or
A Linnæus Sandwich
I have recently (and rather obliquely) been called a Linnæus nut... and it may be so. But please understand that I don't start my day looking for the Swede with many names: Linné, von Linné, Linnæus. Quite the opposite. I wake with no clue where the day will take me and I secretly hope I might find someplace new. It is just that wherever I go I find Linnæus already there, waiting for me, like a much smarter and very patient friend. Today was no different.
Two Black-Eyed Susans
Flickr Photos:
Left: Bumblebee on Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Originally Uploaded by Distractable Savant
Right: Black-Eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata 'Alba')
Originally Uploaded by Stefarno
| Planting Black-Eyes | The Rudbecks and the Devil's Plaything | Hortus Rudbeckianus | Olof the Younger | Linnæus: Ethnobotanist | Rudbeckia hirta | Apologies | Further Reading | Notes | Sources |
I've droned on before about Linnæus and his Systema Naturæ. I'll try to control myself here and simply state that most of our understanding of the natural world around us is based upon the tenth edition of this, Carolus Linnæus' greatest work.1 But I'm not thinking such broad thoughts just now. Instead, I'm fighting off a most terrific bout of loneliness2 by thinking about plants in my window, horses, dogs, the natural world... and springtime.
But of course, without looking for Linnæus anywhere, I find myself inextricably spread between two slices of Linnæan bread: the Black-Eyed Susan!
It all begins with some "Black-Eyed Susan" seeds I set out to plant. This common name amuses me to no end. Everyone has heard the name "Black-Eyed Susan" in connection to something... right? After all, there are songs, bands, women, and flowers. Oh... and horses! Black-Eyed Susan Day is the Friday before the Preakness at Pimlico! And the Preakness itself is often called "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans" (a reference to the flowers placed around the winning coly, filly or gelding's neck).3
And of course, I can't think of the Preakness Stakes without remembering Bernardini's unbelievable win there last year! Remember? Over 5 lengths? Whoa!
Flickr Photo:
Bernardini winning the Preakness!
Originally Uploaded by Wakemily
May 20th, 2006
The reason the Preakness is associated with Black-Eyed Susans, and
not, for example, Carnations (Belmont) or Roses (the Derby), is because
Pimlico Race Track is in Maryland. The good people at Pimlico choose to honor their state flower... Maryland's Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). Well done!
Flickr Photo:
USA, Native Flowers Tag
Originally Uploaded
by soniaalmeida
Every now and again I read an essay or article that generally disparages (or questions) "fancy latin names" in the garden.4 But if ever there was a good case for using binomial nomenclature in association with common names, Black-Eyed Susan is it! You see, the seeds I planted were not Rudbeckia hirta. In fact, they weren't Rudbeckia ANYTHING!
And what is up with THAT moniker? Rudbeckia? You know I can't leave that alone.
| The Rudbecks and the Devil's Plaything |
Turns out that Rudbeckia refers to one rather magnificent Swedish family (in general) and to two people with the same name (in particular): Olof Rudbeck, father and son. What a family!
Let's start 120 or so years before the birth of Linnæus, with Johannes Rudbeck (1581-1646). Johannes was bishop at Västerås, ("one of the oldest cities of Sweden and Northern Europe"i) and personal chaplain to King Gustavus II Adolphus ("the Great").
Västerås in Sweden
image from wikipedia
used with permission
Johannes was also the founder (in 16235) of the first school of secondary education (like a U.S. High School, sort of), in Västerås - the Rudbeckianska Gymnasiet, the "oldest gymnasium in Sweden." ii
Johannes was a giant, he must have been. He set a tone and had influence beyond his days. (You'll see.) There is a delightful speech I found online from the Uppsala University Conferment Ceremony a few years ago. It was delivered by then Vice-Chancellor Bo Sundqvist on May 28, 2004. The speech references a different speech Johannes Rudbeck gave 400 years ago... about the way knowledge comes to us.
"Rudbeckius begins: the State cannot assume that scholarship can be on order. It cannot be purchased. It will come to us over the course of time, through continuous education and scientific endeavour."
While he was actually talking about the long-term importance of FUNDING scholarship, you'll see (in a moment) that this is relavent. It has to do with how I view Johannes contribution to the world... which I view to be larger than the establishment of a school. The speech giver, Sundqvist, expanded the metaphor nicely and made my point:
"Rudbeckius talked about the importance of long-term planning. According to recent research in evolutionary biology, it is the capacity to plan ahead that separates mankind from the animals. When Man learned to carry water on her excursions, the horizon shifted. Man’s freedom increased when she understood that it was possible to sustain images of the environment within herself. Planning helped Man colonize the future.
