WORDS AND WRITING

1958 Realising a Boyhood Dream

Yesterday on the spur of the moment, I posted the following comment on a Post on Facebook by the brilliant and devout young Priest Father Tochukwu ONYEAGOLU from Nigeria. Father had posted an extensive account of the life experience of a blog writer at the IMAGINATIVE  CONSERVATIVE:

".........I have come to love writing and discovered a natural talent of sorts, for it -  in Banking of all places, writing as an advocate, analyst, or opponent of some lending applications. As the clients went from private individuals to corporations to multi-national corporations, the skills had to develop and grow. Then I became involved in fighting the worst abuses of the post-Conciliar Church and then the financial reform of a major Archdiocese. Then I became involved in producing a Monthly Catholic Newsletter - "FOUNDATION", once again I was involved in Advocacy ( of Catholic orthodoxy) and the re-telling of History. But then came along the Internet and Blogs and Facebook. My Blogs "Vexilla Regis.Blogspot, But Nought.Blogspot, Edward Beckmann.Blogspot, Conrad Beckmann.Blogspot and Carl Dopmeyer.Blogspot are the major ones - the last three being on the lives of ancestors. Vexilla carries forward my Catholic advocacy. But Nought is a personal story of my life and likes. But all that being said, I have not got a creative writing streak at all - one has to be honest about one's limitations. "


So that was that. But not quite. It had set my mind to work about other aspects of the matter. It is a simple fact that I love, and have a great interest in words - their meanings, use, origins and fates.

Let me give an example: this morning there came to my mind the word "impertinent". It is a word that seems to be falling out of use. Whilst in its origins it obviously means "not relevant to the matter at hand, or to the circumstances being referenced, it had come to mean much more through usage : that is "out of place in an insolent or at least inappropriate manner", But To be useful in that sense, the word has to be employed in a firmly structured society. However, today we have a society in which "structure is falling apart" and is not well-regarded.

Some years back, I was in a clothing store when a young female attendant commented on the colour of the Polo shirt I was wearing, saying in effect, that it was a striking colour -an emerald green - that "most people couldn't get away with wearing, but that I could, because of my grey hair!" It was "impertinent " of her to comment on the personal choice and appearance of a client. But she was totally unmindful of the fact, and she meant no harm- nor was I really offended. But strictly it was "impertinent": out of place given the client /service person relationship. But changing manners had left the word without a job to do!

Another matter which my comment on Father's Post brought to mind, is how much I love recounting stories. This is especially so when through experience or learning, I am able to relate them in some significant way to either another story or I can cast some light on them from other learning - that is to say, when telling the story enables me to "add value" to the recounting.

A good recent example of this, is the story of the Roman General Paulinus and his 10,000 Legionnaries defeating 200,000 plus Britons in the Battle of Watling Road as we might call it - history did not give it a name. It was a remarkable victory for the discipline of the Roman Army. For the cost of  400 dead, the Romans killed 70,000 of the enemy warriors and several thousand of their female wives and camp followers. The remainder escaped for a time until Paulinus tracked them down and exterminated most of them. All of this came about because Boadicea the Queen of the Iceni Tribe and her two daughters were sexually assaulted by a minor Roman official in the course of executing an Imperial claim over the Estate of her late Husband. 

Boadicea was so outraged that she set about gathering all the surrounding tribes and finally almost all the tribes in England to rise up against the occupying Romans and their collaborators - often Britons who had become Wives of retired Legionnaries who had settled in what had become Roman Colonies. The revolt gathered quite a head of steam and sacked the Roman Capital of Britain at Colchester with the gruesome murders of thousands and their sexual assault in the course of that action. The details are too crude to relate here. The revolting Britons then moved on to London the commercial capital of Roman settlement - they burned it to the ground. When they had done with Colchester and London, they had killed and mutilated well over 65,000 Romans and their collaborators-men women and children.

General Paulinus had been in the South at Anglesea busily and successfully getting rid of the Druid Priesthood and their supporters when the unwelcome news of the Colchester and London horrors reached him. The remaining Roman forces in Britain were slow in getting the word and their response was inhibited by one of their Generals feigning ignorance of the situation and skipping the Country to Europe. Paulinus brought his 10,000 Legionarries to London but refused to stay there. He invited anyone seeking protection , to join his Army's Baggage Train. Along the Watling Road as it now is . he chose the battleground and waited for the slower army of 200,000 Britons to catch up.

For the Romans, this looked like a tragic "death and glory" last stand. but every measure was taken to ensure that it would be professionally, and with Roman honour, done. The result exceeded the Romans' most sanguine expectations. The Britons charged wildly in their customary ill-disciplined manner, fighting as Tribal Groups, subdivided into clans. The "hopelessly" outnumbered  Romans in the remains of three Legions, formed into three wedges as the hordes rushed on. They systematically attacked them with the short Gladius(sword) whilst using their Shields for protection and assault. The Britons had larger, heavier shields and spears, but were felled by the disciplined Romans. Simultaneously, the Roman Cavalry rode down the sides of the Briton hordes adding hugely to their losses and confusion. Soon the Britons were panicking and turning back in an effort to escape but they were knocked down by the forward surge of their rear fellows still rushing forward. Many it seems died, crushed underfoot by their own fellows.

Boadicea is reputed to have escaped with her daughters - she later committed suicide by poison.

Boadicea Statue at Westminster

Today, in the best British tradition, this inglorious debacle is commemorated by a heroic statue of Boadicea in a fictionalised version of her chariot beside the Thames and the approaches to London Bridge. The chariot is impressive in the classic European style even having scythes projecting from the hubs of its wheels! Unfortunately, that was nothing like Boadicea's actual chariot which had no scythes, whose brief upper works were wicker, and whose driver sat at her feet with his legs dangling over the front! But it is an impressive bit of statuary!

For the sake of modern (1902) political correctness of the patriotic variety, the woman is given her Icenae name "Boudicca" whereas History has used the Romanised form "BOADICEA". The same can be said of the statue which was entirely fictionalised and in fact not even cast in bronze until 1902 some 17 years after the death of the sculptor.

So writing can be a lot of fun and gives the opportunity, certainly, to add value to a story by adding to it more recent facets as in this case.