Thursday, February 7 2019

09:00 We get up but we are still suffering from colds. We decide to postpone our next shower until tomorrow, when we hope we will feel a little better: we are dirty, but we do not have to go out of the house today, which is a cool feeling – we can safely remain, not partners in crime, but certainly partners in filth, no doubt about that.

In the middle of the morning, I think about jumping up on my fitness bike, but on further reflection I decide to wait until tomorrow. I'm not quite ready yet to go in for any vigorous exercise.

Better safe than sorry  ha ha ha!

09:30 I browse through some pages of my book "The Scandinavian Language - The Seven Sisters of the North" by Ruth H. Sanders, Miami University of Ohio.

Ruth H. Sanders, author of the book

I notice that Ruth doesn't always stick to the subject (languages), but I don't mind that at all - her sidetracks are fascinating. She says that the Icelandic sagas are interesting not only as examples of the original Old Norse language, but also because, uniquely in European literature of the time, they depict a kind of frontier society that valued all individual citizens, both men and women, from every social background. Other cultures tended to concentrate on the high and mighty.

The issue of slavery emerges, however, a practice which was widespread not only in Iceland but also in the major Scandinavian societies, something which is well known - Scandinavian sailors used to pick up "Scottish" and "Irish" women on their way from Norway to Iceland, and this has left various traces in the Icelanders' current genetic profile.

However, I did not know before that slavery originally stemmed from the activities of one of the Nordic gods, Heimdal.

The Nordic god Heimdal, taking time out for a minute 

in the course of another busy day

It seems that Hejmdal went to bed with an earthly woman, Edda, and her husband, Ai, and lay in the bed between the couple. It is not entirely clear what happened during the night, but 9 months later Edda gave birth to a son called Thrall. And a few years later, Thrall grew up and went to bed  several times with Thy, a "bow-legged woman with scars on her soles because of her hard work, which she carried out barefoot". Their many children were the beginning of the Nordic world's so-called "slave class", apparently.

excerpt from "Elder Edda", a collection of poems with stories from Nordic mythology

and Nordic heroism. They were written down in Iceland in the 13th and 14th centuries,

but the original authors are unknown today. The poems are probably

hundreds of years older than the 1200’s, having been handed down through oral tradition

The god Hejmdal later went to bed with other earthly women: Amma, for example and her husband, Afi. Same technique - Hejmdal lay between the couple and later a bunch of sons were born (over several years). One of the sons, Karl, became the forefather of all free-born men and farmers, and a later son became the ancestor of all noble men. "Simples" !

My goodness, what a crazy world we live in !!!

But isn’t sociology totally fascinating? Who would want to study anything else ????

Heimdal's technique: he gets to know the couple by means of chit-chat and the like,

before he goes to bed with them, which seems sensible, I have to say.

10:30 I start reading a few pages of the 2nd chapter of "The Further You Fall", the Danish crime novel by Anna Grue, which is our U3A Danish group's current project. The group is to hold its next meeting here in a week’s time.

Anna Grue, the Danish crime writer

Chapter 1 is all about he murder of a cleaning assistant, Lilliana, who does the cleaning in an advertising agency's kitchen, meeting rooms and offices after hours. She is murdered at work one evening by an unknown killer who both knows her and feels sorry for her, which is strange. And he kills her using a garrotte, which is a bit unusual, to say the least.

In the second chapter there is a complete change of scene, environment and style: the author describes the book's hero, Dan Sommerdahl, and the town where he lives with his wife, Marianne, a local doctor. I suppose Dan will be the man who is going to solve the murder, but that kind of outcome seems a little unlikely just for the moment, because Dan is in the midst of a mental breakdown, and has become a bit of a physical and psychological wreck, to put it mildly.

But a good idea, I think. Crimes are not often solved by men in the middle of a breakdown, which makes a refreshing change. And he is not even a detective. Good grief, what madness !!!!

