, spurning the sexual advances of their respective captors. Heroines locked up in castle chambers, besieged by would-be rapists and the threat of forced marriages; heroines demonstrating their noble character by rejecting wicked seducers—all tropes. Less predictable is the use of these tropes as a means of contrasting the situations of women from different classes, and with a Jewish woman emerging as the superior character, no less. 

Both women do triumph in their goal of averting the fates their captors intend. But Rowena, normally haughty, crumples in a flood of tears when she realizes De Bracy’s power to force her hand in marriage. (Luckily for her, De Bracy is soft at heart—this would not have worked on Rebecca’s admirer, the still more wicked Brian de Bois-Guilbert.) Rebecca, though bearing herself with “courtesy” and a “proud humility” (in contrast to Rowena’s haughtiness), shows herself to have more spirit and strength of character. As a member of a despised race, Rebecca is approached with an offer far less honorable than marriage. (Also, Bois-Guilbert’s vows as a Knight Templar forbid his marriage to anyone.) Instead, the Knight wants to make her his mistress. In such a station she will be showered with riches and glory, he promises. She answers with true fighting words: “I spit at thee, and I defy thee.” In a classic (literally, going back to classical mythology) heroine move, Rebecca threatens to commit suicide, jumping to the ledge of the high turret and warning him not to come a step closer. This both dissuades Bois-Guilbert from his original intent and heightens his passion for her: “Rebecca! she who could prefer death to dishonor must have a proud and a powerful soul. Mine thou must be!...It must be with thine own consent, on thine own terms.”

Thus Rebecca finds herself at the center of a Gothic-heroine-threatened-with-rape-in-castle-chamber scene turned into a Samuel Richardson-style seduction narrative—that gives way, at this part, to a Gothic castle siege passage. Whereas Rowena’s persecutor uses the interruption presented by the siege as an excuse to desist in his ill-fated suit, the Richardsonian plot starring Rebecca continues as a dominating strand of the novel, another respect in which her character appropriates the literary territory of the highborn Englishwoman. Before Brian de Bois-Guilbert closes his first scene with Rebecca to go defend the castle, he established himself as that tantalizing character-type, the potentially reformable rake. “I am not naturally that which you have seen me—hard, selfish, relentless. It was woman that taught me cruelty, and on woman therefore I have exercised it...” He came home from knight-errantry, he explains, to find that the lady-love whose fame he spread far and wide had married another man. Here the reader can glimpse the possibility for Rebecca to be a Mary (another Jewess) to the former lady’s Eve, the means to redemption for a man who was led by a woman into corruption. Whether the Knight Templar will turn out like Richardson’s reformable Mr. B or the irredeemable Lovelace remains to be seen.

In another aspect of Rebecca’s and Rowena’s doubleness, Rebecca’s (rejected) lover is antagonist to Rowena’s (accepted) lover, the hero Ivanhoe. Brian de Bois-Guilbert is the ultimate 12th-century bad boy: he has “slain three hundred Saracens with his own hands,” and he slays with the ladies, too. He is described, in the Ann Radcliffe tradition, with all the dark fascination of a Gothic villain: 

“His expression was calculated to impress a degree of awe, if not fear, upon strangers. High features, naturally strong and powerfully expressive...keen, piercing, dark eyes, told in every glance a history of difficulties subdued and dangers dared...a deep scar on his brow gave additional sternness to his countenance and sinister expression to one of his eyes...” 

and so on. One of the most interesting things about the novel for me is the way that Bois-Guilbert—over and above whatever is appealing about bad boys—is a strangely sympathetic character, more so than Ivanhoe, and to what degree that was built into the narrative intentionally. When the narrator weighs in with moral judgments (as he often does), it can offer insight into what his take might be on those scenes unaccompanied by commentary. So for example, when the narrator calls “the character of a knight of romance” (here, describing King Richard) “brilliant, but useless,” it implies an author for whom Rebecca is a mouthpiece when she comes down on the anti-chivalry side of a debate with Ivanhoe. So the narrator—and most modern people—likely agree with Rebecca’s opinion of the laws of chivalry as “an offering of sacrifice to a demon of vain glory,” to which a highly miffed Ivanhoe responds that she can’t understand because she is not a noble Christian maiden (unlike Rowena, is the unspoken subtext). 

