Opium was really popular in ancient
times. All the gods wanted a piece of the action. Opium was sacred to the corn
goddesses, for instance. Demeter and Ceres. It tended to grow in areas where
corn was abundant.
See the rest of this post at my NEWER AWESOMER BLOG...Thursday, March 14, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Ancient Anesthetics: Henbane
So Blogger sucks these days and won't let me upload pictures. Sorry. I'll have a WordPress site up and running soon.
Henbane was used as an ancient anesthetic substance. Most descriptions I’ve read of henbane go something like this:
“Henbane is so gross. It’s got these sticky looking grayish green leaves that have these nasty hairs coming out of them. The flowers are kinda daffodil-ish, but they’re not pretty yellow. They’re yellow like a baby chick’s corpse.
Henbane is even uglier at my new uglier blog...
Henbane was used as an ancient anesthetic substance. Most descriptions I’ve read of henbane go something like this:
“Henbane is so gross. It’s got these sticky looking grayish green leaves that have these nasty hairs coming out of them. The flowers are kinda daffodil-ish, but they’re not pretty yellow. They’re yellow like a baby chick’s corpse.
Henbane is even uglier at my new uglier blog...
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Ancient Anesthetics: Belladonna
In my last post I talked about ancient Roman anesthetics. Because even if they weren’t a very prominent thing, they were still a thing. But you had to be really careful when using them, because the good anesthetic substances made you numb and unconscious. And guess what happens when you take too much of something like that?
I'm so Katniss Everdeen right now. (Image from www.horizonherbs.com)
Read the rest at my NEW BLOG!
I'm so Katniss Everdeen right now. (Image from www.horizonherbs.com)
Read the rest at my NEW BLOG!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Ancient Roman Anesthetics
Check this post out at my NEW BLOG. You'll go numb with excitement. (Sorry. Couldn't help it.)
Surgery in ancient times must have been pure hell.
In the Roman Empire, there weren’t nearly as many surgeons as doctors. Surgeries were left as the very last resort when it came to healing methods. There weren’t many healers (let alone patients) who were thrilled with getting their Inquisition on.
Surgeons were specially trained to ignore screaming. Horrible historical fact.
However, contrary to what you may have heard from that horrifying scene in “The Eagle” when Jamie Bell has to hold Channing Tatum down on the operating table, some Roman and Greek doctors DID use anesthesia.
Channing Tatum doesn’t have to be an amazing actor to convince me this is terrifying.
Surgery in ancient times must have been pure hell.
In the Roman Empire, there weren’t nearly as many surgeons as doctors. Surgeries were left as the very last resort when it came to healing methods. There weren’t many healers (let alone patients) who were thrilled with getting their Inquisition on.
Surgeons were specially trained to ignore screaming. Horrible historical fact.
However, contrary to what you may have heard from that horrifying scene in “The Eagle” when Jamie Bell has to hold Channing Tatum down on the operating table, some Roman and Greek doctors DID use anesthesia.
Channing Tatum doesn’t have to be an amazing actor to convince me this is terrifying.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Winchester as Camelot
I need to get this out of my system right off. Winchester wasn’t Camelot. It just wasn’t. Sorry.
But maybe Winchester IS Camelot when you view this post at my new blog...
Yeah, I know it’s got a round table.
Pic from GothicBohemianStock at Deviant Art
That table was actually made in the 1270s, when King Edward I developed an obsession with King Arthur. (I feel you, Eddie.) Actually “Round Tables” were events in the Middle Ages which were kind of like medievial versions of Renaissance Faires. For real. The Middle Ages noble folk would all get together, dress up like King Arthur and his knights, and have tournaments. I guarantee they ate huge drumsticks of meat and got drunk and sang medieval songs with harps and shit. I bet they even had mugs made out of leather. And fake elf ears. And they stood in line to dip their hands in rainbow-colored wax, because everybody wanted a wax hand that looked like their real hand.
I don't get it. Can anyone explain it to me?
But maybe Winchester IS Camelot when you view this post at my new blog...
Yeah, I know it’s got a round table.
That table was actually made in the 1270s, when King Edward I developed an obsession with King Arthur. (I feel you, Eddie.) Actually “Round Tables” were events in the Middle Ages which were kind of like medievial versions of Renaissance Faires. For real. The Middle Ages noble folk would all get together, dress up like King Arthur and his knights, and have tournaments. I guarantee they ate huge drumsticks of meat and got drunk and sang medieval songs with harps and shit. I bet they even had mugs made out of leather. And fake elf ears. And they stood in line to dip their hands in rainbow-colored wax, because everybody wanted a wax hand that looked like their real hand.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
My Pen Name
I’ve given this a lot of thought. On one hand, “Argh! Pen names bad! So unnecessary! Too much work! Insulting readers by thinking their brains would explode if I write two different topics!”