I make vocabulary lists for the extra 9 pages. I will send the lists to our group members later in the day via email. It makes no sense for us all to look up the harder words in the dictionary, so I have done it for them - I am so warm-hearted  ha ha ha!

11:30 Lois and I relax with a cup of coffee and listen a little to the radio, an interesting programme in a short series about the art of intimacy (part 2 of 2). The programme's host is the charming Irish novelist, Eimear McBride.

The first episode last week dealt with the art of intimacy in literature, especially from a feminist point of view. The programme came to the conclusion that many sex acts described in literature tend to dodge questions of consent (or otherwise) because they are considered to be a bit of a mood killer. And it was Shakespeare and DH Lawrence who won the programme’s award for their insistence on having both parties show mutual engagement in the act.

Orlando and Rosalind in Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”

Mellors and Lady Chatterley

Today, this second episode is about consent issues as they affect paintings, and also plays.

Eimear McBride, the program host, the charming Irish novelist

Eimear points out that consent issues rarely arise in older classical art - some of the most popular paintings depicted women being carried off and/or raped by the god Zeus, who was often disguised as an animal, for example, a subject that artists of that time never seemed to get tired of, for some reason !!!!

As we get nearer and nearer to the present, however, we find more and more pictures where consent is suggested. It is not so easy to portray consent in paintings, as it is in a book or a play, but Eimear comes across some interesting examples.

Unfortunately, this is a radio programme and the snag is that we cannot see the paintings that Eimear is talking about. But fortunately, Lois or I know some, or most, of the paintings, if we combine our knowledge, which is handy.

Guido Reni's "Rape of Europa" (1637-9): the god Zeus, disguised as a bull,

abducts Europa and carries her far away from her friends,

who stand and wait for her on the beach in the distance.

But the bull seems very gentle, and Cupid is in the corner of the picture with his arrows

to make sure Europa falls for the bull before they make love, which is a nice idea.

But it’s still the case that Europa has little choice in the matter, to say the least !!!

Jan Steens' “Man offering oysters to a woman” (1660-1665), which at the time would have had

a clear sexual meaning: the woman is a middle-aged prostitute in a brothel,

and the middle-aged man is negotiating with her to buy her services.

The woman's body language shows that she is fully in control and she can accept him

or reject him. Two other men in the room are doing the same with other women.

Clive Hodgson's "Intimate Scene" (1982): The man’s weight lies heavily on the woman

- no doubt about that. But the woman's consent is depicted by her firm but gentle hold

on the man's back, says Eimear.

Jock McFadyens "In the bedroom" (1981): a little bit abstract, but again it’s the hands

and the fingers that are the key to fathoming the woman's unconditional and wholehearted

consent. And a nice touch is the couple's two "avatars” flying in ecstasy around the room

An interesting discussion. Hands and fingers have their own language and their own eloquence when it comes to issues of consent, Eimear believes.

12:30 We have lunch and afterwards I go to bed and take a gigantic afternoon nap. I get up at 3:30 pm and we relax with a cup of tea and a mince pie on the sofa.

One of the pluses of having a freezer that isn’t working optimally is that Lois has been forced to take dough and pastry out of the freezer from time to time, and make a lot of delicious desserts and pies that taste very good, I have to say. And a  refreshing change after our usual low fat diet, to put it mildly – yum yum!

18:00 We have dinner and spend the rest of the evening listening to the radio, an interesting programme in the series "Inside Science". The programme’s host is the charming Adam Rutherford, who interviews Oxford University's genetics expert Dr Clare Bycroft.

Dr. Clare Bycroft, Genetics Expert from Oxford University

Clare reports that scientists have been analysing DNA samples from people living on the Iberian Peninsula to determine their genetic heritage. Results revealed near vertical stripes running from the northern part of the peninsula to the south, suggesting that typical Spanish people's genetic profiles are closer to people living north or south of them than they are to those living east or west of them, which seems a little weird, to say the least.

The result is that Spain's genetic map looks like a lot of vertical stripes.

What madness !!!!

