Photo post by @KawaneeHamilton.
Source: 8 laws of Foreshadowing (shared from Writer’s circle)
All posts by V.M.Sang
English National Anthem
I’ve posted on this before, but I want to be more specific this time.
The British Government has recently debated whether there should be a National Anthem for England, specifically to be sung at sporting events. Scotland has Flower of Scotland, Wales has Hen Wlad fy Nhadau and Northern Ireland uses Londonderry Air. England has used the UK National Anthem, God Save the Queen but does not have one of its own.
Many people have asked for England to have its own Anthem for events when England competes alone. There have been three main ones and one other that does not seem to have many in favour, although personally, I think it would be the best. These contenders are: Rule Britannia, Land of Hope and Glory and Jerusalem. The unfavoured one is I Vow to Thee My Country.
1. Rule Britannia is not good because it is not England. It’s Britain. The name itself implies Britain. Also, most people don’t know the words except for the two-line chorus. (Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves, Britons {Not English, note} never, never, never shall be slaves.) Not a good anthem for England as it refers to Britons, which includes Irish, Scots and Welsh.
2. Land of Hope and Glory is a little better. It is very patriotic and a brilliant tune, but also very much of the 19th century. Can we, in all honesty, in the 21st century sing ‘Wider still and wider shall thy bounds be set’? Imperalism gone mad!
3. The seemingly favoured one and one that has already been used at some sporting events. It was sung at the Commonwealth games, I believe, and I have heard it myself being sung at the current series of cricket matches against South Africa.
This is Jerusalem, of course. Brilliant tune, but what about the words?
Well, as I see it the title of the song is suspect. It’s Jerusalem, for goodness sake. Not London, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, etc All good English cities, but Jerusalem, a city in the Middle East. Yes, it is important worldwide as the birthplace and holy city of 3 great religions, but it’s NOT ENGLISH. It’s a national Anthem for England we’re talking about here.
Then there are its religious connotations. It is quite unashamedly Christian.
‘And did those feet in ancient times…’ Whose feet? Jesus’ feet.
‘And was t he Holy Lamb of God…’ Who is the lamb of God? Jesus.
‘And did the countenace divine…’ Whose countenance was divine? Jesus’ countenance.
There are many people in the UK who do not subscribe to Chrisitianity. There are, of course, Hindus, Muslims, Buddists, Sikhs, Jews and many others who won’t be represented by this song, but also the atheists and agnostics and other non-church-going people. We are constantly being told about how the ethnic groups (specifically Muslims) should be encouraged to integrate, and yet a national anthem that will not include them is being seriously discussed.
Finally, on Jerusalem, it is associated with the Womens’ Institute. They sing it at all their meetings.
No, Jerusalem ought to be scrapped as an idea for an English National Anthem, as should any other with overt Christian overtones.
I Vow to Thee My Country is a hymn, yes, but the first verse certainly has no religious implications, just talking about loyalty to one’s country, which is what a National Anthem ought to be about. not vague wishes that Jesus may or may not have come to England, and a wish to build Jerusalem, a city torn apart by religious strife, in our country.
5 more commonly confused words.
Since I started writing about these words, more and more are coming to my notice. I suppose it’s because I’m now looking out for them. Some can be quite amusing, like in a previous blog when I talked about vicious and viscous.
A pupil wanted to say that a liquid became more VISCOUS, i.e. thicker and less runny. In fact, he said it became more VICIOUS.
Here are this week’s words.
Advise/Advice.
Advise is a verb. It is what you do. You advise someone.
e.g. I would advise you not to put all your money in the same shares.
Advice is a noun. It is what you give.
e.g. My advice to you is not to put all your money in the same shares.
Comprise/Compose
Comprise means to include.
e.g. The house comprised five bedrooms.
Compose means to make up.
e.g The hamper was composed of a bottle of wine, a ham, a box of dates and a goose.
Lie/lay
Lie is to recline.
e.g. My back hurts when I lie down.
Lay is to put an object down.
e.g. The man came to lay the carpet in the hall, or Lay the book on that table, please.
Defective/Deficient
Defective means that something does not work.
e.g. When I tried the new camera I had bought, I found it to be defective.
Deficient means that something is missing.
e.g. When the doctor analysed the results of the girl’s blood test he found she was deficient in iron.
Oh, here is one that is always got wrong.
Hung/Hanged
Hung refers to an object.
e.g. He hung his coat in the cloakroom.
Hanged refers to a person or other living thing.
e.g. One argument against capital punishment is that if a person is found to be innocent after they have been hanged it’s too late to do anything about it.
Publishing contract
I would like everyone to know that I have been offered a publishing contract with Creativia. I am quite excited about it.
I submitted the first part of a story that I have called the Elements, and they liked it, so watch this space.
Greetings
A Happy New Year to all who follow my blog and all who are just visiting.
An Interview with Mabryl, a character from The Wolf Pack.
Hi everyone.
This month has 5 Tuesdays in it and so we have an extra blog. I have decided to do an interview with Mabryl, Carthinal’s mentor in The Wolf Pack for this extra Tuesday. Those of you who are reading my installments will know who he is.
