Monday 4 September 2017

Sub Rosa

It really is necessary to check the meaning of any and every unfamiliar word or phrase in Poul Anderson's works. I have not been thorough enough as yet.

Dominic Flandry says that the Merseians would offer sub rosa help to a Terran Imperial Pretender. (A Stone In Heaven, XII, p. 167) Googling this Latin phrase (see here) reveals:

an ancient mythological explanation;
symbolism associated with Catholic confessionals;
Rosicrucianism.

And you cannot possibly get any more esoteric than that.

7 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

You're right, I checked! The origins, history, and uses of "sub rosa" was very esoteric!

Sean

David Birr said...

Paul and Sean:
The U.S. Army's Intelligence Branch includes a rose in its official insignia, explicitly because of that symbolism.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, David!

Because the US Army Intelligence Service collects and guards secrets? So, the rose would make a natural symbol.

Btw, we see mentioned in Chapter II of THE REBEL WORLDS that the insigne for Dominic Flandry's branch of the Imperial Navy, the Intelligence Corps, was a star with an eye.

Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

It also refers to going outside into the garden to talk about things -- "sub rosa", under the rose-bush (on a trellis).

Sean M. Brooks said...

Dear Mr. Stirling,

With the context being that such a conversation would be private and confidential.

Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Yup. And because rose-bushes were often trained around and over latticework pergolas, you couldn't be seen well either.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Dear Mr. Stirling,

And that's a nuance I had not thought of!

Sean