Today we are here to celebrate the new doctors who will advance the frontiers of knowledge, who will carry water to new hunting grounds and create new worlds. And we celebrate the jubilee doctors who for half a century—and more—have committed themselves to science, and who know that, after all, scholarship is often its own reward."
In my opinion, Johannes greatest acheivement (and maybe the ultimate achievement for anyone) is that he set a tone. He expanded horizons. Get a load of his kids and grandkids. I'd like to think that some of my little essays expand horizons too.
And speaking of expanding horizons: when did this whole "Man" - "Her" thing happen? "When Man learned to carry water on her excursions." I didn't get that memo. And let me tell you, I've been on a few excursions myself... with women. And right or wrong, I can state with empirical accuracy that the only carrying of anything was carried by a him... me. And I usually didn't even want to go on those particular damned excursions in the first place.
I'm beginning to wonder if I should be ashamed of my external genitalia? But I most certainly am not. Please see previous post: Mac Daddy Finch Master.
I'm kidding of course.
Whatever.
Sorry. That was rather a knee-jerk reaction I fear. I am sure that what I really mean is "whatever is politically correct is really good and I like it." Maybe I'm a bit of a grump.
But so was Johannes.
"[He] is also notable for calling what is now known as the Dalecarlian horse "the Devil's plaything."" iii
Flickr Photo:
The Dalecarlian Horse and Sweden flag
Originally Uploaded by gureisu
Now that's just CRAZY! He was talking about traditional carved wooden horses. When I think of Sweden, I often think of these... red. And they are quite beautiful to my eyes. Also, I think of Swedish Warmbloods... beautiful animals... I think I need more money.
Kardinal - Approved Swedish Warmblood Stallion
Check out Davinci on the same page. Wow.
I have no idea how they could be a toy for the devil... unless it has something to do with the pagan god Odin and his mythical/magical eight-legged horse: Sleipner ("the greatest of all horses... his name means smooth or gliding, and is related to the English word "slippery"").iv
Flickr Photo:
Sleipner
Originally Uploaded by hubschenhosen
Anyway, the Bishop Rudbeck had a son who would become "the most important Swedish scientist of the 17th century."v I am referring to the first Olof Rudbeck: Olof Rudbeck, the Elder. Or Olaus. (I'm not sure about the Olof/Olaus thing. I presume they are equivalents.)
Wikipedia Commons
Olof Rudbeck, The Elder,
painted in 1696 by
Martin Mijtens the Elder
(a conscise and interseting link).
Anyway... I could write all day about the Elder Olof (don't worry, I won't). He was quite a character and accomplished a great deal. But perhaps the best thing say about him is that he is often considered to be "the first Swede to make a scientific discovery."vi
I'm not sure if this is true or just a wry statement. But consider the Swedish contribution to the sciences. It is staggering... STAGGERING.
I came across a clever bit some time ago in the comment section of one of Amy Stewart's essays on Garden Rant: Latin is Hard. (If you don't know Amy Stewart, you should.6) Something was written about how diificult it is to use the "Latin" names. A maddening statement on several levels. These words are, apparently, difficult to pronounce - as though any language is easy to pronounce correctly if one doesn't care to learn it. A commenter named "Max" (of the Two Gardens blog) responded in a way that is particularly relevant and made me laugh out loud at the time:
A Latin class will not help you pronounce botanical names, because they are systematically mangled by botanists... If people really want to be "correct", they should try to pronounce [Latin] like an 18th-century Swede.
Ha!
But Max is right. It is as though for two or three hundred years a freight train of intellectualism swept through the world, from Sweden. And if Olof the Elder got this "train" started... well... GOOD!
Olof the Elder's interests were varied. He was a medical doctor who gained some early notoriety with his studies of anatomy. To facilitate his studies, he had a cupola built on top of the main Uppsala University building - now called the Gustavianum. Within the cupola was an arena-like Theatrum anatomicum - an operating theater - where dissection under good light could be carried out in front of students.
