Three Hearts And Three Lions.
Carahue still thinks in very Muslim terms:
"'By the hand of the Prophet ... the Prophet Jesus...'"
-CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE, p. 137)
That reads like someone who is Muslim but trying to cover it and not very well because Jesus is more than just another of the Prophets in Christianity. (If Carahue was in my company, then he would be free to express himself however he wanted but he is in a milieu where these could be life or death issues.)
When a comic relief character dies, the mood switches from comedy to pathos. Hugi the wood dwarf's last words, addressed to the swan-may, Alianora:
"'Och, dinna weep... 'Tis aboot fifty females o' ma ain race wha' ha' cause to mourn. Yet 'twas ever ye who we loved best... I'd gi' ye guid counsel if I could. But the noise in ma head's too great.'"
-CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE, p. 147.
Holger prays: "'Ave Maria....'" (ibid.) We remember "Ave Stella Maris."
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Actually, the word Sir Carahue used was "beard," not "hand." And I don'd doubt the sincerity of his conversion to Christianity. Things like "By the beard of the Prophet" are simply examples of old habits lingering.
I just remembered something, the "Ave Maria" used by Catholics reached it's present form quite late, in the 1500's, I think. So, I have doubts it would be used in a Carolingian timeline which "feels" like something between AD 1100-1200. But, Holger could have easily picked up the Ave Maria in OUR timeline.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
My copy of THATL has "hand."
There is no reason to doubt Carahue's sincerity although I did think, at that stage, that Anderson might have been leading up to revealing that he was playing some kind of double game.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I was going by memory, and when I checked both of my copies of THATL, I found out I was wrong! Sir Carahue used "hand" and not "beard." I'm more familiar with things like "By the beard of the Prophet."
I think it's simpler to say old habits still affected how Sir Carahue talked.
Ad astra! Sean
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