tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post9024729074658470338..comments2023-10-12T02:21:40.102-07:00Comments on English Historical Fiction Authors: The Euhemerist -- Mixing the Lure of Legend with the Power of the NovelDebra Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256313302199653185noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-79123172768111409562013-10-13T08:13:05.340-07:002013-10-13T08:13:05.340-07:00Not sure if there would be much historical basis f...Not sure if there would be much historical basis for a 5th century Guinivere being burned at the stake. As far as I know burning at the stake was the punishment for a woman who committed high treason, for which adultery on the part of a Queen could be counted as such, in the Later Middle ages, so long after this period. English Ladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17806974885775295349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-46706393986951478582013-10-13T08:06:25.399-07:002013-10-13T08:06:25.399-07:00Christianity may have been more prevalent in 5th c...Christianity may have been more prevalent in 5th century Britain that is often made out. 'The Confession of St Patrick' for instance seems to show there was already a established church hierarchy, and if the work was written by Patrick himself (whose family had Been Christian for at least 3 generations) shows he was not only literate, but knew scripture too. <br />Gildas early in the following century seemingly lambasted his own British countryman for being bad Christians, but not pagans. Even Bede admits the Britons were Christians before the Saxons and Augustine....English Ladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17806974885775295349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-73234219863034619562013-10-11T07:47:50.210-07:002013-10-11T07:47:50.210-07:00Wonderful, imformative, witty post!Wonderful, imformative, witty post!Yves Feyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02515050739398339789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-41509603470586634912013-10-11T05:41:45.229-07:002013-10-11T05:41:45.229-07:00Persia, so delighted to have such a distinguished ...Persia, so delighted to have such a distinguished author as yourself here on EHFA! It seems a wonderful serendipity that I have just finished reading "Celtic Myth and Legend, Poetry and Romance" by Charles Squire (originally published 1905) in which he often uses the term euhemerist - it was obviously in currency back then. (He has an excellent section about how Arthur and his court were actually descended form the early Gods.) The freshness and creativity you have always shown in retelling these tales is greatly appreciated; you have certainly moved Historical Fiction forward through your work in a most positive way, and we all thank you.<br />As my novels concern 9th century Angle-land, as the Saxon kingdoms fell one by one to the Danes, the concerns of my characters have been similar to those of Gwen and her circle. Indeed, the history of Britain has been an history of invasion.<br />Thank you for dedicating your talents to being such a great euhemerist. Many thanks, Octavia (by the by, my husband is Lorna Shaw's nephew...)Octavia Randolphhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09280624466763859908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-50328285065331120882013-10-10T23:54:04.072-07:002013-10-10T23:54:04.072-07:00Actually, Robin Hood has had fantasy added if you ...Actually, Robin Hood has had fantasy added if you count TV. Robin Of Sherwood worked very well in that respect. It had everything from the Horned God to a golem, evil sorcerers, demons, you name it! :) oh, and a group called the Sons of Fenris. Hi, Persia?i read Child Of The Northern Spring many years ago. Now, am I right to remember that it had Palomides introducing stirrups to Britain?Sue Bursztynskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-72800411379362655592013-10-10T12:56:20.745-07:002013-10-10T12:56:20.745-07:00I've go to to agree with Anne; modern archaeol...I've go to to agree with Anne; modern archaeology and dna testing doesn't quite support the 'old view' of Saxons vs Celts, and for that matter no one in ancient Britain refered to themselves as a Celt either!<br />However, that aside, I do wholly approve of the idea of being a Euhemerist, stripping fantasy away from possible fact; deconstructing a myth, so to speak. I tried to do this in my own novels of Arthur, which are very different from any others that I know of, as they take the legends back to potential roots in prehistory, using Geoffrey of Monmouth's anachronistic tales of the construction of Stonehenge as a basis, as well as the highly mythological cast of characters in the Welsh Arthurian tales.<br />I also think that maybe there can be a reverse form of 'Euhemerism'...what would you call someone who 'mythologises' a tale? (Other than a 'fantasy writer' of course!!) I think, for instance, whereas Arthur might sometimes benefit from having the fantasy stripped away from his tale, someone like Robin Hood or Hereward might benefit from a little added!StoneLordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07338820506795034334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-45806357115067950062013-10-10T12:54:47.207-07:002013-10-10T12:54:47.207-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.StoneLordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07338820506795034334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-41570290560392817142013-10-10T05:39:59.074-07:002013-10-10T05:39:59.074-07:00No-one believes that old stuff about masses of Ang...No-one believes that old stuff about masses of Anglo Saxons driving 'Celts' to the West anymore, surely? See http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/mythsofbritishancestry/#.Ulaf5lWzKpg for example....(and much more elsewhere...)Anne Warehamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13102518926229038553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-58737094245719792762013-10-10T04:04:53.113-07:002013-10-10T04:04:53.113-07:00What an interesting, informative post. Thank you!What an interesting, informative post. Thank you!Barbara Monajemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06740868750916582900noreply@blogger.com