The screaming haka

 

The screaming haka

                                        Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

As the Women’s Rugby World Cup approaches its climax, the men in my family settled to watch the semi-final between New Zealand and France at Twickenham. They are agreed that women’s rugby is faster-moving and played more as it used to be in the men’s game. It was a good match and the final, later on this Saturday afternoon, between the champions, England, and Canada, promises to be entertaining, too.

The major attraction for me was seeing and hearing the haka. Haka are ceremonial Māori dances performed in a variety of situations, from welcoming honoured visitors, to funerals, to a pre-match challenge or symbolic throwing down of the gauntlet. When men perform the haka before a rugby match, their voices resonate around the stadium, a powerful chant reverberating in the chests of the crowd. It is thrilling.

Women’s voices are shriller, more piercing, so that the overall effect is of shrieking rather than chanting. However, the Kiwis gave it their all.

Packs of people shouting and yelling occur in less friendly circumstances, demonstrating in the streets against perceived injustices. I have it on good authority that a mob of women screaming obscenities feels far more threatening than a crowd of men doing the same. The fairer sex is less than attractive when protecting their homes or communities. Men are intimidated by screeching harridans.

The rugby final was won by England, with a score of 33 to 13. It was a good match, played with concentration and intent until the very last minute. There was no aggression, and none of the fisticuffs sometimes seen in the men’s matches. It was the second largest crowd attendance of all time.

It was good to see the Canadian Prime Minister there, but where was the UK Prime Minister?

Hearty phrases

 

Hearty phrases

A fashionable man in the reign of Queen Anne (1702-1714)

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Here are some encouraging phrases for use when you can’t think of anything else to say in what may be a difficult situation.

Adopt a ‘hearty’ voice for these phrases!

‘Best foot forward’ is a strange expression, since it implies one has more than two feet. There is a suggestion that it stems from a time, probably in the 1700s, when prospective suitors were judged on the comeliness of their legs. Apparently, men would add padding to their calves to make them appear fuller and better muscled. At the same time, footmen in grand houses were appointed for their appearance and needed to look attractive in knee breeches.

Today, putting one’s best foot forward means trying one’s best in attitude and apparel to make a good impression, particularly in job interviews. It can mean, simply, ‘buck up’. 

‘Buck up’ originated in the 1800s. A buck is a male deer, handsome, strong and virile. Young men were often referred to as young bucks, in their fine clothes. To buck up would mean to dress smartly and adopt a confident posture. Now, it’s often used in the sense of ‘getting a move on’; ‘It’s later than I thought – we’d better buck up.’ It is also used as a more robust alternative to ‘cheer up’.

‘That’s the ticket’ means all is well and you’re going in the right direction, making the correct decisions. It is a corruption of the French, ‘C’est l’étiquette’, meaning that’s the right way. ‘L’étiquette’ also means ‘the ticket’. In 16^th century Spain the phrase was adopted and adapted to ‘etiqueta’. It referred to the written rules of precedence and practice for the correct behaviour at court.

‘Worse things happen at sea’ is an idiom intended to make an unhappy person realise that circumstances could be much harsher. Obviously, disasters at sea often have tragic consequences, but it is difficult, in the throes of misery, to contemplate the misfortune of others.

In fact, all these hearty motivational expressions do more to reassure the speaker than the person to whom they are addressed. Nonetheless, rather than refraining from speaking, something seems to drive the urge to encourage. ‘Foot in mouth syndrome’ usually follows!

April A-Z blogging challenge 2012 G is for Glory

G brings us to the seventh of 26 short stories – 250 words or fewer - about Alice’s life and times.

G is for Glory

The first months of the war were surprisingly quiet and became known as the Phoney War. People relaxed and stopped carrying their gas masks everywhere. In the spring of 1940 they were made to think again when the Netherlands and Belgium were invaded and the battle for France began. Suddenly the enemy seemed uncomfortably close.

Letters home calmed the anxieties of Alice’s family but they had little idea where the brothers were. They dreaded seeing the telegram boy and sighed with relief when he passed by. One day in 1941 he stopped at the house. Edward was missing in action, presumed killed. He was just eighteen. His parents wept and Ruth and Alice did their best to comfort them though they could hardly stop their own tears from falling.

Three years later another telegram arrived reporting Charles’ death. His ship had been torpedoed in the Atlantic in early January. 

When VE day came in 1945 there were ecstatic celebrations for those who welcomed home their loved ones. There was proud reference to the sacrifices of ‘our glorious dead’ but the bereaved could not see it and could not rejoice.

Finally, Daniel returned. He’d left his legs behind on a battlefield but at least he had survived. Alice watched Ruth as she got ready to visit him in hospital.  She was trembling. Alice recognised her fear and hoped somehow Daniel would be the same as he had ever been.

She was thirteen - half her life had been lived in wartime.

