In the earliest drafts of the opening chapters, he originally had elves and dwarves at Bilbo's birthday party.Yalensky wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 2:37 amI'm also reading LotR, having recently finished The Hobbit. I'm only a few chapters in, though. What surprises me (since my memory of reading it in childhood has been completely eroded) is how early elves appear, and how familiar they treat the hobbits, which I have trouble syncing with the supercilious image of elves I must've gotten from the film trilogy.
What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
Unsuccessfully conlanging since 1999.
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Man in Space
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Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
Reading: Aztec by Gary Jennings.
That's really what I aspire to, as a writer and conlanger. I'm just awed at how relatable and yet alien the Mesoamericans are portrayed. And every town, every people just comes alive and has its own identity, while still keeeping a sense of a common Mesoamerican culture. Just great.
I do have caveats: the main character, Mixtli, is ridiculously competent and lucky, which is entirely forgiveable though (it provides Jennings with an excuse to visit all levels of society from Motecuzoma to the lowliest slaves). I'm a lot more bothered with the over-the-top violence and sex. Not that I'm particularly prudish, but I don't think Aztec society was really missing more senseless violence.
Plus, the first sacrifice shocks you, but by the time I got to the dedication of the Templo Mayor I was just hungry for a burrito.
Plus, I don't buy that the Aztecs were that violent. We in Europe didn't practice human sacrifice, but between the Reconquista, the Wars of Religion, the witch hunts and the Thirty Years War we would go on to kill more people for our god than the Aztecs would have ever dreamed of doing for theirs...
That's really what I aspire to, as a writer and conlanger. I'm just awed at how relatable and yet alien the Mesoamericans are portrayed. And every town, every people just comes alive and has its own identity, while still keeeping a sense of a common Mesoamerican culture. Just great.
I do have caveats: the main character, Mixtli, is ridiculously competent and lucky, which is entirely forgiveable though (it provides Jennings with an excuse to visit all levels of society from Motecuzoma to the lowliest slaves). I'm a lot more bothered with the over-the-top violence and sex. Not that I'm particularly prudish, but I don't think Aztec society was really missing more senseless violence.
Plus, the first sacrifice shocks you, but by the time I got to the dedication of the Templo Mayor I was just hungry for a burrito.
Plus, I don't buy that the Aztecs were that violent. We in Europe didn't practice human sacrifice, but between the Reconquista, the Wars of Religion, the witch hunts and the Thirty Years War we would go on to kill more people for our god than the Aztecs would have ever dreamed of doing for theirs...
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
These seem to be common issues with the other Gary Jennings book I read, The Journeyer (about Marco Polo). Same sort of themes: a too-potent protagonist, violence for violence’s sake, mutilation beyond recognition, drug-induced states, a “true love” who dies along with an innocent child, incest of one form or another, and the like. Lovely world-building, true, but some of the liberties taken (like Scheherazade being an overbearing nag) somewhat offended my Ottoman side, and made me ponder how much of Aztec was exaggerated or hyped-up.Ars Lande wrote: ↑Mon Jul 20, 2020 5:27 am Reading: Aztec by Gary Jennings.
That's really what I aspire to, as a writer and conlanger. I'm just awed at how relatable and yet alien the Mesoamericans are portrayed. And every town, every people just comes alive and has its own identity, while still keeeping a sense of a common Mesoamerican culture. Just great.
I do have caveats: the main character, Mixtli, is ridiculously competent and lucky, which is entirely forgiveable though (it provides Jennings with an excuse to visit all levels of society from Motecuzoma to the lowliest slaves). I'm a lot more bothered with the over-the-top violence and sex. Not that I'm particularly prudish, but I don't think Aztec society was really missing more senseless violence.
Plus, the first sacrifice shocks you, but by the time I got to the dedication of the Templo Mayor I was just hungry for a burrito.
Plus, I don't buy that the Aztecs were that violent. We in Europe didn't practice human sacrifice, but between the Reconquista, the Wars of Religion, the witch hunts and the Thirty Years War we would go on to kill more people for our god than the Aztecs would have ever dreamed of doing for theirs...
(On the plus side, though, Aztec did give me some ideas for Salvi, in the form of pedestrian travel, experimentation with crystals and ivory and stone, and the structures of government. And you’re quite right, the world-building is absolutely superb where it’s allowed to be, from the little quarry town to Texcoco to the southern jungles to what I’m fairly sure is the Sonoran Desert. Also I should rather like to learn Nahuatl, and see whether or not the actual poetry recited matches the material found in the book; guess it’d be better to finish with Finnish first, though...)
