[lit-ideas] Hibernatory Sex in the Novels of Icelandic Transsexual Short-Story Writer
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:10:37 EDT
hibernation
1660s, from L. hibernationem (nom. hibernatio) "the action of passing the
winter," from hibernare "to winter," from hiems "winter," from PIE *gheim-
"snow, winter" (cf. Skt. heman "in winter," Hittite gimmanza, Gk. kheima,
O.C.S. zima, Lith. ziema "winter").
Subst.: hībernum , i, n., the winter: “hiberno,” in the winter, Cael. Aur.
Tard. 3, 1, 2.—
B. hīberna , ōrum, n. (sc. castra), winter-quarters: “tres (legiones),
quae circum Aquileiam hiemabant, ex hibernis educit,” Caes. B. G. 1, 10, 3: “
in hiberna in Sequanos exercitum deduxit,” id. ib. 1, 54 fin.; 2, 35, 3;
3, 2, 1; 3, 29 fin.; “4, 38, 4 et saep.: quo (tempore) neque frumenta in
hibernis erant neque multum a maturitate aberant,” in the winter camp, winter
magazines, id. B. C. 1, 48, 5 Oud. N. cr.: “consules hiberna egerunt,” Liv.
9, 28, 2: “hiberna aedificavit,” id. 23, 48, 2; 7, 38, 4.—
2. (Sc. loca.) The range of cattle in winter, Dig. 32, 1, 67.—
3. (Sc. tempora.) Winters = years, Verg. A. 1, 266.
In a message dated 7/31/2010 1:52:27 P.M., jejunejesuit.geary2@xxxxxxxxx
writes:
Is "White Christmas" popular down yonder? I know you're a Bing man, so
you should know. Why are there no "I'm dreaming of a sunny Christmas" from
youse guys? Why? I'll tell you why because Jesus hates the heat -- reminds
him of Hell -- and you people, being 99.44% Catholic know that there would
be no Christmas carols such as "Good King Wenceslaus" had Christmas not
been in snowy, cold winter, and what of Jingle Bells and Santa Claus's
sleigh? Why are pigs called "pigs", because they're so dirty. Why is winter
called "Winter", because it's cold. You cannot call December in Argentina
"winter" without taking us all back to Babel..
----- I'm not sure.
I DO agree that having four seasons is a mark of civilisations. I have
known people who refer to things as "the cold season" and the "hot season". I
found them primitive. The fact that there are FOUR seasons is very fitting,
and I do not refer necessarily to the commercialisation of the thing (as
per "Walmart").
Why?
Well, the first is "Spring" -- there was a polemic the other day as to the
whether it was first the hen or the egg. It was proved that it was the egg.
So, the first season -- in the cycle, must have been Spring. This possible
was, mythically, the birth of the mother of Jesus: "Mary".
"Spring" means to 'arise', as per jump. "The springs of a bed". This word
is not polysemous. It's metaphorical that you call it a 'spring' in the
mattress of a bed. In Italian it's primavera, which has different
implicatures.
"Printemps" of the French also refer to the fact that it's "first"
'prima'.
After spring, you get the HYBRIS. This is the 'sommer', or 'summer'.
Estivalis in Latin. The idea is that plants go over the top. They just don't
bloom in Spring, but go on, and on, and relish in the sun. This is bound to be
a bad thing. It's hybris. In Rio de Janeiro they have instituted an eternal
summer -- the consequence: people don't go to schools, and it shows.
After Summer you are bound to have "The Fall", or the "Autumn". This is the
result of all the exhuberance on trees. They cannot sustain all those
leaves up there, so 'leaves fall'. The Americans, who don't use the
technically
correct, 'autumn', refer to this rather contigent fact, 'that leaves fall'
to name the whole season. In Latin, 'autumn' refers to a god.
-----
AND THEN comes "winter", which as Geary notes, it is connected -- in the
mind of Christina Rossetti -- with the birth of Jesus. Christina Rossetti
surely never visited Nazareth, where there is no such thing as 'the bleak
midwinter'. Still, she contrived a little rhyme that was set to music. This
hymn is the start of a number of songs -- which take up "King Wenceslas" to
"Dreaming of a white Christmas". The Bing Crosby hit was meant as a parody on
the superficiality of Californication. It is set in Los Angeles, and the
singer is thinking of the RIGHT place to spend your winter: Vermont. In
fact, Berlin is using a synaesthesia. It's not "Christmas" that is white, but
the SNOW. Christmas, being a time, is colourless -- but cfr. "Sunday, bloody
Sunday", where by explicature, we get 'red' (Sunday).
-----
Mary did not know she was going to get pregnant, and for the Holy Ghost,
indeed, there are no seasons. He (or "It", Ghost is neuter in Jewish) could
possibly care less that Mary would have to undergo her delivery in 'the
bleak midwinter'. He (or It) did not make any provisions for "Joseph" (later
Saint) who Mary was married to. The boy (Jesus) was thus born 'in a white
Christmas' --. The last time they saw snow in Nazareth was ...
(To be continued)
Luigi Speranza, Bordighera
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