Regarding the immortal Excalibur, I think you should also watch the equally great 80s Robin of Sherwood series, and if you've the time read Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising sequence. There's a bit of diversity crap in the last book but understandable given the time & place, and easy to ignore. Both the TV show and novels get at something deep, something to do with the land and people.
It's strange & fascinating that the tale of a Celtic warlord fighting Anglo-Saxon invaders would become a part of Anglo-Saxon mythology, as if the Arthur archetype shifted from the disappearing Celts to the triumphant Germanics and then was adopted by the Norman ruling class as a form of decor, as a literary fancy. It's as if Arthur is an expression of the land, like Excalibur emerging from the stone or the lake, and it manifests in whatever NW European warrior folk have come to bond with the land.
I don't see the Arthur archetype manifesting to 80 IQ Pakistanis, which means it either dies this century or reinvigorates whatever NW European folk have any true bond to this land.
Endeavor makes an excellent point around the 17min mark that we cannot know someone's courage until he or she is actually tested. It's at the testing moment that the rubber meets the road and all that talk could just be a bluff. It reminded me of Stephen V. Gould's captivating book called "Collision of Wills: How Ambiguity about Social Rank Breeds Conflict." In it, he describes how group cohesion is always somewhat nebulous and it is hard for opponents to know if the declarations will actually be honored until the moment of decision making (111). Was it all talk or are these guys going to knock us out? It's the same for courage. Only when actually tested will a man prove his courage. Until then, he can say anything he wishes and it means nothing. I was struck by how often the "courageous" or "fiery" types I knew simply folded as soon as Covid declarations came and the lockdowns/masks/vaxx mandates were handed down on high. That was our generation's decision point and where some rose and some fell at the critical moment.
Morgoth also makes a convincing point about the various ways that the townsfolk rationalize away their cowardice. I think that rationalization method is one of the reasons higher IQ people are often not the most courageous types. They can easily imagine different paths and see the true danger in front of them, while the bold spontaneous types just launch themselves into it. I think you both would really like Gould's book as it speaks to the importance of group cohesion and the conflict that emerges from symmetrical status individuals.
Great stuff, as ever.
Regarding the immortal Excalibur, I think you should also watch the equally great 80s Robin of Sherwood series, and if you've the time read Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising sequence. There's a bit of diversity crap in the last book but understandable given the time & place, and easy to ignore. Both the TV show and novels get at something deep, something to do with the land and people.
It's strange & fascinating that the tale of a Celtic warlord fighting Anglo-Saxon invaders would become a part of Anglo-Saxon mythology, as if the Arthur archetype shifted from the disappearing Celts to the triumphant Germanics and then was adopted by the Norman ruling class as a form of decor, as a literary fancy. It's as if Arthur is an expression of the land, like Excalibur emerging from the stone or the lake, and it manifests in whatever NW European warrior folk have come to bond with the land.
I don't see the Arthur archetype manifesting to 80 IQ Pakistanis, which means it either dies this century or reinvigorates whatever NW European folk have any true bond to this land.
I wish we had more Gary Coopers today, regardless of his politics. He was a man.
And yes, despite (or maybe because) of my carrying a gun daily, I've also had tests of courage that I've passed...and failed.
Looking forward to Excalibur, Nicol Williamson's portrayal of Merlin is a masterclass in acting.
John Wayne remarked that he believed High Noon was a subversive Communist movie, because it portrayed the whole town as cowardly.
Yeah we get into it in the stream.
Endeavor makes an excellent point around the 17min mark that we cannot know someone's courage until he or she is actually tested. It's at the testing moment that the rubber meets the road and all that talk could just be a bluff. It reminded me of Stephen V. Gould's captivating book called "Collision of Wills: How Ambiguity about Social Rank Breeds Conflict." In it, he describes how group cohesion is always somewhat nebulous and it is hard for opponents to know if the declarations will actually be honored until the moment of decision making (111). Was it all talk or are these guys going to knock us out? It's the same for courage. Only when actually tested will a man prove his courage. Until then, he can say anything he wishes and it means nothing. I was struck by how often the "courageous" or "fiery" types I knew simply folded as soon as Covid declarations came and the lockdowns/masks/vaxx mandates were handed down on high. That was our generation's decision point and where some rose and some fell at the critical moment.
Morgoth also makes a convincing point about the various ways that the townsfolk rationalize away their cowardice. I think that rationalization method is one of the reasons higher IQ people are often not the most courageous types. They can easily imagine different paths and see the true danger in front of them, while the bold spontaneous types just launch themselves into it. I think you both would really like Gould's book as it speaks to the importance of group cohesion and the conflict that emerges from symmetrical status individuals.
Also I want that magic chair!
I’m picturing a Chesterfield high back chair… it’s just got to be
Please, watch and review the 1960s film Spartacus.