|
estebanana -> RE: Silly Genealogy (Jul. 20 2013 12:20:40)
|
Japanese geneology is important, they keep long lines of ancestors. Being an island nation, like Britain, they have a more selective, or smaller gene pool, but not as much mixing with the continental families as in English history. They are still quite tied to lineage i daily life; As Yuko's dad goes about town with us and meets someone who lives in this small city, but whom he has never met they often comment on his name. Fumoto, which means "the hood of the mountain" as in the snow line of a great mountain such as Fuijsan. The person Yoshimori meets will reflect for few seconds and say Fumoto is an uncommon name, which it is, and then say "Hmm, Fumoto is an old samurai name in Southern Kyushu." and everyone one nods in agreement as if some important fact has been dispensed. It's still something people take note of if you have a remote connection to the samurai periods.
On another note which this subject reminds me of, when I hear people talk about being reincarnated, I marvel that they so frequently lay claims to the reincarnated soul of a famous person. Of the names I have heard in the more than once category there are: The Queen of Sheba, Cleopatra, Napoleon, various pharaohs notably Ramses and Tut, but often Nefertiti and one guy who told me several time he was John "Kew" Dodd the English bow maker. ( John Dodd drank a drink called "pearl" evidently it was comprised of gin and milk, just thought i would throw that in.)
Does anyone ever claim to be the reincarnation of some poor schlub who was in a caste in India that cleaned latrines? Not usually. It leaves me asking the question, how many souls did Napoleon actually have? If you know the Harry Potter books you may know it is possible, in Potterland at least, to split a soul up into several parts and manifest them in different beings, sort of reincarnating them so one person lives in several other people, or snakes. So I'm wondering if these famous people who are reincarnated may in fact be merely related distantly to Nefertiti and perhaps not be Nefertiti herself?
Richards thoughtful and engaging examination of silly geneology may in fact have cracked open this reincarnation hoax. The next person you meet who claims to be the walking talking embodiment of Ramses I, may have been in reality a simple chamber server maid, or a beer swilling pyramid building oaf. I think we can safely close up those family registry tomes that the fancy pants East Coast Blue Blood families leave lying about on side tables in alabaster swaddled entry halls. We know now that at least 2.5% of that blue blood in those veins is of Neanderthaler origin and some unknown percentage is a blend of reincarnate social climbing blood, Egyptian no less.
The real problems arise when you have to authenticate all the bows made by John "Kew" Dodd and his incarnations. It's like what they said of Camille Corot the painter, who reportedly made some 3000 paintings in his life, 5000 of which are on view in museums around the world.
|
|
|
|