Mabryl Interview
I encountered Mabryl one day as I was walking through Bluehaven. I had heard of his adoption of the promising young mage, Carthinal and I decided to ask him a few questions for the local newssheet, The Bluehaven Herald. Here is the result of my interview.
Me: How did you come to meet with Carthinal?
Mabryl: He was part of a feral gang of children when I met him. In fact, I think he was their leader. I spotted him first watching a young mage in the market place. He was obviously looking for someone’s pocket to pick in the crowd watching the mage when he suddenly stopped and seemed quite taken by the display.
Me: I didn’t know mages gave public displays of magic.
Mabryl: It’s not usual, but sometimes if an apprentice fails the test, they will become entertainers using what little they know. It impresses the public and does no harm.
Me: Why did you take an interest in Carthinal?
Mabryl: I didn’t at the time. It was only later that I saw his potential. As I rounded a corner I spotted him in an alley. He didn’t see me, and I noticed that he was trying to copy the movements and sounds of the simple spells the mage had done. I stood watching him for a bit, not expecting anything to happen, when suddenly a flame rose from his finger. It was only fleeting, but it told me that the boy was exceptional. Very few can master anything without considerable training, and yet here was a boy who had only watched a performance yet had managed to twist the mana to make a very small, short lived flame.
Me: What did you do?
Mabryl: I approached the boy carefully; he was one of the criminal classes after all. I spoke quietly and told him I would like to train him in magic as he obviously had some talent. He backed away, believing that I was trying to capture him for the guard, swore most foully, and told me to go and leave him alone. Of course, I couldn’t leave such a talent, but to try to force him would be counterproductive and so I left him there and went on my way.
Me: When did you meet him again?
Mabryl: I sought him out after that. He was still very suspicious. Eventually I decided to let his curiosity work for me. He still tried to get the little cantrip right, but couldn’t get more than the fleeting flame I’d already seen. I told him I’d train him if he came to my house.
After a few weeks, he came and stood outside. I bided my time and didn’t approach him, but opened the door for him to enter if he wished. It was like trying to capture a shy and wild animal. However, eventually he came in and asked me to teach him.
Me: Was he a difficult pupil?
Mabryl: Difficult isn’t in it. He was wild and found the discipline necessary for the practice of magic almost beyond him. He wanted to learn everything at once too. First of all, before any magic could be learned, he had to learn to control himself. We both found that a difficult task.
Me: How long did it take to tame him?
Mabryl: I’m not sure I have, even now. He still has his temper. He’s also still too fond of the girls. He’s so attractive that they find it hard to resist him. I’ve tried to instil some sense of right and wrong in him, but I’m not sure how far it’s penetrated. I’ve told him he shouldn’t toy with the feelings of young girls though. I only hope it’s penetrated somewhat.
Me: You had high hopes for him at first. Do you still feel the same?
Mabryl: Yes I do. He must learn to control himself more, of course if he is to become as great a mage as he is capable. He has an instinct with the mana. He’s one of the rare few who can actually see it when he is weaving it.
Me: I believe you have adopted him.
Mabryl: Yes. I’ve never married and have no heirs. I’ve grown very fond of Carthinal. In spite of his faults he’s a very personable young man with plenty of charisma. He’ll inherit everything I have when Kalhera calls me and I leave this life.
Me: Thank you.
Mabryl: It was my pleasure.
Good Wishes
I would like to wish all my followers, and those of you who are just visiting,
A Very Merry Christmas
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Dragons Fly. A Poem by V.M.Sang
This week I’m posting one of my own poems. I hope you like it.
DRAGONS FLY
Dragons fly
Soaring high
Tiny specks up in the sky.
Dragons swoop
And loop the loop
Then come together in a group.
Dragons dive
Up there they thrive.
They all love to be alive.
Dragons flame.
It’s just a game
They are wild, they are not tame.
Dragons play
Above the bay.
Dangerous beauty. Do not stay!
If you liked this poem, please let me know in the comments section.
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This offer lasts until December 25th.
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My review of Winter’s Captive by June Bourgo
Blurb
Recently separated from a cheating husband, a pregnant Georgia leaves her home to spend a month with a childhood friend in Yukon Territory. Her stay takes an abrupt turn when she is kidnapped by bank robbers. She escapes into a vast area of north western British Columbia, known as ‘the last frontier’. Against all odds, Georgia is forced to make decisions to endure the cold, harsh winter. Will she make the right choices to not only ensure her survival but that of her unborn child?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The character of Georgia captured me and I followed her every move with interest. I enjoyed watching her grow as she faced her ordeal in the wilderness.
Her husband left her pregnant and after a terrifying ordeal, Georgia finds herself faced with an even more terrifying experience—giving birth alone in the wilderness. She finds the strength to survive through a surprising means and grows both spiritually and emotionally.
This is not the kind of book I usually read, but I found that it is one of those books that you want to keep reading to know what happens next, but don’t want to finish. I am glad to se that June V. Bourgo is writing more books about Georgia. I am anxious to see how she continues her spiritual and emotional growth.
This book has a lot to teach its readers about spirituality, and I have learned a lot from reading it.
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Dragons Rule OK. V.M.Sang (author) 