"Rinnaldir waited in purple and gold." (p. 368)
See the second line of Lord Byron's poem here. The poem recounts an incident described in 2 Kings 18-19 and Isaiah 36-37. Thus, "purple and gold" is both a literary reference and an indirect Biblical reference, fully appropriate to the lord Rinndalir who, on p. 364, quoted Pontius Pilate.
These many literally colorful details slow down any careful rereading of Poul Anderson's works.
10 comments:
Note that before synthetic dyes, colorful clothes were -expensive-. The dyes were expansice, and the mordants which 'fixed' them equally so.
Hence their association with drama, power and staggering impact.
To recapture this, you have to mentally transpose yourself to a world of drab off-whites, browns and greys as far as cloth goes.
Kaor, Paul!
Paul: Anderson gives us a direct allusion from Lord Byron's famous poem in Chapter 2 of ENSIGN FLANDRY, Commander Abrams speaking: "Tell his cohorts all gleaming in purple and gold..."
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
IIRC, synthetic dyes making brightly colored clothes much cheaper only began to be commonly used from the mid-19th century onward. Most people had to be content with off-whites, browns, or shades of grey in their apparel.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: Late 19th century, mostly, with a few earlier (mauve in 1856 was the first). The first few were discovered by accident, but Germany developed them systematically roughly from the 1880's on.
This had consequences all over the world -- it destroyed the indigo planting business, for example.
Note for example that in the 17th century, Puritan ministers and merchants often wore black. This was "plain", in their terminology, but also quite costly.
And in 1914, the French discovered that the cherished(*) red pants of their soldiers were no longer dyed with madder grown by French peasants; the dye was synthetic, and came from... Germany.
(*) "Les pantalons rouges, c'est la France!" exclaimed one deputy, when it was proposed to change them to something less conspicuous.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Noted, what you said about the rather late developing of synthetic dyes for brightly colored clothing.
And I think I recall mention of Anderson having his more prominent Roundhead characters in A MIDSUMMER TEMPEST wearing Puritan "civil black" if they were not soldiers.
The French paid DEARLY for their passion for colorful uniforms in the beginning months of WW I. All those bright colors and shiny metal made them perfect targets for the Germans!
Ad astra! Sean
The French were the worst, but they weren’t alone. When the German army decided to convert their uniforms to field-gray (in 1910), the Kaiser’s military aides drew straws to pick the unfortunate who had to tell him.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
At least Wilhelm II had the wit to accept plain field grade uniforms! And that colorful uniforms had to be relegated to ceremonial occasions.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: wilhelm had a saddle installed at his desk so he could sign certain documents dresses in full Cuirassier uniform, breastplate, winged helmet and all.
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