Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0008851, Mon, 3 Nov 2003 19:28:31 -0800

Subject
Fw: pynchon-l-digest V2 #3630
Date
Body
----- Original Message -----
From: "pynchon-l-digest" <owner-pynchon-l-digest@waste.org>
To: <pynchon-l-digest@waste.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 10:25 PM
Subject: pynchon-l-digest V2 #3630


>
> pynchon-l-digest Friday, October 31 2003 Volume 02 : Number
3630
>
>
>

> NPPF lines 609-614 Philtered Gems

> Fw: PALE FIRE: Disa - butterfly and orchid
> Re: Fw: PALE FIRE: Disa - butterfly and orchid


>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 15:10:58 +0000
> From: "Ghetta Life" <ghetta_outta@hotmail.com>
> Subject: NPPF lines 609-614 Philtered Gems
>
> >Main Entry: phil╥ter
> >Function: noun
> >Etymology: Middle French philtre, from Latin philtrum, from Greek
philtron;
> >akin to Greek philos dear
> >Date: circa 1587
> >1 : a potion, drug, or charm held to have the power to arouse sexual
> >passion
> >2 : a potion credited with magical power
> >
> >OR:
> >
> >|ETYM| French <philtre>, Latin <philtrum>, Greek, from <philia> love. ,
(∙╖
> >Homonym: filter∙) , A drink credited with magical power; can make the one
> >who takes it love the one who gave it; <SYN.> philtre, love-potion,
> >love-philter, love-philtre.
>
>
> 1. Jade is highly valued by Asians especially the Chinese.
> It is believed to signify auspiciousness and to dispel fear.
> Jade is believe to bless its wearer with generosity, courage, fairness and
> wisdom tempered with humility.
>
> 2. Amber is believed by many to be a prohylactic against rheumatism and
> like ills.
> Here, it is believed that sniffing it cures dizziness and insomnia.
>
> 3. Agate/ Onyx- The belief that chalcedony an antidote for poison seems
to
> be universal and Myanmar people believe that keeping it next to one's
person
> safeguards one from poisonous effects if bitten by poisonous creatures.
>
> ***Agate/ Onyx placed inside a pot of drinking water is supposed to
prevent
> any ill effect should someone contaminate it with a love philter or
> poison.***
>
> 4. Peridot / Olivine is of a luscious yellow-green colour and was at one
> time considered to be even more precious than the diamond.
>
> 5. Quartz/Crystal is believed to possess curative powers for disorders of
> the eye.
>
> Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 12:52:03 -0800
> From: "Sam Sera Sera" <keithsz@concentric.net>
> Subject: Fw: PALE FIRE: Disa - butterfly and orchid
>
> EDNOTE. Dieter Zimmer is the foremost German authority on VN. In addition
> to his book on VN's butterflies, he is the editor of the Rowohlt edition
of
> Nabokov Collected Works.
>
> - ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dieter E. Zimmer" <mail@d-e-zimmer.de>
> To: "Don Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2003 10:47 PM
> Subject: Disa - butterfly and orchid
>
>
>
> >
> > Berlin, Oct 29, 2003 -- 7:30am
> > mail@d-e-zimmer.de
> >
> > I don't know whether Nabokovians are meant or entitled to join the
Pynchon
> > fray, but nabokv-l readers should know that there is a much more likely
nd
> > specific explanation of the name 'Disa' than the one offered in
> > pynchon-l-digest V2 #3617. Here is a quote from my "Guide to Nabokov's
> > Butterflies and Moths 2001", pp. 147-148:
> >
> > <In the index of Pale Fire, there is "Disa, Duchess of Payn, of
Great
> > Payn and Mone; my [Kinbote's] lovely, pale, melancholy Queen, haunting
my
> > dreams, and haunted by dreams of me." The name certainly is a reference
to
> > [the butterfly] Erebia disa (Thunberg, 1791);the next entry in the
indexis
> > "Embla," another northern Erebia [alpine or ringlet] very close to disa
> > (Erebia embla) also named by Swedish entomologist Carl Peter Thunberg
> > (1743-1828). 'Disa' is one of Nabokov's cryptic butterflies, hidden in a
> > name. As to the etymology of the species' name, [Ernst Hofmann's
butterfly
> > atlas]gives "Disa, daughter of Pluto,"the god of Greek mythology who
ruled
> > the underworld, perhaps prompted by the fact that Pluto's other names
are
> > Hades and Dis. However, Pluto and his wife Persephone had no children;
in
> > fact, there seems to be no Disa in all of Greek and Roman mythology. It
is
> > more likely that the name is taken from local Swedish lore. Thunberg who
> > bestowed Nordic names on several boreal butterfly species (embla,
freija,
> > frigga, lappona, norna)and who was Carl von Linne's successor as
Professor
> > of Natural Historyat the university of Uppsala used the name of an
Uppsala
> > celebrity, Disa the clever maiden who won her king's hand in marriage
for
> > giving him a piece of advice. Frej, a legendary Uppsala king, had
> > regretfully decided to save his people from starvation during a famine
by
> > having the sick and the old killed. Disa (short for Desideria),the
aughter
> > of a town councillor in near-by Venngarn, suggested he rather send
themoff
> > to settle in the uninhabited north of Scandinavia [which was another but
> > perhaps kinder way of putting them to death]. It was on her fate that
the
> > Protestant pamphletist and Uppsala professor of law, Johannes Messenius,
> > wrote the first Swedish play (Disa, 1611). It was performed by Uppsala
> > students during the market revels in that town.
> > When exiled King Charles of Zembla visits his spurned wife Disa in
her
> > Villa (Para)Disa on Cap Turc, Fleur de Fyler, her lady in waiting,
"turned
> > to go with the Disa orchids"(p. 213). These are not just "Disa's
orchids."
> > They are the "flowers-of-the-gods" Charles had brought her (p. 206) in
> > tribute to her name."Flower-of-the-Gods" is a striking orchid
species,Disa
> > uniflora (Bergius, 1767) syn grandiflora, from Cape Province,
SouthAfrica.
> > The flowers are large (c. 10 cm) and usually red, but there are
alsoyellow
> > and orange ones.The S and E African genus Disa has some 125 species and
is
> > very popular with orchid cultivators. The generic name has also puzzled
> > orchid lovers. The explanation is that the Swedish botanist,Peter Jonas
> > Bergius (1730-1790), had also studied with Linne at Uppsala and probably
> > chose the generic name Disa for the same reason Thunberg did,in memory
ofa
> > legendary Uppsala queen.>
> >
> > Dieter E. Zimmer
> > Berlin, October 29, 2003 -- 7:30pm
> > mail@d-e-zimmer.de
> >
> >
>
> D. Barton Johnson
> NABOKV-L
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 16:20:54 -0500
> From: cfalbert <calbert@hslboxmaster.com>
> Subject: Re: Fw: PALE FIRE: Disa - butterfly and orchid
>
> And suddenly Badger's astute work re: Uppsala takes on greater import.....
>
> that's m'boy Ginger, y'all.....
>
> love,
> cfa
>
>
> At 03:52 PM 10/30/03, you wrote:
> >Carl von Linne's successor as Professor
> > >> of Natural Historyat the university of Uppsala used the name of an
Uppsala
> > >> celebrity, Disa the clever maiden who won her king's hand in marriage
for
> > >> giving him a piece of advice. Frej, a legendary Uppsala king, had
> > >> regretfully decided to save his people from starvation during a
famine by
> > >> having the sick and the old killed.
>
>
> >

>
> ------------------------------