John D. Rateliff's Blog

An Annotated GODS OF PEGANA

So, yesterday I came across a new edition of Dunsany's first book, THE GODS OF PEGANA (original edition 1905, this edition 2012).  What I cd put together about it from some quick online searching was a bit uncertain, but here's what I cd find on it so far.

Put together by a Robert J. Schulenburg, whose work is otherwise unknown to me. It is said to be the first book in a series to be known as The Reader's Library of Inspirational Books; I have not yet tracked down any other volumes in the series.

Whether this has any linkage with Dolly Parton's Inspiration Library I can't say yet.  

 This edition for the Kindle includes promises it includes additional material:

-An Introduction to the series

-The biographical essay, 'Lord Dunsany: Badass Patriarch of High Fantasy'

-An original article, 'Dunsany's Chess' detailing the rules for the chess variant created by the author

-High quality formatting and interactive Table Of Contents for Kindle users


Future editions of this volume will include (and will be added to [my] purchase free of charge):

-The essay: "Writing A Bible- Scripture As Narrative And Fiction, And Why We Would Confuse It For Fantasy

-Table of Influenced & Influences

-A Lexicon of gods and prophets in the Peganan cosmology

-The chapters in summary (a distillation of the themes and messages of each Book)

-A timeline of the Peganan cosmology

-A map of the cosmology of Pegana

-Hiqh quality original illustrations

I have to say that this looks like a random assortment for things connected with Dunsany.

I've ordered a copy and shd have more information about the book after the book arrives.

--John R,

current reading: THE SECRET COMMONWEALTH (just out)  by Phillip Pullman. A re-reading and a disappointment.  And a complete collection of short stories by Aleister Crowley of short stories featuring Simon Iff, his psychic detectiv (re-reading; not as good the second time around).

Till We Have Faces

 So,  just a brief reminder that this is on its way, if still a few months dfistant

Here's what's been released so far

A world premiere retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche.

When Psyche is sacrificed to appease the gods, her sister Orual—the future warrior queen—ventures to give her a proper burial. But Psyche is not dead, and she believes she’s living a life Orual cannot see. What follows is a powerful, mythic journey through love, beauty, faith, doubt, and the bonds of sisterhood.

--John R

The Smith Family quilt

 So,  a hundred and fifty years ago, at a place known as The Hollow (later renamed Ararat), a group of women got together and created a quilt for Rev. Newton Smith (born 1853), who was my great-grandfather. Family legend has it that this was a joint project, and that each segment was made by one of the women who dated him, who gave it to him as a wedding present.  If true (and there's some evidence it is), he must have been a remarkable man. 

 I count sixteen squares, each with the same pattern using a different color scheme, which must have taken a lot of organization. Be that as it may,  it's amazing to me that this artifact of the past has passed down intact, if a little worn. Now I have to put some thought into whom it shd go to after my time.

--John R

Geysers that aren't geysers

So, as part of our occasional efforts to get off the West Valley Highway, last Wednesday Janice and I went to Flaming Geyser --which isn't  a geyser and doesn't flame and went walking along the White River (which downstream turns into the Green River). Which, as Janice pointed out, at one point downstream flows by the West Valley Highway. 

In other news, we're grateful the feared tsunami didn't strike --not least than because we're at extremely low sea level (thirty-two feet I think).

--current reading: a book on Suffolk fairy-lore. Well written and very well researched; I learned a lot I didn't know from reading this.

C. S. Lewis at the Taproot

Well, here's something I thought I'd never see: a staging of C. S. Lewis's last novel, TILL WE HAVE FACES. Adapted by Koren Lund, it's scheduled for the month of January 21st through February 21st. While I usually make an effort to see plays by or inspired by Inklings,* I might wind up giving this one a pass.  More on this one as the time approaches and more information about the production becomes known.

https://www.taproottheatre.org/shows/2026/till-we-have-faces/

In other news: Today it rained. Not a lot, but enough to break the dry stretch of weeks past.

  --John R.

*including one-man-shows and similar dramatizations featuring Inklings as characters, which are generally the best of such works

a few words

 So. It's been a while.

--John R

Fink-Nottle's Delight

Fink-Nottle's Delight

So, today we sent down to the botanical gardens in Federal Way to see how the rhododendrons and bonsai were doing. When we'd been there last things were just beginning to bloom: now they're in full flourish. We especially wanted to see how the frogs were doing. Last time we'd been told by a knowledgeable fellow visitor that soon the scummy  little pond wd be populated with tadpoles and then little frogs.

 

It turns out the delay worked in our faor, and we got to see not frogs but six salamanders --specifically North West Salamanders. I've only seem salamanders in the wild a few times (most notably at Camp DeSoto), so this was a real treat. It looked like a wet lizard.

 

 

Walking a little further we saw a pair of butterflies --tiger swallowtails I think; my favorites-- in a patch of sunlight: whether courting or quarrelling I cd not tell. I held out a hand in hopes one might land on it, but they declined.

 

And if these were not enough, not long after our path was crossed by a snake making a purposeful withdrawal from our presence.

 

All in all, a pleasant outing.

 

--John R

--current reading: ISLANDIDA by Austen Tappan Wright (1942)

--current viewing: The Murderbot Series (on Apple tv) 

Tolkien and Wartime Oxford

So, here's a brief allusion to Tolkien's work creating and administrating the syllabus for the accelerated cadet's course at Oxford during WW II:

"One of the most eye-catching initiatives was the course in English literature designed by J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: this was the first external examination authorised by the University of Oxford."*

*The Book at War: How Reading Shaped Conflict and Conflict Shaped Reading by Andrew Pettegree (2023)

endnote: Bruce R. Johnson, 'The efforts of C. S. Lewis to aid British prisoners of War during World War II', C. S. Lewis Journal. 12 (2018), pp. 41-76.

[endnote: Pettegree page 444]

I found this of interest because it co-credits Lewis, whom Tolkien outranked professionally. I'll have to hunt down Johnson's article.

--John R.

--current (re)reading:: the Murderbot series by Martha Wells

Kalamazoo 2025

 So, barring the unforeseen, it looks like I'll be going to Kalamazoo this year (April 8th thr 11th) after all.

If you see me, stop and say hello; I'll be the one with the brown fedora at the Tolkien events.

--John R.

Ring Any Bells?

 So, yesterday, going through a box, I came across the dungeon map I did as part of the Map Order for some adventure  I worked on back in TSR/WotC days (the comments on the map in green ink are in my handwriting).  Problem is, I don't remember what adventure it goes with. If anyone out there recognizes it, I'd be interested in comparing the draft with the published module.

--John R.