King Arthur, An Enduring Legend Essays - Medieval Welsh Literature

King Arthur, An Enduring Legend Clodfelter 1 Christopher Clodfelter English 201 Mr. Miller February 14, 1999 King Arthur, an Enduring Legend The mystical references to Arthur and his adventures are dated in literature in some form for over 1400 years, verifying the enduring appeal of this romantic character. Since the beginnings of the English language there have been legends of great heroes. The first settlements of Britain produced stories rooted in ancient Celtic and Germanic imagination; of the many, Arthur is undoubtedly preeminent. The earliest known description of Arthur's noble endeavors was written by Gildas, (ca. 490-540) the author of De excidio et conquestu Britanniae makes reference, albeit vague, to an Arthurian figure; however, the name Arthur is not mentioned in the story (Strayer 564). The full flourish of writings associated with his miraculous feats and victories do not reach a crescendo for several hundred years after Gildas (Strayer 564). During the Middle Ages, however, Arthurian myth was prominent and en vogue and attempts to discover the truth behind the myth have been pursued for generations. Arthur's history, as Geoffrey Ashe reminds us in The Discovery of King Arthur, is more than just a medley of yarns, more than just a saga in the romanticism of myth. It puts him within a definite period. It names definite places and takes him to definite countries (3). It is this fact and the fragmentary, often contradictory references of an Arthur (the Latin Artur,Arturius, or Artorius) from ancient records, that lends enough validity to the story to set researchers on the Clodfelter 2 trail of the legendary king. However, progress has been stymied for a number of reasons and even now we can say little of substance about the man behind the myth. A major difficulty facing researchers is that the role of the historian in the Dark Ages was rather flexible; a mixture of storyteller and propagandist whose regional traditions, personal prejudices, and loyalties were bound to greatly influence the nature of its material (Coglan 214). In Arthur, Richard Barber clarifies this fact and speaks of the early tendency to use history as ?an inspiration or as a warning to the men of the present, or as part of a vast divine scheme for man's spiritual salvation (Coglan 7). Another problem facing historians is that the earliest sources we have are never originals, but copies, and considering their age we must allow for the propagation of errors. One possible such error is found in the Annals of Wales, written in the tenth century. Its entry concerning the Battle of Badon claims that Arthur carried Christ's cross on his shoulder for three days, but it's likely that shoulder should instead be shield, due to confusion between the Welsh words scui d and scuit (Alcock 51-52). The search for the truth of legend continues. Perhaps the best known of all Arthurian legends is that of Geoffrey of Monmouth. His History of the Kings of Britain, (ca. 1136) Besides planting highly erroneous notions of British history,...supplied a basis and framework for Arthurian romance and exerted an influence extending through Spenser, Shakespeare, and many others (Coglan 209). In it, Geoffrey recounts the history of Britain's leaders back to their beginning in 1115 BC to King Cadwallader's death in AD 689. Geoffrey's account, though most agree not strictly factual, offers a clear look into the events surrounding Arthur's death and is the starting point for much investigation (Coglan 214). Geoffrey's work was immensely popular and was not criticized during his lifetime Clodfelter 3 (Goodrich 45). Modern historians, however, have many reasons to be skeptical of Geoffrey's work. The most obvious problem is its anachronistic representation of a supposedly 5th century king in a very Norman England; as was typical of historians in his day, Geoffrey superimposed his contemporary culture upon his depiction of the past (Goodrich 47). Many inaccuracies exist in his description of the period. If there is an Arthur, he will not be a magnificent Christian king sitting astride a heavy Byzantine charger, accoutered in Norman plate armor. He will not be basking in a mighty castle between European excursions with a band of international knights; rather, he will be no more than an unkempt and possibly pagan military leader with little if any armor. He will likely