ABC Wednesday Q is for Quebec

This 1797 engraving is based on a sketch made by Hervey Smyth, General Wolfe's aide-de-camp during the siege of Quebec. A view of the taking of Quebec, 13th September 1759

Library of the Canadian Department of National Defence

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The Battle of Quebec, otherwise known as The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, Bataille des Plaines d'Abraham or Première bataille de Québec was fought during the Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War in the USA) which took place from 1757 to 1762.

It began on 13^th September, 1759, between the British and the French on a high plain outside the city of Quebec in Canada. The land originally belonged to a farmer called Abraham Martin and gave rise to the name the Plains of Abraham.

The French, Canadian and Indian forces were commanded by Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm and Major General James Wolfe led the British and American soldiers. Montcalm’s men numbered 5,000 with three guns while 4,500 of Wolfe’s force went into battle on the Plains of Abraham with one gun.

On the night of September 12^th Wolfe’s force rowed along the St. Lawrence River towards Anse de Foulon where they intended to disembark. They drifted slightly off-course and landed near a slope. The 4,500 men scaled the cliffs and assembled on the plains in a single line of battalions.

Montcalm was unaware of their presence until the morning of 13^th September. At 10:00 am his troops began their advance. The British lines held their fire until their opponents were within range then loosed two volleys which destroyed the French attack. The British then advanced and forced the French to retreat from the field of battle.

The encounter lasted around fifteen minutes and was a pivotal moment in the conflict between France and Britain over sovereignty in New France, ultimately leading to the creation of Canada. French forces continued to battle and were victorious in several skirmishes but within four years most of France’s assets in eastern North America had been relinquished to Great Britain. In effect, the victory at Quebec marked the beginning of the end of French rule in Canada.

What of the generals?

General Wolfe had moved to a high point to see the battle action. Earlier he had been shot in the wrist but had wrapped it and continued to fight. Now, within moments of the order to fire the volleys, he was shot in the stomach and chest and carried to the rear of the battle field. One of the soldiers near the General shouted out, ‘They run, see how they run.’ Wolfe, who had declined medical assistance, asked what had happened, gave orders for following action and said, ‘Now, God be praised, I will die in peace.’ It was reported that he then turned on his side and died. He was 32.

Meanwhile, the Marquis de Montcalm had been shot in the thigh and lower abdomen while retreating but was still mounted. He was carried along with his army and eventually taken from his horse into a nearby house where he died the following morning. His body was buried in the Ursuline chapel in a crater left by a British shell. He was 47.

The Plains of Abraham are preserved in The Battlefields Park in Quebec City.

This meme is hosted and organised by Denise Nesbitt and her team. Click here to see more Qs.

ABC Wednesday – P is for Poitiers

The Hundred Years’ War was a series of conflicts fought intermittently between 1137 and 1453. It was waged between the Plantaganets and the House of Valois over claims to the French throne. The fighting was actually conducted for a total of 116 years punctuated by several phases of peace.

15th century illustration of the Battle of Poitiers 

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 The Battle of Poitiers was fought in western France on 19^th September, 1356, between the English and the French. An army of around 7,000 English and Gascons were led by the Plantaganet Edward, Prince of Wales, The Black Prince, supported by Jean de Grailly. The French and their allies were commanded by King John II with the Duc d’Orléans. The French troops numbered about 35,000.

When the battle commenced in the early morning the left flank of the English army pretended escape which caused the French knights to charge the archers. This allowed the bowmen to attack their opponents, and particularly their horses, with a rain of arrows. Though the horses wore armour their sides and backs were less heavily protected and the archers aimed arrows at the horses’ flanks. This was a well-practised tactic to halt cavalry charges since falling horses broke up the structure of the advancing lines.

The English archers used a six foot longbow made of yew. The bowmen used arrows measuring a ‘cloth yard’ in length. (A cloth yard is the distance between the tip of the nose and the finger tips when the arm is extended horizontally at shoulder height.) Their rate of fire was around an arrow every five seconds. When fighting at close quarters the archers used hammers or daggers.

The French infantry under the Dauphin (later Charles V of France) were the next to engage but withdrew after heavy combat to reorganise. On seeing this the Duc d’Orléans’ infantry retreated in panic. Finally King John’s daunting force was involved. The English had no more arrows so the archers joined the infantry and some of them mounted horses to improvise a cavalry unit. The skirmishing was formidable but the Black Prince had a reserve force concealed in woods which was called into action. It circled round to strike the French flank and rear. The French realised they were about to be surrounded and tried to retreat. After extraordinary resistance King John agreed to surrender with his youngest son, 14-year-old Philip, and many other notable combatants. He actually surrendered to a French knight who escorted him to the Black Prince. The battle had proved that superior tactics could overcome the disadvantage of greater enemy numbers.

