Tolkien and the Romans Part Two

 

 

This odd looking thing is the Ring of Silvianus.  It was found by a farmer in 1785.  The front has a recessed portrait and the letters NVS and VE.  This is a signet ring, designed to be rolled onto hot wax and leaving a raised "signature".  Around the band is the inscription SENICIANAE VIVAS IN DEO.

Although this contains a typo and some sketchy grammar it essentially says:  "Seniciane lives in God".  It is the sort of saying that was current in early Christian communities in the 4th century AD, which is the presumed date of the ring.  

There is no actual documentation that Tolkien ever saw the ring or knew about it, but he was both very erudite and a bit closed mouth about his work, so....maybe.  But he does factor into the story.

In the early 19th century, and about a hundred miles from where the ring turned up, a "Curse Tablet" was found.  These are folded up bits of lead with an inscription on them.  Usually you'd hire someone to fashion it, dedicate it to a god, and leave it in a sacred place.  This one reads:

For the god Nodens. Silvianus has lost a ring and has donated one half [its worth] to Nodens. Among those named Senicianus permit no good health until it is returned to the temple of Nodens

Here's a sketch of the tablet.  

Note the name Senicianus.   Silvianus sure thought he'd swiped a ring, and for it to be a matter of importance it sure would not have been a bronze trinket.  The inscription on the band would be new, but the rest would probably be original.  

Tolkien was consulted on the collection of artifacts that included this tablet, and wrote a detailed report, particularly with regards to what sort of deity Nodens was.  He did not mention the ring, but the man who commissioned the study was aware of it and I think would have mentioned it.

It's an interesting theory.  Is this where JRR got the idea of a ring that would be a curse to those who stole it?  And of course from the perspective of Sauron, all future possessors of The Ring would have been thieves.

As theories go it is nice and neat.  Too neat.  Senicianus apparently was a fairly common name in 3rd century Brittania.  It even turns up on other curse tablets!  And Tolkien - remember he was not a particular fan of Roman stuff - was said to be more influenced by Nordic sagas in which cursed, magical rings - occur.  And perhaps by The Ring of Gyges, as mentioned by Plato.  It was also magical and gave its owner the power of invisibility.  I don't think the Silvianus ring does that, but I do note that there do not seem to be any photos of museum curators trying it on!

For a more scholarly look at the tablet and ring question I refer you to one of my erudite excavation colleagues who runs a site on the Roman Inscriptions of Britain.  He thinks there is no link. 

One final thought.  The Ring of Silvianus is unusual in that it is too large to wear on a normal finger.  It seems to have been designed to wear over a gloved hand.  Odd.....and if Peter Jackson's writing and research people knew about this artifact and worked it into the movie, well, I salute them.

Tolkien and the Romans Part One

As of this writing I am in limbo regards excavating in the UK next year.  We'll see if it works out.  I confess, my mind does wander back frequently to the stone ruins of Roman forts.  It's very thought provoking.  

Of course I'm not the first person to feel this way.  One of the earliest descriptions of the ghostly ruins of Roman Britain is called "The Ruin".  Written in the 8th or 9th century and included in a later compilation of works, it sums things up nicely.  Here's the first couple of lines:

"These wall-stones are wondrous —
calamities crumpled them, these city-sites crashed, the work of giants
corrupted. The roofs have rushed to earth, towers in ruins."

Of course it was written in Old English:

Wrætlic is þes wealstan, wyrde gebræcon;
burgstede burston, brosnað enta geweorc.
Hrofas sind gehrorene, hreorge torras,

If you pay very close attention a few of the archaic words make sense.  "Wyrde" has become Weird, a word for Fate that Shakespeare dredged up for his "Weird Sisters".  "Gebraecon" evolved into "broken", and "Torras" for towers.  But what about that word "Enta"?

If it seems a bit familiar its because J.R.R. Tolkien borrowed this word for Giants for his Lord of the Rings "Ents".  Later in the poem the word of "Orthanc" also appears, and became the name of Saruman's tower.  

By some accounts JRR Tolkien was not a big fan of the Roman Empire.  That being said, he certainly baked elements of Rome into The Lord of the Rings.  The kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor being split and one conquered, basically reflect the Eastern and Western parts of the Roman Empire.  Even Gondor (ok nerds, Minas Tirith)  as a city with Seven levels of Walls has a bit of the "Seven Hills of Rome" in it.

And what about The One Ring?  It is after all the central plot device for the entire trilogy, and is what links it to the earlier Hobbit.  We shall cover that next time...

Walking along the River

My dog Hank is an endearing simpleton.  He knows what he likes.  He likes these things a great deal.  Most everything else gets ignored.

One thing he likes a lot is: Walks.  With the delightful fall weather, and lack of rain, I've been able to take him along the rocky shore of our local river.  As there is nobody else around I can even let him off leash.  I'm looking for things I like.  Artifacts for instance.

But sometimes when I wander in new places I encounter the unexpected.  Check out this short video clip....

