LL-L "Website" 2007.04.03 (04) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

=======================================================================

 L O W L A N D S - L * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226

 http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands.list at gmail.com

 Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/rules.php

 Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org - lowlands.list at gmail.com

 Commands ("signoff lowlands-l" etc.): listserv at listserv.net

 Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html

 Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html

 Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]

 Administration: lowlands.list at gmail.com or sassisch at yahoo.com


 You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
 To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
 text from the same account to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or
 sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.


 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
 L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
 S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)

=======================================================================

L O W L A N D S - L  -  03 April 2007 - Volume 03

 ========================================================================

From: Ed Alexander <edsells at cogeco.ca>
Subject: LL-L "History" 2007.04.03 (01) [E]

At 08:15 AM 04/03/07 -0700, John Welch wrote:

I thought that the Slavonic and specifically Russian identification with the
"Scythians" only occurred in the late nineteenth century and was a
phenomenon of nineteenth-century nationalism, when nation states emphasised
their uniqueness and raison d'etre  by identifying their original ancestors,
such as the Anglo Saxons, Celts or Gauls. This provides much of the humour
of Asterix the Gaul and also led to Alexander Blok's very silly early 20th
century poem "The Scyths".

Perhaps the greatest proven influence of the Scythians was producing
Dionysius Exiguus, the monk to whom we owe our present world year numbering
system.  In 526 A.D., Pope John I asked him to provide a more scientific way
of calculating the date of Easter into the future (linked forever to the
Hebrew calculation for determining Passover by both the sun and the moon).
As almost a footnote, he also reformed the calendar to date from the year
One being the birth of Jesus (remember, people, no zero in the West until
after the Crusades), since in the then current system it was the year 242
since the ascendancy of Diocletian, who was also a great persecutor of
Christians.  We think they knew that they got the year wrong by as much as
six years, but it worked so well with his Easter calculations, that they
just let it slide

And Marcel Bas wrote: Blame Canada!

Since we are famous for our politeness, I will thank you for your
sentiments.  We are always glad to take a little heat off our neighbours to
the south.
*
Ed Alexander*

----------

From: john welch <sjswelch at yahoo.com.au>
Subject: LL-L "History" 2007.04.03 (01) [E]

David Clarke wrote:
 "thought that the Slavonic and specifically Russian identification with the
"Scythians" only occurred in the late nineteenth century and was a
phenomenon of nineteenth-century nationalism, when nation states emphasised
their uniqueness and raison d'etre  by identifying their original
ancestors".
Well OK. The Poles would co-incide with Scots (and Irish opinion about
Scots) about Scythia. There are plenty of other warrior sagas (Goths,
Teutons, Sarmatians) but 3 countries have voted for Skythes. One would
expect a legend of #*^(@ the hero of the Polcski, or MacDheywqau king of
Scutiach.
John

•

==============================END===================================

 * Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.

 * Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.

 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.

 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l")

   are to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at

   http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.

*********************************************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20070403/1a812896/attachment.htm>