My name means either "person who trumpets minor points of learning" or "maker of words." That fact that it means the latter in Sindarin is a demonstration of the former. Beware.
Spell Merchant | Patreon
Spell Merchant | Patreon
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
I read two books on eForth by C. H. Ting over my vacation last week.
Yaaludinuya siima d'at yiseka wohadetafa gaare.
Ennadinut'a gaare d'ate eetatadi siiman.
T'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa.
Ennadinut'a gaare d'ate eetatadi siiman.
T'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa.
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
The History of the Conquest of New Spain , by Bernal Díaz del Castillo.
Or, actually, the good bits, that is chapters 19-157 which cover 1519 to 1521 and the conquest of the Aztec empire.
The story is of course fascinating, and Diaz is a masterful storyteller. The tension and suspense while the Spaniards journey to Mexico is extremely well-done. I found myself really looking forward to meeting 'The Great Montezuma', as he calls him.
La Noche Triste and the siege of Tenochtitlan are incredibly told. George R.R. Martin, eat your heart out. You really do feel the horror of standing, defeated, on the shores of Lake Texcoco as the drums roll, the Mexica sound the horns and Diaz sees what happens of his comrades on the Templo Mayor...
You also get the full horrific experience of walking through the streets of Tenochtitlan after the siege.
Still, the book is a little hard to like at times, for a very simple reason: the past really is a foreign country. It's almost impossible to relate to the conquistadors. They're mostly greedy, dull and cowardly, constantly infighting, bickering, raping everything in sight, obsessed with petty grievances and pretty much uninterested in anything that isn't gold and can't be enslaved. The same applies to Bernal, indifferent to native civilization, and obsessed about his diseases, his wounds, and his love-hate relationship with Cortés.
Cortés is an interesting character: he's the only Spaniard with any brains, charismatic and fairly sympathetic. He's also a pirate and a con artist. He sets off from Cuba on an unauthorized expedition, and manages to get rid of the guy sent to get him back; he manages to manipulate his troops into fighting in an incredibly desperate enterprise and cheats them of most, if not all, of the profits and glory (though they are pretty dim).
A telling statistic: of the five hundred that fought with Cortés, only five are still alive by the time Díaz writes his chronicle. Most of them died in battle or were sacrificed; most of the rest of 'buboes' (smallpox? syphillis?).
If Díaz was any way awed by being in the New Word, or interested in any way by encountering an unknown civilization, he does his best to hide it. but once the Mexican natives start fighting back, though, he starts talking of them with a lot of respect. Díaz is a military man. and you really get the importance of logistics. At all points in the story he's careful to say where the food comes from; he also spends a whole chapter talking about pigs.
Guns and horses were important, but not as much as you'd expect. Horses are really expensive, and not really useful: most of the terrain is either mountainous or swampy. They're useful for an initial scare, and then the bulk of the work is done with crossbows and swords.
Perhaps the real advantage the West had is that we've been taking over entire civilizations for millenia. Cortés' strategy is right out of Julius Caesar: use a marginal advantage to scare a city, then offer peace and 'forgiveness', and point out the advantages of an alliance. That way he manages to rally pretty much everyone around against the Mexica.
No forced conversions yet. The conquistadors try it early on; the priests they brought along point out that it's best to wait until the locals come around.
To the Spaniards, 'Huichilobos and Tezcatepeca' (Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca) are very, very real. They're demons, and fortunately mostly intent on tricking the Mexica. Attemps to get rid of 'idol worship' progress from zealous to half-assed. Realpolitik.
Montezuma is a fascinating character. The Spaniards take a liking to him almost instantly; he's a top-notch politician and smarter than all of the conquistadors by a great deal. He figures out quickly who's who among the Spanish, and it's pretty clear he had a plan. Too bad we'll never find out what it was.
He's a prisoner, though the Spaniards can't really enforce the hostage situation (they're right in the middle of one of the largest cities in the World, with only three roads to escape, and surrounded by very, very angry Mexica). At one point, he goes out, and performs himself a few human sacrifices (one of his many duties). Cortés is naturally horrified, but he can't do anything about it. At some point, a priest in the party suggests building a chapel to the Virgin Mary on the Templo Mayor (I don't get the logic here, but OK). The request is denied, of course.