Spain's genetic profile according to www.nature.com

Scientists are not quite sure why the country's genetic profile should have such a vertical pattern, but they suspect that a big factor could be the Spaniards' gradual recapture of the entire peninsula after centuries of Muslim domination in southern Spain. It seems that the Spaniards gradually advanced southwards and after many years of struggle succeeded in expelling the Muslims back to North Africa. The striped properties of the country's genetic profile could reflect this long struggle and the mostly southerly direction of the Spanish campaigns, but no one is absolutely sure about this.

The country's genetic profile roughly corresponds to its linguistic profile

The country's language profile in 930 AD during the Muslim era in the south ...

... and after it (in 1300 AD)

My goodness, aren't genetics totally fascinating? Who would want to study anything else ???

22:00 We go to bed - separate beds again, to be on the safe side. ZZZZZZZZZZ !!!!!

Danish translation

09:00 Vi står op men vi er stadig lidt forkølede. Vi beslutter igen at udskyde vores næste brusebad til i morgen, når vi håber på, vi vil føle os lidt bedre: vi er beskidte, men vi er ikke nødt til at komme ud af huset i dag, hvilket er en sejt følelse – ingen partnere i forbrydelse, men helt sikkert partnere i uvaskethed, ingen tvivl om det.

Midt på formiddagen overvejer jeg at hoppe op min kondicykel, men med nærmere eftertanke beslutter jeg at vente til i morgen. Jeg er ikke helt klar endnu til at dyrke energisk motion.

Jeg vil hellere være på den sikre side ha ha ha!

09:30 Jeg blader igennem nogle sider af min bog ”Skandinaviens sprog – nordens syv søstre” af Ruth H. Sanders, Miami University af Ohio.

Ruth H. Sanders, bogens forfatter

Jeg bemærker, at Ruth ikke altid holder sig til emnet (sprogene), men det brokker jeg mig slet ikke over – hendes sidespringer er fascinerende. Hun siger, at de islandske sagaer er interessante ikke bare som eksempler af den oprindelige oldnordiske sprog, men også fordi de, unikt i europæisk litteratur, skildrer samfundet af en slags kolonisationsgrænse , der sattede en meget høj pris på individuelle borgere, både mænd og kvinder, fra hver social klasse.

Spørgsmålet om slaveri dukker op, der var udbredt ikke bare i Island men også i de større skandinavske samfunder, som er velkendt – skandinavske sømænd havde for vane at afhente ”skotske” og ”irske” kvinder på deres vej fra Norge til Island, hvilket har efterladt forskellige spor i islændernes nuværende genetiske profil.

Jeg vidste ikke imidlertid, at slaveri oprindeligt stammede fra aktiviteterne af en af de nordiske guder, Heimdal.

Den nordiske gud Heimdal

Det lader til, at Hejmdal gik i seng med en jordisk kvinde, Edda, og hendes mand, Ai, og lå mellem parret.  Det er ikke helt sikker, hvad der skete, men 9 måneder senere fødte Edda en søn, der hed Træl (engelsk: thrall).  Og nogle år senere gik Træl i seng gentagende gange med Thy, en ”hjulbenet kvinde med ar på sålerne på grund af sit hårdt arbejde, som hun klarede barfodet”.  Deres mange børn var begyndelsen af verdens såkaldte ”slave-klasse”.

uddrag fra ”Ældre Edda”,, en digtsamling med fortællinger fra nordisk mytologi 

og nordiske heltesagn. De blev i 13. og 14. århundrede nedskrevet i Island,

 men de oprindelige forfattere er i dag ukendte. Digtene er sandsynligvis

flere hundrede år ældre og er blevet overleveret gennem mundtlig tradition

Hejmdal gik senere i seng med andre jordiske kvinder:  Amma, og hendes mand, Afi. Samme teknik – Hejmdal lå mellem parret og senere blev nogle sønner født. En af sønnerne, Karl, blev fofaderen til alle frifødte mænd og bondemænd, og en senere søn blev forfader til alle adelige mænd. ”Simples” !