Applying this to the case of Bois-Guilbert, the villain, we might conclude, to our confusion, that his views of race are closer to the narrator’s (more progressive). I have already discussed the novel’s treatment of Rebecca, one of two major Jewish characters; the other, her father Isaac, conforms to some offensive Jewish stereotypes (stingy, money-hoarding, obsequious etc.) but is ultimately portrayed as good-hearted. Moreover, anytime the narrator draws on negative stereotypes he accompanies it with vindications of the Jewish people based on their historic oppression. As in other areas, the storytelling is here flavored with a decidedly 19th-century sensibility (even perhaps progressive for 1819, when Jews still could not hold public office in England). The narrator repeatedly describes the anti-Semitism of his characters as “prejudiced” and “bigoted.” All the characters seem to feel Rebecca’s beauty and greatness, but Bois-Guilbert is the only one who sees her as an equal, without qualifying her noble traits in terms of her Jewishness. Her race seems to be a non-issue for him. Contrasted with Ivanhoe, whose admiring male gaze turns into a demeanor of cold courtesy when he learns Rebecca’s descent, the medieval villain looks more and more like a hero for the 21st century. Could he be Scott’s real hero? 

Moving forward, the evidence piles in favor of Rebecca as the real star (despite her complete lack of mention on the back cover of my 1994 Penguin Classics edition). The penultimate chapter, the novel’s denouement, decides Rebecca’s fate in the Richardsonian narrative. The two chapters prior, separating the conclusion from when we last left Rebecca, in danger of being burned at the stake as a Jewish sorceress, are sort of like...okay, Ivanhoe, Rowena, Richard the Lionheart, blah blah blah. Every chapter in Ivanhoe is fun, and there’s a surprise in these chapters, but it’s ultimately an example of Scott’s mastery of the suspense trick of drawing out a cliffhanging moment by switching to a different plot, one that is slower and more predictable and less emotionally captivating. It’s all great reading, but whether or how Rebecca will be saved is what we really want to know, what we will read through anything to find out. Rebecca’s importance—and Rowena’s as her foil—is also borne out by Scott’s choice to close the novel on their farewell scene. 

The penultimate chapter contains Rebecca’s trial by combat. Rebecca’s life is at stake, but the real trial is Brian de Bois-Guilbert’s. Since backing off the whole raping Rebecca idea, he has saved her life and then put it at risk again. Bois-Guilbert’s rescue of Rebecca from the burning castle of Torquilstone, by the way, is an example of Scott’s practically cinematic sense of humor and flair for dialogue. Essentially, the Knight Templar appears in the room where Rebecca has been nursing Ivanhoe, when they’re all about to go up in flames; Rebecca is more fiery than the fire (“Rather will I perish in the flames than accept safety from thee!”); Bois-Guilbert picks her up and carries her off anyway (“Thou shalt not choose, Rebecca; once didst thou foil me, but never mortal did so twice”); Ivanhoe, unable to move, yells hilariously impotent threats of rage from his sickbed: “Hound of the Temple—stain to thine order—set free the damsel! Traitor of Bois-Guilbert, it is Ivanhoe commands thee! Villain, I will have thy heart’s blood!” The perfectly timed next sentence: “‘I had not found thee, Wilfred,’ said the Black Knight, who at that instant entered the apartment, ‘but for thy shouts.’”