Ultimately, the situation is untenable. Various relatives of Montezuma kick out the Spaniards out of Tenochtitlan; Montezuma himself is killed in a riot.
Well, I've been rambling for way too long. Let's wrap this up
The human sacrifices are horrifying, but Cortés' allies are in it for the blood, too, to which he turns a blind eye. The conquistadors don't sacrifice anyone of course, but they seem intent on raping all the women. Díaz mentions capturing 'Indian women' casually, when you try to make a count it gets pretty dizzying.
A few surprises:
Or, actually, the good bits, that is chapters 19-157 which cover 1519 to 1521 and the conquest of the Aztec empire.
The story is of course fascinating, and Diaz is a masterful storyteller. The tension and suspense while the Spaniards journey to Mexico is extremely well-done. I found myself really looking forward to meeting 'The Great Montezuma', as he calls him.
La Noche Triste and the siege of Tenochtitlan are incredibly told. George R.R. Martin, eat your heart out. You really do feel the horror of standing, defeated, on the shores of Lake Texcoco as the drums roll, the Mexica sound the horns and Diaz sees what happens of his comrades on the Templo Mayor...
You also get the full horrific experience of walking through the streets of Tenochtitlan after the siege.
Still, the book is a little hard to like at times, for a very simple reason: the past really is a foreign country. It's almost impossible to relate to the conquistadors. They're mostly greedy, dull and cowardly, constantly infighting, bickering, raping everything in sight, obsessed with petty grievances and pretty much uninterested in anything that isn't gold and can't be enslaved. The same applies to Bernal, indifferent to native civilization, and obsessed about his diseases, his wounds, and his love-hate relationship with Cortés.
Cortés is an interesting character: he's the only Spaniard with any brains, charismatic and fairly sympathetic. He's also a pirate and a con artist. He sets off from Cuba on an unauthorized expedition, and manages to get rid of the guy sent to get him back; he manages to manipulate his troops into fighting in an incredibly desperate enterprise and cheats them of most, if not all, of the profits and glory (though they are pretty dim).
A telling statistic: of the five hundred that fought with Cortés, only five are still alive by the time Díaz writes his chronicle. Most of them died in battle or were sacrificed; most of the rest of 'buboes' (smallpox? syphillis?).
If Díaz was any way awed by being in the New Word, or interested in any way by encountering an unknown civilization, he does his best to hide it. but once the Mexican natives start fighting back, though, he starts talking of them with a lot of respect. Díaz is a military man. and you really get the importance of logistics. At all points in the story he's careful to say where the food comes from; he also spends a whole chapter talking about pigs.
Guns and horses were important, but not as much as you'd expect. Horses are really expensive, and not really useful: most of the terrain is either mountainous or swampy. They're useful for an initial scare, and then the bulk of the work is done with crossbows and swords.
Perhaps the real advantage the West had is that we've been taking over entire civilizations for millenia. Cortés' strategy is right out of Julius Caesar: use a marginal advantage to scare a city, then offer peace and 'forgiveness', and point out the advantages of an alliance. That way he manages to rally pretty much everyone around against the Mexica.
No forced conversions yet. The conquistadors try it early on; the priests they brought along point out that it's best to wait until the locals come around.
To the Spaniards, 'Huichilobos and Tezcatepeca' (Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca) are very, very real. They're demons, and fortunately mostly intent on tricking the Mexica. Attemps to get rid of 'idol worship' progress from zealous to half-assed. Realpolitik.
Montezuma is a fascinating character. The Spaniards take a liking to him almost instantly; he's a top-notch politician and smarter than all of the conquistadors by a great deal. He figures out quickly who's who among the Spanish, and it's pretty clear he had a plan. Too bad we'll never find out what it was.
He's a prisoner, though the Spaniards can't really enforce the hostage situation (they're right in the middle of one of the largest cities in the World, with only three roads to escape, and surrounded by very, very angry Mexica). At one point, he goes out, and performs himself a few human sacrifices (one of his many duties). Cortés is naturally horrified, but he can't do anything about it. At some point, a priest in the party suggests building a chapel to the Virgin Mary on the Templo Mayor (I don't get the logic here, but OK). The request is denied, of course.
Ultimately, the situation is untenable. Various relatives of Montezuma kick out the Spaniards out of Tenochtitlan; Montezuma himself is killed in a riot.
