From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Carsten Dominik Subject: OT Re: unicorn Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:17:17 +0100 Message-ID: References: <49A5BF02.1090400@rk-f.me> <874oyggml6.fsf@gnu.org> <56DD71CD-D7DD-4639-80D1-2888472DA7E8@uva.nl> <87ljrru3vc.fsf@rosslaird.info> Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v930.3) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Return-path: Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1LdRsS-0003wJ-MM for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sat, 28 Feb 2009 11:17:24 -0500 Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1LdRsQ-0003vd-AL for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sat, 28 Feb 2009 11:17:23 -0500 Received: from [199.232.76.173] (port=55588 helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1LdRsQ-0003vT-5a for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sat, 28 Feb 2009 11:17:22 -0500 Received: from mail-ew0-f179.google.com ([209.85.219.179]:51245) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1LdRsP-0000f5-Ab for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Sat, 28 Feb 2009 11:17:21 -0500 Received: by ewy27 with SMTP id 27so1728041ewy.42 for ; Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:17:19 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: <87ljrru3vc.fsf@rosslaird.info> List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org To: "Ross A. Laird" Cc: emacs-orgmode@gnu.org Hi Ross, great post, thank you very much! You have made me curious: What argumentation is used to estimate the age of Myth at 70000 years. I can't be the fossile record, I guess :-) So I am wondering how something like this is figured out. If you feel like putting background stuff about unicorns into the FAQ, be my guest. - Carsten On Feb 27, 2009, at 7:33 PM, Ross A. Laird wrote: > Carsten Dominik writes: > >> On Feb 27, 2009, at 12:12 PM, Bastien wrote: >> >>> Carsten Dominik writes: >>> >>>> I guess it is something like an official logo, yes (even though >>>> some people don't like it, I have seen it being called >>>> "demasculinating" >>>> ...) >>> >>> Hehe... Since I picked up this "animal", I entirely assume any >>> queer >>> connotation it may have. The IT world is already "masculine" >>> enough! > >>> Bastien >> >> I like it, and I really do like the list of reasons >> we have (in hindsight) for choosing it... >> > > I teach several courses in mythology at my university (it's my area of > concentration), and I feel inclined to say that the unicorn, as a > mythological animal, does not have any type of queer of emasculating > connotation in myth. In fact, it is sometimes quite a masculine animal > that is related to the stag in the grail quest (the stag stabs, with > his > antler, the inner thigh of the grail knight, thus showing the stag's > greater masculinity). These animals are symbols of divinity, > essentially, of the fusion of purity and power. They don't really > have a > sexual connotation other than the idea of generative power (like the > bull). Queer is a new idea in myth; it's about fifty years old. Myth > itself, on the other hand, is about 70,000 years old. So, the > application of queer terminology to mythological items such as > unicorns > is a modern practice which has no real impact on ancient myths and > myth > items such as the unicorn. In a thousand years we will still have > myths > of the unicorn, but the idea of queer will probably have evolved into > something else (it already is evolving into something else...). > > As to the question of whether or not unicorns still exist (see org > FAQ), > this falls within the same domain as the question of whether Atlantis > exists. The answer (as much as there can be one) is that they do > exist, > as mythological items that Carl Jung called "archetypal;" they are > essential to, and foundational of, human nature. They will always be a > part of human culture, and exist timelessly in that sense whether or > not > they exist in fact. > > I can hardly ever contribute anything useful to this list. Today is an > exception. > > Cheers. > > Ross > > -- > Ross A. Laird, PhD > www.rosslaird.info > > > > _______________________________________________ > Emacs-orgmode mailing list > Remember: use `Reply All' to send replies to the list. > Emacs-orgmode@gnu.org > http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-orgmode