"Andrew J. Offutt - Cormac 05 - Sword of the Gael" - читать интересную книгу автора (Offutt Andrew J)

to do with itтАФI think. Nor evenтАФI thinkтАФthat I once married a woman whose name
strings out as Mary Josephine McCarney McCabe Offutt. Or maybe thatтАЩs OтАЩffutt...
It is astonishing how little we know of history or тАЬhistory,тАЭ other than Roman,
before AD 800 or so. Open your encyclopedia to Scotland or Ireland or any part of
Britain and see when they seem to think history began. Even at that I was unable to
get hold of all the material I needed (whether I knew of its existence or not), and shall
as a consequence probably catch it from some of the Eirrin-born.
Consider this: Stirrups had not been invented at the time of this novel (about AD
490). Stirrups made possible chivalry (from cheval, horse) and knighthood, for they
made possible combat on horseback. Try sitting even a standing horse without
stirrups, and swinging your arms strenuously. Revelation can be painful, even
without a heavy sword or ax, in hand, much less while weighted with helmet, armor,
and buckler!
Some will note that the history shown here is accurateтАФbut that the history
books show different royal names in the late fifth century. This is fiction, and I
wanted people such as Prince Ceann to exist, and Samaire, and Feredach the Dark.
Also... Howard held ever an awareness or belief in continuity, both in the history of
this planet and among races and nations. Does racial memory exist? Howard thought
so. It is obvious from his work that he carried the same awareness/belief as regards
individuals.
But I think that belongs in an article I will probably write, some day. Meanwhile:
Things are not always as they seem, even when we have тАЬhistorical records.тАЭ (Tell
me about a contemporaryтАФ?тАФof Cormac, King Arthur, and then go look him up.
The Mayaguez incident of modern piracy is history, and we can lay it all out neatly
from start to finishтАФor can we?)
Finally there is this.
I have avowed being a fan of Robert E. Howard; we even collect Conan comics
at my house. I am extremely, often painfully, aware of REHтАЩs shortcomings, too. I
studied Howard before I wrote this book, and while I wrote it, too. His Cormac
stories I read four times over before I even began to write, and I made notes. (DonтАЩt
tell me Howard said Cormac had been in exile fifteen years or more, while I say
twelve. It was twelve. Maybe Cormac dissembled to Howard as he did to Wulfhere,
hating to be so youngтАФwhile so bright and competent.)
Nevertheless, I have not attempted to copy Howard. Where is the worthiness in
that?
Howard was like Burroughs in that people can and do make themselves feel
superior by making fun of his cardboard characters and purple prose. (Building
oneself up by tearing others down is a favorite gameтАФbecause it is so easy.) Yet,
like that of Burroughs, HowardтАЩs work lives and has grown increasingly more
popular. Simply put, REH, like ERB, had the Magic. Whether we are fans or
imitatorsтАФthere are lots of thoseтАФor emulators or choke-gasp critics, we all sort of
wish we had that Magic, too. If IтАЩve got hold of some of it, wonderful! You can pat
my back if youтАЩre of a mind to and my hand will be right there with yours.
In addition, though, I was completely charmed by the language of Augusta
GregoryтАЩs 1892 translation of the great Irish folk-cycle, Cuchulain of Muirthemne
(see Pronunciation Guide ). I copy no one, consciously. LetтАЩs say though that I
have been ever conscious and most mindful of both HowardтАЩs style and of Lady
GregoryтАЩs тАЬOld GaelicтАЭ way of telling CuchulainтАЩs story, while I told CormacтАЩs.
ThatтАЩs enough. All I started off to do was tell you about the lack of stirrups, and
what a great joy and sheer fun this has been for me, and to assure you that all I have