Well, I've been rambling for way too long. Let's wrap this up
The human sacrifices are horrifying, but Cortés' allies are in it for the blood, too, to which he turns a blind eye. The conquistadors don't sacrifice anyone of course, but they seem intent on raping all the women. Díaz mentions capturing 'Indian women' casually, when you try to make a count it gets pretty dizzying.
A few surprises:
- The Mexica are judged with respect, and as honorable enemies, not as inferiors. Well, at least the upper class.
- The conquistadors eat a lot of dog ( a staple meat in Mesoamerica). This is treated as completely natural.
- It seems at the end of the campaign, the conquistadors had learned a little Nahuatl, but everything still went through translators: Aguilar and La Malinche, a native woman.
- We don't get to see much of La Malinche, though, except that we're told she's a very noble lady, in all senses. I do wonder if she wasn't the brains of the outfit.
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
Alter Mann by Rammstein
Yaaludinuya siima d'at yiseka wohadetafa gaare.
Ennadinut'a gaare d'ate eetatadi siiman.
T'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa.
Ennadinut'a gaare d'ate eetatadi siiman.
T'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa.
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
Continuing my Mesoamerican reading binge: Le sacrifice humain chez les Aztèques, Michel Graulich.
Human sacrifice stems from the incredibly strange, baroque and intricate Mesoamerican religion (which still bears more than a passing resemblance with Christianity, especially Catholicism!). It's actually a fair bit more gruesome than is usually reported.
Quick review: your conworld isn't weird enough. Neither is mine. Neither is anyone's.
All that reading on Mesoamerica is seriously slowing down my conworlding: my culture aren't nowhere near as alien as they could be.
Human sacrifice stems from the incredibly strange, baroque and intricate Mesoamerican religion (which still bears more than a passing resemblance with Christianity, especially Catholicism!). It's actually a fair bit more gruesome than is usually reported.
Quick review: your conworld isn't weird enough. Neither is mine. Neither is anyone's.
All that reading on Mesoamerica is seriously slowing down my conworlding: my culture aren't nowhere near as alien as they could be.
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
Would you mind expanding on this? I’ve been wanting to make a conworld for a while now, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet, and I’d appreciate some information about this stuff before I make anything in detail.
(I do appreciate that this is a wild tangent from what this thread is meant for, but this stuff just sounds really interesting — I want to know more about it!)
Conlangs: Scratchpad | Texts | antilanguage
Software: See http://bradrn.com/projects.html
Other: Ergativity for Novices
(Why does phpBB not let me add >5 links here?)
Software: See http://bradrn.com/projects.html
Other: Ergativity for Novices
(Why does phpBB not let me add >5 links here?)
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
Sure!bradrn wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 3:35 amWould you mind expanding on this? I’ve been wanting to make a conworld for a while now, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet, and I’d appreciate some information about this stuff before I make anything in detail.
(I do appreciate that this is a wild tangent from what this thread is meant for, but this stuff just sounds really interesting — I want to know more about it!)
'Your conworld isn't weird enough' is meant as a joke! There's no requirement that conworlds should be completely alien, and for that matter I like European-like conworlds just fine. I'm still a big fan of Verduria, Sapkowski did extremely clever things with a standard medieval conworld in the Witcher. You get the idea. Not every conworld has to feature googly-eyed gods and cannibalism.
My (very specific) problem is that my own conworld is meant to be sort of naturalistic, a kind of 'what if there
were humans on an alien planet' and yet nowhere near as alien as, say, Mesoamerican could be.
Discussion on Mesoamerica and the Mexica deserves a thread of its own. Stay tuned for the upcoming 'Meet the Mexica' thread.
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
Well, as it happens, your problem can’t be too specific since I’ve been thinking the same thing! I was also planning for my conworld to be, in your words, a kind of ‘what if there were humans on an alien planet’ thing — hence my interest in the matter.Ares Land wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 2:24 pmSure!bradrn wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 3:35 amWould you mind expanding on this? I’ve been wanting to make a conworld for a while now, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet, and I’d appreciate some information about this stuff before I make anything in detail.
(I do appreciate that this is a wild tangent from what this thread is meant for, but this stuff just sounds really interesting — I want to know more about it!)
'Your conworld isn't weird enough' is meant as a joke! There's no requirement that conworlds should be completely alien, and for that matter I like European-like conworlds just fine. I'm still a big fan of Verduria, Sapkowski did extremely clever things with a standard medieval conworld in the Witcher. You get the idea. Not every conworld has to feature googly-eyed gods and cannibalism.
