I did not catch all of those. Certainly not the arabic name-references.
Camilla Send a noteboard - 29/12/2010 11:53:46 PM
I am glad they are there, though. It always makes me warm and fuzzy inside when I can tell an author has thought things through. It feels like a courtesy.
This I caught. I am still a little unsure about his death, though. I seem to remember a different story. But there was a lot of strange stuff towards the end there. There is some stuff I need to reread.
I did not know this, but it makes me very happy.
I did not know this, either. I really should read up on the period.
I caught this. Was his father (brother?) called Sancho as well? I seem to remember that name from something other than Don Quixote, and I think it was in connection with Alfonso el Bravo.
Missed this
This I gathered, but I obviously need to read up on them.
See, this I like.
Ah. Who was the king whose mother-in-law or some such allegedly told him (as he had to leave Alhambra) that "now you can cry like a woman over what you failed to defend like a man"? Do you know? Was that perhaps later? Hmm. I really need to read up on it.
I suppose, when you have two moons, you are allowed a little creative license?
I don't know. I did not try to place it. It seemed like a symbol to me, more than an actual allusion to a historical event.
Indeed.
I kept wondering...
I should have caught this.
Persons:
- Rodrigo Belmonte = Rodrigo Diaz, El Cid (the parts about his towering reputation and his forcing the king to swear an oath of innocence about his brother's murder are true, as is the exile and service to Ragosa, see below)
This I caught. I am still a little unsure about his death, though. I seem to remember a different story. But there was a lot of strange stuff towards the end there. There is some stuff I need to reread.
- Ammar ibn Khairan = ibn Ammar, who was also a poet and politician, with similar rumours of a homosexual relationship with the prince, later king, he served; "khairan" means, intentionally or unintentionally, "good" (or "well", I suppose, it's an adverb)
I did not know this, but it makes me very happy.
- Mazur ben Evren: based on Samuel HaNagid, Jewish chancellor to the Muslim ruler of Granada
I did not know this, either. I really should read up on the period.
- King Ramiro: based on king Alfonso VI, though that king reunited his father's split inheritance before invading Muslim territories, not after, and he most certainly didn't reconquer all of Muslim Spain - it took over four centuries after the period of Alfonso VI, El Cid and ibn Ammar for the last Muslim city in Spain to fall
I caught this. Was his father (brother?) called Sancho as well? I seem to remember that name from something other than Don Quixote, and I think it was in connection with Alfonso el Bravo.
- King Badir of Ragosa: based on Yusuf al-Mu'tamin, the ruler of Zaragoza in whose service El Cid worked for a time
Missed this
- Yazir ibn Q'arif, of the Zuhrite tribe: based on Yusuf ibn Tashfin; "zuhr" means "(after)noon", for what it's worth
- The Muwardis: based on the Almuravids
This I gathered, but I obviously need to read up on them.
- Almalik: means "the king"
See, this I like.
Places:
- Cartada: based on Granada, it would appear
- Al-Fontina palace in Silvenes: presumably the Alhambra (in Granada)
Ah. Who was the king whose mother-in-law or some such allegedly told him (as he had to leave Alhambra) that "now you can cry like a woman over what you failed to defend like a man"? Do you know? Was that perhaps later? Hmm. I really need to read up on it.
- Fezana: seems based on Toledo, which was known for its large Jewish population and was conquered by king Alfonso VI; however, the pogrom mentioned in the book happened in Granada, not Toledo
I suppose, when you have two moons, you are allowed a little creative license?
- Sorenica: based on Salonica? The location is way off, but the names are similar, and Salonica did have a large Jewish population, and did get plundered in a crusade (albeit a later one), even if it was by no means exclusively Jewish.
I don't know. I did not try to place it. It seemed like a symbol to me, more than an actual allusion to a historical event.
- Esperaña: looks like a combination of España (Spain) and "esperanza" (hope), although "esperar" also means "to wait"
Indeed.
- Soriyya: Syria (Suriyya in Arabic)
I kept wondering...
Religions:
- Asharites: likely a reference to al-Ash'ari, the great Muslim theologian whose views remain dominant in Sunni Islam to this day
I should have caught this.
*MySmiley*
structured procrastinator
structured procrastinator
This message last edited by Camilla on 29/12/2010 at 11:54:23 PM
The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay: the November/December Book Club
18/11/2010 09:33:45 AM
- 1579 Views
Prologue and Part One - the pieces are moved into place.
18/11/2010 09:37:08 AM
- 727 Views
I've read this before, more than once, but I can remember very little of what happens.
18/11/2010 12:58:44 PM
- 882 Views
Re: I've read this before, more than once, but I can remember very little of what happens.
20/12/2010 07:31:10 PM
- 736 Views
Part Two: Exile *NM*
18/11/2010 09:38:21 AM
- 420 Views
I still like it.
22/12/2010 09:27:09 AM
- 914 Views
Part Three
18/11/2010 09:40:26 AM
- 733 Views
Still no major objections
25/12/2010 04:07:43 PM
- 780 Views
Overall thoughts: did you like the book?
18/11/2010 09:41:54 AM
- 750 Views
The characters: Jehane, Ammar, Rodrigo
18/11/2010 09:45:51 AM
- 728 Views
A superficial point:
18/11/2010 08:33:58 PM
- 806 Views
Yes. Phèdre no Delaunay de Montrêve (as opposed to Racine's Phèdre).
18/11/2010 08:37:49 PM
- 648 Views
The technicalities: writing style, plotting, etc.
18/11/2010 09:48:48 AM
- 714 Views
He really does love his drama. (spoilers for late in the book)
18/11/2010 09:02:13 PM
- 808 Views
Re: He really does love his drama. (spoilers for late in the book)
21/11/2010 06:13:32 PM
- 705 Views
Re: He really does love his drama. (spoilers for late in the book)
29/12/2010 03:40:31 PM
- 734 Views
Re: He really does love his drama. (spoilers for late in the book)
29/12/2010 03:39:07 PM
- 811 Views
Because I was amusing myself with this during the read: on meanings of names and places
18/11/2010 03:38:39 PM
- 1223 Views
I wish I had the time and brainpower to do that when reading books.
18/11/2010 07:48:30 PM
- 728 Views
Actually, I'm not sure if it really enhanced the reading experience.
18/11/2010 08:11:29 PM
- 724 Views
Hm.
18/11/2010 08:15:32 PM
- 926 Views
Supposedly it's based on Italy? But yeah, maybe that's only superficial.
18/11/2010 08:25:54 PM
- 844 Views
A note on your Tigana comment..
18/11/2010 08:24:24 PM
- 762 Views
I did not catch all of those. Certainly not the arabic name-references.
29/12/2010 11:53:46 PM
- 892 Views
Us and Them: how can we do this to each other?
21/11/2010 06:07:46 PM
- 737 Views