Josephine Cochran, Inventor of the Dishwasher

Josephine Cochran, Inventor of the Dishwasher Josephine Cochran, whose  grandfather  was also an inventor and was awarded a  steamboat  patent,  is best known as the inventor of the dishwasher. But the history of the appliance goes back a little further. Learn more about how the dishwasher came to be and Josephine Cochrans role in its development.   Invention of the Dishwasher In 1850, Joel Houghton patented a wooden machine with a hand-turned wheel that splashed water on dishes. It was hardly a workable machine, but it was the first patent. Then, in the 1860s, L. A. Alexander improved the device with a geared mechanism that allowed the user to spin racked dishes through a tub of water. Neither of these devices was particularly effective. In 1886, Cochran proclaimed in disgust, If nobody else is going to invent a dish washing machine, Ill do it myself. And she did. Cochran invented the first practical dishwasher.  She designed the first model in the shed behind her house in Shelbyville, Illinois.  Her dishwasher was the first to use water pressure instead of scrubbers to clean the dishes. She received a patent on December 28, 1886. Cochran had expected the public to welcome the new invention, which she unveiled at the 1893  Worlds Fair, but only hotels and large restaurants were buying her ideas. It was not until the 1950s that dishwashers caught on with the general public. Cochrans machine was a hand-operated mechanical dishwasher. She founded a company to manufacture these dishwashers, which eventually became KitchenAid. Biography of Josephine Cochran Cochran was born to John Garis, a civil engineer, and Irene Fitch Garis. She had one sister, Irene Garis Ransom. As mentioned above, her grandfather  John Fitch  (father of her mother Irene) was an inventor who was awarded a  steamboat  patent. She was raised in  Valparaiso, Indiana, where she went to private school until the school burned down. After moving in with her sister in  Shelbyville, Illinois,  she married William Cochran on October 13, 1858, who returned the year before from a disappointing try at the  California Gold Rush and went on to become a prosperous dry goods merchant and  Democratic Party  politician. They had two children, a son  Hallie Cochran who died at age 2, and a daughter Katharine Cochran. In 1870, they moved into a mansion and began throwing dinner parties using heirloom china allegedly dating from the 1600s. After one event, the servants carelessly chipped some of the dishes, causing Josephine Cochran to find a better alternative.  She also wanted to relieve tired housewives from the duty of washing dishes after a meal.  She is said to have run through the streets screaming with blood in her eyes, If nobody else is going to invent a dish washing machine, Ill do it myself! Her alcoholic husband died in 1883 when she was 45 years old, leaving her with numerous debts and very little cash, which motivated her to go through with developing the dishwasher. Her friends loved her invention and had her make dishwashing machines for them, calling them Cochrane Dishwashers, later founding the Garis-Cochran Manufacturing Company.

Examples of Physical Properties of Matter - Comprehensive List

Examples of Physical Properties of Matter - Comprehensive List This is an extensive list of physical properties of matter. These are characteristics that you can observe and measure without altering a sample. Unlike chemical properties, you do not need to change the nature of a substance to measure any physical property  it might have.   You may find this alphabetical list to be especially useful if you need to cite examples of physical properties. A-C AbsorptionAlbedoAreaBrittlenessBoiling pointCapacitanceColorConcentration D-F DensityDielectric constantDuctilityDistributionEfficacyElectric chargeElectrical conductivityelectrical impedanceElectrical resistivityElectric fieldElectric potentialEmissionFlexibilityFlow rateFluidityFrequency I-M InductanceIntrinsic impedanceIntensityIrradianceLengthLocationLuminanceLusterMalleabilityMagnetic fieldMagnetic fluxMassMelting pointMomentMomentum P-W PermeabilityPermittivityPressureRadianceResistivityReflectivitySolubilitySpecific  heatSpinStrengthTemperatureTensionThermal conductivityVelocityViscosityVolumeWave impedance Physical vs. Chemical Properties Chemical and physical properties are related to chemical and physical changes. A physical change only alters the shape or appearance of a sample and not its chemical identity. A chemical change is a chemical reaction, which rearranges a sample on a molecular level. Chemical properties encompass those characteristics of matter that can only be observed by changing the chemical identity of a sample, which is to say by examining its behavior in a chemical reaction. Examples of chemical properties include flammability (observed from combustion), reactivity (measured by readiness to participate in a reaction), and toxicity (demonstrated by exposing an organism to a chemical).

Physics of Formula One Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words - 1

Physics of Formula One - Essay Example Enzo Ferrari the legend behind the name Ferrari had a passion for car racing which motivated him to come out with the brand name which is today a household name in the field of F1 races. It was in 1945 that the work started on designing and building the very first Ferrari, a project which was being prepared around 12-cylinder2 – a first in the history which went on to provide a direction to the car in general and car racing in particular. Ferrari was the first car to use 1.5 litre unit in a V12 configuration. Since then the company has not looked back. Ferrari, the car was the brain child of its founder Enzo Ferrari. The journey begins with the foundation of Scuderia, sort of a club, on 16th November 1929, exclusively for participating in motor-racing competitions. Enzo Ferrari an integral part of Alpha Romeo for many decades, parted ways in 1929. When Ferrari left the club, he was not allowed to have his name on any of the cars or clubs for the next four years. But his resolve and patience saw him through in his ventures and he started with an 8-cylinder, 1500 cc sports spider, named as 815. It was only in 1946 that the name Ferrari comes into being for cars. The company has not looked back since then. Thereafter came its association with Michael Schumacher in 1996, which further helped in establishing the brand equity called ‘Ferrari’. The F1 racing is now an integral part of Ferrari. In fact F1 racing has now become a big industry in itself. Such developments have started driving other car manufacturers as well int o the race and serious manufacturers like BMW have also started experimenting with the sporty driving. Though it may sound boring to people watching the racing on the tracks, its television clippings have started commanding huge premium. This potential was foreseen by Mr. Ecclestone of ‘Formula One Administration’, who produces the electronic feed being watched by over 40 billion viewers (The