My (very specific) problem is that my own conworld is meant to be sort of naturalistic, a kind of 'what if there
were humans on an alien planet' and yet nowhere near as alien as, say, Mesoamerican could be.
And I don’t see ‘Your conworld isn't weird enough’ as a joke at all; in fact, I’ve been thinking along much the same lines recently, in large part due to the stuff I’ve been reading. Recently I read Tom Holland’s book Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind; it’s about how many of the things we take for granted are actually products of the (Judeo-)Christian tradition. (A particularly striking example: ‘all men are created equal’ has never been particularly ‘self-evident’; neither has the idea that it is good to give charity.) I’m sure it would be boring for someone better versed in history, but for someone like me who knows nothing of ancient history, it’s pretty interesting.
And while I’m recommending books I should also mention John James’s Votan, another book I’ve finished recently. It’s historical fiction rather than non-fiction, but it’s pretty interesting nonetheless. I can only quote Neil Gaiman’s introduction to the book; he says it better than I can:
I’ve never read Jennings’s Aztec, but it does sound from your description like the two books are quite similar in aim: historical fiction, but with a protagonist of that time rather than ours. (In general, it sounds like Votan may have slightly more of a magical realist feel than Aztec, and may be a bit less faithful to real history, but the essential similarity is still there.) Of course, an ancient Greek/German trader is more relatable than anyone from ancient Mesoamerica, but some of what he does is still quite shocking from a modern point of view.Neil Gaiman wrote: Photinus’s [the protagonist’s] mind and his point of view … is not ours. It is his voice that lingers longest for me. His attitudes and his world are those of the past. Occasionally he commits atrocities. He does not have a twenty-first-century head. Many characters in historical novels are us, with our point of view, wearing fancy dress. Votan’s [the protagonist again] dress is rarely fancy. The conceit that all protagonists in historical novels should share our values, our prejudices and our desires is a fine one … and it is much more difficult and much more of an adventure to create characters who are not us, do not believe what we believe, but see things in a way that is alien to us and our time.
Ooh, yes please!Discussion on Mesoamerica and the Mexica deserves a thread of its own. Stay tuned for the upcoming 'Meet the Mexica' thread.
Conlangs: Scratchpad | Texts | antilanguage
Software: See http://bradrn.com/projects.html
Other: Ergativity for Novices
(Why does phpBB not let me add >5 links here?)
Software: See http://bradrn.com/projects.html
Other: Ergativity for Novices
(Why does phpBB not let me add >5 links here?)
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmCjqDlJIGg
Probably I remember this specific song because I was 14 and somehow still thought it was Latin. A bit embarrassing since I'd already acquired considerable linguistic and religious knowledge by that point. But also it has a catchy melody. There is a different melody to the same song that seems more popular among Jews .... the singers of this group are Christians.
Probably I remember this specific song because I was 14 and somehow still thought it was Latin. A bit embarrassing since I'd already acquired considerable linguistic and religious knowledge by that point. But also it has a catchy melody. There is a different melody to the same song that seems more popular among Jews .... the singers of this group are Christians.
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
I haven't read it yet, but I received the Art of Electronics, 3rd edition, by Paul Horowitz this morning.
Yaaludinuya siima d'at yiseka wohadetafa gaare.
Ennadinut'a gaare d'ate eetatadi siiman.
T'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa.
Ennadinut'a gaare d'ate eetatadi siiman.
T'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa.
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Moose-tache
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Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
Ursula K LeGuin is one of my favorite SF authors of all time, but I have always struggled to get into her fantasy writing. I recently read Tales from Earthsea, and couldn't get halfway without putting it down for good. Why? How can someone with such talent be so bad in one specific genre? I know Earthsea is "for kids," but that doesn't mean the plots have to contradict themselves, and the characters have to be flat and boring, does it?
I did it. I made the world's worst book review blog.
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
I'm not currently reading anything in particular. I love to read but after a while I get book-fatigue and end up just not reading anything for a few weeks. Though I have just picked up a grammar book: The Syntax of Welsh published by Cambridge University Press – I got it via Abe Books for £3!
TV-wise I've watched the first three episodes of The Boys on Amazon (I think it's excellent but if the word c**t offends you, I'd give it a miss); I've just discovered Criminal UK on Netflix – another quality programme with some excellent British talent. Listening? Well I get my usual intake of prog-rock, but I've been loving a bit of Dire Straits recently.