Flickr Photo:
Operating Theater 2
Originally Uploaded by JayKayEss
Flickr Photo:
Gustavianum Museum, Uppsala
Originally Uploaded by ErikaLand
"The cupola still remains and is a landmark in Uppsala."vii For more information check out: Museum Gustavianum
Olof the Elder was also interested in Astronomy, Music, and yes..... Gardens.
"In 1655, Olof Rudbeck Sr. founded the Botanical Garden of Uppsala University, the first botanical garden in Sweden."viii
This is fifty years before the birth of Linnæus.
One must wonder if Linnæus could have been what he became if Olof had not "set the table." For example, Olof Rudbeck the Elder set out to create a florilegium called Campus Elysii (Elysian Fields?),7 in which he wanted to depict "all plants in the world known to man." (It began as "All the plants of Sweden"... and then grew.)
Whereas Olof dreamed of a Campus Elysii, Linnæus dreamed of an entire System of Nature... the difference is not large in terms of hubris (in my opinion), but it is quantum leap in terms of perspective.
Rudbeck kept extensive garden catalogues as well. There is an unpublished late 17th century florilegium that is being "worked on": his "Book of Flowers." It consists of "3,000 color plates depicting plants, many of them growing in the Botanical Garden or in the surroundings of Uppsala" in Rudbeckian times."
"The Campus Elysii project (and almost all of Olof's life's work) came to an abrupt end when most of the woodcuts were destroyed in the fire which devastated most of the city of Uppsala in May 1702." 8
Among Olof Rudbeck The Elder's children are two that might be of interest:
Alfred Nobel
Wikipedia Commons
The junior Olof was a notable scientist in his own right. While the "Young Rudbeck succeeded his father as professor of medicine at Uppsala University, he was also an able botanist and ornithologist."x
Olof the Younger had taken over the Rudbeckian Garden at Uppsala after his father retired in 1692, but the gardens soon fell into disrepair.xi The young Olof was interested in other things too... namely, exploration and travel. He was an explorer-scientist.
And THIS was Linnæus' teacher. Imagine! 9
Rudbeck's gardens at Uppsala were given to the care of young Linnæus who in turn began restoring and redesigning them. Soon they were a showpalce at the University. And in later years, the Linnæan Garden would house thousands of plants sent back by Linnæus' students from all over the world.xii
So what was Olof the younger doing? I don't want to cast aspersions on the good man. He wasn't slacking off. He was just doing other things and very often elsewhere... for example, Lapland - the home of Father Christmas!
Click to Enlarge United Nations Environmente Programme
"[Olof Rudbeck The Younger] traveled to Lapland in 1695, joining an expedition commissioned by the King, for which his mission was to study nature, the mountains in particular. He returned with an album of beautifully colored pictures of birds, flowers and scenery, for which he is best remembered."xiii
While he was there, he didn't limit his focus. For example, he speculated as to the relationship between the Lapp and Hebrew languages!xiv Wow!
Why do I mention all of this? Well... it is this kind of a background that made Linnæus who he was. He clearly respected his teacher (and was probably encouraged by him) because on his 25th birthday (May 12, 1732) Linnæus set out alone on his OWN trip to Lapland... the same trip Rudbeck the Younger had taken years earlier. But where Rudbeck had focused on ornithology, writing and illustrating a book of birds of the far north, Linnæus focused on the plants and became the first trained botanist to travel with the intent of recording the plants of another country. In the process he noted the uses of various plants and fungi by the Saami, (native Laplanders).xv
And do you know what THAT means?
(Get Ready Anna Maria!)
| Linnæus: Ethnobotanist |
There is an excellent on-line article at Plant Talk that is quite interesting (in my opinion). It is by Paul Allen Cox10 and entitled "The Unfinished Journey of Carl Linnæus." And even though I'm not sure that I agree with it's premiss : that Linnæus was the FIRST ethnobotanist, it is full of juicy morsels. (Unlike many, I believe "the practice" of ethobotany is OLDER than this.)
Linnæus in a Saami costume. Colored copperplate engraving,
after a portrait by M.Hoffman.
Painted in the Netherlands
sometime between 1735-1738.
