Wednesday 25 January 2017

Inter-Cosmic Echoes

When we read one work by Poul Anderson, we are reminded of others. Film makers might be able to evoke such a feeling. I suggested here that, in films of the Technic History, the Ythrian concept of "God the Hunter" should have a distinctive musical theme. That theme could then be played at appropriate moments in other dramatizations, e.g.:

"The weather felt suddenly less warm and she noticed too clearly how dark the sky was."
-Poul Anderson, "Ramble With A Gamblin' Man" IN Anderson, Tales Of The Flying Mountains, pp. 129-163 AT p. 130.

Meanwhile, this fourth of the seven installments of Flying Mountains evokes mythology. There is a "...zoo island Aeaea..." (p. 132) in Lake Circe on the colonized asteroid, Odysseus. And, in the Greek myths, the sorceress Circe changed Odysseus' men into animals on the island of Aeaea. Our much-quoted poet, James Elroy Flecker, also references Aeaea immediately before mentioning Odysseus:


but in that same  20
(Fished up beyond Aeaea, patched up new
—Stern painted brighter blue—)
That talkative, bald-headed seaman came
(Twelve patient comrades sweating at the oar)
From Troy's doom-crimson shore,  25
And with great lies about his wooden horse
Set the crew laughing, and forgot his course.
-copied from here.


























3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

How would you evoke, in musical terms, the Ythrian concept of God as the Hunter? Should the music sound dark,menacing, ominous?

And I wonder how Flecker came up with the idea of Odysseus as bald! Plus, given Anderson's fondness for Kipling, did the latter write any poems mentioning the Lord of Ithaca?

Sean

Paul Shackley said...

Sean,
Yes, menacing and ominous.
I have googled but not found any Kipling reference to Odysseus.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

And while Christians believe God is just, they don't believe He is menacing and ominous. Just another reason why I cannot agree with the Ythrian New Faith.

I keep thinking about Kipling because PA was such an enthusiastic fan of his works. I should look thru my copy of RUDYARD KIPLING'S VERSE, looking for references to Odysseus.

Sean