Classics Retold

Thomas Hardy in his 1874 novel, ,Far From The Madding Crowd, in Chapter Thirty Seven compare Gabriel Oaks strenuous efforts to save the corn and hay of Bathsheba Everdene from the impending rain, on the day of her Wedding Celebration. At the beginning of the celebration, being aware of the change in weather, and expecting a rain Gabriel Oak requested a meeting with sergeant Troy, which was refused. Then Gabriel sent a message to him that the rain was coming.  But Troy ignored him. Troy sent out women and children from the hall before merry-making and served brandy with hot water. All the men including Troy fell asleep after the drinks. Gabriel Oak himself engaged in saving the corn and hay. All the wheat and hay were saved. The barley was remaining. In the course of his efforts to save them, the wind came followed by lightning and thunder. The only soul in the house who could not sleep, other than Gabriel Oak was Bathsheba Everdene. She assisted Oak carrying the sheaves of barley t...

A type of tin glazed earthenware characterizedd by an opaque white glaze painted with vibrant oxide enamel colours. It originated as Italian Renaissance pottery, and typically uses red clay.  It is charectorised by vibrant detailed brushwork, frequently featuring historical or mythical scenes.  The term is derived from Majorca a Spanish island that was a shipping centre for this type of pottery to Italy.  While Renaissance maiolica refers specifically to tin glazed pottery, the American, Victorian-era version majolica often refers to colourful, led-glazed moulded earthenware.  Italian maiolica often features story telling paintings, while other forms include floral designs, grotesques and sculptural forms. 

Errant horses are free roaming horses,  descendants of domesticated stock, living in wild or in racing contexts, horses that behave waywardly during a race, often running unevenly. Ferel horses, like Mustangs, form small organised bands, while adapting to wild environments, while errant in razing describes a horse lacking focus or steering properly.  Feral Horses:  These are domesticated horses, or their offsprings that have escaped and live in a self-sustaining wild state. They are not technically wild species, but are adapted to live without human management.  Mustangs are free roaming horses in the Western US, descended from Spanish conquistador horses. Wayward Horses: An errant horse in racing is a wayward horse.

Also spelled poignard is a long light weight thrusting knife with a continuously tapering, acutely pointed blade and a crossguard historically worn by upper class noble men or members of knighthood. Similar in design to a parrying dagger.  Emerged during the Middle Ages and was used during Renaissance in Western Europe, particularly in France, Switzerland and Italy.  Spud was the archaic word for poinard.  The armed forces of  Safavid Iran used the poinard.  The weapon originated in Caucasus regions; particularly in Circassians, Georgians, and Armenians.  Crossguard is bar between blade and hilt, intended to protect the hand and fingers from opponent's weapon and also sliding onto their own blade. 

Phosphorescent wings glow in the dark by storing light energy lasting longer than fluorescence, often found in nature's bioluminescent insects. Examples include fire flies or glow worms, which produce light for mating.  Some butterfly wings, such as papilio nireus use structured scales for intense light emission. Many insect wings like that of sallowtails and cicadas are technically fluorescent actively shining under UV light rather than glowing in the dark  The firefly family includes nearly 2000 species that use bioluminescence. The glowworms refers to larva or wingless females that glow, while flying males often glow intermittently.  Sallowtail butterflies possess specialised wing scales that actively fluorescence.  Their wing structures act like photonic crystals, similar to high-tech LEDs and enhance this emission and direct the light, making them appear to shimmer. Research indicates that the transparent wings of cicadas and some moths exhibit natural fluoresce...

Sumerian Civilization of Mesopotamia is widely considered the earliest civilization in the world, having emerged in southern Iraq around 4500 to 4000 BCE. Located between the Tigris and Euphrates river, it produced world's first city Uruk and the first writing system Cuneiform.  Sumer and Mesopotamia were not identical.  Mesopotamia is the name of the entire region Sumer was a subregion within it.  Mesopotamia was a vast area around and between Tigris and Euphratese rivers covering modern day Iraq and parts of Syria and Iraq, Sumer was specifically the southern most part of the region, near the Persian Gulf. Sumerians were one of the many ethnic groups that lived in Mesopotamia.  The other groups were Akkadians, Babylonoans, and Assyrians.  Sumerian culture eventually faded and it was absorbed by Babylonian and Babylonian empires. 

Towards the end of August. Night. Bathshebs was still a novice in her married life. Dry and sultry weather. A man stood motionless in the  stackyard  of Weatherbury Upper Farm looking at the moon and sky.  The night had a sinister aspect.  A hot breeze from the south slowly fanned the summits of lofty objects, and broken clouds were sailing in the breeze. The moon had a lurid metallic look.  The fields were sallow; the sheep had trailed homeward, the rooks were confused. A long rain was expected. The end of harvesting season.  Oak looked without disbelief at the ricks in the open space.  He went on to the barn.  This was the night chosen by sergeant Troy for giving harvest supper and dance.  As Oak approached the building, the sounds of violins, and a tambourine, and the regular jigs of many feet grew more distinct.  He came close to the large doors, one of which stood slightly ajar, and looked in.  The central space together with t...