By the way, Linnæus is wearing a woman's hat...
but he didn't care. Source
But here's the point: It cannot be an accident (or caprice) that Linnæus followed Olof to Lapland (albiet thirty some years later). The Rudbecks were important and touch our lives through Linnæus' work. Obviously Linnæus felt a deep respect and affection as well....
| Rudbeckia hirta - Black-Eyed Susan |
Rudbeckia hirta ... because he named a genus of flowers Rudbeckia in their honor (the two Olof Rudbecks)... and these are native to almost all of North America. But here's the thing: there are four varieties of this particular black-Eyed Susan and each variety is regionally distinct. What this means is that depending upon where you are, even if you are talking about Rudbeckia hirta, your familiar and ubiquitous Black-Eyed Susan may not be the same as someone else's. They all have that familiar "black eye" at the center of their inflorescences (yellow ray florets circling a brown, domed center of disc florets)... but each is different.
Flickr Photo
In My Memory
Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
Originally Uploaded by EOS/650
There are four varieties are (Distributions from USDA Black-Eyed Susan) :
The nomenclature here is interesting. Anything with a designation like pulcher indicates "beautiful to some degree." The word pulchritude comes from the same place. But the fun part is the degree!
For example, you'll see some plants, like the Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus pulcher), designated "pulcher." This indicates pretty or handsome.
Lipstick Plant from Dave's Garden | kniphofia's Garden
You'll also see plants, like the Calanthe Orchid (Calanthe pulchra), designated "pulchra." This indicates beautiful... more than pretty. Same applies to pulchella / pulchellum / pulchellus.
Calanthe Orchid from Dave's Garden | kennedyh's Garden
And you will see still other plants designated pulcherrima or pulcherrimum. For example, The Red Bird of Paradise, or Peacock Flower (Caesalpinia pulcherrima). This indicates most beautiful or prettiest.
Red Bird of Paradise from Dave's Garden | Marsipan's Garden
Finally, you'll see variants of the word: like pulchriflorum: beautiful + flowers.
So now... what we have... is judgment in the garden. A beauty CONTEST! Of course, Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima is the winner: MOST BEAUTIFUL! The name says so.
All the Rudbeckia's are what we commonly call coneflowers... although there are a couple of "Susans." So... take a good gander at the next black-eyed girl you see. Are they different?
Species:
Flickr Photo:
Black-Eyed Susan
Originally Uploaded by docksidepress
But this is only ONE of the Black-Eyed Susans... and not even the one I'm planting. My original intent was to describe the OTHER BLACK-EYED SUSAN as well... the other Linnæan loaf of bread in my Susan Sandwich. And I had also thought to examine the origins of the "Susan" phrase. But I've gone on too long. These things will have to wait until the next time!
Science in Sweden: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, 1739-1989 by Tore Frangsmyr (Editor)
Thanksgiving: An American Holiday, An American History Diana Karter Appelbaum
The Poetry of Robert Frost: The Collected Poems, Complete and Unabridged by Robert Frost (Author)
Joseph Banks: A Life by Patrick O'Brian (Author) *****
Joseph Banks And the British Museum: The World of Collecting 1770-1830 by Neil Chambers (Author)
The Endeavour Journal of Sir Joseph Banks by Sir Joseph Banks (Author)
Linnaeus: The Compleat Naturalist by Wilfrid Blunt (Author)
A History of the Orchid by Merle A. Reinikka
The Nobel Prize: The First 100 Years by Agneta Wallin Levinovitz (Editor), Nils Ringertz (Editor)
One Hundred Flowers (And How They Got Their Names) by Harold Feinstein
Olof Rudbeck's Book of Birds: Vol 1
1 In 1735, Carolus Linnæus published the first edition of "the systema" - it was an eleven-page essay which sought to classify everything in the world. This is not necessarily a new thing to try. The Roman soldier, author and natural philosopher, Gaius Plinius Secundus, (23 -79 CE) better known as Pliny the Elder, gave it a damned good shot almost 1700 years before with his landmark Naturalis Historia… which is quite a work in and of itself. WOW. (I've written a bit about Pliny the Elder and before. What a guy! And I also tend to think of Linnæus and Pliny together - (which PROVES that I am no scholar).)
What was new was HOW Linnæus went about his tasks. His "systema" is not simply a list of things. Unlike Pliny's thoroughly remarkable Naturalis Historia - NATURAL HISTORY - Linnæus created a system... a System of Nature... the Systema Naturæ. It is a way of looking at the world. And it has proven flexible enough to endure, largely in tact, until today.
It's full title:
"Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis."
or
"System of nature through the three kingdomsF1 of nature, according to classes, orders, genera and species, with [generic] characters, [specific] differences, synonyms, places."
