Weekend Entertainment #1 - August Test Drive Meme

[havetubawilltravel]

Happy August! It's an app_this_plz weekend, and you know you've got characters you want to try out.


H O W T O P L A Y:

-->Reply to this post with any character, new or old, you wish to app into Milliways.
-->Scan the post and respond to any characters you'd like to interact with.
-->Milliways members: feel free to respond with your applied characters or post them
--> Have fun! Post is open until Monday's DE and/or until the next Test Drive Meme!

Comments

[athelstanthescribe]

"Would you tell me of it?" he asks immediately, ever eager for knowledge. "And more of this place."

[witchfinder_general]

"To explain the Jesuits," Father Harman says, "I would have to start with the military campaigns Christendom started against the muslims in the Holy Land, the true shape of the Earth, and several church schisms. Do you really want all that confusion?"

Pause.

"But I should tell you about this place."

[athelstanthescribe]

"I have travelled", he notes, "to many places. But what is history for you, it's true I might not understand. There is so much to learn, I know."

[witchfinder_general]

"Well, if you have travelled, then you will know about the Moors in Spain," Father Harman says. "So that is something you can relate to. Well, some time after the year 1000, Christendom mounted a number of military campaigns to the Holy Land under the pretext of making the pilgrim roads safe, and in the course of that, several military orders were founded. That was the first step toward our order, you might say."

[athelstanthescribe]

"It arose from one of those orders", he says slowly. "And Jesuit must derive from Jesu."

[witchfinder_general]

"It does," Father Harman says. "And no, it didn't exactly arise from one of those orders, it was rather that some centuries later, when the church was in a bad shape during a great schism, a badly injured and unlucky Spanish knight asked himself what real soldiers of Christ would be like, and then he found some companions to become just that. Our speciality has always been learning, philosophy, missionary work, and understanding different cultures."

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan nods, admiring. "And you still abide by that?"

[witchfinder_general]

"We do," Father Harman says. "We run schools in many parts of the world, and try to be at the forefront of discussion within the church."

Pause.

"But the entire church wouldn't be there in the way it is without the Irish monks, and those from Iona and Lindisfarne. You preserved Christianity at a time when all Europe was pure chaos."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Lindisfarne is a sanctuary", he agrees earnestly. "And a centre of learning. I've been taught several languages, to better spread the word of God, and the art of the scriptorium."

[witchfinder_general]

"That is good," Father Harman says. "You are one of those to whom I owe the survival of my faith. Thank you for your work."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Does the work survive?" he asks suddenly. "We made it for all time, does it survive?"

[witchfinder_general]

"The Lindisfarne gospel is one of the most famous old books in the world," Father Harman says.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan flat out beams at that. "So at least one book does. Good."

[witchfinder_general]

"Several do, but that is the most famous one," Father Harman says.

[athelstanthescribe]

"When was it made, your Lindisfarne Gospel? In my time, or later years?"

[witchfinder_general]

"A little before your time," Father Harman says. "Made by a monk named Eadfrith, who later became a bishop."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Bishop Eadfrith", he says with a nod. "I've heard of him, of course - he died before I was born, but some of the older brothers when I was a boy spoke of him."

[witchfinder_general]

"His gospels survive into my time, and hopefully longer," Father Harman says.

[athelstanthescribe]

"They must be cared for as a treasure in your time", he says wistfully. "I can only hope for my own work to be seen that way."

[witchfinder_general]

"Other manuscripts survive as well," Father Harman says, "but that one is the most important one."

[athelstanthescribe]

"For its beauty", he asks shrewdly, "or its content?"

[witchfinder_general]

"For its beauty, and its historical importance," Father Harman says. "The gospel itself has been handed down in many copies over the centuries until printing was invented -- in fact, a bible was the first book printed in the West."

Pause.

"Printing is a technique to make several copies of one book rather quickly; I probably shouldn't tell you too much about it. It was invented around the year 1500."

[athelstanthescribe]

"I can see the use of it", he says thoughtfully, "but I hope there's still a place for the scribe?"

[witchfinder_general]

"Calligraphy remains an art form," Father Harman says, "used for many more centuries for everything that has to exist in only one copy, or three or five, as you need a larger print run to justify the initial work on the printing process. Later, after the invention of machines to make copy, or just a few, it remains an art form. Professional scribes become printers and type-setters, and later, graphic designers."

[athelstanthescribe]

"I don't know what those words mean", Athelstan confesses, "but I'm glad to hear there's still room for artistry."