Du godeste, sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!

Men er sociologi ikke helt fascinerende? Hvem ville have lyst til at studere noget andet????

Heimdals teknik: han lærer et par at kende ved hjælp af snik-snak og lignende,

 før han går i seng med dem, hvilket synes fornuftigt, det må jeg nok sige.

10:30 Jeg går i gang med at læse nogle sider af den 2. kapitel af ”Dybt at falde”, den danske krimiroman af Anna Grue, der er vores U3A danske gruppes nuværende projekt. Gruppen holder sit næste møde i en uges tid hos os.

Anna Grue, den danske krimiforfatter

Kapitel 1. kredser om mordet af en rengøringsassistent, Lilliana, der arbejder i et reklamebureaus køkken, mødelokaler  og kontorer. Hun bliver mordet på arbejde om aftenen af en ukendt morder, der både kender hende og har ondt af hende, hvilket er underligt. Og han dræber hende ved hjælp af en garrotte, hvilket er lidt usædvanligt, for at sige mildt.

I den 2. kapitel er der en fuldstændig skift af scene, miljø og stil: forfatteren beskriver bogens helt, Dan Sommerdahl, og byen, hvor han bor med sin kone, Marianne, en lokal læge. Jeg formoder, at Dan vil være manden, der kommer til at løse mordet,  men det slags udfald virker lidt usandsynligt for tiden. Dan er, kort sagt, midt af et psykisk sammenbrud, og er blevet til lidt af et fysisk og psykisk vrag, for at sige mildt.

Men en god idé, synes jeg. Det sker ikke ret ofte, at forbrydelser bliver opklaret af en mand, der er midt i et sammenbrud, hvilket er en forfriskende forandring. Han er ikke engang en detektiv. Du godeste, sikke et vanvid!!!! 

Jeg udfærdiger ordforrådlister til de ekstra 9 sider. Jeg vil afsende listerne til vores gruppemedlemmer senere på dagen via email. Det giver ikke mening at vi alle slår de sværere ord op i ordbogen – jeg er så varmhjertet ha ha ha!

11:30 Lois og jeg slapper af med en kop kaffe og lytter lidt til radio, et interessant program i en kort serie der handler om intimitetskunsten (2. del af 2). Programmets vært er den charmerende irske romanforfatter, Eimear McBride.

Det første afsnit handlede om intimitetskunsten i litteratur, specielt set ud fra et feministisk synspunkt. Programmet kom til den konklusion, at mange sexakter beskrivet i litteratur har tendens til at undvige  nogle spørgsmål om samtykke, fordi de er betragtet som lidt af en stemning-killer. Og det var Shakespeare og DH Lawrence, der vandt prisen for deres insisteren på, at begge parter udviser gensidigt engagement i akten.

Dette 2. afsnit handler om intimitetskunsten og spørgsmål om samtykke i malerier, også teaterstykker. Programmets vært er den charmerende irske romanforfatter Eimear McBride.

Eimear McBride, programmets vært, den charmerende irske romanforfatter

Eimear påpeger, at spørgsmål om samtykke sjældent opstår i klassisk kunst – nogle af de mest populære malerier skildrede kvinder, der blev rovet og/eller voldtaget af guden Zeus, ofte forklædt som et dyr, for eksempel.

Mens vi nærmer os mere og mere til nutiden imidlertid, finder vi flere og flere billeder, hvor samtykke er antydet. Det er ikke så nemt at skildre samtykke i malerier, som i en bog eller et teaterstykke, men Eimear falder over nogle interessante eksempler.

Desværre er dette et radioprogram og  hagen ved det der er, at vi ikke kan se malerierne hun taler om. Men heldigvis kender Lois eller jeg et eller andet af malerierne, hvis vi kombinerer vores viden, hvilket er praktisk.

Guido Renis ” Europas rov” (1637-9): guden Zeus, forklædt som en tyr,

bortfører Europa og bærer hende langt væk fra hendes venner, der står og venter på stranden.