Sure, Linnæus is considered the father modern taxonomy. But the systema is, in my opinion, really an ontological document, and not just scientific. It is philosophical. It permeates my worldview. It shapes the WAY I think. To paraphrase the wikipedia definition of ontology, I believe that the systema "seeks to describe or posit the basic categories and relationships of being or existence" and "to define [all] entities and types of entities within its framework."fi
By 1758 (23 years after he started) the "systema" had reached it's 10th edition and classified 4,400 species of animals and 7,700 species of plants. It is the basis for virtually all biological nomenclature today. back to text
2 I seem to have lately fallen (tangentially) into a circle of divorced professional men who, as nearly as I can tell, hate their ex-wives and seek... uh... things I do not seek. You've seen us in your town: the four divorced guys at the tee box or bar. And you should see the cars! Laughable really. But everyone else is married doing married things! Anyway, the running saying I keep hearing ad naseum (literally) is that "a day in a life of a divorced guy is one hour of abject misery followed by twenty-three hours of total bliss."
Hmmnn.
While there IS some truth in this rather glib and ugly statement, it is a mistake to underestimate that (alledgedly) single hour. Wow. And it isn't lonliness and heartache. It is "failure" - which tastes much more bitter when so much effort was expended. Maybe the problem lies in the fact that I don't hate anyone. back to text
3 Spring is coming! It is almost time to run the three races of the Triple Crown! Mark your calenders:
Let's see what the three year olds have for us this year! back to text
4 Most recently, on February 26th, Elizabeth Licata sparked a lively discussion over at Garden Rant: a post entitled Vox Populi ? The commentary is refreshing. I am ALWAYS pleased to affirm that gardeners can be vibrant and clever people. I've also written about The Language of the Dirt before.
But here's the big thing: these names aren't Latin. At best they are something called "New Latin" and at worst they are macaronic adulterations of several languages. I'm no language purist. I get a bang out of Dog Latin just like anyone else. I understand that languages change (and that no one really spoke "classical" latin anyway... ever). But it seems unfair and off the mark to call binomial nomencalture "latin." The magic of binomial nomenclature is the magic of Linnæus! It isn't "latin." It is the concept of marrying a Genus nomen to a specific descriptor to accurately classify almost everything! back to text
5 1623 - It is interesting to think about educational systems/traditions around the world. The wikipedia article on "Gymnasium" is a quick pan across a broad subject. It is definitely worth a read. Consider that the "the first general system of schools which provided for the Gymnasia was that of Saxony, formulated in 1528"fii - almost a century before Johannes put Sweden on this course.
But this isn't the reason for this particular tangent. Instead, I'm thinking about the year 1623... and what was happening in the world when Johannes was founding his secondary school.
For example, in the new world - my world - colonization was just getting started. The Pilgrims had just celebrated their "first thanksgiving" a year or two before.F2 John Harvard was only seventeen years old in 1623 and had not yet entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge. The New World school that bears his name would not be founded until 1636. And it would not take the Harvard name until 1638, when John died of Tuberculosis and bequeethed his 400 books and half his fortune to a newly founded school in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The John Harvard statue is also known as "Statue of Three Lies"
The inscription on the statue reads:
John Harvard
Founder
1638
Statue of John Harvard, Harvard Yard,
Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Photograph taken by Jessica Williams, June 2005.
Photo & Info from Wikipedia. Used with permission.
OK... enough about the Crimson. Think about this: Johannes Rudbeck was founding secondary schools in Sweden to feed the Universities, and in the New World the first universities did not even exist yet.
There is an interesting list/encyclopedia entry of institutions of higher learning chartered in the New World colonial-era. It is worth a look. But more interesting (to me) is the list of oldest universities in continuous operation in the world. The oldest? Not Oxford (the oldest university in the English-speaking world), nor the University of Paris, no, not even Linnæus' Uppsala. The distinction of the "oldest existing educational institution in the world" is held by the University of Al Karaouine... in Morocco... founded over 1100 years ago.
Another very important date is September 15th, 1883. Mark it down. That's the date that my beloved University of Texas opened it's doors! Hook 'em Horns Baby!
There is something else that is kind of cool that happened in 1623... which affects all of our lives almost every day. I'm referring to the fact that Avedis Zildjian began making cymbals in Constantinople in 1623.
You know... drum cymbals.