After this daring rescue, in which the Knight Templar uses his shield to protect Rebecca at the risk of his own life as they gallop on his horse through the flying arrows of the battle, he spirits her to the prefectory of his Temple with the purpose of keeping her captive until she feels forced to “consent” to sex with him. As one might expect in the case of two equally indomitable people with a difference in values, this isn’t going well, until it goes even worse: the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, a stickler for all those pesky rules about not drinking and fucking, makes a surprise visit and finds out about Rebecca. The leader of the prefectory, who knew about Rebecca and was cool with it but has to save face for himself and his most important Knight, convinces the Grand Master that the Jewess has literally bewitched Bois-Guilbert (an easy sell). So in all fairness, she should really be burned to death and he should be given a few Hail Marys. Learning of this horrific prospect, Bois-Guilbert returns to Rebecca with his final offer: he will leave England, abandoning the Knights Templar in all its attendant glory and ambitious prospects, in order to save her, on the condition that she accompany him to start a new life back in the Middle East, where he can conquer everything (his reigning passion) there instead; if not, he’s not giving up his whole life for nothing, and she will see that “my vengeance will equal my love.” For the third time, Rebecca’s answer is that she’d rather die. Bois-Guilbert despairs, wavers, makes a plot to save her without compromising his position—he gets her, when inevitably convicted, to request a trial by combat, imagining that he can be her champion in disguise. Then he is required to fight for the Knights Templar against her champion (if she can even find a champion). Brian de Bois-Guilbert is like the third best knight in the world, so that’s probably a death sentence for Rebecca. He offers to save her again when she’s at the stake, with no champion for her yet appearing and time running out, and is again rebuffed. Ivanhoe rolls up at the last minute to be Rebecca’s champion, still really wounded, and his horse is totally exhausted. Under these conditions, the Knight Templar knocks Ivanhoe off his horse, as everyone expects. But no one, not the live audience, certainly not me, expects Brian de Bois-Guilbert to fall off his horse for no reason, practically untouched, and die. The Grand Master says, “This is indeed the judgment of God.” True to genre, the narrator replaces divine intervention in human affairs with a very Romantic and scarcely more probable explanation: “he had died a victim to the violence of his own contending passions.” 

Rebecca’s would-be seducer dies of being unable to decide whether he is a Mr. B or a Lovelace. Some readers may be left in similar indecision about how to judge him. Not so Rebecca, who has actually loved Ivanhoe the whole time, "imput[ing] no fault to [him] for sharing in the universal prejudices of his age and religion.” Rebecca is very unusual among Romantic heroines from the long 18th century in that her love goes unrequited. She may meet the type’s standards of perfection notwithstanding her Jewishness, but ultimately she cannot escape its limitations to claim her full literary-generic inheritance, the hero’s adoration. Happily ever after goes to the less deserving Rowena, and Ivanhoe only has the decency to recall Rebecca’s beauty and magnanimity “more frequently than [Rowena] might altogether have approved.” Rebecca must withdraw and devote her life to God. In this genre, there is no such thing as second love, and that is one of many points on which the narrator remains silent.

[dear-indies]

hey! i hope you're both having a nice day. i'm looking for some names that were popular-ish around the 10th-15th century, but all i can find are english names from that period. do you have any websites or resources to help with finding names from older time periods that are not exclusively english? thank you!

https://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ - Medical Names Archive -  Arabic, Persian, Turkish, 

Islamic, Central Asian, Ancient Iranian, Mongolian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican! 

http://rivenvale.org/heraldry/name-lists/ - Shire of Rivenvale - Asian, Jewish, Middle Eastern!  

http://heraldry.sca.org/names.html - SCA Heraldry - Society for Creative Anachronism -  Asian, Middle Eastern and Jewish! 

More links:

http://www.peiraeuspubliclibrary.com/names/asia/china.html - China!

If anyone has any additions please message us and the list will be updated! -C  

[deathsmallcaps]

Please note I haven’t take ln theology classes, am not a Lewis historian nor a British one, and after the next three paragraphs, it’s basically just my opinion and some speculation.

Just for the confused (like I was two hours and a wiki-spelunking ago), The First Council of Nicaea was where they finalized the Church’s official stances on some aspects of Christian beliefs in 325 AD/CE, such as that Jesus (or God the Son as he is called in the wikipedia article) is the same entity as God the Father, because the ‘essence’ of Jesus that God put into Mary came directly from God, and was thus existing since before the beginning, inside of and thus a part of God. Jesus therefore is just a different ‘aspect’ of God, just a different personality/face.

The Holy Spirit, which is basically the embodiment of wisdom, inspiration and hope from God, is also considered an aspect of the dude, which is where idea of the Holy Trinity comes from. This theological stance is called Homoousion. I’m 70% sure that the majority of *Abrahamic beliefs adhere to this stance.

What’s being referenced above is the idea of Arianism (not to be confused with Aryanism) where it is believed that Jesus is a separate person than God, instead of literally God’s vessel. That’s why some devout Christians feel funny when people have Jesus have a separate personality from God, or he is depicted as more human than godly, because to do so is blasphemous to the Homoousion stance.