TV-wise I've watched the first three episodes of The Boys on Amazon (I think it's excellent but if the word c**t offends you, I'd give it a miss); I've just discovered Criminal UK on Netflix – another quality programme with some excellent British talent. Listening? Well I get my usual intake of prog-rock, but I've been loving a bit of Dire Straits recently.
Unsuccessfully conlanging since 1999.
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dɮ the phoneme
- Posts: 359
- Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2018 2:53 am
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- Contact:
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
I'm currently reading The Making of Modern Japan by Marius Jansen. It covers the history of the country roughly from the unification period (late 16th century) to the late twentieth century. I'm currently less than a fourth of way through its 800 or so pages, but my thoughts are mostly positive so far. It's an eminently readable book, but it's a bit light on certain types of details that I'd really like to know. Like, what was the legal status of property held by Samurai in the Tokugawa period? Was it different for daimyo than for lower-ranking lords? And what exactly, specifically *constitutes* a Samurai house to begin with?
Some of the phrasing Jansen uses seems to suggest that the answers to these questions are, respectively: "not ownership per-se, something like trust from the Shogun, but also kinda like ownership sometimes, actually", "yes", and "who even knows". I understand why Jansen chose to skimp out on details for each of these issues. They're each massive, book-worthy topics in their own right, and a detour to explain each one would come at the cost of the scope Jansen is aiming for. After all, the book is about more than just the Tokugawa period! And probably what I need to do if I actually want answers to these questions is find a good analysis of the buke shohatto somewhere.
The reason I bring this up, though, is because without this sort of specific information, it's difficult for me to understand the incentive structures in play. I'm constantly left with a sense of general confusion at why the shogun or some daimyo chose to handle situation X with policy Y or what have you, and it stems from my just not *quite* having a grasp on what the legal/political landscape looks like in more than generalities.
Anyway, that's more an issue of mine than any kind of problem with the book, which is very well written and has so far served as a fantastic jumping off point for me to look into these other questions.
Some of the phrasing Jansen uses seems to suggest that the answers to these questions are, respectively: "not ownership per-se, something like trust from the Shogun, but also kinda like ownership sometimes, actually", "yes", and "who even knows". I understand why Jansen chose to skimp out on details for each of these issues. They're each massive, book-worthy topics in their own right, and a detour to explain each one would come at the cost of the scope Jansen is aiming for. After all, the book is about more than just the Tokugawa period! And probably what I need to do if I actually want answers to these questions is find a good analysis of the buke shohatto somewhere.
The reason I bring this up, though, is because without this sort of specific information, it's difficult for me to understand the incentive structures in play. I'm constantly left with a sense of general confusion at why the shogun or some daimyo chose to handle situation X with policy Y or what have you, and it stems from my just not *quite* having a grasp on what the legal/political landscape looks like in more than generalities.
Anyway, that's more an issue of mine than any kind of problem with the book, which is very well written and has so far served as a fantastic jumping off point for me to look into these other questions.
Ye knowe eek that, in forme of speche is chaunge
With-inne a thousand yeer, and wordes tho
That hadden pris, now wonder nyce and straunge
Us thinketh hem; and yet they spake hem so,
And spedde as wel in love as men now do.
(formerly Max1461)
With-inne a thousand yeer, and wordes tho
That hadden pris, now wonder nyce and straunge
Us thinketh hem; and yet they spake hem so,
And spedde as wel in love as men now do.
(formerly Max1461)
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
Me three!
I binged for all mankind recently. isn't it nice that everyone 's enthused about space again? and it didn't take nuking civilian cities this time! I call that moral progress.
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
We need to colonize space so that after things cool down from humans having driven themselves to extinction on Earth we can come back down the gravity well and re-settle Earth.
Yaaludinuya siima d'at yiseka wohadetafa gaare.
Ennadinut'a gaare d'ate eetatadi siiman.
T'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa.
Ennadinut'a gaare d'ate eetatadi siiman.
T'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa.
Re: What are you reading, watching and listening to? - All languages
We're not gonna drive ourselves to extinction, we're hardy fuckers. reduce our population to single digit percents of pre-crisis numbers? sure, we could do that. nuclear war and so on, but as we know from jurassic park, life uh... finds a way.Travis B. wrote: ↑Tue Sep 15, 2020 12:54 pmWe need to colonize space so that after things cool down from humans having driven themselves to extinction on Earth we can come back down the gravity well and re-settle Earth.