On the other hand, “Yeah, but I've got a copywriting business, and I don’t want my fiction readers to look for me* and only be able to find a bunch of stuff about copywriting and the environment and stuff.”
Me in my confused copywriter clothes, which look remarkably like my regular clothes.
In other words, “Leslie Hedrick” the copywriter would always overshadow “Leslie Hedrick” the historical fantasy writer. Or—gasp!—should my fiction do well, my copywriting clients might run into a Google wall of stuff about monks and Excalibur and the Renaissance Faire, and not find my portfolio. Oh dear.
One of my writing career idols, Kristen Lamb, blogged ardently against pen names in Why Pen Names Suck and Make Us Crazy.
Kristen Lamb will always be Kristen Lamb. And look at her! She's so adorable, who wouldn't want to do everything she says?
So for the past three years, I’ve been in that camp and avoided all the awkwardness I felt whenever my clients found me on Facebook or Twitter and were like, “Uhhh what’s with all the swords? I thought you’d have tips on saving energy? Or maybe info about a copy discount…?”
Heh. Yeah, not so much. The crew from my sword gallery swept through and destroyed all those practical updates like a pack of armored revenants from Comic-Con.
But Ms. Lamb isn’t the only voice out there. Consider Dean Wesley Smith, an incredibly prolific, successful author who has numerous pen names. So does his wife, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, another wildly successful writer.
This is Dean Wesley Smith. And D.W. Smith, and Wesley Dean, and Sandy Schofield, to name a few.
Thank you, Mr. Smith. I’m taking your words to heart and considering them permission to step into my alter-ego’s shoes. So here’s my new pen name:
L. Marrick. “Marrick” is a combination of my middle and last names (Marie and Hedrick). So really, it’s still my name.
I kinda hesitated to use it, not only for the anti-pen-name reasons above, but because I wrote a geeky Star Trek fanfiction story under it. (Come on, like you couldn’t guess I used to write fanfiction? I write about the freakin Renaissance Faire. And really, isn’t Arthurian fiction ALL kind of fanfiction? I’m just saying…**) I worried I’d never live it down. Then I thought, “Ah, screw it. It’s my name and I like it.”
The following are NOT reasons I’m taking a pen name:
—To disguise my identity. The interwebs being what it is, there is no such thing as privacy these days. I don’t care if you know who I am or what I’m doing, or what I’ve done.
—To sound cool and dramatic. Although L. Marrick does sound a lot more moody than Leslie Hedrick.
One upside about my new pen name—L. Marrick is a little more gender neutral. So I guess there’s that, right? Another upside, Leslie Hedrick only has about 2,500 Twitter followers and a paltry amount of Facebook fans. I haven’t invested a lot in those social media accounts. So it shouldn’t be that big a deal if I need to change the names, or start using them for copywriting instead.
I’ll be switching my blog’s URL over to a new wordpress site soon. Everything will be methodically moved. It’s a big undertaking, but if Vero over at Building Character can do it, so can I.
So what are your thoughts, gentle readers? To pen name, or not to pen name?
* Let us forego analyzing my delusions of grandeur for the moment.
** I’m just saying that I have original characters in The Hallowed—okay, maybe not. I mean, some of them come from the pages of Edward Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. But still, I made them my own. That counts right?? And despite the idea that the Arthurian legend uses the same characters over and over—and it does and I’ll totally get to writing about those guys in the future—a lot of them aren’t even around yet in The Hallowed. That counts—right???
On the other hand, “Yeah, but I've got a copywriting business, and I don’t want my fiction readers to look for me* and only be able to find a bunch of stuff about copywriting and the environment and stuff.”
In other words, “Leslie Hedrick” the copywriter would always overshadow “Leslie Hedrick” the historical fantasy writer. Or—gasp!—should my fiction do well, my copywriting clients might run into a Google wall of stuff about monks and Excalibur and the Renaissance Faire, and not find my portfolio. Oh dear.
One of my writing career idols, Kristen Lamb, blogged ardently against pen names in Why Pen Names Suck and Make Us Crazy.
So for the past three years, I’ve been in that camp and avoided all the awkwardness I felt whenever my clients found me on Facebook or Twitter and were like, “Uhhh what’s with all the swords? I thought you’d have tips on saving energy? Or maybe info about a copy discount…?”
Heh. Yeah, not so much. The crew from my sword gallery swept through and destroyed all those practical updates like a pack of armored revenants from Comic-Con.
But Ms. Lamb isn’t the only voice out there. Consider Dean Wesley Smith, an incredibly prolific, successful author who has numerous pen names. So does his wife, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, another wildly successful writer.