When you listen to music, you are probably listening to Zildjian Cymbals. You wouldn't believe the list of Zildjian Artists... almost endless. The next time you put on some Coltrane, think of Elvin Jones on his Zildjians. Is Classic Rock more your thing? Think of Mick Fleetwood on his Zildjians. More of a Nashville type? Think of Eddie Bayers. When I head downtown to catch the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, I catch Vadim Karpinos on his Zildjians. You get the idea.
Flickr Photo:
Zildjian
Originally Uploaded by lonutsandu
Of course, the first Zildjian wasn't particularly concerned with music. These were noise makers to frighten enemies of the Ottoman Empire. Now there's a story WAITING to be looked into... but I can't allow myself to go there just now, else I'll never finish.
The point is this: the same year that Johannes Rudbeck was founding a school in Sweden and Squanto was teaching pilgrims to catch eels and plant corn, Avedis Zildjian was making a helluva racket for the Sultanate of Women... I think I'll put on a little Coltrane and think about that awhile. - back to text
6 OK... to be clear... I don't actually know Amy Stewart. What I intended to suggest is that you might ought to get to know more about her... and read what she writes... which is prolific and wonderful. Books. Blogs. back to text
7The most famous florilegium of which I am aware (please educate me) is the Bank's Florilegium - "a collection of copperplate engravings of plants collected by Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander while they accompanied Captain James Cook on his voyage around the world between 1768 and 1771." fiii
I have never seen an original plate from the Bank's Florilegium, but would like to do so. I know that the University of Hawaii at Manoa has a good bit of it in their Hamilton Library. (Room 112.) When next I am on the islands, I may try to find where Manoa is located and take a peek. Christopher C, are these near you?
Acacia cunninghamii from Banks' Florilegium,
engraved by Daniel MacKenzie (1770-1780),
printed in 1900 by order of the British Museum.
Held in the digital collections of the
National Library of Australia - back to text
8 This is not my original work but I wasn't sure of the appropriate way of citing all of this. The following paragraphs can be found here: http://www.botan.uu.se/Karins_hemsida/Karinrud.html.
In 1655, Olof Rudbeck Sr. founded the Botanical Garden of Uppsala University, the first botanical garden in Sweden. This project aims at making a catalogue of plants cultivated in this garden during the Rudbeckian period 1655-1702. The catalogue will also function as a dictionary of the pre-Linnean plant names used by Olof Rudbeck and his contemporaries.
The project comprises identification of the plants listed in Rudbecks´garden catalogues, as well as identifying, cataloguing and digitising the unique plates in his "Book of Flowers", an unpublished late 17th century florilegium. The "Book of Flowers" consists of 3 000 colour plates depicting plants, many of them growing in the Botanical Garden or in the surroundings of Uppsala. It is a little known parallel to the florilegium Campus Elysii, in which Rudbeck intended to depict all plants in the world known to man. The Campus Elysii project came to an abrupt end when most of the woodcuts were destroyed in the fire which devastated most of the city of Uppsala in May1702. The "Book of Flowers", however, survived the flames. It serves as documentation of the first botanical garden in Sweden as well as reflecting 17th century knowledge of Swedish flora and the species and cultivars grown during this time.
The Hortus Rudbeckianus is being realized in collaboration between the Botanical Garden, Museum of Evolution and University Library of Uppsala University. The project is funded by The Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation.
I just sort of moved it around, cut some, added some and what not. Anyway... I'm not smooth enough to have written the paragraphs above and I didn't want people thinking that I was claiming to have done so. back to text
9 When I learn things like this I immediately think of Robert Frost's poem: Hard Not to be King... or Hard not to be King when it is in you and in the situation... or something (which I cannot find online for you all). I am a Frost nut too apparently, but this poem is not what one is normally served by Mr. Frost. It is long and narrative and tells the story of a father - a great king - who wants a better life for his son... i.e. not to be King. And it is hard not to be. Adventures ensue. The king and his son (the prince) steal away and the father sells himself into slavery to give the boy a few bucks and a fighting chance. And off the boy goes into the world. But there is no avoiding it. Sometime later the boy is called before Xerxes (I think) and told that whole of the Persian Empire is to be given to him. It seems Xerxes had given orders to have himself executed in the morning so the new king could take over. Why? Simple: It is hard not be king when it is in you and in the situation.