Following the English victory Edward’s troops began tending the wounded and pillaging the riches of the French camps. That night the Black Prince entertained King John and his son to dinner.

France was asked to pay an exorbitant ransom for the King’s release. France refused to pay, the sum being equivalent to twice the country’s yearly income. The Dauphin Charles, who had escaped capture, faced rebellion across the kingdom as he tried to raise money for his father’s release.

Eventually King John was allowed to return to France in 1361, in exchange for hostages, to try and procure funds but after some time he returned to England, unable to pay the entirety of the ransom. He died there in 1364. Ultimately only one fifth of the ransom was paid.

Thank you to the Perfect Denise Nesbitt and her Promising team of helpers who host and organise this weekly meme. Click here to see more Ps. 

April 21st

On this day . . .
In Italy this date is known as the Birthday of Rome because the Roman Empire was founded by Romulus and Remus in 753 BC.
Henry VII died in 1509 and was succeeded by his son, Henry VIII.
In 1789 John Adam was sworn in as the first US Vice President.
Charlotte Brontё was born in 1816 in Thornton, Yorkshire.
Noah Webster published the first American dictionary in 1828.
Texas won independence from Mexico in 1836 at the Battle of San Jacinto.
Mark Twain died in 1910 in Redding, Connecticut.
HM Queen Elizabeth II was born in 1926.
In 1944 French women were enfranchised.
In 1961, at a war crimes trial in Jerusalem, Adolf Eichmann admitted his part in the Holocaust but claimed to be a small cog in the Nazi machine and not directly responsible for the murder of any Jews.
In 1966, Emperor Haile Selassie, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and Elect of God, visited Jamaica. The day is now celebrated at Grounation Day.
John W Young, USN commander of Apollo 16, became the ninth man to walk on the Moon in 1972.
In 1983 one pound coins went into circulation to replace paper pound notes in England and Wales.
Approximately 100,000 students gathered in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989 to commemorate the reform leader Hu Yaobang. He supported economic and political reforms but was forced by hardliners to resign as a leader of the People's Republic of China.

Latest threat levels or How to offend everyone in one short posting!

Barry recently received the following email:-


Latest threat levels
The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorised from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the English issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588 when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Dirty Bastards" They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country's military capability.  It's not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert.

Italy has increased its alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."
The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Blitzkrieg".

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Americans meanwhile and as usual are carrying out pre-emptive strikes, on all of their allies, just in case.

And in the southern hemisphere –

New Zealand has also raised its security levels - from "baa" to "BAA!". Due to continuing defence cutbacks (the air-force being a squadron of spotty teenagers flying paper aeroplanes and the navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister's bath), New Zealand only has one more level of escalation,  which is "I hope Australia will come and rescue us".


Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be right, mate". Three more escalation levels remain:  "Crikey!', "I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend" and "The barbie is cancelled". So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

L'esprit de l'escalier

Continuing my 'stairs' theme I came across this quotation - 'L'esprit de l'escalier' by Denis Diderot(1713 - 1784) and the loose translation that followed - 'Staircase wit' - meaning that the appropriate riposte or witty rejoinder only comes to mind as one descends the stairs from the drawing room; that is, too late to deliver.
What a neat phrase it is and one I fully understand. I am in no measure witty and can only ever think of suitable retorts a long time after the stimulus!
You can find out more about Denis Diderot here and here.

Horrors! Petition for France to Stop Using Live Dogs and Cats as Shark Bait.

Petition for France to Stop Using Live Dogs and Cats as Shark Bait.
To stop France from using live dogs and cats as shark bait. http://www.experienceproject.com/petitions/Stop-Using-Live-Dogs-As-Shark-Bait/1853815378
See Extended Info
Beneficiary:
Donations to the cause benefit:

SEA SHEPHERD CONSERVATION SOCIETY A 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Positions:
Innocent stray dogs are being skewered alive and being dragged behind boats as shark bait.
Please sign this petition to stop this inhumane practice http://www.experienceproject.com/petitions/Stop-Using-Live-Dogs-As-Shark-Bait/1853815378
The Sea Shepherds are offering rewards for people with info leading to convictions of these folk. Go to http://www.seashepherd.org/get-involved/reward
Category:
Animals - Animal Protection Welfare and Services
Description:
Please follow this link and add your name the petition. http://www.experienceproject.com/petitions/Stop-Using-Live-Dogs-As-Shark-Bait/1853815378Innocent stray dogs are being skewered alive and being dragged behind boats as shark bait. Help us sign a letter to the French government to ask for an end to this inhumane practice in Reunion Island (French-controlled). We are asking the government to make sure that this practice never happens again! The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is offering rewards for people with information leading to convictions of these folks. Check out our site at http://www.seashepherd.org/get-involved/rewards.htmlHere is an article by National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/1019_051019_dogs_sharks.html
FEATURED PETITION
HUMANE SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL Petition