Huh.  So why would there be a bubbling fountain of water just showing up 30 feet off shore?  Perhaps a great Kracken is about to rise out of the water?

Well, no.  Turns out we were walking along the steep bank atop which stands the city's water treatment plant.  There must be an outlet pipe extending out into the river.  Not as unpleasant as a sea monster.  Why, there were not even odors I could detect.  Maybe Hank could.  Smells are another of the things he likes a lot.

Homesteading Home Stretch

The Homesteaders have had marvelous weather here in the home stretch.  The project was delayed a bit by the rains of June, but to have weather like this in the second half of October is a blessing.  

Fall colors with off grid power, solar panels and neatly stacked fire wood.

Or if you prefer, fall colors and ongoing work...

Much of the current work does not photograph well.  Drywall finishing for instance.  But my assignment was not inside.  It was necessary to add a layer of insulation under the floor.  The house sits off the ground - but not very darn far - so one person could crawl under while the other fed rolls of insulation in to be secured.  Hot, tedious work while lying on uneven, hard ground.

It's always fun to work hard alongside your children.  Unexpected conversation topics are frequent.  Such as...why are rolls of insulation called bats?  Well, it is a delightfully obsolete word that refers vaguely to rolls of cotton that had been pounded with bats, or batons if you prefer.  The name just stuck around for rolls of insulation.

OK, then what about brickbats?  A brickbat is a partial brick.  Here a little "Stonehenge" of brick leftovers has been set up on the picnic table.

Brickbat means a partial brick.  It comes from a middle English word meaning a lump or piece.  Perhaps related to the sense of things being hit or knocked with a stick.  In more recent years it has acquired another meaning.  Severe criticism, as in things like theatrical reviews.  Evidently brickbats were popular things to throw during riots and protests.  In more recent times they have turned up in the imaginative comic strip Krazy Kat, a personal favorite of mine.

I must admit feeling a greater kinship with Ignatz than with Krazy.

Robot Fun

Robot School machine is coming along well.  The criteria for the whiffle ball collector were:  sturdy, safe, actually works, and amusing.  I think they've nailed it.

We will convert the wooden parts of the prototype to metal in the next couple of sessions, and add the control systems and drive motor.

Here's something else fun.  The high school team has a new cnc router.  The learning curve has involved starting with easy stuff...and working on up.  Plywood to soft plastic to 1/8 inch aluminum and now the big challenge....making a part out of quarter inch aluminum.  

Noisy, and you have to work with a degree of caution, but this is "in house" capacity we've never had before.

Projected Images

There is so much politics in the air that my saying anything on the topic is akin to having a thoughtful chat while watching a chainsaw carving competition.  

I'd actually like to see some of the people now running for office turn up at such an event and try their hand....it might show their levels of talent and prudence!  This of course is the sort of Image that both Presidential campaigns are trying to project at the moment, and with variable levels of success.  

What follows is long, and perhaps only of interest to my overseas friends trying to understand the politics of the US.  But here goes....

Having earlier given my opinions of the "on paper" qualifications of the Trump-Vance and Harris-Walz tickets I guess its fair to also give my personal opinions of them.  Before doing so - and hold your fire Indignant Internet - I should state two sincere beliefs.

1. I believe that a healthy society needs the interchange between Progressive and Conservative philosophies.  I would not censor either.  Lopsided world views lead to stagnation or to launching off into poorly conceived nonsense.

2. Although I'm personally on the Conservative side of the political spectrum I have friends and family to the "left and right" of me.  None of them are Hateful.  We each see the world based on the places we come from and the paths we've followed.  Sometimes the view from the beginning, middle and latter parts of the path look different......

OK, now to it.  My opinions, or if you prefer, feelings, about the five figures in the Presidential race.  I'll run them from Most Favorable to, well, Least.  

J.D. Vance

A political newcomer but articulate, father of young children and somebody who absolutely beat the odds and made success out of a life that should have ended badly.  I read Hillbilly Elegy and found it authentic.  And probably not ghost written.  You actually want somebody who will care about those left behind by society?  How 'bout somebody who was, but rose above it.

Kamala Harris 

This might surprise you, but in second place for my "likeability" score.  True, it is primarily sympathy for somebody who is in way over her head.  In our system a Vice President is supposed to take a fair amount of criticism....its our way of expressing dissatisfaction with The Boss while not damaging the office of the Presidency in a troubled and hostile world.  Yes, Harris is a Diversity Hire.  But she did not create the times in which this is a possibility.  I'll save my more pointed criticism for a later and lower entrant on the list...

Donald Trump 

I've never liked the man.  He represents many things I find grating or even repellant.  Some of them are more a reflection on me.  I'm not fond of real estate developers, philanderers or frankly, boisterous New Yorkers.  The guy is a jerk.  After almost a decade of obsessive scrutiny it is unlikely that anything new - good or bad - will be revealed about him in the next few weeks.  He is a known quantity.  Bonus questions.  How many good men have been poor presidents?  How many bad men have been effective ones?