Men tyren ser meget blid ud, og Cupido er der i billedets hjørne

for at sikre at Europa forelsker sig i tyren før de elsker, hvilket er en sød idé.

Ikke desto mindre har Europa ringe valg i sagen, for at sige mildt!!!

Jan Steens ” mand, der tilbyder østers til en kvinde (1660-1665), hvilket dengang havde

en seksuel betydning: kvinden er en midaldrende prostitueret i et bordel,

og den midaldrende mand forhandler med hende for at købe hendes ydelser.

Kvindens kropssprog viser, at hun har styr på det hele, og hun kan acceptere ham eller afvise ham.

To andre mænd i rummet gør det samme med andre kvinder.

Clive Hodgsons “intim scene” (1982): manden ligger tungt på kvinden – ingen tvivl om det.

Men kvindens samtykke er skildret af hendes faste men blide tag om mandens ryg

Jock McFadyens ”I soveværelset” (1981): lidt abstrakt, men igen er hænderne

og fingrene nøglen til at mærke kvindens betingelsesløse og helhjertede samtykke.

Et pænt touch, parrets 2 ”avatarer, der flyver i ekstase rundt omkring i værelset

En interessant diskussion. Hænder og fingre har deres eget sprog og deres egen veltalenhed, når det kommer til spørgsmål om samtykke, mener Eimear.

12:30 Vi spiser frokost og bagefter går jeg i seng for at tage en gigantisk eftermiddagslur. Jeg står op kl 15:30 og vi slapper af med en kop te og en mince pie i sofaen.

En af plusserne ved at have en fryser, der ikke fungere optimalt, er at Lois er blevet tvunget til at tage dej og dejstrimler op af fryseren og lave en masse lækre desserter og pies, der smager meget godt, det må jeg nok sige. En forfriskende forandring efter vores sædvanlige fedtfattige kost, for at sige mildt.

18:00 Vi spiser aftensmad og bruger resten af aftenen på at lytte lidt til radio. Et interessant program i serien ”Inside Science”. Programmets vært er den charmerende Adam Rutherford, der interviewer Oxford Universitys genetiske ekspert Dr Clare Bycroft.

Dr Clare Bycroft, genetisk ekspert fra Oxford University

Clare forklarer, at forskere har analyseret DNA-prøver fra mennesker, der bor på den iberiske halvø for at bestemme deres genetiske arv. Resultater afsløret nær lodrette striber, der løber fra den nordlige del af halvøen mod syd, hvilket tyder på, at spanske menneskers genetiske profiler ligner nærmere folk, der bor nord eller syd for dem,  end dem der bor øst eller vest for dem, hvilket virker lidt løjerligt, for at sige mildt.

Resultatet er, at Spaniens genetiske kort ligner en masse lodrede striber.

Sikke et vanvid!!!!

Spaniens genetiske profil ifølge www.nature.com

Forskere er ikke helt sikre på hvorfor landets genetiske profil skulle have sådan en lodret mønster, men de mistænker, at en faktor kunne være spaniernes gradvise generobring af hele halvøen efter århundreder af muslimsk domination i det sydlige Spanien. Det lader til, at spanierne gradvist avancerede sydpå og efter mange års kampe lykkedes dem at bortvise muslimerne tilbage til Nord-Afrika. Den stribede egenskabere af landets genetiske profil kunne afspejle denne lange kamp, og den for det meste sydlige retning af det spanske felttog, men det er ingen helt sikker på.

Landets genetiske profil tilsvarer i grov træk dets sproglige profil

Landets sproglige profil i 930 under den muslimske æra i det sydlige Spanien...

... og efter (i 1300)

Du godeste, er genetik ikke helt fascinerende? Hvem ville have lyst til at studere noget andet???

22:00 Vi går i seng – adskilte senge igen, for en sikkerheds skyld. Zzzzzzzzzz!!!!!