As a person who grew up culturally Christian but with no strong ties to the church, I kind of go the Arian route. It may be because of these books, lol, although because I was not Bible trained some of the details within the book that would be easily understandable by devout Christians might have been unconsciously ignored or I interpreted them differently than what was meant. When I read about ‘the Emperor across the sea’ (I think that’s the title they used) who was Aslan’s Dad, I thought of him as a distinct person. I also thought that Narnia was Jesus/Aslan’s test run of being his own world-creator. Like, the son taking over the business while the dad retires sort of thing.

Also, Aslan hangs out in lamb form for a little while at the end of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, before sending the kids back to Earth. I think, because he himself says he is called something differnet on Earth, is also a reference to how he acts differently in Narnia. He is less of a sacrificial lamb (besides in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe) in this series, taking a slightly different role in Narnia than that on Earth. (“Course he [Aslan] isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." ... "He's wild, you know. Not a tame lion." - The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe). He rules less by gentleness and a little more by might.

That being said, the two heraldry animals that represent Great Britain is the Unicorn and the Lion, from when Scotland (Unicorn) and England (Lion) joined up. There is a nursery rhyme where the ‘Lion’ beats the ‘Unicorn’. In the Bible, the word taken to mean Unicorn in more modern retellings may have been in reference to an antelope or aurochs.

In Jewish myths Re’em were giant creatures that were too big to get into Noah’s boat, so they stuck their noses into a special hole the hull to breath in the boat’s air while they stood below it. David, back when he was a shepherd, thought it’s horn was a mountain and climbed it, and when it woke up and started walking, David was thrust into the heavens and was able to talk to G-d for a while.

So, there is no official Biblical significance when it comes to Unicorns, and there is little significance to them in the Narnia books, until The Last Battle, with Jewel. While I am no CS Lewis historian, I do know that he grew up when there was an emergence of Scottish politicians in the Greater British scene, he being a young boy when they had a Scottish prime minister. In between the World Wars, there was a movement for Scottish independence, although it didn’t gain much traction politically.

At the time of publication of the series, Great Britain still had a lot of colonies, and they all were more or less ruled by the English (the Lions), although it was starting to wind down. While it cannot and should not be denied that the other countries in the British Isles were involved with colonization, England was at the head of it.

CS Lewis was (Northern) Irish, and said he preferred Ireland, but largely stayed in England in his adult life because of his entrenchment in the academic community there, and possibly because he was upset by the secession of most of Ireland from the United Kingdom. Additionally, while born to the Church of Ireland and after a period of atheism, Lewis converted to **Anglicanism.

After WW2, Scotland’s secessionist movement started to take hold, and it scared many Brits (including, I assume, Lewis), although as of modern day Scotland is still part of the UK.

More or less, Lewis believed in the white man’s burden (basically its racism), and thought it best for the world that the UK stay together. So my theory is that while the unicorn that Peter rides in The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe (published in 1950) was more of a throwaway character, in The Last Battle (published in 1956), with the Unicorn Jewel, he was supposed to be a subtle representation of a Loyal Scotland. Jewel is known to be stubborn but ultimately loyal to the Narnian King of the book.

So while Aslan being a Lion could definitely be some sort of masculinity symbol, I think instead it is a reference to The UK’s power and the religious significance of the British royal family. Aslan/British Empire were, in the minds of the British, supposed to be gentle but firm rulers, of both the lands and the religion. The reason I got into all that Unicorn stuff is to support the idea of Aslan being referential to British heraldry animals and why Lewis chose to use the Lion instead of the Unicorn.

*Abrahamic religions, named after that Abraham who nearly sacrificed his son, are all the monotheistic religions that are or stem from Jewish beliefs, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Those are the largest religions, although there are smaller ones such as Druze, Bahá’í Faith and Rastafarianism. Those smaller ones tend to be ethnic religions (tied to a certain location and ethnicity) rather than universal (spanning the globe and many ethnicities).

Not all monotheistic religions are Abrahamic - for example, the Yazidi religion and ethnic group, when described in English, use many of the same words for the entities involved, but stem from old Iranian beliefs and are not under the Abrahamic umbrella.

** Anglicanism, also known as the Episcopal Church, is headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is personally picked out by the British monarchs. Idek what would happen if the monarch converted to another religion. But anyway this church is pretty loyal to the crown.

c. s. lewis making his jesus allegory a lion when jesus' canonical fursona is a lamb........toxic masculinity