Thank you, Mr. Smith. I’m taking your words to heart and considering them permission to step into my alter-ego’s shoes. So here’s my new pen name:
L. Marrick. “Marrick” is a combination of my middle and last names (Marie and Hedrick). So really, it’s still my name.
I kinda hesitated to use it, not only for the anti-pen-name reasons above, but because I wrote a geeky Star Trek fanfiction story under it. (Come on, like you couldn’t guess I used to write fanfiction? I write about the freakin Renaissance Faire. And really, isn’t Arthurian fiction ALL kind of fanfiction? I’m just saying…**) I worried I’d never live it down. Then I thought, “Ah, screw it. It’s my name and I like it.”
The following are NOT reasons I’m taking a pen name:
—To disguise my identity. The interwebs being what it is, there is no such thing as privacy these days. I don’t care if you know who I am or what I’m doing, or what I’ve done.
—To sound cool and dramatic. Although L. Marrick does sound a lot more moody than Leslie Hedrick.
One upside about my new pen name—L. Marrick is a little more gender neutral. So I guess there’s that, right? Another upside, Leslie Hedrick only has about 2,500 Twitter followers and a paltry amount of Facebook fans. I haven’t invested a lot in those social media accounts. So it shouldn’t be that big a deal if I need to change the names, or start using them for copywriting instead.
I’ll be switching my blog’s URL over to a new wordpress site soon. Everything will be methodically moved. It’s a big undertaking, but if Vero over at Building Character can do it, so can I.
So what are your thoughts, gentle readers? To pen name, or not to pen name?
* Let us forego analyzing my delusions of grandeur for the moment.
** I’m just saying that I have original characters in The Hallowed—okay, maybe not. I mean, some of them come from the pages of Edward Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. But still, I made them my own. That counts right?? And despite the idea that the Arthurian legend uses the same characters over and over—and it does and I’ll totally get to writing about those guys in the future—a lot of them aren’t even around yet in The Hallowed. That counts—right???
Monday, January 7, 2013
Book Review - Enoch's Device by Joseph Finley
Review this review at my NEW BLOG...
When author Joseph Finley commented on one of my posts about ancient monks, I was thrilled. I honestly didn’t think anyone else would find medieval monks interesting at all. And here was this unexpected kindred soul. But I only wrote a blog post about monks. Joseph wrote a whole novel about them. And I liked it so much I decided to rave about it on a blog review.
This is a truly badass book cover.
When he told me about Enoch’s Device, I’ll admit my first thought was A whole novel about monks? I like the robe-wearing fools… but how can they be exciting enough to carry a whole novel?
But Oh, they are. You just haven’t met monks like these before.
Click HERE to watch the monks sing. Not an official Enoch's Device picture.
The monks of Enoch’s Device run circles around any monk from Robin Hood. Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor? Child’s play. They’re working with ancient magical forces to thwart a corrupt, evil bishop. They’re rescuing beautiful women from being burned at the stake. They’re travelling across the medieval world to save the medieval world.
Ciaran and Donall are members of a simple monastic community in Ireland. Everything goes along hunky-dory until the Bishop arrives, looking for a heretic and murderer among their ranks--and pointing the finger at Donall. Determined to save Donall from punishment for atrocities Ciaran is sure he could never have committed, Ciaran looks for clues as to what’s really going on, and finds a secret message coded into an illuminated manuscript.
And while I won't give away too many details about what goes on at the monastery, what story about medieval monks would be complete without a monastery fight? That's all I'm saying.
Click HERE to see simple monastic life.
Finley’s research and understanding of symbolism, especially regarding the astrological signs, is really impressive. I would say that decoding symbolism plays as big a role in Enoch’s Device as it does in The DaVinci Code. The symbolism message in the illuminations reveals a conflict that extends far beyond the monastery, and has dire implications for the existence of mankind. It sends Ciaran and Donall on a journey to find the legendary Enoch’s Device, something which has the power to prevent Armageddon--and they’re on a race to find it before the evil Bishop.
You would think that a story about monks would necessarily exclude any romantic interests for the main characters, but this isn’t so. Ciaran stays in his habit for most of the novel (until he loses it in a struggle against demons, and isn’t it so sad when the young, fit main character sworn to celibacy loses his clothing and has to walk around in something less covering-up-of-all-his-parts?). But a young noblewoman accompanies the brothers, trying to escape the Bishop’s cries of witch. Ciaran struggles mightily with the temptations of the flesh.
I would actually have liked to see a little more development in this area. In some places, Ciaran’s fleshly conflict, and Alais’s slowly-growing interest in him, seem added in almost like afterthoughts. And while it’s clear to the reader that Ciaran is attracted to her, it’s too clear he’s a good little monk who’s not going to make a move. That removed some of the potential romantic tension. But too much more development in that area might have interrupted the fast pace Finley achieved.
