Delray Beach, Florida

Delray Beach, Florida
Nice architecture

Sunday, January 4, 2009

A Spin Around The Middle Ages

We haven't got a name for the new recently turned 2 years old filly yet, my bro and I, so it occurred to me to use poetry as my guide. But it's been an awful long time since I read any and I seem to have lost the use of my reading poetry gene. (You know what they say; if you don't use it, you'll lose it).
But with the help of 5 viewings of Shakespeare In Love consecutively, I thought I'd start with Greek Mythology on my quest to find the right combination of words to name this filly. A name is not just a name; it can imprint you with what could have been, what might have been, and what may still be.
Starting with Greek Mythology I came upon a website devoted to a small town in Germany called Minden (the filly's mother's name is Minden Mist) which lead me to a website devoted to the Minden Fair in Ontario. Which led me to a poem by Rudyard Kipling about the Men who fought at Minden ( and I believe some were decapitated) which led me to a piece about decapitation and human sacrifice in Greek Mythology. which led me to http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1172/does-the-head-remain-briefly-conscious-after-decapitation which led me to stuff about Other Mythology which led me to the middle Ages which led me to the Legends of Arthur and the Green Knight which led me to Middle English which led me to a website devoted to an eminent scholar at The University of Toronto named Ian Lancashire who specialilzes in all things literary and Middle English which led me (after just 4 hours sleep; I fell asleep at 3 am) to an interlude examining the use of the guillotine in France the ultimate story being the Marquis de Sade's commentary on the beheading of Madame -? who pleaded and begged for mercy on her way to the scaffold which disturbed me so much I had to turn the computer off. But the search commenced again this morning with a foray into a book about poor women in the middle ages (Poor Women In Shakepeare by Fiona McNeil) and a play by Thomas Dekker (ca 1550s) called the Shoemaker's Holiday which brings us full circle because Dekker was a contemporary of Shakespeare. But I still don't have a name for the filly. Maybe a literary type out there can provide one. The Mare's name is Minden Mist and the Sire's name is Bold n Flashy. I have about 2 weeks left before time runs out and I have to pay for the naming service. Right now it's free.

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A rainy day in Florida is Better than...

A rainy day in Florida is Better than...
a rainy day anywhere else