And look at the situation old Carolus found himself in! back to text
10 "Professor Paul Alan Cox is Director of the National Tropical Botanic Gardens in Hawai'i and Florida, USA. His recent book Nafanua: Saving the Samoan Rain Forest describes his ethnobotanical research in Samoa. This article is based on the Inaugural Lecture of Paul Alan Cox as King Carl XVI Gustaf Professor of Environmental Science, presented on 26 January 1998 in Uppsala, Sweden, to His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf. Carl Linnæus was portrayed by actor Hans Odöö, who has studied Linnæus for the last decade." Source back to text
F1 The three kingdoms Linnæus specified were the animal kingdom (Regnum animale), the plant kingdom (Regnum vegetabile) and the "mineral kingdom" (Regnum lappideum). The mineral kingdom? He was wrong sometimes too. back to text
F2 I italicize "their" because the more I learn about "thanksgiving", the more I know that most of what I was taught is dead wrong. Like... uh... all of it:
- Is thanksgiving an American thing?... NO. Everyone in the world celebrates the harvest.
- Did the Pilgrims even consider the "first" celebration to be a Thanksgiving?... NO. It was just a harvest celebration.
- Were the Pilgrims even the first Europeans in the North American wilderness to celebrate such a feast?... NO.
As an American, I've been told my whole life that Thanksgiving was an American Holiday. Hell, I'm reasonably sure that my family did the whole "Pilgrim" thing when I was small - but I'm "blocking" it as I've no interest in beginning therapy at any time soon.
There are legitimate books called things like: "Thanksgiving: An American Holiday An American History" (by Diana Karter Appelbaum). It is a heavily quoted work and is almost certainly excellent. I've not read it but may put it on my list, I'm not sure.
Catherine Clinton wrote a very nice piece entitled "Giving Thanks: Women Move to Create a Holiday." It can be found in the June 05 Issue of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Give it a read if you want. Appelbaum is, of course, quoted. The thesis of the piece is something like this:
Thanksgiving stands as one of the most American of holidays, an autumnal ritual fixed in the imagination as honoring the piety and perseverance of the nation’s earliest arrivals during colonial days. But what were the origins of this quintessentially American tradition? And how and when did the observance become an official part of our national identity and holiday calendar?
Nice... but to my way of seeing things, Thanksgiving is most accurately a Canadian holiday (Canadian Thanksgiving) - I'm thinking of Sir Martin Frobisher. What do I know?
Sir Martin Frobisher
by Cornelis Ketel
(who was born in Gouda by the way - I mention this only because I am growing hungry)
Bodleian Library, Oxford
But, of course, Canadians are residents of the American continent... and as such are Americans too. back to text
i http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Västerås#History back to text
ii http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Västerås#History back to text
iii http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Rudbeckius back to text
iv http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalecarlian_horse back to text
v http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Rudbeckius back to text
vi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olof_Rudbeck back to text
vii http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olof_Rudbeck back to text
viii http://www.botan.uu.se/Karins_hemsida/Karinrud.html back to text
ix http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olof_Rudbeck back to text
x http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olof_Rudbeck_the_Younger back to text
xi http://www.killerplants.com/plant-of-the-week/20060123.asp back to text
xii http://www.killerplants.com/plant-of-the-week/20060123.asp back to text
xiii http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olof_Rudbeck_the_Younger back to text
xiv http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olof_Rudbeck_the_Younger back to text
xv http://www.killerplants.com/plant-of-the-week/20060123.asp back to text
fi Quite a fascinating read (to this good ole' Texas boy anyway): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontology back to text
fii http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnasium_%28school%29 back to text
fiii http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banks%27_Florilegium back to text
My man. Back, bodaciously, on top of your game. Spring, it seems, is kicking in.
Posted by: Bruce | March 13, 2007 at 12:18 PM
uhhh, . . . I was right.
You might as well go ahead and write the definitive book on good ol' Carl. Put me down for a copy or two.
Posted by: Rick Anderson | March 13, 2007 at 02:34 PM
Whoa. That clocks in at more than 7K words. Will have to set it aside until I can savor it.
Meantime, have you checked out Anna Pavord’s The Naming of Names? It basically tracks our understanding of plants and their relationship to each other from the Greeks up to Linnaeus. I think Anna thinks Linnaeus gets too much credit. Would love to hear your take on it.
I blogged about the book here: Thoughts on Anna Pavord’s The Naming of Names
Keep up the good work and keep me posted.
