In Melbourne’s Royal Arcade, originally built in 1869, stands the statues of the giants Gog and Magog. Carved in 1892 they replicated statues erected in 1708 in London’s Guildhall.
The legend being invoked is that Gog and Magog were giants defeated by the invading Trojans and made to guard a palace that stood where the Guildhall now stands. This itself then invoking Biblical references. But they are such great names that the legend wanders off in all sorts of directions.
The invention of a history to connect one’s lineage or territory to a heroic past is a regular feature of human history. The Aeneid, for example, connected Rome’s origins to the Trojans.
The medieval period was rife with it. Geoffrey of Monmouth, whose Historia Regnum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain) was accepted as accurate history until the C16th, is a fabulous concoction. The contemporary description of medieval Arthurian stories as “medieval fanfic” is about right.
But, of course, the invention of the past is a habit that has never died. Think of horns on Viking helmets, the invention of a C19th illustrator, or perhaps from costume designs for Wagnerian opera, but which has become firmly implanted as the iconic image of Vikings. The trouble is, the invented past often makes a great story precisely because it is about what appeals, not what is correct.
And putting statues invoking London invoking a Homeric and Biblical past in a city which had been declared one only in 1847, so was not yet half a century old yet was, when the statues were erected, probably the richest city in the world, was a way for a brash new city to connect itself to a grand history.
This is also the Saturday chit-chat post.
22 Comments
speaking of ‘the richest city in the world’ – hello from Ballarat. The gold that built The Empire was not found under Bourke St.
History is invented in various ways, or not. My experiences with various genealogies which have surprised some families, lead me to know that a great deal of family history is Just Not Mentioned.
That great uncle nobody ever knew anything about? He went to Perth and was charged 42 times with Obstructing The Footpath (taking bets). Oh hilarity.
Did any of you see the meteor neighbourhood Earth passed through this morning?
I finished my protocol design during the week.
Now sprinting to meet the deadline to file it as a patent.
Well done Jacques, and good luck!
Prompted by a post on Jim Belshaw’s blog about Bills of Exchange, I somehow ended up on the Old Bailey historical website. I have to say (and hence recommend) that for anyone interested in the nitty gritty of early proceedings I find this resource very well organised, and extremely easy to approach and navigate.
The link below is to just one particular ‘view’ or ‘entry point’ available but – repeating myself I guess – the whole site really is very well done:
Looking at Gender in the Proceedings
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Gog and Magog before. Interesting story, although they don’t look like particularly happy chappies judging from the statues.
kvd, along the lines of your interesting criminal punishment link, I wrote words and stuff about that payments to charity case you noticed a couple of weeks ago.
desipis@4 thank you. Saves me gently nudging LE again – which I was intending to do in a month or so. I accept everybody is busy, but I was intrigued by the case, and I’d be really interested in her thoughts on your post, and also the actual outcome of the case – if anyone has an accessible reference? And a minor frustration: you did not state your own view of the Council’s argument. Or perhaps it’s already decided – in which case see above.
More (much) importantly, good luck with the exams!
kvd, cheers. It’s all over apart from the anxious wait for results.
I also hope LE comments on the case when she gets a chance. It’d be nice to read the opinion of someone who’s actually been within cooee of a court room
I looked through all the recently published judgements and couldn’t see anything relevant (at least dated after the news article), so I’m assuming the case hasn’t been decided yet. I working on updating the post with a few bits I’ve found or thought of since posting, and I’ll probably add my own views as a bit of a conclusion. I seem to be a bit too used to writing uni assignments where personal opinions don’t really matter that much.
Jacques, congratulations on getting it finished. I hope you remember us peons when Chester Inc becomes the new Google and you sell out for billions.
That’s a super post, Desipis. You’ve set it all out beautifully.
My understanding is that the judgment hasn’t been handed down yet. Be assured that I will write on it once the judgment is handed down, and I will be drawing on your post heavily.
News from my corner: just over halfway through marking exams, attended an interesting Consumer Law conference on Thursday and Friday. Lots of food for thought at the latter: eg, can you predict in advance the kind of person who will be drawn in by a scam, and somehow guard against it? In what circumstances can we circumscribe people’s liberties to save people from themselves in a consumer context? etc.
Jacques: good news!
What happened to the rain? Parts of SE Australia are now back in serious drought.
Trouble in aisle seven (aka the Streisand thread). You have a couple of posters who maybe should be invited to take their fight elsewhere?
Thanks KVD. Request to take fight elsewhere has been issued. If the thread continues, both posters will be moderated – I’m too busy to watch over their spats at the moment.
The invention of a history to connect one’s lineage or territory to a heroic past is a regular feature of human history.
I thought it was the prime function of history; and continues to be. Tho’ now we have Star Trek etc which functions to connect us with an heroic future. And iPhones to make us believe it’s around the corner.
#7 LE – not possible to save batty 88-y-old Dads from themselves. Mine buys things. Cold callers love him. His Personal best was paying $2000 in CASH at the door for a vacuum he did not use in the 2 years before I discovered it.
re the Invented Past: this morning’s news reveals that the most recent MEL murderer has an UNinvented past, being a repeat offender. Was 13 years a sufficient incarceration for his Previous? – ‘The judge, sentencing Hunter to a minimum 13 years in jail, also said he had shown no remorse for the crime.
Two years into his sentence Hunter escaped from Pentridge Prison by scrambling over a wall with another prisoner.
His freedom was short-lived: he was caught within half an hour after he was seen in a nearby house washing the blood from cuts inflicted during his escape.
The Age said it was believed that Hunter served only 12 years of his sentence and that he had subsequently been convicted of other crimes, including kidnapping and sex offences.’
A@11 History — the notion that one relies on evidence — was invented as a way of providing some alternative to heroic myth.
In other news the Pope says there was no Democrat present at the birth of baby Jesus – perhaps confirming my suspicion that God may be a Republican
Or was he, maybe, just confirming Lorenzo’s thoughts about the ‘Invented Past’?
Oh Ann, that’s heart-breaking about your dad. Geez I hate that kind of stuff!
Yeah, it’s the same as the Jill Meagher case – - raises questions about:
(a) information about prior convictions in the media; and
(b) given the priors, what should we do with guys like these?
SL made the really interesting point that often people who commit violent crimes against the person have a history of committing violent crimes against property too – because they’ve got “boundary” issues generally – another person’s property or body is fair game.
KVD @ 14: oh I’m slow. Took me at least 60 seconds to get it. Must be the effect of non-stop marking on the brain. At least I’m almost finished – most marks entered (except for a few difficult papers we’re cross-checking) and then to standardise…
This is a long read, referenced via The Conversation this morning, but I found it quite clear, and quite persuasive in discussing the pro-life, pro-choice seemingly intractable positions. Without wishing to start a TOD, I just think it is worthy of consideration.
Hope you can shortly take a few days off to recharge LE!
Very few people seem to appreciate the long form of cricket these days, but I just wanted to record Michael Clark’s 4th double hundred in a calendar year, followed next ball by evergreen Hussey brining up his hundred with a six.
Pretty to watch both players.
kvd, the stats in that link were interesting. I hadn’t really looked into the arguments about the pill before.
Neither had I, desipis.
And since this is a chat thread, I’d like to record a lovely little eggcorn in the comments of the UK Daily Telegraph today, attached to an article about Gen Petraeus’ dalliance. The correspondent stated that “men have been doing this sort of thing since time immoral”. Wish I’d said that
Yes, sometime around 4000 BC is probably more accurate than 1189 AD…
kvd@17 That is a great read, ta.