Point of view of the speaker in Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night Essay

Point of view of the speaker in Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night by Dylan Thomas - Essay Example The first line’s diction has been purposefully chosen to make it a command. The second, third, fourth, and fifth stanzas are persuasive and encourage the father to show his â€Å"rage against the dying of the light† (Thomas). In the sixth stanza, the poet requests his father to be his usual self and scream and yell at him to signify his strength. The overall tone of the poem is an outcome of the form and diction used by Thomas. Thomas acknowledges the fact that life and death are interrelated by pairing â€Å"gentle† with â€Å"rage†, â€Å"light† with â€Å"night†, and â€Å"dying† with â€Å"good†. Nevertheless, Thomas has made use of such diction that allows him to place his emphasis on life instead of death. This can be estimated from his frequent use of the words like â€Å"blaze†, â€Å"fierce†, and â€Å"green†. Dylan Thomas is upset to see his otherwise robust and radical father become weak and blind in his eighties and thus, persuades him to revert to life. Works Cited: Grimes, Linda S. â€Å"Dylan Thomas' Do Not Go Gentle.† 20 Nov. 2006. Web. 10 July 2011. . Thomas, Dylan. â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.† n.d. Web. 10 July 2011. .

Why I Want to Become a Teacher :: Free Essays Online

Doctors, lawyers, politicians, and engineers. How did they all get to where they are today? No matter the position someone may hold in society everyone has progressed to where they are in life because they had a teacher, someone who taught them in the way they should go. Teacher as defined in the dictionary as one who instructs. To teach someone is to communicate skills and give instruction. Today I would like to tell you why I would like to become a teacher. Specifically speaking I will tell you what has led me to this decision and why I want to become a teacher. To begin out of the countless professions one has to chose from in the world today I have chosen to become a teacher. I have chosen to become a teacher because I myself am a product of some whom I consider to be the best teachers in the world. As a child in North Carolina I was inspired by a wonderful woman named Mrs. Hollyfield. Mrs. Hollyfield taught me that no star was too far out of reach, if I put my mind to accomplishing my goal I could make it. Mrs. Hollyfield inspired me to be the best I could be at anything I wanted to be. As I have grown I have had other important teachers, some whom I am surrounded by daily whom inspire me to set out to accomplish my dreams. These wonderful inspiring people in my life have led me to the decision of becoming a teacher. Now that I have told you what has led me to this decision I would like to tell you exactly why I have chosen to become a teacher. I want to become a teacher not because of the salary nor because I want weekends and holidays off; rather, I want to become a teacher because I truly have a passion for making a difference in others lives. I feel that teaching is perhaps one of the most fulfilling roles in life. Becoming a teacher to me means helping to shape another person by teaching and instructing them.

English as Official Language Debate Essay

The United States is a nation founded by immigrants. Throughout the years the US has struggled with discrimination and close-mindedness. But, when we put our differences aside we can achieve the impossible. We are a country united by our differences. We celebrate our diversity, independence and individuality. We are a country that believes in choice, and one of those choices should be the option to speak the language which we relate to and understand. It was our forefather’s ambition that got us to the Land of The Free and our determination that made us successful. So how can we say we stand for freedom if we don’t give our people, immigrants (illegal or not), the right to speak their language? We are a country for the people, but not all of our people speak English. Many Americans argue that those who live in America should speak English but think about this: English is the sum of many other languages. The British brought English to America and forced the Native Americans to convert to their language and their ways. In modern society, we cringe at the idea of oppression and encourage those who are oppressed to speak out for themselves, yet turn a blind eye when we are the oppressors. A parallel can be drawn with bullying. It is an issue that many children, teens, and adults experience. Bullying has been an active topic in the media in recent years. Teachers, parents and authoritative figures continue to urge those who are bullied or have witnessed an act of bullying to stand up for themselves and get help. Thus, America is not only being hypocritical and ignorant, but it is also being a bully by forcing other’s to speak â€Å"our† language. We are oppressing their beliefs. We are telling them that they must speak our language if they want to be American; they must speak our language if they want to be successful. Understandingly, those who come to America should be educated in our history and be required to pass a citizenship test. But speaking English does not make one an American. A citizen is not inferior because he/she cannot speak English. Americans today are born with this innate sense of superiority. Yet, over the years we have overcome most of our selfish and antiquated ways and this is just another obstacle which we must surmount. We cannot force a diverse group of people to speak one language when our nation consists of so many. We cannot force a language upon our people without oppressing those people. Making English the official language would make us hypocrites and bullies. Therefore, English should not be the official language of the United States.