Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Road trip Wed at YA highway

Road Trip

Young Adult Highway - What book were You obsessed with as a child?
The first book I ever loved was a Little golden book called Rusty goes To School.
My Mom was a teacher in a one room school house at the time called White School.
Every day I missed her, and would stand at the front door waiting for her.  My Grandma would draw me away with this book.

Then I became obsessed with Robert Earl of Huntington - Beings our own family Book(dates from 1602 -and is so fragile it scares me to touch it) listed when we left England(1647) our name was Huntington - then Huntley - and finally Hunt.  I found an actual Long Bow in my closet and after talking my mother into letting me buy a string for it - I practiced for hours.  I was shocked at the sting of the string snapping your arm and even with a guard - it hurts.  I was not so bad for a 10 year old.  It belonged to my mother the College athlete - who was on the archery team at OSU.  I still can remember the way the arrow does not end up where you aim it depending on how you shoot - for me aim was to the left of the target and up.  I learned old English - in the forth grade.  This poem was the first I remember knowing by heart.

Hear underneath dis laitl stean
Laz robert earl of Huntingtun
Ne’er arcir ver as hie sa geud
An pipl kauld im robin heud
Sick utlawz as he an iz men
Vil england nivr si agen
Obiit 24 kal: Dekembris, 1247.



for those of you who didn't find the old ways easy to filter

Here underneath this little stone,
Lies Robert Earl of Huntington
No other archers ever as he/they so good
And people called him Robin Hood
Such outlaws as he and his men
Will England never see again
written 24th of December, 1247

I can still shoot a long bow buy the way - though the pull is harder on me now.  I was devastated when the beautiful old wooden thing broke on me - and was replaces with a fiberglass one.


This is not flat Old English or Middle English but a tween form.
It is said he is not buried here - this is actually the resting place of the final arrow that flew from his bow.


I don't like all the new versions so well - Marion was a betrayer and his love for her was tragic.  She killed Robin - bleeding him to death as cold as stone as he smiled up at her full of trust and love.  Only love could kill him - not the world.  I loved Errol Flynn too.

Then the Scottish play consumed me along with Hamlet.
I loved Mel In this ---Who knew it was foreshadowing.

8 comments:

  1. Ha, Old English is what made me too distracted to finish Beowulf (and made me give up on both altogether). Good for you for digging in!

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  2. Olde English and Middle English always kick my ass when reading. I always want to correct the spellings.

    And as far as Hamlet goes, have you ever seen the Kenneth Branagh version? (Very long, but pretty.)

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  3. Well, stange as it may sound - I was a terrible reader at that age and struggling through old english was no harder than any other book. (That is my excuse, that I can't spell - hehe - I spell like a tradtional englishman? LOL)

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  4. I read many of Shakespeare's plays the summer of going into junior high. After I read them, I was done.

    I can't even remember the first book I was obsessed with as I am a very unfaithful partner when it comes to loving just one. lol I can't help it, I have always been that way.

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  5. As a kid I loved all the Frances Hogson Burnett novels. I didn't read middle english until I went to college, but I love Chaucer. I quite like medieval philosophy too.

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  6. Lovely post! And lovely memories! I remember thinking of Old English as a fun mystery and enjoyed playing with the words. Chaucer was fun! And, Hamlet, well, last year I had the glorious opportunity to see the French opera, "Hamlet" (at a theatre, from the Met) - it was fabulous!

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  7. okay, girl, two things.

    1- i totally love your blog. you've made me smile! =] I spend time in my backyard shooting things with my bow, particularly boxes that don't move...and it's so fun!

    2- you called me a cutie pie on my aspiring author interview. thank you. =]

    New follower here! lookin forward to reading more!

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  8. Thoughtful blog, thanks for posting

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