[lit-ideas] Re: The Life, Time, and _Opinions_ of Olaudah Equiano
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 17:03:27 EDT
Thanks to J. Evans for her comments and for now having the cast right:
Youssou N'Dour . . . . . . . Olaudah Equiano
J. Evans refers to
_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaudah_Equiano_
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaudah_Equiano)
and writes:
>there's some doubt about his early story, but he was a slave, yes, who
bought
>his freedom and came to England, ... He became a writer.
Mmm. I typed "Equiano" in an advanced search with the OED, and find he is
quoted in four entries:
Under:
* "ibo" (1732, quoting 1789, O. Equiano Life, i. 18, "Mahogany-colo..."
* "mahogany" (1660), quoting 1789. O. Equiano Interresing Narr. Life I i
* miskito (1688), quoting 1789 O. Equiano, Interesting Narr. Life II
and
* wrecker (1789). quoting 1789, O. Equiano Life II, vii, 57 -- They met
So apparently he is the first quote for 'wrecker', meaning "a ship or vessel
employed in salvaging sunk, wrecked, or stranded vessels.". The complete
quote being, 1789 O. EQUIANO Life II. viii. 57 T
hey met with this little sloop, called a wrecker;
their employment in those seas being to look after wrecks.
The mosquito, or miskito, reminds of ...
...
...
...
Dame Edith Sitwell
for has "Don Pasquito" rhyme with "mosquito" in her famous "Facade" (to
tango music by William Walton).
I was told there are lots of mosquitos in the Tennessee Delta of the
Mississipi, so perhaps Geary owns a parchment of thie "Intersting Narration of
my
Life" by former slave, Olaudah Equiano. He may even know what language was his
mother (or father) tongue. I am fascinated by the life of former
first-generation slaves who had to _learn_ the language of their mistresses
(like Fanny
Kemble).
I'm still dubious as to _her_ polemic. Since she get on _so horribly_ with
his husband, Mr. Butler, I am inclined to believe that (1) first, she started
to hate her husband for some reason or other having to do with _deep_
affections (Perhaps he treated her a slave, or she felt so) and (2) she became
'political'. It seems her fight against slavery is very much united to the
fact
that her once husband _was_ a slave-trader (or used and sold slaves).
Why, it's just as having the "Memoirs of a Revolutionary" by a former
Royalist!
Cheers,
JL
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