Father Tomislav knows of merpeople, Leshy, domovoi, poleviki and viljai. Is it feasible that such beings were known to exist back then yet are believed never to have existed now? Many medieval accounts that were thought to be fanciful must have been literally true.
If Faeries fades as Christianity advances, will Christianity fade as secularism advances? The Bible recounts what God did miraculously in the past whereas future histories recount what mankind will do technologically in the future. CS Lewis replies with his Ransom novels. A revived Merlin and descending angels will sabotage an attempted scientific reorganization of society. A likely story. Poul Anderson and James Blish show religious belief and doubt continuing to coexist in future.
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6 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And we see Brother Parvus mentioning the TRAVELS of Marco Polo in THE HIGH CRUSADE, a man many people in 1345 thought was a liar. So, it is at least theoretically possible some of the stranger accounts from Medieval times might be true. Some of them being collected and analysed by Fr. Herbert Thurston.
Or, it is just as equally likely that secularism, preferably only in many of its bad forms, will fade away if belief again becomes as "unquestioned" as it used to be. Because I do not believe orthodox Christianity, esp. Catholicism, to be contrary to logic, reason, science, etc.
And I agree with Anderson and Blish that religious belief and skepticism are both likely to exist indefinitely into the future.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
According to DOCTOR WHO, Marco Polo did not mention time travel because he thought that it would not be believed.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I don't think I can believe in time travel, either, except as a fictional hypothesis! (Smiles)
Ad astra! Sean
There are strong hints, as with the Alcubierre Drive and subsequent refinements of the original hypothesis, that FTL is possible. And if it is, then so is time travel -- they're mathematically identical, I'm told.
Re: Travelers tales that were not believed.
From Herodotus' Histories
"..Egyptian king Neco...sent out a fleet manned by a Phoenician crew with orders to sail round (Libya, what we call Africa) and return to Egypt and the Mediterranean by way of the Pillars of Heracles....These men made a statement which I do not myself believe, though others may, to the effect that as they sailed on a westerly course round the southern end of Libya, they had the sun on their right - to northward of them."
Of course this is the best reason later people have for believing the tale.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Jim!
Mr. Stirling: I would be DELIGHTED if advances in physics and technology makes it possible to use the Alcubierre FTL drive for interstellar travel. And disturbed, even ALARMED, at the prospect of real time traveling.
Jim: And we see mention of the expedition sent by Pharaoh Neco to circumnavigate Africa in THE BOAT OF A MILLION YEARS. Which Hanno the Phoenician used as a means of escaping hostile or suspicious persons at court.
Ad astra! Sean
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