Tim Walz

We near the bottom of the barrel.  You may think I'm unfairly dumping on a guy whose entree to the national stage was just a few weeks ago.  But remember, I'm from Minnesota and live adjacent to it.  So I follow Minnesota politics closely.  In my opinion he's as bad a jerk as Trump.  His management of Covid and of the George Floyd riots was heavy handed in the first case and "What, me worry?" in the second.  He lies about all manner of things, which you can get away with when you have the local media in the bag for you.  My wife was puzzled when I mentioned his mug shot photo.  I don't respect a guy who makes political hay out of being "Coach" when he had to step down from that role when he was caught driving under the influence.  And then got the charges negotiated down to lesser ones.  Somehow.

I understand that people make mistakes and learn from them.  Evidently he has quit drinking in the wake of this, and good for him.  But the greatest sin in American Politics has always been hypocrisy.  And to be touted as "Coach Walz" and "America's Dad" just does not cut it with me.  He's a small time politician who has been allowed to skate by in his small time job.  Dad shouldn't drive drunk at 95 miles per hour.  And then make excuses.

Joe Biden

Well, here's what happens when a small time politician gets the Big Chair.  In our system when you are say, a Senator from Delaware, it is expected that you will reward your friends and punish your enemies.  It's how you get elected to seven 6 year terms as US Senator.  Usually, and this is very true in a single party state, your friends remember the favors and reciprocate.  And most of your enemies eventually shut up or sue for peace.  These learned habits do not serve you well when you are supposed to be the President of a polarized nation, nor when you have to deal with foreign leaders who don't give a damn.

Basically laughed off the political stage when he ran for President in 1988, he ran again in 2008 and dropped out early.  So he was probably as surprised as anyone when Barack Obama tapped him for the VP role.  But as per above, part of your job is to take the heat for The Boss and make him or her look good in the process.

Late in his tenure as Veep he probably figured his political life was done and that he and his family/friends might as well make a bit of cash.  Various dubious business arrangements later, Biden bank accounts prospered.

The 2020 election was one weird affair.  The shadow of Covid was over the land and campaigning from your basement was considered prudent and patriotic.  I think everyone was again surprised when Biden threw his hat in the ring; less surprised when he had a mediocre primary campaign.

Until....he announced that he'd only select a black woman as his VP choice.  And coincidentally, most of his rivals dropped out and he got critical endorsements that handed him the nomination.  

All this is just the "sausage making" of American politics.  But there was a huge problem nobody was supposed to talk about.  Biden was ageing rapidly.  It happens to us all in the end, and the Presidency ages people at an advanced rate.

I spent a career in medicine and was a darned good diagnostician.  I've also had two parents with dementia and physical ailments.  Biden's cognitive and physical decline during the course of his administration has been dramatic enough that desperate efforts to conceal it were to no avail.

That's sad for an individual, but more importantly means that jerks on the international level are emboldened to act with impunity.

He should have stepped aside mid term.  His party did well in the mid term elections and it would have given Harris a chance to show what she could do.  Or to let other Democrats step up and challenge.  But Biden hung on.  He presumably approved or allowed to happen, things that we have never seen in our political life.  An armed raid on the home of his chief rival.  Prosecutions of same by Federal and allied State offices, often on highly "creative" grounds and in front of very friendly juries.  There were even measures proposed to keep Trump off ballots, or to strip him of Secret Service protection.  

These are either the actions of a desperate regime clinging to power, or of a political party that truly believes what they say, that Donald Trump is a unique, singular existential threat to our nation such that anything is justified in stopping him.

The first option warrants rejection.  The second?  Well, once you normalize such measures you would have to have deep faith in the Democrats (or the Republicans ) that there would not be a similar hue and cry for whoever is brave enough to run next.  Do I have such faith in our politicians?

I do not.

I don't know what will happen, but what should happen is this.  Trump has a win large enough that we don't have to be scrutinizing ballots for a month.  Biden says: "I'm done", resigns and makes Harris President for a few months.  Let's get that Historic First stuff out of our system.  She and Trump sit down and make a list of people they feel were prosecuted/convicted on political grounds.  They make it public then split it up, Harris pardons the Republicans the day before she leaves, Trump the Democrats on his first day in office.  Our system is strengthened and Harris elevates her chances to become a serious contender next time around, instead of a political joke.

Hey,  all the rancor aside, it could happen.

Fifty Years in the Dirt

 Recently I changed my facebook photo to this:

I rather like the image....as several have pointed out there is clearly something interesting going on off camera to the right!  But it did prompt some old friends to point out just how long I've been messing around in the dirt, digging things up.

One sent this gem, purporting to be me and in 1985.

Uh, the guy in front, not the guy in back.

I've been digging around looking for things for a long time, probably going back not 50 years but 60, to when as a kid I would dig holes in the back yard of our house and find odd things.  Broken plates, marbles, that sort of stuff.

Still digging.  Guess I'll keep throwing the dirt out of the hole until somebody decides I'm Done and shovels it back in on me.