Hi Frank - well 'Serbia' is easy, it was the place we (NATO) were bombing
at the time. There was a lot of disinformation about and the whole thing
felt very surreal, though infact it was a straightforward attempt to stop
the type of 'ethnic cleansing' directed at Kosovans that we'd so
signally failed to prevent earlier in Bosnia (elsewhere I post a poem about
Gorazde). It's worth noting here that the laughably named European Union
was entirely to blame for the precipitate disintegration of Yugoslavia, and
it was only the timely appearance of the Great Satan itself that saved a
Muslim population from certain genocide. There are some pretty short
memories about.
The 'Whitby' bit is more complex. It is a place: a small fishing and
trading port in a cliff lined coast that was prosperous in the 19th
century, and gradually became a weekend resort for middle income persons
from the industrial areas of Yorkshire, Tyneside and Wearside. Hence the
pier, iffy chips etc. Anyone from Britain would get these references. What
they wouldn't necessarily get is that the steps, cross, Caedmon, Hild, and
the rose window are all references to Whitby Abbey. And to the particular
historical period of those two persons.
In 664 the Council of Whitby was held - an historical event as significant
as the Roman or Norman invasions of these Islands (and the subsequent
course of history) but, cos there was no fighting, the thing doesn't get on
the syllabus. And anyway it was the Dark Ages. So they were very primitive
people. Right?
Ostensibly what it was about was the date of Easter. What it was really
about was a massively signifcant piece of realpolitik in which the Angles
had to chose between allying themselves with the civilising force of the
Celtic church - which would have seen them looking northward and across the
Irish sea in a sort of grand alliance with the Scots, Picts and Britains -
or chosing to support the (virtually barbarian) See of Rome in a highly
risky attempt to destabilise and eventually turn the southern flank of
their (totally barbarian) brothers, the Saxons. The deal on offer was: you
recognise our bishoprics and we support you as Rex Angolorum (King of
England), oh yeah, and seing as how we're the heirs to St Peter and have
the key to the gates of heaven (see: here's a picture) you get eternal life
thrown in.
The Celts on the other hand had nice books, good songs, a highly moral
culture and were to damn honest to throw in as many indulgences as you
could sin for in yr wildest.
So guess who won. Hence my jaundiced ref: to the rose window, like the war,
like history, like morality etc: just another comodity. 'only cost a fiver
for the lot'.
best wishes, John
----- Original Message -----
From: "Frank Faust" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 08 October 2001 10:25
Subject: Re: Caedmon, Whitby and reality, or otherwise.
I had a little trouble connecting it all up John. The chips and beer and
caed and hild and lecturing all fit, but I don't gewt whitby (probably
local
name?) and can't make the connect to Serbia.
Cheers,
Frank
The Tales of Faust poetry page can be found at:
http://www.hotkey.net.au/~flp/F_index.htm
>
>Donuts and Dracula (Whitby and Chips)
>
>we join the queue
>trip
>on the cobbles
>claim we're not afraid
>of the gaps in the pier
>
>we stand by the cross
>at the top of the steps
>and I give a lecture
>on Caedmon
>and Hild
>
>somewhere
>beyond the sea mist
>beyond the flit
>of the butterfly's wing
>and the peal of Easter bells
>lazers are guiding
>policy
>maybe
>nobody seems too sure
>
>we shrug
>dodge a wasp
>comment on the sautéed squid
>have another pint
>of iffy beer
>
>on the hill
>the rose window
>frames another wodge of sky
>only costs a fiver
>for the lot
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