Category: odds and ends

on re-writing the past

‘The winners write the history books’ may be a cliché but it is pretty true, come to think of it.

I’d been reading In the Shadow of the Sword by Tom Holland not too long ago, and his look at the historicity of the Koran was pretty new to me. In Islam, the Koran is supplemented to a large extent by the hadiths, which are sayings attributed to Muhammad and for that reason carry a lot of authority. Hadiths can be taken alone or can be used to interpret the Koran.

Holland argues however that for all the vicarious authority the hadiths carry, very few of them can concretely be traced to Muhammad, which to my mind raises questions about their historicity (and validity) to begin with.

Which got me thinking – most cultures in this world will fudge with history if they think they can get away with it, and/or if it suits them. Continue reading “on re-writing the past” →

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on the ending to gladiator

Quick post: anyone notice the ending to the film Gladiator and its vaguely gospel message? Nevermind the Christ parallels with Maximus in the last few scenes – dangling cross-like from chains (something mentioned in the DVD commentary), stabbed in the side, died to free his men, etc. – that’s just playing around with religious imagery.

But did you notice Juba’s parting words at the very end of the film?

He says to Maximus, now in the afterlife, whose death has saved Juba from execution, “Now we are free. I will see you again, but not yet… Not yet.” He then leaves the place of death and slavery to live his life as a free man.

That is, in a nutshell, the gospel message.

Probably a coincidence, but it would be awesome if the script writer had actually been trying something there.

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on comparing jesus to lots of things

Jesus, you are warm, warm like sunshine on the grass at the park, warm like a nice coat on a cold morning.

You are playful, like a light drizzle in the winter, like the birdsong in the middle of the night, like a little kid taking his first steps.

You are sustaining, like a packet of biscuits on a very empty stomach.

You are gentle, like the older brothers who sit me down and listen.

You are dashing, like a warrior marching to battle.

You are soft, like the breeze on my face.

You are fierce, like a bear defending her cubs.

You are constant, like the smooth surface of the third pillar from the right at the entrance to All Souls Church Langham Place.

You are just, like the constant sunrise.

You’ll come back, like you said you would.

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battle hymn

Son of God with flint-like eyes
Falter not though men despise.
Son of God, march to the fray
And may the King grant you this day.

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on language and national stereotypes

Like culture (and according to Matthew 15 various other output), language is often an interesting reflection on the people who speak it. Some observations:

The Japanese have a reputation for being introverted and closed, at least to non-Japanese. Having learned Japanese I think this characteristic is reflected in the frankly un-intuitive way the language is structured and taught, a labyrinth of rules, archaisms and barriers – no matter how beautiful it sounds. The Japanese practically invented a separate character system to differentiate between outside and inside. Japanese history is similarly written in a very user-unfriendly way. As an aside, Japanese gameshows and humour are often quite sadistic. Continue reading “on language and national stereotypes” →

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