And Enoch’s Device is fast-paced. In many places, I was paging ahead to see what happened next. I almost wanted it to move a little more slowly in places. The final chapter felt a little rushed.
Monasteries got attacked a lot... click HERE to watch gleefully while peaceful people are slaughtered.
Joseph Finley’s knowledge of various mythologies really comes through, and he’s adept at making Celtic myths (like the Fae) and Biblical myths co-exist in the same world. I will say that I thought it was a little busy with all the mythological elements, and some weren’t really too relevant. If they had been left out, I would not have missed them. Things would have felt more streamlined, and the ending would have been just as powerful.
Enoch’s Device is Finley’s first novel, and it’s a doozy. He’s immensely talented. His descriptions are strong, but don’t bog down the story. His characters and their motivations are believable, and he switches between their points of view with ease and style. Ciaran’s character arc is powerful, too--not only does he lose the habit, but winds up donning battle armor--and I hope Finley has another book up his sleeve with this character. I want to see what happens next!
Four stars, Joseph!
When author Joseph Finley commented on one of my posts about ancient monks, I was thrilled. I honestly didn’t think anyone else would find medieval monks interesting at all. And here was this unexpected kindred soul. But I only wrote a blog post about monks. Joseph wrote a whole novel about them. And I liked it so much I decided to rave about it on a blog review.
When he told me about Enoch’s Device, I’ll admit my first thought was A whole novel about monks? I like the robe-wearing fools… but how can they be exciting enough to carry a whole novel?
But Oh, they are. You just haven’t met monks like these before.
The monks of Enoch’s Device run circles around any monk from Robin Hood. Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor? Child’s play. They’re working with ancient magical forces to thwart a corrupt, evil bishop. They’re rescuing beautiful women from being burned at the stake. They’re travelling across the medieval world to save the medieval world.
Ciaran and Donall are members of a simple monastic community in Ireland. Everything goes along hunky-dory until the Bishop arrives, looking for a heretic and murderer among their ranks--and pointing the finger at Donall. Determined to save Donall from punishment for atrocities Ciaran is sure he could never have committed, Ciaran looks for clues as to what’s really going on, and finds a secret message coded into an illuminated manuscript.
And while I won't give away too many details about what goes on at the monastery, what story about medieval monks would be complete without a monastery fight? That's all I'm saying.
Finley’s research and understanding of symbolism, especially regarding the astrological signs, is really impressive. I would say that decoding symbolism plays as big a role in Enoch’s Device as it does in The DaVinci Code. The symbolism message in the illuminations reveals a conflict that extends far beyond the monastery, and has dire implications for the existence of mankind. It sends Ciaran and Donall on a journey to find the legendary Enoch’s Device, something which has the power to prevent Armageddon--and they’re on a race to find it before the evil Bishop.
You would think that a story about monks would necessarily exclude any romantic interests for the main characters, but this isn’t so. Ciaran stays in his habit for most of the novel (until he loses it in a struggle against demons, and isn’t it so sad when the young, fit main character sworn to celibacy loses his clothing and has to walk around in something less covering-up-of-all-his-parts?). But a young noblewoman accompanies the brothers, trying to escape the Bishop’s cries of witch. Ciaran struggles mightily with the temptations of the flesh.
I would actually have liked to see a little more development in this area. In some places, Ciaran’s fleshly conflict, and Alais’s slowly-growing interest in him, seem added in almost like afterthoughts. And while it’s clear to the reader that Ciaran is attracted to her, it’s too clear he’s a good little monk who’s not going to make a move. That removed some of the potential romantic tension. But too much more development in that area might have interrupted the fast pace Finley achieved.
And Enoch’s Device is fast-paced. In many places, I was paging ahead to see what happened next. I almost wanted it to move a little more slowly in places. The final chapter felt a little rushed.
Joseph Finley’s knowledge of various mythologies really comes through, and he’s adept at making Celtic myths (like the Fae) and Biblical myths co-exist in the same world. I will say that I thought it was a little busy with all the mythological elements, and some weren’t really too relevant. If they had been left out, I would not have missed them. Things would have felt more streamlined, and the ending would have been just as powerful.
Enoch’s Device is Finley’s first novel, and it’s a doozy. He’s immensely talented. His descriptions are strong, but don’t bog down the story. His characters and their motivations are believable, and he switches between their points of view with ease and style. Ciaran’s character arc is powerful, too--not only does he lose the habit, but winds up donning battle armor--and I hope Finley has another book up his sleeve with this character. I want to see what happens next!
Four stars, Joseph!
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