Monday, July 31, 2006

Catty writing

I’ve been reading Geoffrey Blainey’s excellent, A Short History of the World. And what history of the world would be complete without reference to the wonderful cat?
Cats were kept in houses, granaries and barns less because they were pets than because they were mouse-hunters. When in 1755 Dr Samuel Johnson produced his dictionary of the English language, he bluntly defined a cat as a ‘domestick animal that catches mice’. But surely a cat was entitled to be stroked and petted for its own sake? Johnson disagreed, labelling the cat as ‘the lowest order of the leonine species’. Less than 20 years later, the first edition of an encyclopaedia showed that Johnson’s prejudice was widely held. The volume denounced the cat as ‘full of cunning and dissimulation’, a tormentor, a born thief, ‘totally destitute of friendship’ and very lazy. The cat was kept ‘not for amiable qualities, but purely with a view to banish rats, mice, and other noxious animals’. Not until about 1800 did the romantic movement, and its adoration of the countryside and simple rural ways, begin to raise the cat in the esteem of the western world.

Geoffrey Blainey, A Short History of the World (2000).
Just makes me love cats all the more. And I note that the dog doesn’t warrant even a single paragraph anywhere throughout the 606 page book. Clearly a passenger in world history, and not a player. :-) Johnson’s definition reminded me of the Blackadder episode ‘Ink & Incapability’ where Baldrick accidentally burnt the sole copy of Johnson’s dictionary and Blackadder was forced to try and rewrite it overnight. Baldrick decided to help and was quite pleased with his definition of dog, being: ‘Not a cat’. Reading Johnson’s definition of cat makes me think Baldrick wasn’t that far off, and with a little luck maybe Edmund could have finished the dictionary by Monday morning after all?

15 comments:

Tim Jeffries said...

I'm not convinced that this is a plus for cats. In fact given that the only mention for the cat is in the negative I'd go as far as saying I feel that the dog comes out on top in this instance.

Just my 2 cents. *duck*

JJ Glamma said...

The extract makes it obvious why there's no mention of dogs in the book; and also why this fact speaks well of dogs.

I'd go into more detail, but that would be rising to the bait.

Bomber said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Bomber said...

I Love this post from you Astro. This is what I hang out with you for.

I miss having a dog.

Bomber said...

Apologies... Poor and incorrect english was used in the previous post thus creating the very ugly 'Comment Deleted' post.

Can't they just let me correct things on the fly, nice and silent?

Jessie said...

OK um apostropher? There is a rather 'significant' historical essay by Robert Darnton on 'The Great Cat Massacre of the Rue Saint-Severin'.

You may not like it. It's interesting, though. You can find it here.

http://www.geocities.com/pashathecat/History/Cat_Massacre.html

Apostropher said...

I'm not convinced that this is a plus for cats. In fact given that the only mention for the cat is in the negative I'd go as far as saying I feel that the dog comes out on top in this instance.

It’s hardly negative. Blainey is pointing out the key role the humble cat played in securing valuable stocks of food, thus warding off starvation and the deaths of millions. The negative references are only made by Johnson and his contemporaries, and Johnson in particular is well-known for allowing his personality and prejudices to colour his definitions, as seen in his one of oats as a grain that “sustains horses in England and people in Scotland”.

Apostropher said...

The extract makes it obvious why there's no mention of dogs in the book;

You’re right. Dogs are good at making noise, getting dirty, and eating your face off; none of which have made much of a useful contribution to the history of the world.

…and also why this fact speaks well of dogs.

Which I fail to see. What? They're too busy venerating their masters, propping up low self-esteem, to do anything significant for the common good? :-)

Apostropher said...

I Love this post from you Astro. This is what I hang out with you for.

That's nice, Bomber. Thanks.

I miss having a dog.

I miss you having a dog too. Contrary to popular belief, I don't want every dog scorched from the face of the earth; I just don't want one myself, and I don't particularly like being around them, especially hyperactive yappers. If a dog can keep the volume down and resist hurling itself at me, then I have little to no problem with it. And I loved seeing the pleasure that Chrissy, Abi and Ollie brought you, and hearing the affection in your voice when you talk about them now, even if it's a pleasure I find difficult to share.

Can't they just let me correct things on the fly, nice and silent?

Don't start that again! Please! :-) I usually clean up deleted comments, Bomber, so you could have just re-posted and I'd have come along after you with my pooper scooper and little plastic bag. :-) I like to keep things tidy.

Apostropher said...

You may not like it. It's interesting, though.

Well Jess, I'm six paragraphs in and you're right: I don't like it. But then I don't think I would have liked life as an 18th century printer's apprentice either. And it has grabbed my interest, so I'll keep reading.

I will say that the cats in the story so far don't sound much like my models of what a cat is. I'm sure those apprentices wouldn't have taken an iron bar to Comma if he'd been around :-)

Kate said...

What's a "cat" dad?

Apostropher said...

Oh Winter, only the finest and noblest member of the animal kingdom, as I'm sure you'll soon come to discover for yourself. :-)

JJ Glamma said...

Apropos of nothing in particular:

I can't help thinking that if one has time to opine on such fictional creatures as Ewoks, Jar Jar and Bill Gates; then surely there's time to keep a catblog updated?

Jessie said...

hey there,

so a friend sent me this link.

http://www.cuteoverload.com/

i actually find it borderlne creepy, but i guess there is some cuteness, particularly vis a cis the remote control. i do NOT - however - understand why the cat seems to have some kind of portuguese accent?!

haha. enjoy.

jt

Apostropher said...

Triple J - Done.

Jess - I have been there before, and I'd go back now, but I've blown my monthly d/l limit, so I'm choked to dial-up speeds, and it's taking too long to load!

Also, I printed out the essay you linked to, but I haven't felt inclined to finish reading it yet. Perhaps some things are better left that way? Those first couple of pages were churners. :-)