Posted by: Ellis Hollow | March 13, 2007 at 08:12 PM
Betsy to Heavens!!!! Reading this is like taking the relationship to another level. I guess we are going steady now.
What happened? Snowed in and thought you would write about everything in the world?
I'm having a baby any minute now, I can't possibly help my wife breathe through her contractions while I'm trying to breathe through this post. :-)
Ok, Hank. I've concluded that you are either a genius, a madman or the new messiah. Either way, I'm glad I know you.
Posted by: Marcel Cairo | March 14, 2007 at 01:40 AM
Upon reflection, a day later.
I still think you ought to write the book. Your version won't be some tired-ass, dissertation written by some old fogey.
you should go for it. Your hook is how Linneaus is still affecting us in the 21st century . . .
Posted by: Rick Anderson | March 14, 2007 at 05:33 PM
I hate black-eyed susans... but god I love these posts of yours. :)
Posted by: Kim | March 14, 2007 at 09:30 PM
Hello Hank,
In my experience it's the female who carries the water bottles, camera, granola bars, chewing gum, etc. on excursions ... because she's the one with the purse, tote bag etc.
My favorite Rudbeckia used to be Rudbeckia nitida 'Herbstonne'. Maybe it's in here somewhere among the other 7000 words:)
Do you ever sleep?
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Posted by: Annie in Austin | March 15, 2007 at 10:48 PM
Wow. The Ulysses of blog posts.
Posted by: Xris (Chris Kreussling) | March 15, 2007 at 11:13 PM
Bruce: Have I mentioned how cold and grey it gets here. Last fall you thought I was exaggerating when remarked that I hoped I'd live to see the spring. I wasn't. I'm a thin-blooded South-Texas boy who, when sleep comes, dream s of Mountain Laurels, Bearded Iris, a caucophony of grackles, dogs on a ranch (LOTS OF "EM), lovely women with their hair pulled back stirring iced tea... and even a blistering sunburn on my neck and bald head. When you get good and hot, you jump in the pool. I'm not strong like these people. Maybe I'm just glad I'm still alive!
Rick Anderson: Thank you for your nice words and encouragement. It is true. I am a nut. But my interests do no lie in writing a book or having my name on a book. As a young man I ghost-wrote several (for money) and even penned my own (for debt). The problem is the BOOK. Assuming one can get a publisher, just as soon as one writes one, then one must SELL it and do all the crazy things you see every day. And there are costs involved that must be incurred and compensated for. I've no interest in being my own book salesman. And I've LESS interest in trying to convince anyone to be interested in those things I am... I've had seven or eight years of that. No thank you. Honestly, I cannot imagine a worse nightmare. I have such respect for those who can do it. But I'll keep spitting out thoughts here. Free. And if people want to come over, they are welcome. And if they don't, I'll do it anyway. And maybe, over time, there will be a good body of information and I will have, perhaps, added something small to the world.
Ellis Hollow: Is 7000 too many? I felt it wasn't enough. Sorry. I guess I was just in another place. And I've ordered the Pavord book (from your Amazon associates link). And as far as the issue of too much credit... you know how I feel on that. I so hate the notion that celebrating the accomplishments of one somehow diminishes the accomplishments of others who came before. Remember Voltaire: "Appreciation is a wonderful thing: it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well."
Marcel Cairo: I keep waiting for the news brother. How is your wife? My thought are with you both.
Kim: Comments like yours can truly brighten a day my dear.
Annie in Austin: Couple of things: First, I'm not anti-woman and I apologize if I seem to be. I LIKE women. I just think the MAN-HER is IDIOTIC. Not evil. Just Stupid. I do not know Rudbeckia nitida 'Herbstonne' but will look it up. (Of course, I'm NOT AT ALL surprised that you know your Rudbeckias. And no, I do not sleep well... but my dogs do.
Xris (Chris Kreussling): ha! Now THAT'S funny.
Posted by: The County Clerk | March 16, 2007 at 10:05 PM
Hey, Hank, I sure don't think you're anti-woman, and the Man /her was pretty goofy ... it's just that I'm the one with one low shoulder from 40 years of hauling stuff while vacationing with family.
I hope spring reaches you soon!
Annie, living in Austin with bearded iris, Mountain Laurels, and a cacaphony of boat-tailed grackles
Posted by: Annie in Austin | March 16, 2007 at 11:38 PM