What kind of a medieval name is Salazar Slytherin?

[rymenhild]

It really isn't, and the_gentleman knows it. He has undertaken the monumental task of making the Founders of Hogwarts make historical sense, and, unbelievably enough, he's succeeding. He disdains the Founders' "crappy little nom de magiques" (Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor) as "14th century additions"; it's the only reasonable explanation I've ever heard for the philological mess that is "Gryffindor". In the post-1066 world where the_gentleman places the Founding, Godric (later called Gryffindor) is a displaced Saxon nobleman, Rowena (Ravenclaw) is an educated nun from an obscure Northumbrian convent, and Helga (Hufflepuff) is the daughter of a Danish trader. The real stroke of brilliance here, though, is Salazar (Slytherin), revealed by the_gentleman to be a Norman-Jewish moneylender whose name as we know it is an Anglicized form of Eliezer. No wonder Salazar and Godric didn't get along.

**

In my much-belated applause-of-friends meme, I'm up to muffinbutt. muffinbutt is an intelligent, funny lover of books. As the puppetteer for Bernard Wrangle, Head Bartender, Milliways Bar, she regularly has me laughing loudly enough to irritate my roommates. As a writer of Good Omens fic, she earns my admiration, and as the person who suggested to me earlier today that there was something unwholesome about Anne Shirley's love for the ghost of Matthew Cuthbert, she ... causes my mind to boggle. Wonderfully so.

**

It seems that instead of teaching Emma this spring, I will be teaching Great Expectations. This may very well be my least favorite book ever written. Charles Dickens is, in fact, one of the lesser-known reasons why I am a medievalist now. Oh, joy.

Comments

[caffeinediary.livejournal.com]

Blech Charles Dickens. I could never get into him. At least Jane Austen is funny and witty and wise (although instead of Emma I would prefer either Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility.

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

Oh, I would have preferred P&P or S&S too, but Emma sounds much more appealing now that I know what my alternative is.

[caffeinediary.livejournal.com]

I completely agree.

[prosewitch.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness... I'm sorry about Dickens. I read it once in high school, and that was enough for me. :/

[genarti]

Eurgh.

See, I even like Dickens, at least when I'm in the mood for that sort of longwinded, subordinate clause-laden meandering, stuffed full of Victorian romanticism and grittiness comingled. Great Expectations, though, I cannot stand. It was the first Dickens I ever read, in eighth grade English, and I hated every page of it; I was amazed to discover, come ninth grade and Tale of Two Cities, that he could actually be kind of fun after all. (To be fair, I haven't read the thing since, and it's possible that I'd like it better now. I have my doubts about anything resembling actual enjoyment, though.)

[obopolsk.livejournal.com]

That was a fascinating post about the founders -- thanks for that link! Am very sorry about the Dickens. :(

[cryptoquip.livejournal.com]

the_gentleman seems incredibly cool...wondering vaguely if this gentleman is related to another gentleman I know from LOTR fandom...probably not. Anyway. As if I have time to be reading novel-length fanfic these days...um, no.

Great Expectations is pretty rough going, all right. Sorry.

[ashen_key]

Heya!

Work called me up, I'm now working 1-5:30 as Dad was the one who said I was able to work. I am really, really sorry that I can't be around for the end of the GK thing. Also, I was wondering if you could have Mordred around for it. Not as himself, but as kinda a ghostly presence as he wouldn't miss this for the world, but maybe he doesn't want to ruin it by bursting out laughing? Or something? AH, I don't know, I'll leave it in your good hands as to what you'll do.

I'm really, really sorry about this.

Love,

Ashie (and Mordred)

[fleurdelis28.livejournal.com]

Well, you have Lousy Expectations...so I guess there's a sort of symmetry there.