Hora, Mamaglia (1857)

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OFF  TOPIC:  The good folks and Simon & Schuster asked me to do publicity for
BANANA SCULPTOR--a book which features me, but from which I receive no money.
 I was supposed to be home 1 p.m. today for a five-minute radio interview
with an Albany, NY station.  Then, yesterday, that was changed to 2 p.m.  So
I spent an hour at 1 p.m. calling Dell trying to speak to an actual person
about my $250 rebate, then got off the phone for 2 p.m., then waited, then
fell asleep.  No phone call.  I try to donate five minutes, and they kill my
entire day!

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ROUMANIA:
THE BORDER LAND OF THE CHRISTIAN AND THE TURK
by  James O. Noyes
New York: Rudd & Carleton
1858
(The copyright is 1857--ed.)

    I read this book yesterday in the LOC.  It adds to what I've already
posted on "hora" and "mamaliga."  No "pastrami," of course.


Pg. 34:  The few shepherds and travellers roaming over this inhospitable
region are tormented by the illusory appearances of the _mirage_, which
unlike the reflections of cities and forest-embosomed lakes that gladden the
eye on the desertsw of Africa, have the appearance of seas, now wild and
gloomy, then placid and dreamy, or of flowery prairies with shepherd huts and
peaceful folds.

Pg. 52:  Maidens and youths join hands and form a large ring, in the centre
of which are gipsy musicians, called _Lautari_ in the _limba roumanesca_.
One of the circle sings during the dance, and the songs on these occasions,
termed _horas_, as among the Latins, are of singular force and beauty.

Pg. 164:  Among the German settlers it is a proverb "to be as busy as a
Wallach woman, and do as little."

Pg. 165:  _Kukurutz_, or maize, from which is prepared a thick porridge,
called _Mamaglia_, resembling the _polenta_ of the Italians, is chiefly
cultivated by them.

Pg. 209:  Before me were no sweet rolls and _cafe au lait_ of Bukarest, no
caviar of  Giurgevo, no game from the Bastarnic Alps, nor trout from the icy
torrents of Mount Pion, no confiture of Yassy, with sweet _domiltchas_
(illegible?--ed.), no generous wine of Butzeo or Cotnar, and no luscious
grapes from the blushing hills of Campina, to be eaten to the soft music of
the _lautari_.  In place of these luxuries we had eggs, salted fish from the
Danube, and plastic _mamaglia_, made of corn-meal and water.

Pg. 292:  In the larger Turkish cities the _Medaks_ (story-tellers) form
corporate bodies, with a shiek at their head, called _Imeddah_.
(OED?--ed.)

Pg. 293:  The Arabs call these social reunions _Musameril_, discourses by
moonlight or by the glimmer of the stars.
(OED?--ed.)

Pg. 376:  On these terraces, washed by the lapsing waves, and shaded with
orange and jasmine, statuesue Moslems make the delicious _kief_...
(See OED for "kief," mentioned more than once but not described well--ed.)

Pg. 379:  Another species reminded me of a common saying among the Greeks,
that no sane person would carry Tunny FIsh to Byzance, or owls to Athens, as
rarities.
(Or "coals to Newcastle."  I've recorded the owls before, but not the tunny
fish--ed.)